World’s largest field hockey stadium: Lahore’s National Hockey Stadium is No. 1

Field hockey traces its roots back to 2000 BC when the Iranians used to play an ancient form of the sport. Since then, hockey has evolved and the venues it is played in have also grown larger.

Although hockey stadiums are not the biggest in the world, most international-level venues can easily accommodate more than 15,000 spectators and are equipped with practice pitches, gyms, swimming pools and other modern training facilities.

Here are some of the biggest hockey stadiums in the world.

World’s largest hockey stadium

National Hockey Stadium, Lahore

Capacity: 45,000

The National Hockey Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, is the world’s largest hockey stadium. It can accommodate close to 45,000 spectators

Also known as the Gaddafi Hockey Stadium, the venue was opened to the public in 1982. It is part of the Nishtar Sports Complex, which also accommodates the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium and Punjab Athletics Stadium.

The National Hockey Stadium has been one of the prime venues for the sport in the country. It hosted all the matches of the men’s hockey World Cup in 1990, where Pakistan were defeated by the Netherlands in the final.

The venue houses the office of the Pakistan Hockey Federation and boasts a smaller hockey pitch right next to it.

Chandigarh Hockey Stadium, Chandigarh

Capacity: 30,000

Built in 1960, the Chandigarh Hockey Stadium, in the northern Indian state of Punjab, is the largest hockey stadium in India and can fit up to 30,000 spectators.

Part of the Sports 42 Sports Complex, which also has facilities for boxing, wrestling, judo, kabaddi and handball, the Chandigarh Hockey Stadium possesses a hostel to accommodate trainees. The entire complex is built across 40 acres of land.

The stadium has played host to various All India Hockey competitions, Indo Pan Am Hockey 1995 and Asian School Hockey tournaments. The venue was renovated in 2007.

The Chandigarh Hockey Stadium was also the home ground for Chandigarh Dynamos in the Premier Hockey League and Chandigarh Comets in World Series Hockey.

Weingart Stadium, Los Angeles

Capacity: 22,355

Weingart Stadium is a multi-purpose venue located in Los Angeles, California and is the second-largest field hockey stadium in the world. It can seat 22,355 fans at a time.

Previously known as the East Los Angeles College Stadium, the sporting facility is primarily used for American football, soccer and athletics.

Weingart Stadium staged the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments at the 1984 Olympics. While Pakistan won the gold in the men’s event, the Dutch took the top honours in the women’s competition.

Apart from being a top sporting venue in the USA, Weingart Stadium was a shooting location for popular Hollywood movies like Forrest Gump, Goal! and Viva Knievel.

Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Odisha

Capacity: 20,846

Located in the steel city of Rourkela, Odisha, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is one of the largest hockey stadiums in India and can house 20,846 spectators. What's unique about the stadium is that all seats are bucketed, which makes the Bisra Munda Hockey Stadium the largest seated hockey stadium in the world.

The stadium was especially built for the 2023 men’s hockey World Cup, becoming the second venue for the quadrennial showpiece along with Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, which can seat around 15,000 fans.

The Birsa Munda Stadium is built over 50 acres of land in the Biju Patnaik University of Technology campus. It houses a swimming pool, a fitness center and a practice pitch, among others.

The venue was inaugurated in January 2023.

Other stadiums like Riverbank Arena (15,000) in the United Kingdom and Olympic Green Hockey Field (17,000) in China were also among the world’s largest hockey stadiums. Both these venues were scaled down after the London Olympics in 2012 and Beijing Olympics in 2008, respectively.