Officials sign declaration of intent for Laugardalsvöllur Stadium development and new athletics venue
The Prime Minister, Minister of Education and Children's Affairs, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mayor of Reykjavík, Chair of the Football Association of Iceland, and Chair of the Icelandic Athletic Federation signed a declaration of intent today. The declaration outlines future development of national venues for football and athletics in Laugardalur.
The declaration aims to develop two separate outdoor national venues in Laugardalur, where development of a national indoor sports arena is already underway.
Laugardalsvöllur Stadium will be developed as a football-only venue, playable most of the year. A new national athletics venue will be built at a new location in Laugardalur.
International success calls for improved facilities
The goal is to develop football and athletics venues with overall facilities and equipment meeting requirements for international competitive events.
Authorities aim to support Icelanders' growing success in international sports competitions. Venues must meet strict requirements of international sports federations for international competition.
Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, hosting impressive athletic achievements since 1959, is the venue closest to meeting international standards. However, improvements are needed.
Success of Icelandic national teams and club teams in football leads to year-round international competition games. The first phase of Laugardalsvöllur Stadium development will replace the current grass with hybrid grass and install an underground heating system. This aims to make the stadium playable for a much larger part of the year.
The state and City will each contribute up to 250 million ISK to the development. Þjóðarleikvangur ehf., owned by the state, Reykjavík City, and the Football Association of Iceland, will manage the project.
Outstanding facilities for athletics
The decision to use hybrid grass at Laugardalsvöllur Stadium excludes throwing events in athletics. Therefore, efforts will focus on building a new national athletics venue as soon as possible. This considers hosting the Championships of the Small States of Europe in Iceland in 2028 and the Games of the Small States of Europe a few years later. Work will build on recommendations from the Ministry of Education and Culture's 2021 task force on a national athletics venue. The venue is intended to be an open and accessible national public health arena and an important part of elite sports development, connected to TEAM-Iceland.
The Minister of Education and Children's Affairs, responsible for sports, will propose facilities for athletics training and competition during the new venue's development, in cooperation with the Icelandic Athletic Federation.