Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)
Kaloor Stadium | |
The stadium during an Indian Super League match of Kerala Blasters FC | |
Interactive map of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | |
| Location | Kaloor, Kochi, India |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 9°59′50″N 76°18′04″E / 9.99722°N 76.30111°E |
| Owner | Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) |
| Operator | Greater Cochin Development Authority |
| Capacity | 41,000 |
| Executive suites | 109 |
| Surface | Riviera bermuda grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Record attendance | 100,000 |
| Public transit | J. L. N. Stadium |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1996 |
| Renovated | 2000, 2017, 2025 |
| Tenants | |
| Active Kerala State Football Team (1997–present) Indian National Football Team (1997– present) Kerala Blasters FC (2014–present) Kerala Blasters FC Reserves (2016—present for selected matches) Forca Kochi FC (2024—present) Previous Indian National Cricket Team (1997–2014) Kerala State Cricket Team (1997–2014) Viva Kerala FC (2002–2012 for selected matches) Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011) | |
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, also locally known as Kaloor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India, currently used for association football. Opened in 1996, initially it had a capacity for 80,000 to 100,000 spectators, gradually reduced to comply with operational safety, and now seating 41,000 spectators, although it got limited further during 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup under FIFA security guidelines. It is the home ground of Kerala Blasters FC of the Indian Super League (ISL) and Forca Kochi FC and hosts various exhibitions, cinema events and political rallies.
The stadium stands are built in a cricket serving configuration and allowed it to be known as the "nosiest cricket stadium in the world". The structure features a unique lighting towers system, the first of its kind in India, that provide 2 kW floodlighting, suitable for HD telecast. Between 1997–2014 it hosted a number of international cricket matches, of which 10 were One Day Internationals. While in 2014 the Kerala Cricket Association got a hold of a 30-year lease on the venue from the Greater Cochin Development Authority, the concurrent same-year move-in of Kerala Blasters saw football tenants becoming paramount. Their crowds recorded the fifth loudest noise in the stadium in the world (128 db) during the 2016 ISL final between Blasters and Atletico de Kolkata. An extensive renovation also occurred before the stadium served as one of the six host venues for 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in India.