Why has the Community Shield been switched from Wembley to Cardiff?
Wembley is in use so the curtain raiser will head down the M4
The Football Association announced this afternoon that the 2026 Community Shield has been switched from Wembley to Cardiff.
The season’s traditional curtain raiser is usually held at Wembley but will instead be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital.
An FA statement today read: “The 2026 FA Community Shield will be played at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday 16 August.
“The ‘curtain raiser’ for the new football season is traditionally played on the weekend before the Premier League begins.
“Due to alterations to the 2026-27 football calendar, next season’s Premier League will begin over the weekend of Saturday 22 August, and Wembley Stadium connected by EE is unavailable on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August due to pre-planned concerts.”
Who is performing at Wembley?
Wembley has already been booked for Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd.
The R&B artist, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, will perform in London for five nights, from August 14 to August 19.
It means the FA will again use Cardiff as its base as it did when Wembley was being refurbished.
The statement added: “The Welsh national stadium has a rich history of hosting major football events, including the FA Community Shield on six occasions between 2001 and 2006, and it provides a neutral venue for the competing clubs as well as one of the largest capacities in the United Kingdom for fans to attend.
“Further details about the 2026 FA Community Shield, which sees the winner of the Emirates FA Cup take on the Premier League champions, will be announced at the earliest possible opportunity following the conclusion of the 2025-26 football season.”