Few things in life are better than watching a close game of sport with more than 100,000 people beside you cheering. The biggest stadiums in the world are primarily found in the land of the free, home of the brave (the United States of America), home to more college football stadiums than we can count. However, Australia also made our list, with Melbourne Cricket Ground at number 11, regularly hosting over 100,000 people. Without further ado, these are the biggest stadiums in the world, ranked by their capacity.
Biggest Stadiums in the World at a Glance
Highlights from our list include the following:
- Biggest stadium in the world: Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, North Korea
- Biggest stadium in Australia: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
- Biggest stadium not in America: Narendra Modi Stadium, India
Now that you’ve read the top spots let’s look at the complete list.
Table of contents
- Biggest Stadiums in the World at a Glance
- 1. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, North Korea
- 2. Narendra Modi Stadium, India
- 3. Michigan Stadium, Michigan
- 4. Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania
- 5. Ohio Stadium, Ohio
- 6. Kyle Field, Texas
- 7. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
- 8. Tiger Stadium, Louisiana
- 9. Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas
- 10. Bryant–Denny Stadium, Alabama
- 11. Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
- 12. Camp Nou, Spain
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1. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, North Korea
- Location: Pyongyang, North Korea
- Seating capacity: 150,000
- Primary use: Soccer games, gymnastics events, including the Arirang Festival
- Significant events hosted: U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s visit to North Korea (2000)
- Opened: 1989
Sadly (or not so sadly), you can’t visit the biggest stadium in the world (Rungrado 1st of May Stadium) because it’s in North Korea. This stadium was constructed in response to South Korea after they hosted the 1988 Olympic Games at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, which measured a measly 69,950 in capacity. Of course, North Korea has to one-up the South, and Rungrado Stadium was inaugurated on the 1st of May, 1989.
Just how big is it? By comparison, the Sydney Olympic Stadium (Stadium Australia) could hold more than 110,000 people for the opening and closing ceremonies when they added all the extra seats. Simply put, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is bloody massive.
While most of the information surrounding this stadium is tough to verify given the highly secretive nature of communist North Korea, all reports suggest this is more of a village than a stadium. You’ll find dorms for athletes, table tennis tables, running tracks, pools, recovery rooms, and more. It’s monolithic in design and size, with a canopy measuring 60 metres (197 feet) in length.
2. Narendra Modi Stadium, India
- Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
- Seating capacity: 130,000
- Primary use: Cricket
- Significant events hosted: The 2022 and 2023 IPL finals
- Opened: 1983
Suppose you remove the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea from the equation (because no one can visit it). Where do you go next? Well, if you’re a cricket fan, you’ll want to head to the second biggest stadium in the world, Narendra Modi Stadium (previously Motera Stadium) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It boasts a capacity of more than 132,000 people, and while it might technically be ranked second behind the North Koreans, at least you can visit this stadium and watch a game.
This is the world’s biggest cricket stadium and unquestionably the best place to watch cricket, with an unobstructed view from every seat, thanks to its pillarless design. This was proved when the stadium hosted the 2023 Cricket World Cup, and the atmosphere was spectacular, especially in the final, where Australia won by 6 wickets.
Named after the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi Stadium was designed by Andrew James from the Australian design firm Populous and cost more than AUD$144 million. However, Larsen and Toubro, whose headquarters are in Mumbai, India, built it.
Head into the stadium’s depths, and you’ll find tennis courts, squash, table tennis, a theatre, and three practice grounds, including an entire indoor cricket practice facility. This is a serious feat of engineering.
3. Michigan Stadium, Michigan
- Location: Michigan, USA
- Seating capacity: 107,601
- Primary use: Gridiron football
- Significant events hosted: 2014 NHL Winter Classic, 2014 International Champions Cup soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester United
- Opened: 1927
By far the biggest stadium in the USA and one of the biggest stadiums in the world, Michigan Stadium is fondly known as the “Big House” among locals. It is also the biggest stadium in the Western Hemisphere. Given its location, it’s no surprise that the main show here is Gridiron football, also known as American football, and it gets pretty crazy (in the best way). You will know what we’re discussing if you have ever attended a University of Michigan football game.
