Stade Intwari – stadium description

What does Stade Intwari look like in brief?

Stade Intwari (Stadium of Heroes) in Bujumbura, the largest city in Burundi, is the country’s main sports venue. The stadium was built from scratch on the site of the former arena of the same name, which no longer met international standards. Construction took place between 2022 and 2025.

The venue features a football pitch with artificial turf and space for an athletics track, surrounded by two-tier stands fitted with seats in the colours of the Burundian flag. Only the main stand is covered, while the entire facility is complemented by four floodlight masts.

How was the new Stade Intwari created?

For many years, Burundi’s main stadium was the Stade du Prince Louis Rwagasore, renamed Stade Intwari in 2019. The venue offered a very low standard, but it was only in 2021 that CAF no longer permitted international matches to be played there.

From that point on, the national team and Burundian clubs representing the country in international competitions had to play their matches abroad. The government acted quickly: in 2022, the old stadium was demolished and construction began on a new facility meeting modern requirements.

When was the new Stade Intwari inaugurated?

The first event held at the new stadium was the Labour Day celebrations on May 1, 2025. At that time, the venue was not yet fully completed; in the following weeks, works continued, including the installation of floodlight masts. During these works, on June 13, 2025, one of the masts collapsed onto the stands, causing minor damage.

The venue was ready to host football matches only by the weekend of September 19–21, 2025, when three international games were played on consecutive days. The first of them was a match between the women’s under-20 national teams of Burundi and Zambia, part of the U-20 World Cup qualifiers. Zambia won 2–1, and a week later secured another victory at home to advance to the next round.

The senior national team of Burundi (Intamba mu Rugamba) played its first match at the new Stade Intwari on October 9, 2025, losing 0–1 to Kenya in a World Cup qualifying fixture.

Although the new venue had already hosted events in 2025, its official inauguration did not take place until 31 January 2026. The ceremony was attended by, among others, the president, vice president and prime minister of the country, as well as the president of the Burundian Football Federation. The main highlight of the event was a league match between Club Vital’O and Bumamuru FC, which ended in a 2–1 result.

What does the new Stade Intwari look like?

The stadium is equipped with a football pitch with artificial turf, surrounded by space for an athletics track (which was not completed at the time of the stadium’s opening). Around the field extend oval, two-tier stands with a total capacity of 22,000 spectators. The seating consists of plastic seats in the white, green, and red colours of the Burundian flag.

On the western side stands the main stand, featuring VIP boxes and a membrane roof, with a service building attached to its exterior. In all four corners of the stadium, there are floodlight masts.

The stadium is located next to a French school in Bujumbura, the largest city in the country. Like its predecessor, it bears the name “Stade Intwari,” which in the local Kirundi language means “Stadium of Heroes” and refers to all those who contribute to the development of Burundi.