The iconic stadium celebrated its 20th anniversary this week after two decades of thrilling elite sport, concerts from the world’s biggest artists and many more on-off events including speedway, World Rally Championships and world title boxing matches. Since opening in June 1999, the Principality Stadium has welcomed, on average, over 1.3 million visitors per year.
On average the Stadium has supported around £135m of output each year, with Welsh rugby benefitting from the money spent at the 73,931 seater ground.
“The stadium has contributed massively to the economic output of the city and the important thing is that it’s sustainable,” said Davies.
“It’s still going after 20 years where sometimes Wales hosts one-off events. This happens every year which is great, but it’s 20 years old now and there are certain elements we have to move on.
“We can’t just sit back and gloat about 20 years of success. We have to develop the technology, we’re involved in a new hotel, we need to invest to ensure the fan experience is comparable and hopefully better than the new stadiums.
“The vision of the WRU, Glanmor Griffiths and Cardiff Council at the time setup the stadium.
It’s the stadium that is providing the revenue to support all levels of rugby in Wales. The non-rugby events like Take That and the Spice Girls are contributing to the sustainability of rugby.”
The Principality Stadium has witnessed countless unforgettable moments since its doors were thrown open ahead of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Davies witnessed his first Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam this season since taking over as chairman four years ago, and Warren Gatland’s men have given Davies plenty to remember.
“Two rugby matches stick in my head,” added Davies. “The Wales against England game six years ago when we beat them 30-3, I couldn’t believe what was going on.
“And the Ireland game this year, as chairman of the union and experiencing a first grand slam since I have been in the role will live long in the memory.
“The Champions League was a massive occasion, it was an event on a different level. UEFA’s influence and the money they brought made it incredible. But it was great to have such a cross section of events over the last 20 years.”
