Skonto stadions – stadium description

Upon opening it was the largest stadium in Latvia and possibly the best across Baltic states. No wonder, this was the home of Skonto, the unquestioned champions of Latvia, who went on to win 5 out of 14 successive championships here.

Located nearly at the heart of Riga, the venue inherited its setting after old Dinamo stadium. With limited space, its layout is unusual. The main stand is in the south west and is detached from remaining parts of the 'horseshoe' by outer walls of the Skonto Olympic Hall.

During Skonto's heyday there also used to be a fourth grandstand in the south east, smallest of all. However it was eventually removed in 2012 to be replaced by additional parking spaces.

As Skonto began falling into trouble, so did the stadium. From 2011 the club could no longer meet financial obligations and eventually the stadium was auctioned in 2014. At present it's the home of Riga FC.

Since its inauguration it's also been the place of numerous Latvia internationals. The most famous game was the Euro 2004 play-off against Turkey in 2003, which was attended by between 9,000 and 10,000 people.

Equally, the stadium is known to be one of Latvia's most memorable concert venues. Over the years it saw gigs by some of the greatest artists, including Elton John, Depeche Mode, Aerosmith or Metallica.