The following is a list of sports stadiums (or stadia) ordered by their seating capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators they can accommodate. Most of the largest stadiums are used for Association football or American football.
1. Rungrado May Day Stadium (150,000 capacity)
The monumental Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea was built in 1989 and seats a staggering 150,000 people. Resembling a blossom flower, it has 16 arches arranged in a ring. In 1995, an incredible 190,000 people crammed in for a professional wrestling event. It is not the only large stadium in Pyongyang - the Kim-Il Sung Stadium, with a capacity of 70,000, also resides there.
2. Salt Lake Stadium (120,000)
Salt Lake Stadium (officially known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Stadium of the Indian Youth) is located in Salt Lake City, a district of Kolkata in India. Built in 1984, the stadium boasts a capacity of 120,000 over a 3-tier construction and is mainly used for football and athletics events.
3. Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Beaver Stadium is the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions and is located at the Pennsylvania State University. Assembled in its current location in 1960 with a capacity of just 46,284, Beaver Stadium went through numerous expansions until its most recent expansion in 2001 which brought it to its current capacity of 107,282.
4. Michigan Stadium (106,201)
Nicknamed "The Big House", this is the American Football stadium of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Built in 1927, it had an original capacity of 72,000 which has gradually increased over the years through various expansions, maintaining its position as the largest American Football stadium. A very popular stadium, it has incredibly not had a sub-100,000 attendance since 1975.
5. Estadio Azteca (105,000)
Estadio Azteca is a stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.
Estadio Azteca was the primary venue for association football at the 1968 Summer Olympics and is the only stadium ever to host two FIFA World Cup final matches, in 1970 and 1986. It also hosted the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England in which Diego Maradona scored both the "Hand of God goal" and the "Goal of the Century". The stadium also hosted the "Game of the Century", when Italy defeated West Germany 4-3 in extra time. With a capacity of 105,000, it is the largest stadium in Latin America and fifth largest in the world.
6. Ohio Stadium (102,329)
With numerous nicknames (The House Harley Built, The Horseshoe, or simply The 'Shoe), Ohio Stadium is the home of the Buckeyes American Football team at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Originally built in 1922 (having undergone numerous renovations over the years since then) the stadium officially holds 102,329, regularly achieving attendances of over 100,000 at Buckeye games. It also often hosts music concerts, when the stadium can seat up to 110,000.
7. Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,000)
Bryant-Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny. The stadium's name was amended to Bryant-Denny Stadium in 1975 after the Alabama legislature chose to honor famed Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. It has a seating capacity of 101,000, and is the largest stadium in the SEC, the fourth largest stadium in the nation and the seventh largest non-racing stadium by seating in the world.
8. Darrell K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119)
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (formerly just War Memorial Stadium, Memorial Stadium, and Texas Memorial Stadium), located in Austin, Texas, has been home to the University of Texas Longhorn football team since 1924. The stadium has delivered a great home field advantage with the team's home record through the 2009 season being 342-91-10 (77.8%). The current official stadium seating capacity of 100,119 makes the stadium the largest football venue by seating capacity in the state of Texas, the largest in the Big 12 Conference, the fifth largest non-racing stadium in the NCAA and the United States, and the eighth largest non-racing stadium in the world.
9. Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,018)
There are numerous sports stadiums around the world that hold 100,000 (Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia; Azadi Stadium, Iran; Jawaharlal Stadium, India) but we have decided to highlight Melbourne Cricket Ground, due to its great history. The oldest of the stadiums on our list, it was built in 1853 with the first game of cricket played on 30 September 1854. Until the 1970s, up to 130,000 people could be crammed into the stadium - however renovations and safety regulations have since restricted the capacity to its current 100,018.
10. Neyland Stadium (100,011)
Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games with the last between the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers during the Oilers transition to Nashville in 1998. After 79 years and 16 expansion projects, Neyland Stadium peaked at an official maximum capacity of 104,079 seats. Capacity was reduced to 102,037 with the addition of the new East Club seats in 2006. Due to the addition of the new West Club seats in 2009, the capacity currently stands at 100,011. This makes it the fifth largest non-racing stadium in the United States and the ninth largest non-racing stadium in the world.
1. Rungrado May Day Stadium (150,000 capacity)
The monumental Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea was built in 1989 and seats a staggering 150,000 people. Resembling a blossom flower, it has 16 arches arranged in a ring. In 1995, an incredible 190,000 people crammed in for a professional wrestling event. It is not the only large stadium in Pyongyang - the Kim-Il Sung Stadium, with a capacity of 70,000, also resides there.
2. Salt Lake Stadium (120,000)
Salt Lake Stadium (officially known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Stadium of the Indian Youth) is located in Salt Lake City, a district of Kolkata in India. Built in 1984, the stadium boasts a capacity of 120,000 over a 3-tier construction and is mainly used for football and athletics events.
3. Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Beaver Stadium is the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions and is located at the Pennsylvania State University. Assembled in its current location in 1960 with a capacity of just 46,284, Beaver Stadium went through numerous expansions until its most recent expansion in 2001 which brought it to its current capacity of 107,282.
4. Michigan Stadium (106,201)
Nicknamed "The Big House", this is the American Football stadium of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Built in 1927, it had an original capacity of 72,000 which has gradually increased over the years through various expansions, maintaining its position as the largest American Football stadium. A very popular stadium, it has incredibly not had a sub-100,000 attendance since 1975.
5. Estadio Azteca (105,000)
Estadio Azteca is a stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.
Estadio Azteca was the primary venue for association football at the 1968 Summer Olympics and is the only stadium ever to host two FIFA World Cup final matches, in 1970 and 1986. It also hosted the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England in which Diego Maradona scored both the "Hand of God goal" and the "Goal of the Century". The stadium also hosted the "Game of the Century", when Italy defeated West Germany 4-3 in extra time. With a capacity of 105,000, it is the largest stadium in Latin America and fifth largest in the world.
6. Ohio Stadium (102,329)
With numerous nicknames (The House Harley Built, The Horseshoe, or simply The 'Shoe), Ohio Stadium is the home of the Buckeyes American Football team at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Originally built in 1922 (having undergone numerous renovations over the years since then) the stadium officially holds 102,329, regularly achieving attendances of over 100,000 at Buckeye games. It also often hosts music concerts, when the stadium can seat up to 110,000.
7. Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,000)
Bryant-Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny. The stadium's name was amended to Bryant-Denny Stadium in 1975 after the Alabama legislature chose to honor famed Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. It has a seating capacity of 101,000, and is the largest stadium in the SEC, the fourth largest stadium in the nation and the seventh largest non-racing stadium by seating in the world.
8. Darrell K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119)
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (formerly just War Memorial Stadium, Memorial Stadium, and Texas Memorial Stadium), located in Austin, Texas, has been home to the University of Texas Longhorn football team since 1924. The stadium has delivered a great home field advantage with the team's home record through the 2009 season being 342-91-10 (77.8%). The current official stadium seating capacity of 100,119 makes the stadium the largest football venue by seating capacity in the state of Texas, the largest in the Big 12 Conference, the fifth largest non-racing stadium in the NCAA and the United States, and the eighth largest non-racing stadium in the world.
9. Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,018)
There are numerous sports stadiums around the world that hold 100,000 (Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia; Azadi Stadium, Iran; Jawaharlal Stadium, India) but we have decided to highlight Melbourne Cricket Ground, due to its great history. The oldest of the stadiums on our list, it was built in 1853 with the first game of cricket played on 30 September 1854. Until the 1970s, up to 130,000 people could be crammed into the stadium - however renovations and safety regulations have since restricted the capacity to its current 100,018.
10. Neyland Stadium (100,011)
Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games with the last between the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers during the Oilers transition to Nashville in 1998. After 79 years and 16 expansion projects, Neyland Stadium peaked at an official maximum capacity of 104,079 seats. Capacity was reduced to 102,037 with the addition of the new East Club seats in 2006. Due to the addition of the new West Club seats in 2009, the capacity currently stands at 100,011. This makes it the fifth largest non-racing stadium in the United States and the ninth largest non-racing stadium in the world.
