Rungrado May Day Stadium Rank 1st in the World, the May Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium on Rungra Island, Pyongyang, North Korea. It opened on 1 May 1989, with its first major event being the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students.
It is the largest stadium in the world by seating capacity. The site occupies an area of 20.7 hectares.
Description:
The national stadium of North Korea was built as a response to Seoul’s Olympic Stadium as part of rivalry between the two countries. Construction took 2.5 years, not long for the building’s immense scale. Upon opening its capacity was set at 150,000, the largest in the world. Inauguration took place on May Day preceding the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students.
Most spectacular element of the stadium is its roof. Should official data be correct, it covers 94,000sqm, which is double the figure of previous record-holder King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. 11,000 of steel supports the outer sheets, forming 16 petal-shaped segments. They span 60 meters inside the stadium and 40 meters out. The entire structure is 60m high.
By shape it resembles a parachute and – in a different symbolic connotation – a magnolia flower. The unique roof was noticed and awarded first prize during the 1988 International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.
Its stands are far more conventional, forming two large rings. Part of the lower one is based on landfill, while the remainder supports what may be one of the largest training complexes ever built.
With total floor space of over 200,000sqm the stadium provides numerous facilities, including running tracks, swimming pools and indoor halls, where sportsmen prepare during the year.
Because of its scale, the stadium the stadium saw many great events, setting the world attendance record for wrestling at 190,000 spectators in 1995.
Though, ironically, not used for large football and athletic events as much as it should, it also houses the annual Arirang festival. It also saw the public execution of generals plotting against dictator Kim Jong Il in 1992.
History:
The construction of the stadium was completed on 1st May 1989 and the first event that was hosted at the stadium was the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. The event took place in 1989 after taking four years of preparation by the government and spent a quarter of the country’s yearly budget on it.
The stadium was a major attraction for all the tourists. The event was attended by around 22,000 people from 177 different countries and was named the largest students and youth meet ever.
Rungrado May Day Stadium Rank:
Is Rungrado May Day Stadium the largest Stadium in the World?
Rungrado May Day Stadium is the largest stadium in the world in terms of seating capacity. The stadium has a total capacity of 114,000 and is situated in Pyongyang, North Korea. The stadium is also known as the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium.
The scalloped roof features 16 arches arranged in a ring and resembles a magnolia blossom. It is situated in between the Taedong rivers. See the table below:
| Stadium By Capacity | Rank |
| World | 1st |
| Asia | 1st |
| Football Ground | 1st |
Rungrado May Day Stadium Capacity:
| Capacity | 114 000 |
|---|---|
| Country | North Korea |
| City | Pyongyang |
| Clubs | – |
| Inauguration | 01.05.1989 |
| Construction | 1986 – 1989 |
| Renovations | 2014 |
| Record attendance | 190 000 (wrestling, 1995) |
Rungrado May Day Stadium Cost:
The stadium worth is USD $210 million. It is one of the biggest construction in the World.
The construction cost of Rungrado May Day Stadium is USD $210 million and its owned by North Korea Government.
The Rungrado May Day Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium on Rungra Island, Pyongyang, North Korea. Its construction started in 1986 and completed in 1989. The full name is The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium Pyongyang.
Fact About Rungrado May Day Stadium:
- The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was the first event held in Rungrado Stadium
- Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is the largest stadium in the world by seating capacity, it occupies an area of 20.7 hectares (51 acres).
- The stadium’s scalloped roof features 16 arches arranged in a ring and resembles a magnolia blossom.
- In 2007 there was a Gymnastics event in which 100,090 participants setting the Guinness Book of Records.
- President Moon Jae-in of South Korea gave a speech with Chairman Kim Jong-un to 150,000 North Korean spectators in Rungrado May Stadium
- In July 2019, Kim Jong-un hosted Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping to a special Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic performance called “Invincible Socialism”, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of China-North Korea relations.
