Design & Development

Kigali’s Amahoro Stadium set to reopen after major revamp

Featured image credit: Summa

The Rwandan Government has said the new-look Amahoro Stadium will be officially inaugurated on July 4 following a major redevelopment project which has seen its capacity almost double.

Located in Kigali, capital of the East African nation, Amahoro Stadium first opened in 1986 and has been undergoing a transformation project since mid-2022 led by Turkish company Summa and Rwandan construction firm Real Contractors.

The finishing touches are currently being made to the stadium ahead of a test event on Saturday which will see a match between domestic football clubs APR FC and Rayon Sports.

The new-look Amahoro Stadium will see its capacity increase from 25,000 up to 45,508. It is located next to BK Arena, the 10,000-seat facility which opened in the summer of 2019 as the largest indoor arena in East Africa.

Next month’s official inauguration will see Amahoro Stadium used to host celebrations of the 30th Liberation Day. Ticket prices for Saturday’s test event have been set at RWF1,000 (£0.59/€0.70/$0.76) for standard seats and RWF10,000 for VIP seating.

“We put the tickets at the lowest prices possible to allow people come and access the stadium,” said Minister of Sports, Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju, according to The New Times.

“We are looking forward to seeing two of Rwanda’s biggest teams playing in this stadium but the official inauguration will take place on July 4. We hope to see the stadium filled at full capacity as we look forward to celebrating liberation in style.”

Amahoro Stadium is set to retain its current name, but a sponsor is being sought for the venue, which is set to become one of the finest stadia on the continent.

During the Rwandan genocide which took place in 1994 amid the country’s civil war, Amahoro Stadium was temporarily designated a UN Protected Site, hosting thousands of mainly Tutsi refugees.

Photos of the reimagined stadium can be found here.