The modern Olympics have been celebrated for 120 years across the world. Each city that has hosted the Games has been required to have a stadium that befits the occasion. 120 years is a long time in anything, therefore stadia has changed over time. Let’s have a look at the stadia that have been used over the years.
1896 – Athens
Name: Panathenaic Stadium
Capacity: 80,000
Year built: 330 BC
Fun fact: It is the only stadium to have been built entirely from marble.
Other events: 1997 World Athletics Championship
1900 – Paris
Name: Velodrome de Vincennes
Capacity: 50,000
Year built: 1894
Fun fact: The 1900 Games are remembered as the first that allowed women to participate.
Other events: Cycling venue at 1924 Olympics, Tour de France finish line 1968-1974
1904 – St. Louis
Name: Francis Field Stadium
Capacity: 19,000 (but reduced to 4000 in 1984)
Year built: 1902
Fun fact: The 1904 Games were the first where gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded.
Other events: Annual host for American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, 1985 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, St. Louis Stars Stadium during 1969-1970.
1908 – London
Name: White City Stadium
Capacity: 93,000
Year built: 1908
Fun fact: The 1908 Games were originally scheduled to be Rome’s; however London got them due to Rome not being prepared.
Other events: Greyhound Racing, Speedway
1912 – Stockholm
Name: Stockholm Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 20,000 for the 1912 Olympic Games, 13,145-14,500 now
Year built: 1910-1912
Fun fact: The stadium hosted the equestrian events for the 1958 Melbourne Olympics due to Australian quarantine rules.
Other events: Home to Djurgårdens IF from 1936-2013, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Michael Jackson have all performed there.
1920 – Antwerp
Name: Olympisch Stadion
Capacity: 12,771
Year built: 1920
Fun fact: The Olympic flag with the five rings was raised for the first time in 1920.
Other events: Currently home to FCO Beerschot Wilrijk, a Belgian amateur football team.
1924 – Paris
Name: Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
Capacity: 14,000
Year built: 1907
Fun fact: The 1924 Games were the first to have a closing ceremony at the end of the competition.
Other events: Home ground to Racing 92 and the 1938 World Cup Final venue.
1928 – Amsterdam
Name: Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 22,288
Year built: 1927
Fun fact: The Olympic flame was lit for the first time at the 1928 games.
Other events: 1987 FIM Speedway World Championship Final, home ground for Amsterdam Admirals in 1995 and 1996, 2016 European Athletics Championships.
1932 – Los Angeles
Name: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Capacity: 75,144
Year built: 1923
Fun fact: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is the only stadium to host the Olympics twice.
Other events: Home venue for the USC Trojans (1923-present), Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979, 2016-2018), Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1961), Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1994).
1936 – Berlin
Name: Olympiastadion
Capacity: 110,000, now 74,475
Year built: 1934-1936
Fun fact: The 1936 Games were the first to be broadcast on television.
Other events: Home venue for Hertha BSC (1963-present), 2006 Fifa World Cup final venue, 2015 Champions League final
1948 – London
Name: Wembley Stadium
Capacity: 82,000
Year built: 1922
Fun fact: Starting blocks for athletes were used for the first time.
Other events: Home venue for England football (1923-2000), 1966 World Cup final venue,
1952 – Helsinki
Name: Olympiastadion
Capacity: 42,062
Year built: 1934-1938
Fun fact: The 1952 Games were the first to include Israel and the Soviet Union.
Other events: World Athletics Championships (1983 and 2005), 2012 European Athletics Championships.
1956 – Melbourne
Name: MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground)
Capacity: 103,000, now 100,024
Year built: 1853
Fun fact: Melbourne was the first Olympics to be held in the Southern Hemisphere.
Other events: 2006 Commonwealth Games, State of Origin, Cricket.
1960 – Rome
Name: Stadio Olimpico
Capacity: 65,000
Year built: 1928
Fun fact: The Rome Games were the last Games in which South Africa was allowed to participate for a period 32 years.
