Since the reopening of Wembley Stadium in 2007, the Community Shield has only been played outside of London on two occasions, in 2012 and 2022.
In 2012, Villa Park took the reigns due to Wembley being the venue for the 2012 Olympics' football, while Leicester's King Power Stadium stood in due to the Women's Euros Final in 2022.
2026 will be the third time, with Cardiff's Principality Stadium playing host to the clash between the Premier League winners and FA Cup champions.
Wales' national stadium deputised as the host venue for the Community Shield, FA Cup Final and EFL Cup Final between 2001 and 2007 while Wembley was undergoing major renovation but hasn't seen any action since.
Now, Arsenal and Manchester City will cross the border into 'God's Own Country' for the 2026/27 curtain raiser as Wembley is unavailable due to a schedule clash.
Instead of the Community Shield, the Home of Football will be hosting The Weeknd's 'After Hours til Dawn' tour, specifically the second of five nights at the venue.
The Canadian Pop and RnB star is one of the world's biggest artists, and has been touring his most recent album trilogy since July 2022 -- treating fans to a spectacle featuring anthemic tracks such as Blinding Lights, Save Your Tears and Take My Breath alongside older cuts like 'Beauty Behind the Madness' track The Hills and Daft Punk collaboration Starboy.
