Bukit Jalil National Stadium is a multi purpose stadium located in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and is part of the National Sports Complex.
With a current capacity of 87,411 places (which can increase up to 100,200 if it becomes all seater), Bukit Jalil National Stadium is the biggest football arena in Malaysia and the tenth biggest in the world. Built by United Engineers Malaysia from 1994 to 1998, it replaced the old Merdeka Stadium as Malaysia’s national stadium. It was inaugurated on the 1st of 1 January 1998 and it was the place where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 Commonwealth Games took place. After that the arena was also used as the main venue during the 2001 Southeast Asian Games. Since then the stadium has been used for a variety of different events, including the 2003 FA Premier League Asian Cup and games during the AFC Asian Cup 2007. In 2011 Chelsea has scheduled a friendly tournament in Asia and will play on Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The National Stadium of Malaysia is the central and most important sports structure in the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil. The arena’s impressive roof structure is designed out of a translucent polyurethane material that does not allow fungus growth and offers the best possible shelter from rain for all the spectators. In addition to this, the visibility on the pitch is enhanced due to the design and structure of the three-tiered seating which reduced the distance that separates the spectators in the stands from the field. There are also special places for different categories of people, including 200 spaces for wheelchairs which also have a reserved access to car parks.
As it was designed to host a multitude of important events, Bukit Jalil National Stadium has hosted many other events besides football matches and athletics competitions: several notable international music artists have performed in the stadium during recent years.
