Nacionalinis Stadionas – construction description

The saga of the Vilnius National Stadium began back in the Soviet era. Construction started in 1987, but after the fall of communism, work was halted, and the unfinished skeleton of the stadium “loomed” over the city for three decades.

An attempt to resume construction was made in 2008, but the allocated funds were sufficient for only a few months of work. A few years later, a new plan was drawn up: the “cursed” skeleton was to be demolished and replaced with a more modern, football-specific stadium, alongside a planned sports complex.

Complex procedures, tenders, and legal disputes caused further delays, and the project became known in the media as a “national disgrace.” The unfinished skeleton was finally dismantled in 2022, and construction of the new stadium began in autumn 2023 – only to be halted again after a few months.

After a change of the project’s private partner, construction resumed in July 2025. If all goes according to plan this time, Lithuania should finally have its National Stadium by the end of 2027.

More details about the Vilnius National Stadium project can be found on a separate page