World’s biggest stadium that dwarfs Wembley left to rust after hosting huge wrestling show with 350,000 fans
THE world’s largest stadium has a staggering capacity of 150,000 – but is barely used.
Opened in 1989 and situated in Pyongyang, North Korea, the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium was the first of its kind.
It was built in response to South Korea constructing the Seoul Olympic Stadium in the early 1980s, with the rival nation determined to make a statement by building an incredible venue of their own.
The stadium was at one time regularly used for sporting events as well as performances, shows and celebrations.
Six years after it was opened, the venue played host to Collision in Korea, the world’s largest professional wrestling pay-per-view event.
Around 350,000 took to the stadium across the two-day spectacular.
It also held the world’s biggest gymnastics display with over 100,000 participants.
However, despite being open for over 35 years, it is now barely touched.
Although the stadium is used for some major showcases to the rest of the world, most of the time it sits in silence.
The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium was left to decay for years until Kim Jong-un called for a refurbishment 10 years ago.
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It was given a fresh lick of paint and all 1,300 of its rooms were renovated.
But it has only been used for some select large-scale events since then.
The stadium has 16 arches in its scalloped roof which covers the huge 242,000 sq ft pitch below.
Its total floor space is over 2,230,000 sq ft which spans eight stories, as the roof peaks at more than 200ft above the ground.
The venue is currently used for small-time football matches, a few athletic events, and most often the games of the Arirang Festival – a large scale gymnastics event.
Its estimated seating capacity is around 150,000, making it significantly bigger than Wembley Stadium in London, which can hold 90,000.
It is also bigger than Manchester United’s new proposed £2billion stadium which is expected to seat 100,000 fans.