Gelora Bung Karno Stadium

Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (Indonesian: Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno, lit. 'Bung Karno Sports Arena Main Stadium'; abbreviated as SUGBK or GBK), formerly Senayan Main Stadium and Gelora Senayan Main Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located at the center of the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. It is mostly used for football matches, and usually used by the Indonesia national football team and Super League club Persija Jakarta. The stadium is named after Sukarno, the then-president of Indonesia, who sparked the idea of building the sports complex. When first opened prior to the 1962 Asian Games, the stadium had a seating capacity of 110,000. It has been reduced twice during renovations: first to 88,306 in 2006 for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and then to 77,193 single seats as part of renovations for the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, where it hosted the ceremonies and athletics competitions. Due to the most recent renovation which saw all remaining bleachers replaced by single seats, it is the 28th largest association football stadium in the world and the 8th largest association football stadium in Asia. History Under Sukarno: construction and inauguration After the Asian Games Federation declared Jakarta to host the 1962 Asian Games in 1958, the minimum requirement that yet to be met by the Jakarta was the availability of a multi-sport complex. In response to this, President Sukarno issued Presidential Decree No. 113/1959 dated 11 May 1959 about the establishment of the Asian Games Council of Indonesia (DAGI) led by Minister of Sports Maladi. As an architect and civil engineering graduate, Sukarno proposed a location near M. H. Thamrin Boulevard and Menteng (Karet, Pejompongan, or Dukuh Atas) for the future sports complex. then Sukarno accompanied Friedrich Silaban, a renowned architect to review the location of the proposed sports complex by helicopter. Silaban disagreed with the selection of Dukuh Atas because he argued the construction of a sports complex in the center the future downtown area will potentially create a massive traffic congestion. Sukarno agreed Silaban suggestion and instead assigned the Senayan area with an area of approximately 300 hectares. Construction began on 8 February 1960 and finished on 21 July 1962, in time to host the following month's Asian Games. It was built as part of Sukarno's construction sprees before the 1962 Asian Games and the centerpiece of the Sports Complex. Its construction was partially funded through a special loan from the Soviet Union. The stadium's original capacity was 110,000 people. The stadium is well known for its gigantic ring-shaped facade (a.k.a. "temu gelang"), as the world's first circular roof football stadium and also was designed to shade spectators from the sun, and increase the grandeur of the stadium. The idea came from Sukarno himself and although Soviet architects didn't want to implement temu gelang at first due to its unusual design, but Sukarno insisted and he got his way in the end. Although the stadium is popularly known as Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Stadion Gelora Bung Karno) or GBK Stadium, its official name is Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno), as there are other stadiums in the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex, such as the Sports Palace and the secondary stadium. It was known as Senajan (EYD: Senayan) Main Stadium from its opening through the 1962 Asiad until the complex's name was changed to Gelora Bung Karno by a Presidential Decree issued on 24 September 1962, twenty days after the games ended. Under Soeharto: Gelora Senayan During the New Order era, the complex was renamed "Gelora Senayan Complex" and the stadium was renamed "Gelora Senayan Main Stadium" in 1969. The name changes was part of the "de-Sukarnoization" policy by military junta government under Suharto. At the 1985 Perserikatan Final, Match Persib Bandung against PSMS Medan which was held at this stadium became an amateur match with the largest attendance of 150,000 spectators. The match was finally won by PSMS Medan. Reformasi–present Under reformation regime, the complex name was reverted by President Abdurrahman Wahid in a decree effective since 17 January 2001. The stadium's capacity was then reduced further to 88,306 as a result of renovations for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. The stadium served as the main venue of the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, hosting the ceremonies and athletics. It underwent renovations in preparation for the events; to comply with FIFA standards, all of the stadium's existing seating was replaced, including its remaining bleachers, making it an all-seater with a capacity of 77,193. The new seats are coloured in red, white, and grey—resembling a waving flag of Indonesia. A new, brighter LED lighting system was also installed, with 620 fixtures, and an RGB lighting system was installed on the stadium's facade. Improvements were also made to the stadium's accessibility. The 2016–18 renovation of this stadium cost Rp769,69 billion (around US$59 million with 