Fisht Olympic Stadium (, ) is an outdoor stadium in Sochi, Russia. Located in Sochi Olympic Park and named after Mount Fisht, the 45,994-capacity stadium was constructed for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, where it served as the venue for their opening and closing ceremonies.
The stadium was originally built as an enclosed facility; it was re-opened in 2016 as an open-air football stadium, initially hosting matches during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup, and currently serving as the home pitch for PFC Sochi of the Russian Premier League.
The stadium was originally unveiled in 2009 as the ceremonies venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi; it was designed by Populous and British design consultancy BuroHappold Engineering. Construction began in 2010, and was completed in 2013 at a cost US$779 million.
The stadium underwent a 3 billion ruble (US$46 million) renovation in preparation for post-Olympics use, including the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia, and for use facility for the Russian national football team; among other changes, the closed roof was removed in order to make the stadium compliant with FIFA regulations, and the stadium underwent a temporary expansion in capacity. The work was expected to be completed by June 2016, but construction delays pushed its completion back to November 2016.
The stadium's roof was built from approximately of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and was designed to give the roof the appearance of snowy peaks. The bowl opens to the north, allowing a direct view of the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains, and the upper deck is open to the south, allowing a view of the Black Sea.
After the 2018 FIFA World Cup, FC Dynamo Saint Petersburg of the second division moved from St. Petersburg to Sochi to play in the Fisht Stadium. The team became PFC Sochi, the first professional club in the city since the disbanding of FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi in 2013.
In October 2013, the Central Bank of Russia issued a commemorative 100-ruble note to mark 100 days before the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The blue-tinted banknote depicts a flying snowboarder on one side, and on the other the Fisht Olympic Stadium and a firebird.
Fisht Stadium is located in Sochi, in the Sochi Olympic Park in Adler, south of the Sochi Airport, at 15 Olympic Avenue. The Fisht Stadium can be reached by buses 57, 117, 125, 134, 173. A suburban electric train SochiâÂÂAdlerâÂÂOlympic Park also provides access to the stadium.