Next season's Community Shield won't be played at the home of English football (Image: GETTY)
Next season's Community Shield will be moved away from Wembley and out of England altogether, it has been announced. The traditional curtain-raiser, which sees the Premier League champions go up against the FA Cup winners, is typically held on the weekend before the start of each new top-flight campaign. The match is usually played at Wembley but that won't be the case when it returns later this year.
The Football Association (FA) have confirmed that the next edition of the Community Shield will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The governing body cited scheduling issues as the reason for the change. Wembley is not available on the selected dates because Canadian pop superstar The Weeknd is playing at the stadium as part of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour.
An FA statement read: "Due to alterations to the 2026-27 football calendar, next season’s Premier League will begin over the weekend of Saturday 22 August, and Wembley Stadium connected by EE is unavailable on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August due to pre-planned concerts.
"The Welsh national stadium has a rich history of hosting major football events, including the FA Community Shield on six occasions between 2001 and 2006, and it provides a neutral venue for the competing clubs as well as one of the largest capacities in the United Kingdom for fans to attend.
"Further details about the 2026 FA Community Shield, which sees the winner of the Emirates FA Cup take on the Premier League champions, will be announced at the earliest possible opportunity following the conclusion of the 2025-26 football season."