Why is the Community Shield being held in Wales and not at Wembley Stadium?

ARSENAL face Manchester City in the Community Shield TODAY – but the match isn’t being played at its usual venue. The top two sides from last year’s Premier League clash in what is always the curtain-raiser for the new campaign. Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will host this year’s Community Shield Credit: Jon Rowley Arsenal beat Man City on penalties in the 2023 Community Shield Credit: Getty The Gunners held off City to claim their first league title in 22 years last season, but the Mancunians didn’t go trophyless themselves. In his last season at the club, Pep Guardiola beat Mikel Arteta in the final of the Carabao Cup to lift the first trophy of the season at Wembley. Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter Thank you! That win over Arsenal stopped the North Londoners from eventually completing a league and cup double. They then went on to lift the FA Cup over Chelsea to set up today’s clash against the league winners. Why is the Community Shield being held in Wales and not at Wembley Stadium? The Community Shield is usually played at the home of football, Wembley Stadium. However, in a change to the usual schedule, this year’s game will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The change comes because Wembley is hosting The Weeknd‘s ‘After Hours til Dawn’ tour on the same day. This year will be the third time since the stadium reopened in 2007 that the Community Shield will take place away from London. Most read in Sport 2022 was the last time it was played away from the capital, with Leicester City‘s King Power Stadium playing host – Liverpool beat Man City 3-1 that year. The only other time was ten years before that, when the match was moved to Villa Park due to Olympic football being played at Wembley, with Man City beating Chelsea 3-2 in Birmingham. In its history, the clash has been played away at Stamford Bridge, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford, Highbury, Maine Road, The Den, Molineux and Filbert Street, though not since the new Wembley Stadium was opened. Comment now