Lia Manoliu Stadium
Encyclopedia
The National Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium
in Bucharest
, Romania
. The stadium held 60,120 people.
It was built in 1953, for the 4th World Festival of Youth and Students
. According to the book Bucuresti published in 1968 by Institutul Proiect Bucuresti, Complexul Sportiv 23 August was designed by the well known architect Vily Juster.
It was first known as Stadionul 23 August, and later on as Stadionul Naţional (National stadium
). The sports complex that included Naţional Stadium, is named Lia Manoliu
after the famous Romanian athlete.
It was used mostly for football
matches.
It hosted numerous concerts after the 1989 Revolution
, including Michael Jackson
's Dangerous World Tour
concert on October 1, 1992, as well as the HIStory World Tour
concert on September 14, 1996. Some 70,000 people attended the concert, which was also the only one to be broadcast live by the HBO channel; it has since been the highest rated program to air on HBO and had the largest TV audience in history.
In October 2005, it was decided to rebuild the stadium completely; however, initially no funding was found, so some repairs proceeded in lieu of rebuilding. Later, funds became available and the rebuilding is expected to begin in November 2007. The plan calls for completion of a new five-star arena by April 2010. The last football match played was a 6-1 win against Albania
on November 21, 2007. After the match, a few seats were removed from the stadium, as a symbolic start of the rebuilding operations. The stadium has subsequently been demolished to make room for a new one
.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. The stadium held 60,120 people.
It was built in 1953, for the 4th World Festival of Youth and Students
4th World Festival of Youth and Students
The Fourth World Festival of Youth and Students was held in 1953, in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.The World Federation of Democratic Youth organized this festival against a background of what it described as persecution of communists, such as in West Germany, where Philipp Müller, a delegate...
. According to the book Bucuresti published in 1968 by Institutul Proiect Bucuresti, Complexul Sportiv 23 August was designed by the well known architect Vily Juster.
It was first known as Stadionul 23 August, and later on as Stadionul Naţional (National stadium
National stadium
Many countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
). The sports complex that included Naţional Stadium, is named Lia Manoliu
Lia Manoliu
Lia Manoliu was a Romanian discus thrower who won three Olympic medals, including one gold. She was the first Track & Field athlete to compete at six Olympics....
after the famous Romanian athlete.
It was used mostly for football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches.
It hosted numerous concerts after the 1989 Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, including Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Dangerous World Tour
Dangerous World Tour
The Dangerous World Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson. The tour, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, included 69 performances to an audience of 3.5 million. All profits were donated to various charities including Jackson's own "Heal the World Foundation". The...
concert on October 1, 1992, as well as the HIStory World Tour
HIStory World Tour
The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts and was attended by approximately 4.5 million fans, beating his previous Bad Tour...
concert on September 14, 1996. Some 70,000 people attended the concert, which was also the only one to be broadcast live by the HBO channel; it has since been the highest rated program to air on HBO and had the largest TV audience in history.
In October 2005, it was decided to rebuild the stadium completely; however, initially no funding was found, so some repairs proceeded in lieu of rebuilding. Later, funds became available and the rebuilding is expected to begin in November 2007. The plan calls for completion of a new five-star arena by April 2010. The last football match played was a 6-1 win against Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
on November 21, 2007. After the match, a few seats were removed from the stadium, as a symbolic start of the rebuilding operations. The stadium has subsequently been demolished to make room for a new one
Stadionul National
The National Arena is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, in the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex. The stadium will host the games of Romania's national football team, as well as the Romanian Cup Final and the Romanian Supercup. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be held at the new stadium...
.