With the 2026 Six Nations fast approaching, it’s time to take a closer look at where the action will take place.
From the home nations to France and Italy, we’ve taken a closer look at each of the Six Nations venues. Here’s a full rundown of the seven stadiums that will host matches during the 2026 tournament.
England: Twickenham Stadium, London
Capacity: 82,000
Often referred to as ‘the home of rugby’, Twickenham was founded back in 1907. This was the year that William Williams, a member of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), helped to secure the 10.25 hectare plot that houses the modern stadium. The first stands were constructed in 1908 and the stadium has been redeveloped multiple times throughout its history.
The most recent expansion occurred in 2006, when works were completed to boost the capacity from 75,000 to 82,000. Today, Twickenham, which is affectionately known as ‘HQ’ by England fans, plays home to all of England’s Six Nations matches.
Six Nations matches at Twickenham in 2026 include:
- England v Wales, Saturday 7 February
- England v Ireland, Saturday 21 February
France: Stade de France, Paris
Capacity: 81,338
The Stade de France, located in the Saint-Denis commune of Paris is the largest stadium in France. It’s used by both the French national rugby team and the French football team. Initially built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the stadium has also hosted several other major sporting events, including the 1999, 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and the 2024 Paralympics.
Interestingly, the Stade de France is one of only two stadiums in the world that have hosted a Rugby World Cup final and a FIFA World Cup final. The other is Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
2026 Six Nations fixtures that will be held at the Stade de France include:
- France v Ireland, Thursday 5 February
- France v England, Saturday 14 March
France: Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille
Capacity: 50,186
The Stade Pierre-Mauroy, also known as the Decathlon Arena, was originally named the Grand Stade Lille Métropole. Located in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, the venue was renamed in honour of Pierre Mauroy, the former Mayor of Lille and Prime Minister of France.
This stadium is home to Lille OSC. It was built to provide a new home for the team who, from 2001, did not have a stadium that met UEFA standards. After delays, work finally commenced in 2009. Three years later, the Stade Pierre-Mauroy opened its doors.
One Six Nations match will be held at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2026:
- France v Italy, Sunday 22 February
Ireland: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Capacity: 51,711
Sitting on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, the Aviva Stadium is often referred to as Lansdowne Road by fans. The former venue can be traced back to 1872, when the Lansdowne Football Club was founded. It was demolished in 2007 and the new stadium was opened three years later in 2010. Today, it’s the home of both the Ireland national rugby union team and Leinster Rugby.
Six Nations matches at the Aviva Stadium in 2026 include:
- Ireland v Italy, Saturday 14 February
- Ireland v Wales, Friday 6 March
- Ireland v Scotland, Saturday 14 March
Italy: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Capacity: 70,634
The Stadio Olimpico is the largest sports venue in Rome and the second-largest in Italy. Today, it boasts a capacity of just over 70,000. However it has previously been used for crowds of up to 100,000. For this reason, it has also been known as the ‘Stadio dei Centomila’ (stadium of the 100,000).
Built in 1928, the stadium has been thoroughly renovated over the last century. This includes in 1990, when the venue was renewed for the FIFA World Cup. Across its history, the Stadio Olimpico has also hosted everything from Olympic events and UEFA Champions League finals to the European Athletic Championships and the Six Nations.
Six Nations Stadio Olimpico matches in 2026 include:
- Italy v Scotland, Saturday 7 February
- Italy v England, Saturday 7 March
Scotland: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Capacity: 67,144
The largest stadium in Scotland, Murrayfield was built during the 1920s. Opened in 1925, the venue has been utilised for sporting events and during times of conflict. This includes World War II, when the site served as a supply depot for the Royal Army.
Murrayfield has long housed the Scotland national rugby union team. The team plays all of their home tests here, including their Six Nations fixtures. In fact, it was during a Five Nations match on 1 March 1975 that the stadium reached its peak capacity – 104,000 fans filled the venue to watch Scotland overpower Wales (this was a rugby union world record attendance until 1999).
Six Nations matches at Murrayfield Stadium in 2026 include:
- Scotland v England, Saturday 14 February
- Scotland v France, Saturday 7 March
Wales: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Capacity: 73,931
Also known as the Millennium Stadium, the Principality Stadium was built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It’s now the largest sports venue in the country – it usurped Cardiff Arms Parks to become the national stadium of Wales.
The Millennium Stadium is home to the Wales national rugby union team. It also housed the Wales national football team from 2000 to 2009. As a multi-use venue, the stadium has hosted a wide range of sporting events, including FA Cup fixtures, boxing matches and motorsports.
Six Nations Principality Stadium matches:
- Wales v France, Sunday 15 February
- Wales v Scotland, Saturday 21 February
- Wales v Italy, Saturday 14 March
