2026 Community Shield moved to Cardiff as Wembley hosts The Weeknd concerts
The 2026 FA Community Shield will be played on August 16 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium instead of Wembley, featuring Arsenal and Manchester City.
The FA has scheduled the 2026 Community Shield for Sunday, August 16, with the game starting at 3 p.m. BST. Due to a pre-existing booking by The Weeknd at Wembley from August 14 to 19, the match will be relocated to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The fixture pits defending Premier League champions Arsenal against FA Cup holders Manchester City, and will be the first competitive appearance for City’s new boss Enzo Maresca, who succeeds Pep Guardiola.
This relocation is only the third time since 2007 that the Shield has been staged outside Wembley, following previous moves to Leicester in 2022 and Birmingham in 2012. The change underscores the impact of scheduling conflicts on traditional football events.
Why it matters
Fans need to know the date, venue and teams for the season-opening match after Wembley became unavailable.
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