Some of the largest manmade structures include the pyramids, towers, and stadiums. These stadiums can hold more than 100,000 people at once; for comparison, Burj Khalifa cannot hold more than a third of that capacity. While Brazilian the Maracana stadium holds the all-time record in stadium attendance for a sporting event at 199,854 spectators in 1950, the following stadiums hold the records for the maximum official seating capacities.
Also see: Largest Cricket Grounds in the World
Largest Stadiums in the World
1. RUNGRADO MAY DAY STADIUM — 114,000
Also known as the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, this multipurpose stadium is in Pyongyang, North Korea and occupies nearly 51 acres of land around it. It is commonly used for football and other sport matches but mainly used every year for the Arirang Festival. The officially capacity is 150,000 but realistically it has accommodated up to 114,000 people for an event. The South Korean President gave a speech in 2018 in this stadium along with Kim Jong-un. The area is under constant redevelopment to make it better, but the stadium still stands as the biggest in the world in terms of capacity.
2. MICHIGAN STADIUM — 113,065
Located in Ann Harbour, Michigan, this football stadium is for the University of Michigan and the largest stadium in the US. With an original capacity of 72,000 when built in 1927, currently the stadium can officially host 107,601 people but has been able to hold nearly 115,00 0 people at once. It is nicknamed “The Big House”, the team Wolverines have been playing their home matches there since 1975, counting more than 200 games till now. An international match between Manchester United and Real Madrid drew a crowd of nearly 110,00 in 2014.
Also see: Engineering Marvels of the World
3. BEAVER STADIUM — 106,572
Beaver Stadium is on the campus of Pennsylvania State University and a well-regarded football stadium. With its intimidating grounds, the stadium is one of the toughest venues for college football teams to face off. It was also the first to have its interior captured by Google Street View for Google Maps. Despite the official capacity, nearly 111,000 people attended in a match in September 2018.
4. OHIO STADIUM — 104,944
Another stadium on the university campus, Ohio Stadium lies in the Ohio State University and hosts American Football matches. It is nicknamed ‘The Horseshoe’ and is home to Ohio State Buckeyes and the Ohio State University Marching Band. In addition to that, the stadium has an impressive concert history with Pink Floyd, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, U2, and Metallica have played at the stadium.
5. KYLE FIELD — 102,733
Kyle Field is built on the campus of Texas A & M in Texas, USA and is standing tall since 1927. It is the home to the Aggie college football team since 1904. In 2014 it set its record attendance of 110,631 and expansion will increase the stadium capacity by approximately 12,000. It’s the fourth largest in the US and the fifth largest in the world (for non-racing stadiums). People also refer to it as the “12th Man Stadium” because of the gigantic LED screen installed in the stadium.
6. NEYLAND STADIUM — 102,455
Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Neyland Stadium is named after the Head Coach of Tennessee Volunteers, Robert Neyland. The stadium was originally built in 1921 and once reached a maximum capacity of more than 104,000 people. Since then the capacity was controlled following plenty of expansion projects. It is the home to the Tennessee Volunteers football team but also is used for concerts, political rallies, and gatherings.
7. TIGER STADIUM — 102,321
Also lovingly known as the Death Valley, the stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, lies within the campus of Louisiana State University. Opened in 1924 with a capacity of 12,000, it was renovated to the current capacity of 102,321 spectators. LSU’s Tiger Stadium is known for being one of the toughest places to play, for the opposing team, but also providing the best game day atmosphere for college football.
8. BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM — 101,821
Home to the University of Alabama college football team, where it is built, the Bryant Denny Stadium was opened in 1929 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Named after George Denny, president of the school, and coach Paul Bryant. It is currently under an expansion project with a 10-year long and $600 million plan.
9. DARRELL K ROYAL-TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM — 100,119
Built in the University of Texas, the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium has been home to Longhorns football team since 1924 giving a 76% of home-field advantage in its long history. Being the first football stadium in Texas to house more than 100,000 people at once, the stadium has a $62 million plan to expand and become the biggest in the United States.
10. MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND — 100,024
The MCG is the biggest cricket stadium in the world and is located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It has also had the honor to host two Cricket World Cups, 2006 Commonwealth Games, and even the 1956 Olympics. Cementing itself in cricket history, it was the site of the first Test match and the first One Day International ever. It even has the tallest lights for any sporting venue in the world. It recorded 121,696 spectators in 1970 but now can hold a little above 100,000 people. Yet, it’s listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and on the Australian National Heritage List.
Apart from these, the upcoming cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, India will surpass the MCG by having a capacity to hold over 110,000 spectators at once, making it the largest cricket (and one of the largest overall) stadium in the world.
