Gradski stadion u Poljudu (), better known as Stadion Poljud () or simply Poljud, is a multi-use stadium in Split, Croatia, which has been the home ground of Hajduk Split football club since 1979. The stadium is located in the neighbourhood of Poljud, which belongs to city district of . It was opened in September 1979, and has a seating capacity of 33,987.

It had an original capacity of 55,000, increased to 62,000 in the 1980s, before being equipped with seats in the 1990s, thus reducing the capacity to 33,987.Budget Airline Football – Football in Split

Poljud Stadium was the venue for the 1990 European Athletics Championships and 2010 IAAF Continental Cup. Electronic music festival Ultra Europe, an expansion of the Ultra Music Festival, was held at Stadium Poljud from 2013 until 2019 when it moved to Park Mladeži. The city of Split holds the multi-day festival annually, drawing more than 150,000 people each year.

Design

The author of the winning project in the original 1975 competition for the Split stadium was architect Ivan Piteša. He designed a fully covered, shell-shaped stadium without an athletics track, drawing his main inspiration from the Parc des Princes in Paris. Despite winning first place, the project was taken from him under controversial circumstances and awarded to Boris Magaš. In that same competition, Magaš's original proposal, which bore no resemblance to the stadium built today, had only placed third.

The seashell-like design by Croatian architect Boris Magaš has a roof structure spanning at 206×47 meters. Its design offers views of nearby hills and forests from the stands, modelled after ancient Greek theaters. Suspended on the west roof "shell" are 19 cabins. Seven of them are used by TV reporters, with the others occupied by cameras, central referee station, photo finish, scoreboard, and audio control. They are all interconnected via a catwalk that runs through a structure spanning the entire roof giving access to the cabins, as well as to the 630 Philips lights, placed along the brim and inner side of the roof.

Stands are supported by a construction of reinforced concrete with entrances via 12 bridges placed 30–40 meters apart around the entire stadium as well as eight staircases. Underneath them is a trench holding office areas. The area around the stadium is composed of 60,000 square meters of designed landscape with greenery designated for pedestrians, with the stadium slightly beneath the grade level of surrounding roads. Under the western stands are 11,000 square meters of sports facilities (three gyms, pool, sauna), official club offices and restaurants, while the eastern stands cover 9,100 square meters of business areas. The inner stadium ground is composed of a 105x68 meters football pitch and eight running tracks surrounding it.

The stadium was refurbished before hosting the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup athletics competition. A new tartan track was constructed, including the introduction of new VIP boxes and seats. In October 2014, following heavy damage from Ultra Europe, a new pitch and drainage system were constructed, replacing the original ones that lasted for 35 years.

In November 2015 the stadium was officially recognized as culture heritage.

Renovation

In October 2024, it was announced that the Poljud Stadium would undergo reconstruction. The roof of the stadium will be adapted, along with its reinforced concrete structure and electrical installations. The Split stadium will also receive a new video and audio system, as well as updated fire protection measures. The Government of Croatia has approved funds for all the necessary project documentation. Work on the stadium was expected to begin in the spring of 2025, at the end of the current competitive season. The funds have been secured, and the project will be implemented in several stages.

The first section to be renovated includes the southwest stand, where the visiting fans will be seated, and part of the west stand extending toward the south. In the second phase, reconstruction is planned for the southeast stand and part of the east stand extending southward, followed by the sections to the north. The plan initially involved using alpinists; however, scaffolding will still need to be utilized. The chairs will remain in place, and the entire concrete structure will be renovated. While the work is ongoing, some parts of Poljud will be closed, but Hajduk will still be able to play at the stadium.

International fixtures DateCompetitionOpponentScoreAtt.RefYugoslavia (1979–1991)1979 Mediterranean Games50,0001982 FIFA World Cup qualification45,000UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying29,331UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying12,270Friendly12,000Croatia (1991–present)UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying35,0001998 FIFA World Cup qualification35,00020,000Friendly7,000Friendly10,0002003 Marjan Trophy1,000Friendly9,212Friendly27,256Friendly30,000UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying28,000Friendly10,000UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying0UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying32,1102020–21 UEFA Nations League 02022 FIFA World Cup qualification 16,237 30,2572022–23 UEFA Nations League 30,000UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying33,4742024–25 UEFA Nations League33,3862024–25 UEFA Nations League quarter-finals30,5512026–27 UEFA Nations League

Events

This is a list of events, concerts and other public gatherings at Poljud Stadium.

DateHeadlining artistConcert or tour Attendance 28 September 1985 Various performers Omladinski mirodrom50,000 25 September 1993 Mišo Kovač Noć Svijeća50,000 15 September 2002 Marko Perković Thompson E, moj narode40,000 03 September 2006 Various performers Ne damo te pismo naša15,000 09 September 2007 Various performers Ne damo te pismo naša30,000 10 August 2008 Iron Maiden Somewhere Back in Time World Tour30,000 31 August 2008 Vinko Coce i prijatelji Ne damo te pismo naša30,000 21 September 2010 Various performers Ne damo te pismo naša30,000 30 June 2013 Marko Perković Thompson Ora et Labora50,000 12 July 2013Ultra EuropeElectronic music festival103,000 13 July 2013 23 July 2013 Roger Waters The Wall Live50,000 11 July 2014Ultra EuropeElectronic music festival150,000 12 July 2014 13 July 2014 10 July 2015 Ultra EuropeElectronic music festival160,000 11 July 2015 12 July 2015 15 July 2016 Ultra EuropeElectronic music festival150,000 16 July 2016 17 July 2016 14 July 2017 Ultra EuropeElectronic music festival120,000 15 July 2017 16 July 2017 06 July 2018 Ultra EuropeElectronic music festival150,000 07 July 2018 08 July 2018 09 June 2019 Various performers To je moja zemlja50,000

References

External links

Virtual tour Stadium photos at stadionwelt.de Aerial photo from Google Maps