Murrayfield Stadium sits on Roseburn Street in Edinburgh as the home of Scottish rugby, opening on 21 March 1925 with a Scotland win over England that clinched the country’s first Five Nations Grand Slam in front of roughly 70,000 fans. Owned and operated by the Scottish Rugby Union, it has served as the sport’s Scottish headquarters for a century.
Today the ground holds 67,144 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Scotland and one of the biggest rugby venues in the world. Beyond internationals, Murrayfield has hosted American football’s Scottish Claymores, Edinburgh Rugby fixtures, and major concerts from artists including The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Taylor Swift.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Scotland national rugby union team, Edinburgh Rugby
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Opened: March 21, 1925
- Capacity: About 67,144
- Owner: Scottish Rugby Union
- Notable fact: Hosted a record 104,000 fans on March 1, 1975 vs Wales, a mark that stood as a world record until 1999
A Century of Scottish Rugby
Murrayfield opened in 1925 specifically to give the Scottish Rugby Union a home worthy of its growing international fixtures, replacing the smaller Inverleith ground. The stadium’s opening match delivered an immediate storyline when Scotland beat England to complete a Grand Slam, cementing Murrayfield’s identity from day one as a fortress for Scottish rugby.
The ground has evolved substantially since then, with an East Stand added in 1983 and a roughly £50 million redevelopment through the early 1990s that rebuilt the West Stand with its distinctive 48-metre cantilever roof and introduced floodlights for the first time. A hybrid Desso GrassMaster pitch was installed in 2014 after nematode damage affected the natural turf.
Beyond Rugby
While international and Edinburgh Rugby matches remain its core purpose, Murrayfield has hosted the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe from 1995 to 2002 and periodic Edinburgh Sevens tournaments in the late 2000s. Its scale and central Edinburgh location have also made it a regular concert venue, drawing stadium tours from major global acts over the decades.
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Murrayfield Stadium FAQs
What is the capacity of Murrayfield Stadium?
Murrayfield Stadium holds about 67,144 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Scotland.
When did Murrayfield Stadium open?
It opened on March 21, 1925, with Scotland defeating England in a match that secured Scotland’s first Five Nations Grand Slam.
What is the record attendance at Murrayfield?
The stadium’s record attendance is about 104,000, set on March 1, 1975, during a Scotland vs Wales Five Nations match — a figure that stood as a world record for a rugby international until 1999.
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Photo: Iain Lees / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.