Arsenal will face Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16, as the curtain raiser for the 2026/27 football season is officially confirmed.
The fixture will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium rather than the traditional Wembley Stadium venue used in recent years.
Wembley is unavailable on both August 15 and August 16 due to pre-planned concerts, forcing organisers to seek an alternative host venue.
The Principality Stadium last hosted the Community Shield back in 2006, making this a historic return to Welsh soil for the prestigious season opener.
The Welsh national stadium has a strong track record of hosting major football events, having staged FA Cup finals and the Community Shield on six occasions between 2001 and 2006.
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max, with ticketing details set to be announced in due course.
Arsenal head into the fixture as defending Premier League champions, having ended their 22-year wait for a top-flight title last season.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be looking to lift the Community Shield for the 17th time in the club’s history, having last won it in 2023.
That 2023 victory came against Manchester City, when Leandro Trossard’s late equaliser cancelled out Cole Palmer’s opener before Arsenal won on penalties.
Should Arsenal triumph again, it would be Arteta’s third Community Shield success as manager, having also guided the club to victory in 2020 against Liverpool, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Manchester City arrive at the Principality Stadium as FA Cup winners but will look very different following Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave the club this summer.
Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is expected to take charge at the Etihad Stadium and will be looking to mount an immediate Premier League title challenge.
Arteta himself has called on the Arsenal board to demonstrate their ambition after the Gunners suffered defeat to PSG in the Champions League final.
The Premier League season itself will then get underway the following weekend, with Arsenal beginning their title defence on Saturday, August 22.
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