Stadium Information

Palogrande Stadium is an emblematic football stadium located in Manizales, Colombia, and serves as the home of the Once Caldas team in the Primera A Category. Its name comes from a large tree that was located at the site where it was built. 

The construction of the original stadium began in 1930 and was completed in 1936, for the IV National Olympics. The architect in charge was Jorge Arango Uribe, a native of the city. The first official match was played on August 15, 1948 between Deportes Caldas and Santa Fe, which ended in a 1-1 draw. In 1993, the stadium was demolished to make way for a new building with greater capacity, which was inaugurated on July 30, 1994 with a friendly match between Once Caldas and Cruzeiro from Brazil, with a 2-5 victory for the visitors. 

The stadium has been the venue for important international sports events, such as the 2001 Copa America, the Copa Libertadores de América in various editions, the 2005 South American Recopa, the 2005 South American U-20 Championship and the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In addition, in 2004, Once Caldas became the Copa Libertadores champion after defeating Boca Juniors in an exciting final held at the Palogrande. 

The stadium has four main stands (North, South, East, and West) and 24 entrance gates. Its capacity has varied over the years due to various renovations, and currently can accommodate 31,611 spectators. In addition to being used for football matches, the Palogrande has hosted concerts and other cultural events, becoming a central meeting point in the social and sporting life of Manizales.