Social media users circulated a video clip of the moment of demolition of the Shah Alam Stadium in Malaysia, which is one of the largest stadiums in the world, as it has a capacity of 80,000 seats.
The demolition of the building came at the request of the Selangor government which had applied for planning permission to demolish the dilapidated stadium and develop a sports complex on the same site given the high cost of stadium repairs.
Demolition of the stadium began in July 2024, with the main part of the building destroyed as a result of the explosion, and the stadium is expected to be completely dismantled by mid-2025.
Over the years, Shah Alam Stadium has held a special place in the hearts of many Malaysians, especially those in Selangor where it was built.
The stadium featured huge semi-enclosed six-tier stands, and was the largest stadium in Malaysia with a structure containing the world’s longest free-standing arch, which was an architectural icon for years.
Built in 1994, Shah Alam Stadium was a world-class football stadium at the time, seating 80,372 people, just 10,000 fewer than the current capacity of Wembley Stadium in London.
The stadium’s design was inspired by the Hajduk Split Boluud stadium in Croatia, and was the largest in Malaysia until the Bukit Jalil stadium was built the following year, which can accommodate 85,500 fans. When it opened, it hosted a football tournament featuring players from Bayern Munich, Leeds United and Flamengo.
This iconic stadium has been home to Selangor FC since 1994 and for Malaysia Super League and AFC Cup matches, and saw Selangor FC crowned Malaysia Cup champions for the 33rd time.
The stadium has hosted famous teams such as Barcelona, Sevilla and Queens Park Rangers during friendly matches, and in 1997, Malaysia hosted the 11th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time in Southeast Asia.
The American rock band performed a concert on May 4, 1995, at the Shah Alam Stadium as part of their “These Days” tour. Malaysia was one of 16 stops on their Asian tour that included South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore.
Other bands have performed at the stadium, such as the British metal band on May 1, 1999, as well as the Los Angeles band Maroon 5, who lit up the stadium stage on September 20, 2012, and K-pop groups performed at the Shah Alam Stadium’s indoor arena in 2019.
The project, dubbed the Shah Alam Sports Complex, has a cost of RM3.28 billion and includes other facilities to be developed around the complex area.
The complex will have a lower capacity of between 35,000 and 45,000 fans compared to the current numbers, because the stadium will focus only on football matches. The project includes three phases, and is expected to be fully completed by 2029.
The first phase involves the reconstruction of Shah Alam Stadium and is expected to be completed by December 2026. The second phase, scheduled to start in January 2027, includes an indoor theatre, a youth and sports pavilion, and an entertainment area. The final phase, which includes the construction of an integrated station and a hotel, is expected to start between January 2028 and December 2029.