Other events: 1974 European Athletics Championships, European Cup final (1977 and 1984), 1990 World Cup, Champions League final (1996 and 2009), Home ground to Roma and Lazio.
1964 – Tokyo
Name: National Stadium
Capacity: 48,000, will be 60,000 by 2020 Olympics
Year built: 1958
Fun fact: The 1964 Games were the first to be held in Asia.
Other events: 1991 World Athletics Championships, Intercontinental Cup (1980-2001), Japan football team.
1968 – Mexico City
Name: Estadio Olimpico Universitario
Capacity: 63,186
Year built: 1952
Fun fact: The choice of Mexico City to host the Games was controversial due to the city’s high altitude.
Other events: 1955 Pan American Games, 1986 World Cup, Club Universidad Nacional (1952-present).
1972 – Munich
Name: Olympiastadion
Capacity: 69,250
Year built: 1968-1972
Fun fact: The 1972 Olympics were the first where officials had to swear an oath.
Other events: Bayern Munich (1972-2005), TSV 1860 Munich (1972-2005), 1997 Champions League Final, 1974 World Cup Final, Euro 1988 Final.
1976 – Montreal
Name: Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 56,040
Year built: 1973-1976
Fun fact: 22 African nations boycotted the Games due to New Zealand’s attendance after their rugby team had toured apartheid South Africa.
Other events: Montreal Impact (2012-present), Montreal Expos (1977-2004), 1979 Athletics World Cup, 2017 World Gymnastics Championships.
1980 – Moscow
Name: Luzhniki Stadium
Capacity: 78,360
Year built: 1956
Fun fact: The USA boycotted the 1980 Games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Other events: 1999 UEFA Cup Final, 2008 Champions League Final, 2013 World Athletics Championships, 2018 World Cup.
1988 – Seoul
Name: Seoul Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 69,950
Year built: 1976
Fun fact: Ben Johnson set a world record in the 100m sprint, but later tested positive for steroids.
Other events: There were more security personnel (100,000) than ever before, due to Seoul’s proximity with North Korea, and threats of reunification demonstrations.
1992 – Barcelona
Name: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
Capacity: 54,000
Year built: 1927
Fun fact: For the first time since 1972, no nations boycotted the Games.
Other events: 2010 European Athletics Championships, 2004 Copa del Rey final, 2012 World Junior Athletics Championships.
1996 – Atlanta
Name: Centennial Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 85,000
Year built: 1993-1996
Fun fact: For the first time in Olympic history, all 197 recognised National Olympic Committees were represented at the Games.
Other events: Home to Atlanta Braves
2000 – Sydney
Name: Stadium Australia
Capacity: 110,000
Year built: 1996-1999
Fun fact: Stadium Australia is the largest stadium ever used in the Olympics.
Other events: NRL Grand Final, Bledisloe Cup, AFL Final, State of Origin
2004 – Athens
Name: Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 71,030
Year built: 1980-1982
Fun fact: A record 201 National Olympic Committees participated in the Games.
Other events: Home to AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.
2008 – Beijing
Name: Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest)
Capacity: 91,000
Year built: 2007
Fun fact: The Games were the most watched, with over 700 million people watching the event worldwide.
Other events: 2015 World Athletics Championships, opening and closing ceremonies of 2022 Winter Olympics.
2012 – London
Name: Olympic Stadium
Capacity: 60,000
Year built: 2008-2011
Fun fact: London is the only city to have hosted three separate Olympic Games.
Other events: 2015 Rugby World Cup venue, home to West Ham.
2016 – Rio de Janeiro
Name: Maracanã Stadium
Capacity: 74,738
Year built: 1950
Fun fact: The Maracanã hosted the 1950 World Cup final, where 199,854 people crowded the stadium to watch the game.
Other events: 1950 and 2014 World Cups.
