Helsinki Olympic Stadium

Helsingin olympiastadion Helsingfors Olympiastadion
Stadion
Location	Helsinki, Finland
Coordinates	60°11′13″N 024°55′38″E / 60.18694°N 24.92722°E / 60.18694; 24.92722Coordinates: 60°11′13″N 024°55′38″E / 60.18694°N 24.92722°E / 60.18694; 24.92722
Broke ground	1934
Opened	1938
Renovated	2005
Owner	Stadion-säätiö
Surface	Grass
Architect	Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti
Capacity	42,062
Tenants
Finland national football team 1952 Summer Olympics 1983 World Championships in Athletics 2005 World Championships in Athletics UEFA Women's Euro 2009 (4 Group matches and a Final )

The tower of the Olympic Stadium

50th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympic Games commemorative coin featuring the Helsinki Olympic Stadium

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium (Finnish: Helsingin Olympiastadion; Swedish: Helsingfors Olympiastadion), located in the Töölö district about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952 Summer Olympics. During those games, it hosted athletics, equestrian show jumping, and the football finals. It was built however to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were moved from Tokyo to Helsinki before being cancelled due to World War II. The stadium was also the venue for the first World Athletics Championships in 1983 as well as for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. It hosted both the 1971 European Athletics Championships and the European Athletics Championships in 1994. It will once again be the venue for the championships in 2012. It is also the home stadium of the Finland national football team.

Construction of the Olympic Stadium began in 1934 and it was completed in 1938. The Olympic was designed in functionalistic style by the architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti. The stadium was completely modernized in 1990–1994 and also renovated just before the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. Its spectator capacity was at its maximum during the 1952 Summer Olympics with over 70,000 spectator places. Nowadays the stadium has 40,600 spectator places. During concerts, depending on the size of the stage, the capacity is 45,000–50,000.

The tower of the stadium, a distinct landmark with a height of 72.71 metres (238.5 ft), taken from gold-medal winning result of Matti Järvinen in javelin throw of 1932 Summer Olympics, is open for visitors and offers impressive views over Helsinki. It is possible to see into the adjacent Sonera Stadium.

An American TV series, The Amazing Race 10, had one of its episodes ending at The Olympic Stadium Tower in 2006. As a task, teams had to do a face-first rappel (known as the Angel Dive) down the Helsinki Olympic Tower.

Since March 2007, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl has been spotted living in and around the stadium. On June 6, 2007, during a Euro 2008 qualifying match, the owl delayed play by ten minutes after perching on a goalpost. The owl was later christened Bubi and was named as Helsinki's Resident of the Year.

A Youth Hostel is located within the Stadium complex.

The 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympic Games hosted in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium was the main motif for a one of the first Finnish euro silver commemorative coins, the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympic Games commemorative coin, minted in 2002. On the reverse, a view of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium can be seen. On the right, the 500 markka commemorative coin minted in 1952 celebrating the occasion is depicted.

Concerts

Michael Jackson performed at the stadium during his HIStory World Tour two times; 24 and 26 August 1997.

U2 performed two nights at the stadium during their U2 360° Tour on 20 and 21 August 2010.

International superstar Madonna performed at the stadium during her MDNA Tour on 12 August 2012.

English band Muse performed at the stadium during their The 2nd Law World Tour on 27 July 2013.

Bruce Springsteen has performed at the stadium four times; 16 and 17 June in 2003 during his The Rising Tour, 11 July 2008 during his Magic Tour and 31 July 2012 during his Wrecking Ball Tour.

American rock band Bon Jovi have played the stadium as part of their Lost Highway Tour in 2008, and in 2010 during The Circle Tour.

Iron Maiden has performed at the stadium three times; 18 July in 2008 during Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, 8 July 2011 during The Final Frontier World Tour and 20 July 2013 during Maiden England World Tour.

References

Media related to Helsingin olympiastadion at Wikimedia Commons

• 1952 Summer Olympics official report. pp. 44–7.
• Stadion.fi – Official site
• History of the stadium
• Panoramic virtual tour from the stadium tower

v t e Olympic venues in athletics 1896: Marathon (city), Panathenaic Stadium 1900: Croix-Catelan Stadium 1904: Francis Field 1908: White City Stadium 1912: Stockholm Olympic Stadium 1920: Olympisch Stadion 1924: Stade de Colombes 1928: Olympic Stadium 1932: Olympic Stadium, Riverside Drive at Griffith Park 1936: Avus Motor Road, Olympic Stadium 1948: Empire Stadium 1952: Olympic Stadium 1956: Melbourne Cricket Ground 1960: Arch of Constantine, Raccordo Anulare, Stadio Olimpico, Via Appia Antica, Via Cristoforo Colombo 1964: Fuchu City, Karasuyama-machi, National Stadium, Sasazuka-machi, Shinjuku 1968: Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Zócalo 1972: Olympiastadion 1976: Montreal Botanical Garden, Olympic Stadium, Streets of Montreal 1980: Grand Arena, Streets of Moscow 1984: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Santa Monica College, Streets of Los Angeles, Streets of Santa Monica 1988: Olympic Stadium, Streets of Seoul 1992: Estadi Olímpic de Monjuïc, Marathon course, Mataró, Walking course 1996: Marathon course, Olympic Stadium, Walking course 2000: Marathon course, North Sydney, Olympic Stadium 2004: Marathon (city), Olympic Stadium, Panathenaic Stadium, Stadium at Olympia 2008: Beijing National Stadium, Olympic Green Promenade Walking course, Streets of Beijing Marathon course 2012: Marathon Course, Olympic Stadium 2016: Flamengo Park, João Havelange Stadium, Sambódromo

