When Kazakhstan's largest stadium will be built: Ministry of Sports' response

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan's Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced the timeline for the completion of five new stadiums. The projects include several arenas set to break national capacity records.

According to the ministry, work is currently underway on 13 new arenas across Kazakhstan. Six are already under construction, while design and estimate documentation is being developed for the remaining seven.

New stadium in Astana to open in June

The Munaitpasov Stadium is set to open in Astana later this year. The 3,600-capacity arena cost 17 billion tenge. The city administration has scheduled the grand opening for June 4.

According to the capital's administration, the arena will be managed by the Specialized Children and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve No. 8.

When record-breaking stadiums will arrive

Currently, the country's largest stadium is the Astana Arena, which holds 30,000 spectators.

Three Kazakhstani cities—Almaty, Aktobe, and Shymkent—are planning stadiums with even larger capacities.

Back in November 2025, it was announced that the planned arena in Aktobe is expected to seat 35,000 people.

Photo: Press Service of the Aktobe Regional Administration

A similar capacity is planned for the new arena in Shymkent. Our correspondent recently visited the construction site to view the progress of the future stadium.

In response to our inquiry in February, the Almaty administration stated that their stadium is planned to hold 45,000 spectators — making it the largest arena in the country.

Photo: Preliminary sketch, subject to adjustments, Almaty City Administration

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, construction is already underway

The opening of these arenas is scheduled for December 2028.

Project funding and other stadiums

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports stated that funding for the new stadiums will come from local and national budgets, as well as private investment. However, the ministry did not provide a specific figure for the total construction costs.

In addition to the six stadiums already under construction, design and estimate documentation (DED) is being prepared for seven more. Funding sources for these will be determined once the DED is finalized.

According to the Ministry of Sports, new arenas will be built in Petropavl, Aktau, Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Konaev, Kokshetau, and Pavlodar.

Notably, in a similar inquiry earlier this year, the ministry mentioned Taraz, but that city has now been replaced by Konaev on the list.

Stadiums built in Kazakhstan since independence

Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan has built three major stadiums: Astana Arena, Turkistan Arena, and Kaisar Arena in Kyzylorda. The Munaitpasov Stadium, which is virtually complete, will become the fourth.

According to official data, the 30,000-seat Astana Arena cost $182 million.

Approximately $36 million was allocated for the Munaitpasov Stadium, despite it having nearly ten times less capacity.

Photo © Tengrinews.kz / Marzhan Kuandykova

The Kaisar Arena in Kyzylorda, which seats 11,000 people, cost the budget approximately $44 million.

Photo: Akorda Press Service

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has personally expressed concern regarding the state of the country's football infrastructure.

Speaking at the IV National Kurultai in Burabay in the summer of 2025, Tokayev emphasized the need to focus on developing football in the regions.

"Most regional stadiums should be renovated, or new football stadiums should be built using sponsored funds. Children's football pitches must be established in every regional and district center, as well as in towns and villages. This is a goal for the next two years. We will monitor its progress," claimed the President said.