THE English Community Shield will be moved from Wembley Stadium this summer due to The Weeknd’s tour dates.
The annual fixture, which is played a week before the start of the top-flight season, features the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners, and is typically held at Wembley Stadium.
However, this year, due to the FIFA World Cup taking place in America, the English footballing calendar has been adjusted. The Premier League season is set to begin on the weekend of August 22 – meaning the Community Shield will likely be held on August 16.
Therefore, due to pre-planned concert dates, the football match would clash with the Canadian pop star.
The Weeknd, a four-time Grammy winner and former headliner of the Super Bowl halftime show, is set to perform in London this summer as he returns to the United Kingdom for his ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour.
Following a high demand for tickets, the artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, will play five shows at the home of English football between August 14 and 19, clashing with the scheduled date for the Community Shield.
Instead of being played at Wembley Stadium, the trophy tie will be held at the Principality Stadium, formerly known as the Millennium Stadium, in Cardiff.
The Principality Stadium, a premier venue primarily used for hosting Welsh rugby, hosted six Community Shields between 2001 and 2006, while the new Wembley Stadium was being constructed.
Since moving into a new build, the match has taken place away from the English capital on two occasions – in 2012 at Villa Park, due to the Olympics, and in 2022 at the King Power Stadium.
Announcing the news in a statement on Monday, the FA said:
‘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.’
Last year’s clash saw FA Cup holders Crystal Palace defeat Premier League champions Liverpool, 3-2 on penalties.
In the current state of play, Arsenal look likely to return to Wembley as they sit at the top of the Premier League table, with a nine-point cushion. On the other hand, their opposition will likely be one of Manchester City, Liverpool, or Chelsea in the FA Cup.