2016 exchange rate). Sporting events GBK Stadium hosted the 2007 Asian Cup final between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Other competitions held there are several AFF Cup finals, domestic cup finals, Liga 2 Playoff and Finals, and Liga Nusantara Playoff and Finals. International Host of the 1962 and 2018 Asian Games Host of the 2018 Asian Para Games Host of the 1963 GANEFO Host of the Olaria Atlético Clube 1970 Host of the Santos exhibition 1972 Host of the Muhammad Ali vs. Rudie Lubbers boxing match, October 20, 1973. Host of Southeast Asian Games (in 1979, 1987, 1997, and 2011) Host of the Asian Athletics Championships (in 1985, 1995, and 2000) Host of the 2002 AFF Championship for 9 out of 10 Group A matches, semi-final matches, third place play-off, and the final. Host of the 2003 ASEAN Club Championship. Host of the 2004 AFF Championship first leg semi-final match against Malaysia and first leg final match against Singapore. Host of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup for 5 out of 6 Group D matches, quarterfinals between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, and the final. Host of the 2008 AFF Championship for first leg semi-final match against Thailand Host of matches in the 2010 AFC Champions League competition with Persipura Jayapura and Persija Jakarta in 2018 and 2019 AFC Cup matches Host for the Bayern Munich 2008 Post-season Tour Host of the 2010 AFF Championship for 5 out of 6 Group A matches, semifinal matches against the Philippines, and second leg final match against Malaysia Host for the LA Galaxy 2011 Asia-Pacific Post-season Tour Host for all 2 matches of the Inter Milan 2012 Post-season Tour Host for the Valencia 2012 Asia Pre-season Tour (their only match outside Europe) Host for the Arsenal 2013 Asia Pre-season Tour Host for the Liverpool 2013 Asia Pre-season Tour Host for the Chelsea 2013 Asia Pre-season Tour Host for the Juventus 2014 Asia Pre-season Tour Host of the 2014 Asian Dream Cup against Park Ji-sung and Friends, featuring footballers and celebrities, including the cast of Running Man. Host for the AS Roma 2015 Asia Pre-season Tour Host of the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship Host of Indonesia's home matches at the 2018 AFF Championship Host of Indonesia's home matches at the 2022 AFF Championship Host for the Argentina 2023 Asian-season Tour Host of the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship International fixtures Tournament results 1979 Southeast Asian Games 1987 Southeast Asian Games 1997 Southeast Asian Games 2002 AFF Championship 2004 AFF Championship 2007 AFC Asian Cup 2008 AFF Championship 2010 AFF Championship 2011 Southeast Asian Games 2018 AFC U-19 Championship 2018 AFF Championship 2022 AFF Championship 2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship AFC Competition Other uses Note: The Grand Catholic mass led by Pope Paul VI, on 3 December 1970; Pope John Paul II, on 9 October 1989 and Pope Francis on 5 September 2024. The 100th anniversary of Indonesian National Awakening day, 20 May 2008 The political rally for both parliamentary and also presidential elections in 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024. The 2019 final day campaign for both presidential candidates was held in this stadium. The final campaign was held on 7 and 13 April 2019 respectively. Each final campaign was attended by more than 77,000 supporters, arguably the most attended a one-day campaign rally in the history of the Indonesian presidential campaign. Christmas event jointly organized by the Indonesian Bethel Church for the whole district (2006–2011, 2013–) Indonesia Tiberias Church Christmas Services (2000–2015, 2018–) HKBP Jubileum (147th in 2007 and 150th in 2011) The 85th anniversary of Nahdlatul Ulama (2011) Caliphate Conference of Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia, 6 June 2013 Admission exams for thousands Indonesian Ministry of Health civil servants applicants on 3 November 2013 One of the venues in Jakarta used for COVID-19 vaccination serving 60,000 doses of vaccines, 11 July 2021. Entertainment events Cancelled Entertainment Events Transport KRL Commuterline provides transport service through Palmerah railway station within walking distance from the compound, while Jakarta MRT provides service through Istora Mandiri station. Two corridors of Transjakarta BRT also serve this area. An extension of the Jabodebek LRT is also planned to serve the western perimeter of the compound. Gallery See also List of stadiums by capacity List of Asian stadiums by capacity List of Southeast Asia stadiums by capacity The complex and other venue in the complex: Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium Istora Gelora Bung Karno Indonesia Arena Other stadiums in Greater Jakarta Jakarta International Stadium Patriot Chandrabhaga Other concert venue in Jakarta: Beach City International Stadium Indonesia Convention Exhibition Jakarta International Expo Jakarta Convention Center The Kasablanka References Notes Bibliography Pour, Julius (2004), Dari Gelora Bung Karno ke Gelora Bung Karno (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Grasindo, ISBN 978-979-732-444-5. External links Profile on GBK Sports Complex official website (archived)