Arsenal and Manchester City will contest the 2026 FA Community Shield away from Wembley Stadium, as a series of concerts by artist The Weeknd had already been scheduled at the venue. On this occasion, the prestigious match will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The “After Hours Til Dawn” tour will occupy the stadium from August 14 to 19, forcing this traditional fixture to move to a different venue on this occasion. However, this is not the first time this has happened.
As a recent example, in 2022, Leicester’s King Power Stadium hosted the match because Wembley Stadium was being used for the UEFA Women’s Euros final. In 2012, Villa Park also served as the venue for the FA Community Shield due to the London 2012 Olympic Games, which made the traditional venue unavailable.
The most recent FA Community Shield final
The 2025 FA Community Shield was contested between Premier League champions Liverpool and FA Cup winners Crystal Palace on August 10, 2025, at Wembley Stadium. After a thrilling 2–2 draw in regulation time, where Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong scored for Liverpool while Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaïla Sarr responded for Palace, the match went straight to a penalty shootout.
Odsonne Edouard of Crystal Palace holds the trophy aloft after their victory in the 2025 FA Community Shield.
Crystal Palace ultimately prevailed 3–2 on penalties, with Justin Devenny converting the decisive spot-kick to secure the Eagles’ first-ever FA Community Shield trophy.
The first trophy of the season
To kick off the 2026–27 campaign, reigning Premier League champions Arsenal will battle Manchester City for the season’s first piece of silverware in the FA Community Shield. While Mikel Arteta’s Gunners aim to extend their strong record in this traditional curtain-raiser, Manchester City enter the match under the guidance of a new manager Enzo Maresca, marking a fresh tactical era as both English giants pursue early momentum.