Construction was far from linear. The stadium was initially proposed to seat 100,000–150,000 spectators, but the capacity was soon reduced to 72,000. Funding the project was also unusual. The university funded it by selling bonds at $500. Today, the stadium has a capacity of 107,601.
On its opening in October of 1927, Michigan football played its first game, defeating Ohio Wesleyan by a score of 33–0 – a promising sign of many more victories.
4. Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania
- Location: Pennsylvania, USA
- Seating capacity: 106,572
- Primary use: Gridiron football, ice hockey
- Significant events hosted: The ‘White Out’ game where Penn State defeated the ‘Illinois Fighting Illini’ in 2008, Penn State and Ohio State Buckeyes ice hockey match
- Opened: 1960
Not far behind Michigan Stadium is Beaver Stadium, the second-largest college football stadium in the USA. Another college football stadium in University Park is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions (Pennsylvania State University).
Being such a massive stadium, the time it took to complete the construction was quite impressive, taking only one year. It is known for its sleek and considered design, designed by renowned architect Michael Baker Jr., Inc. However, it is one of the stadiums that has changed the most throughout the years – the wooden grandstands were replaced with steel stands in the 1930s, and new stands were added to allow more people to come and watch the games.
5. Ohio Stadium, Ohio
- Location: Ohio, USA
- Seating capacity: 102,780
- Primary use: Gridiron football, college athletics
- Significant events hosted: The Buckeye football home games, the first home of the Columbus Crew for their 1996-1998 seasons and a Pink Floyd concert, which was one of the largest in Columbus at the time
- Opened: 1922
We all know that the USA is infamous for doing everything, from food to drinks, super-sized, so it’s not surprising that the sixth biggest stadium in the world is yet another USA football stadium. The stadium is affectionally known as ‘the horseshoe’ due to its distinct horseshoe-shaped design (to allow track events to be run out the open end).
While initially a more humble venue in size, the stadium was renovated and expanded by removing the track and adding additional seating in 2000, with further luxury suites added in 2017. Due to its sheer size and iconic design, this stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
6. Kyle Field, Texas
- Location: Texas, USA
- Seating capacity: 102,733
- Primary use: Gridiron football
- Significant events hosted: Texas A&M game against Ole Miss in 2014, where Texas lost 35-20, and the largest ticketed concert in United States history in June 2024 when George Strait played.
- Opened: 1927
If you hear someone refer to a stadium as the ‘home of the 12th man,’ this is the stadium they are talking about. Home of Texas A&M University and the team affectionately known as the ‘Aggies,’ Kyle Field is one of the biggest stadiums in the world and the fourth largest stadium in the United States.
What does this name mean? It stems from the fact that the Aggies stadium typically has massive crowds flocking to watch them play their home games, with crowds often exceeding the 100,000 mark. The stadium is named after Edwin Jackson Kyle, an 1899 graduate of Texas A&M and professor of horticulture who was the president of the General Athletics Association and proposed the idea of a big stadium to promote the school’s athletics.
While football is the main star of the show at Kyle Field, when the Aggies are not playing, the stadium hosts playoff football games for Texas high schools and football training camps.
7. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Seating capacity: 101,915
- Primary use: Tennessee Volunteers football
- Significant events hosted: September 18, 2004, a game where Tennessee defeated Florida 30–28 with 109,061 in attendance
- Opened: 24 September 1921
Neyland Stadium’s maximum capacity is 101,915 people, but the school broke that number with a 109,061-person record attempt on September 18, 2004, when Tennessee defeated Florida 30–28 in a close football game. Even though it wasn’t the team’s best year, they also managed to keep an average of 107,595 fans per home game in 2000, finishing with a record of 8-4 (26th of 116). Today, the stadium is mainly used for Tennessee Volunteers football games.