v t e Olympic venues in equestrian 1900: 7th arrondissement of Paris 1912: Fältrittklubben, Liljeholmen, Lindarängen, Östermalm Athletic Grounds, Stockholm Olympic Stadium 1920: Olympisch Stadion 1924: Hippodrome d'Auteuil, Stade de Colombes 1928: Hilversum, Olympic Stadium 1932: Olympic Stadium, Riviera Country Club, Westchester 1936: Döberitz, Mayfield, Olympic Stadium 1948: Aldershot, Empire Stadium, Tweseldown Racecourse 1952: Laakso, Olympic Stadium, Ruskeasuo Equestrian Hall, Tali Race Track 1956: Lill-Jansskogen, Olympic Stadium, Ulriksdal 1960: Piazza di Siena, Pratoni del Vivaro 1964: Karuizawa, National Stadium 1968: Avándaro Golf Club, Campo Marte, Estadio Olímpico Universitario 1972: Dressage Facility Nymphenburg, Olympiastadion, Riding Facility, Riem 1976: Olympic Equestrian Centre, Bromont, Olympic Stadium 1980: Grand Arena, Trade Unions' Equestrian Complex 1984: Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, Santa Anita Park 1988: Olympic Stadium, Seoul Equestrian Park 1992: Club Hípic El Montayá, Real Club de Polo de Barcelona 1996: Georgia International Horse Park 2000: Sydney International Equestrian Centre 2004: Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre 2008: Hong Kong Equestrian Venues 2012: Greenwich Park 2016: National Equestrian Center

v t e Olympic venues in association football 1900 Vélodrome de Vincennes 1904 Francis Field 1908 White City Stadium 1912 Råsunda IP, Stockholm Olympic Stadium (final), Tranebergs Idrottsplats 1920 Jules Ottenstadion, Olympisch Stadion (final), Stade Joseph Marien, Stadion Broodstraat 1924 Stade Bergeyre, Stade de Colombes (final), Stade de Paris, Stade Pershing 1928 Monnikenhuize, Olympic Stadium (final), Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel 1936 Hertha-BSC Field, Mommsenstadion, Olympic Stadium (final), Poststadion 1948 Arsenal Stadium, Champion Hill, Craven Cottage, Cricklefield Stadium, Empire Stadium (medal matches), Green Pond Road, Griffin Park, Selhurst Park, White Hart Lane 1952 Helsinki Football Grounds, Kotka, Lahti, Olympic Stadium (final), Tampere, Turku 1956 Melbourne Cricket Ground (final), Olympic Park Stadium 1960 Florence Communal Stadium, Grosseto Communal Stadium, L'Aquila Communal Stadium, Livorno Ardenza Stadium, Naples Saint Paul's Stadium, Pescara Adriatic Stadium, Stadio Flaminio (final) 1964 Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium, Mitsuzawa Football Field, Nagai Stadium, Tokyo National Stadium (final), Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, Ōmiya Football Field, Prince Chichiba Memorial Football Field 1968 Estadio Azteca (final), Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Estadio Nou Camp, Jalisco Stadium 1972 Drei Flüsse Stadion, ESV-Stadion, Jahnstadion, Olympiastadion (final), Rosenaustadion, Urban Stadium 1976 Lansdowne Park, Olympic Stadium (final), Sherbrooke Stadium, Varsity Stadium 1980 Dynama Stadium, Dynamo Central Stadium, Grand Arena, Grand Arena (final), Kirov Stadium, Republican Stadium 1984 Harvard Stadium, Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Rose Bowl (final), Stanford Stadium 1988 Busan Stadium, Daegu Stadium, Daejeon Stadium, Dongdaemun Stadium, Olympic Stadium (final) 1992 Estadi de la Nova Creu Alta, Estadi del FC Barcelona (final), Estadio Luís Casanova, La Romareda, RCD Espanyol Stadium 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl, Legion Field, Orange Bowl, RFK Memorial Stadium, Sanford Stadium (final) 2000 Brisbane Cricket Ground, Bruce Stadium, Hindmarsh Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Olympic Stadium (men's final), Sydney Football Stadium (women's final) 2004 Kaftanzoglio Stadium, Karaiskakis Stadium, Olympic Stadium (final), Pampeloponnisiako Stadium, Pankritio Stadium, Panthessaliko Stadium 2008 Beijing National Stadium (final), Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Shanghai Stadium, Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Workers Stadium 2012 City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park, Millennium Stadium, St James' Park, Old Trafford, Wembley Stadium (final) 2016 Estádio Nacional de Brasília, Arena Fonte Nova, Mineirão, Estádio do Morumbi, Estádio do Maracanã (final)

v t e Helsinki Cityscape Buildings: Parliament Helsinki Central railway station Hotel Torni National Museum Olympic Stadium Places of worship: Temppeliaukio Church Cathedral Uspenski Cathedral St. John's Church Monuments & memorials: Sibelius monument Hietaniemi cemetery Parks & gardens: Central Park Tourist attractions: Zoo Linnanmäki Suomenlinna Museums: Kiasma National Museum Ateneum