THIS stadium is the largest for sports in the world and its capacity is massive

There are many sporting stadiums in the world which has a massive capacity and they are the biggest for spectacles.

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in a file photo. (Image credit: Twitter)
By Siddharth vishwanathan | Mar 17, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

When it comes to cricket or any sport, a stadium is a key factor. The atmosphere created by the arrival of thousands of fans creates a carnival-like feeling. The electrifying presence of the fans makes for tremendous spectacle viewing. In cricket, the stadiums play a massive role in ensuring that the game is enjoyed. The higher the capacity, higher is the fun factor. In cricket, the official capacities of stadiums have undergone some changes in the last couple of decades.

In the past, Indian cricket stadiums were classified into official capacity and unofficial capacity. For example, the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata until 2010 had an official capacity of 90,000. Unofficially, spectators would come in lakhs at the venue. However, the 2011 World Cup saw changes that reduced the capacity.

The same is true for football. The old Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil had a capacity of close to two lakhs. The reconstruction of the stadium meant a reduced capacity. However, when it comes to football, the capacity of stadiums is still over 70,000.

Largest cricket stadiums in the world

The new Motera stadium has an official seating capacity of 110,000, which is the largest in the cricketing world. The previous record was held by the Melbourne Cricket Ground which officially had a capacity of one lakh. In 2013, 93000 people attended the first day of the Ashes. During the final of the ICC Women’s World T20 between India and Australia, an attendance of 86,000 was witnessed which is the highest-ever for women sporting event in Australia.

Despite the restructure, Eden Gardens of Kolkata still has a seating capacity of 80,000. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Naya Raipur has a capacity of 65,000. Gwalior’s International cricket stadium has a capacity of 60,000. Australia’s New Perth Stadium in Perth also has the same capacity.

Chennai, Hyderabad, Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram and Lucknow all have stadium capacities of 50,000 officially.

Largest sports stadium in the world

There is a major surprise when it comes to the stadium with the highest capacity in the world. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang has an official capacity of 150,000 which is the largest. Many high-capacity stadiums are in the United States, due to the popularity of American football, Baseball and other sports.

Eight out of the top 10 stadiums when it comes to capacity. In a study conducted by Travel and Sports, Michigan stadium, Beaver Stadium, Ohio Stadium, Kyle Field, Neyland Stadium, Tiger Stadium and Bryant-Denny Stadium all have capacities in the range of 100,000 to 113,000. When one puts Motera on the list, it is third when it comes to official capacity for sporting events. That is truly a commendable feat.