8. Tiger Stadium, Louisiana
- Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Seating capacity: 102,321
- Primary use: LSU Tigers football
- Significant events hosted: Maxed out capacity at 102,321 against No. 7 Florida in 2019
- Opened: 25 November 1924
What always surprises us about these college football stadiums is that the teams can fill them up season after season. Take the LSU Tiger Stadium as an example. It’s known as one of the most intimidating places to play all of college football, and the team has only lost more than one home game six times since the year 2000, with a 128-23 at-home record since the same season. Of course, this success fuels fandom for the team, and the stadium averaged 94,808 spectators for its seven home contests in 2021. This was fresh from a global pandemic shut-down where the stadium could only fill at 25 per cent. Previously, the stadium has maxed its capacity out with a sold-out Saturday night crowd of 102,321 against No. 7 Florida in 2019.
9. Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas
- Location: Austin, Texas, USA
- Seating capacity: 100,119
- Primary use: Gridiron football
- Significant events hosted: The annual Austin Bowl game
- Opened: 1924
It is yet another one of the biggest stadiums in the world, housed in the home of all big things, the USA. Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Texas is the second largest within the state of Texas, behind Kyle Field. The most recent renovations to the stadium were completed in 2009.
The iconic stadium is home to the Longhorns football team. The name of the stadium also has a story behind it. Having undergone many name changes over the years, it was the “War Memorial Stadium”, the “Memorial Stadium” and the “Texas Memorial Stadium” before earning its current name, named after legendary football coach Darrell K. Royal and in memory of the people of Texas who lost their lives in World War I.
10. Bryant–Denny Stadium, Alabama
- Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Seating capacity: 100,077
- Primary use: Alabama Crimson Tide football
- Significant events hosted: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU, November 9, 2019, when the stadium maxed out its capacity at 101,821 fans
- Opened: 28 September 1929
Ahh, another great college football stadium to round out the top 10 biggest stadiums in the world. This time, we’re in Alabama at Bryant–Denny Stadium, which hosts Alabama Crimson Tide football home games. This stadium underwent a renovation in 2010 that increased capacity to the 100,077 we see today. Still, that number is often eclipsed for big games, most recently vs. LSU on November 9th 2019, when the stadium maxed out its capacity at 101,821.
The stadium underwent a $107 million renovation in 2020, adding three new club areas, 3,826 premium seats, new boxes, the Terrace Club, Champions Club and Founders Suites, new skyboxes, and renovating existing skyboxes. Locker rooms, tunnels, and other entrances were also renovated.
Like many stadiums, it’s also a tourist destination, and according to the college’s website, it’s also often one of the most visited destinations in the state.
11. Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Seating capacity: 100,024
- Primary use: Cricket and AFL
- Significant events hosted: The main stadium for the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Cricket World Cups in 1992 and 2015
- Opened: 1853
Finally, a supersized stadium is putting Australia on the map! The largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the main event hosted here is also a little different to most of the stadiums mentioned on this list, with cricket and AFL taking centre stage.
Every time a big game or concert happens down under, you can guarantee the MCG will host it. Most recently, the MCG hosted the Taylor Swift ‘Eras Tour’ concert with 96,000 fans in attendance. Many argue it’s the best live music venue in the world, and we’d agree.
While the stadium hosts various events, it is the official home of the Melbourne Cricket Club. It was first built at the beginning of Australia’s sporting history, and little remains of this original structure. The ground has been renovated countless times but still retains its original charm. It is pivotal in Australian cricket history, hosting the first club formed in Victoria and the first match between New South Wales and Victoria.
12. Camp Nou, Spain
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Seating capacity: 99,354
- Primary use: Football (soccer)
- Significant events hosted: Two European Cup/Champions League finals in 1989 and 1999, the 1982 FIFA World Cup and the football tournament’s final at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
- Opened: 1957
One of the biggest stadiums in the world, but more specifically, the biggest stadium in Europe, Camp Nou is also the holy grail for fans of the iconic football/soccer La Liga club, Barcelona. Due to the die-hard fans’ nature, this stadium is always packed to the brim with eager supporters, endless chants, and plenty of fantastic football. Because of this, the stadium is underway to become even more impressive in size and seating capacity. Current renovations are increasing the seating to 105,000, which would make it the fifth-biggest stadium in the world.
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