Žalgiris Stadium

For the stadium in Klaipėda formerly known as Žalgiris Stadiums, see Klaipėda Central Stadium.

Žalgiris Stadium (Lithuanian: Žalgirio stadionas) was a multi-purpose stadium in Žirmūnai elderate of Vilnius, Lithuania. The stadium held 15,029 and was the largest in Lithuania until its demolition. It had been built on the desecrated graves of Jews interred in the Old Jewish Cemetery under the stadium.

Žalgiris Stadium

Stadium before demolition
Full name	Žalgiris Stadium
Location	Vilnius, Lithuania
Coordinates	54°41′36″N 25°17′25″E
Owner	Hanner
Capacity	15,029
Construction
Opened	1951
Renovated	1949–1950
Closed	2011
Demolished	2016

It was named after the Battle of Grunwald and was rebuilt by the German POWs after World War II and finished in 1950 (the stadium existed already before World War II and was used by Pogoń Wilno; in 1936 the Polish athletics championships were held at the stadium).

After independence it was used by the Lithuania national football team, but later it lost its meaning as the national stadium and all the international football matches were played either at Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas or at the renovated LFF Stadium in Vilnius.

In 2015, the stadium was sold to Lithuanian real estate company Hanner who planned to demolish it and make way for apartments, hotel and offices.^[1]

The demolition of Žalgiris stadium was started on 5 July 2016.^[2][3]

In popular culture

In 2010, Žalgiris Stadium was used by the BBC to film the television film United, depicting the Munich air disaster, as the location double of the Stadium JNA, where the quarterfinal game of 1957–58 European Cup was played.^[4].

Concerts

The stadium was the location of major pop and rock concerts before the large indoor arenas in Lithuania were built.

• Bryan Adams played a concert at the stadium on 16th July 1999.^[5]
• Pet Shop Boys played a concert on 7th June 2000.^[6]
• Sting played on 17th June 2001.^[7]
• A-ha played on 10th Sep 2002.^[8]
• Marilyn Manson played there in 2003.^[9]

A concert by Depeche Mode during their 2009 tour was planned to be held at the stadium on 27th May, but it was cancelled only a few days before the date and not rescheduled on this tour.^[10]

Large outdoor concerts are now mostly held at Vingis Park.