Stadium Negara

Stadium Negara was Kuala Lumpur’s first indoor stadium, built in 1962. It is across the road from Stadium Merdeka.
Like Stadium Merdeka, it was designed as an earth bowl.

Entrance on Jln Stadium

The dome
The suspended roof is 300 ft in diameter, with a 100ft wide compression ring in the middle and a 300ft wide one at the outer edge. The stadium is naturally ventilated, with large fins at the top, which were moved to catch the wind. Light was reflected in and the old roof let in light, looked like a flying saucer. The roof has since been replaced and it’s now much darker. The original roof was flatter.
The seats - concrete, wooden, retractable, and VIP

The VIP seats had air jets, like on planes -

view from VIP area

Entrance gate

We had a look around the commentary rooms, control rooms, the restaurant which was recently burnt, empty kitchen and empty gym.
Mural -

The gym windows-

Recently burnt cafe (above) and kitchen (below)

Depicts Thomas Cup

The whole place looks derelict, but the stadium is still in use. It could hold 12,000 people. The place was used for sporting events such as the Thomas Cup, as well as musical concerts and other shows.

I saw Holiday on Ice, Around the World in 80 Days in 1992, I had a cheap $25 ticket, which was a concrete seat, but front row (free seating).

Dec 1993 I saw a musical drama, The Promise of Love, by the Cavalry Church.

And Cliff Richard, in Jan 1995. Again I had a concrete seat near the back.

Entrance turnstile

Wall detail

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission