Rungrado May Day Stadium – stadium description

Why was Rungrado May Day Stadium built?

Although North Korea and South Korea remain in a formal state of armistice following the Korean War of 1950–1953, their relationship has for decades been marked by tension and various forms of rivalry — including military, and, as it turns out, even in stadium construction.

After Seoul was awarded the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, North Korea intensified its efforts to assert itself as the legitimate Korean state. Within this context, it succeeded in securing the right to host the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students, which took place in Pyongyang in 1989.

Preparations for the event involved the realization of several impressive construction projects, the most spectacular of which was the 1st of May Stadium on Rungrado Island. From the moment of its completion until today, it remains one of the largest stadiums in the world and the largest in Asia. The construction took two and a half years, which, considering the massive scale of the structure, is quite remarkable.

What is origin of name Rungrado May Day Stadium?

The name of this monumental venue stems from two sources. Rungrado refers to Rungra-do Island on the Taedong River in Pyongyang, where the stadium is located. May Day, on the other hand, is the English term for International Workers’ Day, celebrated on May 1st — a holiday of particular significance in socialist countries. The stadium was officially inaugurated on May 1st, 1989.

Its full official name is Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, but in everyday usage and international sources, it is often referred to as Rungrado May Day Stadium or simply The May Day Stadium.

What does Rungrado May Day Stadium look like?

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, built on Rungra-do Island on the Taedong River, is the largest football stadium in the world with a full seating arrangement. It features two-tiered stands, and its total area covers 207,000 m².

The stadium’s undulating roof forms a ring composed of 16 arches and resembles a magnolia blossom — the national flower of the DPRK. The main arena, measuring 22,500 m², is used for sporting and mass events. The building has a total usable area spread across eight levels, and the "petals" of the roof rise over 60 meters above the ground.

The stadium has as many as 80 entrances, which, according to official North Korean sources, allow for the admission of 150,000 people in just 15 minutes. At least one of the entrances is reserved exclusively for VIP dignitaries, including North Korea’s top leaders and selected foreign guests. This separate entrance leads to a special section of the stands reserved for the political and military elite.

What does Rungrado May Day Stadium look like after its 2014 renovation?

In 2013, reports first emerged that the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang would undergo a major renovation. In the spring of 2014, a massive container town began to emerge around one of the world’s largest stadiums — which, according to media reports from observers of the situation in North Korea, may have accommodated up to 10,000 soldiers assigned to construction work.

The renovation was officially completed at the end of October, and on the 28th of that month, a ceremonial event was held with fully packed stands — largely filled with members of the North Korean army. The country's leader, Kim Jong Un, was present in the stands, and the keynote speech was delivered by Choe Ryong Hae, Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission.

The scope of modernization was extensive. Orange accents were added to the stadium’s white and grey color scheme, both on the façade and inside the venue. All the spectator seats were replaced, though no official data was provided on the new capacity — photos, however, suggested a significant reduction in seating.

Particularly major changes occurred beneath the stands, where nearly all athlete facilities were refurbished, including large training areas, as well as spaces designated for dignitaries.

How many seats does Rungrado May Day Stadium have?

North Korea is one of the most secretive countries in the world. Closed off from the rest of the globe, it tightly controls nearly every piece of information that leaves its borders, and propaganda is one of its main exports. That’s why our editorial team decided to say let’s find out and count the number of seats at the Rungrado May Day Stadium ourselves. The official capacity? Still 150,000 — exactly the same as before the renovation. But the key word here is officially.

So we took on the challenge: to count every single seat in the world’s largest football stadium. Our count, including VIP and press sections, stopped at just under 114,000 seats. Interestingly, even with this correction, Rungrado remains the largest football stadium in the world. However, its monumental status may soon be surpassed by the construction of the Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca.

What sporting events have taken place at Rungrado May Day Stadium?

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang mainly serves as the venue for football matches — it hosts games played by both the men’s and women’s national teams of North Korea, as well as the April 25 Sports Club. Track and field events have also been held there, although far less frequently.

A particularly notable event in the stadium’s history is Collision in Korea — the largest professional wrestling event in history in terms of audience size. The event took place on April 28–29, 1995, and according to local sources, drew crowds of 150,000 and 190,000 spectators on the respective days.

Among the most significant sports events held at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is also the Pyongyang International Marathon (formerly known as the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon), one of the most unusual and sought-after running events in the world. Each year, hundreds of runners from dozens of countries travel to the North Korean capital to take part in a street marathon that winds through the city’s main avenues. The start and finish lines are usually located either on the track of the Rungrado Stadium or at the Kim Il Sung Stadium, where runners finish the race to the loud applause of tens of thousands of spectators.

In 2017, the Rungrado May Day Stadium hosted six group-stage matches as part of the qualifiers for the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.

What non-sporting events have taken place at Rungrado May Day Stadium?

Although the stadium is occasionally used for sporting events, it far more frequently serves as a venue for mass performances and shows celebrating the figures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. The most famous of these is the Arirang Festival, also known as the Arirang Mass Games — a colossal gymnastic and artistic spectacle involving tens of thousands of performers.

In June and July 2002, the stadium hosted an especially spectacular edition of the festival, featuring over 100,000 participants — interestingly, twice as many as there were spectators. The show was also open to foreign tourists and journalists, making it one of the rare opportunities to witness a propaganda performance up close. These displays became an annual tradition in Pyongyang, usually held in August and September. As early as 2000, the stadium had already gained international attention when it hosted a ceremony during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Pyongyang. In 2007, the Guinness World Records recognized the Arirang Festival as the largest gymnastics display in history, with exactly 100,090 performers. In 2019, the Mass Games returned under the title The People’s Country and were staged from June through October, making it one of the longest-running editions of the event.

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium also plays an important role in North Korea’s political life, serving as a setting for choreographed displays of unity and propaganda. In September 2018, during the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, the stadium hosted a historic moment: South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared together before an audience of 150,000 North Koreans. In his speech, Moon addressed issues of reunification, peace, and cooperation — remarks that resonated widely in global media.

In July 2019, the stadium hosted another symbolic event. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and North Korea, Kim Jong Un welcomed the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping. A monumental gymnastic and artistic performance titled Invincible Socialism was staged in honor of the Chinese leader.

Since December 31, 2022, the stadium has also taken on a new role — as the main venue for New Year’s Eve celebrations in Pyongyang. On that day, the first-ever New Year’s concert was held, attended by Kim Jong Un and the highest-ranking members of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Since then, Rungrado has become the annual center of the country's official New Year festivities.