North Korea has the biggest sports arena in the world — here's a look inside

may day stadium
May Day stadium. KCNA/Reuters

It's no accident that North Korea's most sacred buildings are its largest.

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According to Nick Bonner, a tour guide for Koryo Tours who visits once a year, the leaders of the country aim to prove North Korea's might through its architecture, most of which is made of bulky concrete.

That includes the May Day Stadium, a colossal structure built in 1989 and remodeled in 2014 that seats 150,000 people. It is the largest stadium by capacity in the world.

While it hosts some soccer matches and general athletic competitions, May Day's grandest and most elaborate events are the annual Mass Games (known in Korean as Arirang). They pay tribute to the country's history, founders, and current leaders through gymnastics and dance performances put on by thousands of participants.

The spectacle is often as grandiose as the venue itself.

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Located in the heart of Pyongyang, North's Korea capital city, May Day Stadium looms over the adjacent Taedong River in the shape of a magnolia blossom.

tv tower Pyongyang architecture may day stadium city view
Nick Bonner

The stadium has hosted numerous notable events, including the largest pay-per-view event for professional wrestling (in 1995). But by far the highest-profile events are the annual Mass Games.

may day stadium
Chris Price/Flickr
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The size of the stadium is borderline unfathomable.

may day stadium
KCNA/Reuters

Many spectators have to sit far away from the action at a height that transcends even the nosebleeds.

may day stadium
Chris Price/Flickr
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Some have a better view than others.

kim jong un
KCNA/Reuters

The fans provide the backdrop for the Mass Games. Tens of thousands of people hold colored squares that assemble to form giant murals, measuring hundreds of feet across.

mass games
Nick Bonner
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This one depicts the day North Korea, South Korea, and China finally called an end to the Korean War on July 27, 1953.

mass games 2
Nick Bonner

Dancers and gymnasts perform choreographed routines that sync with the crowd's murals, which change by the second.

may day stadium
Chris Price/Flickr
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Each year's performance usually takes place in August or September. The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized the games as the largest performance of its kind in the world.

may day stadium
Chris Price/Flickr

North Korea's national animal is the flying horse Chollima, similar to Pegasus in Greek mythology. It symbolizes heroism and the undying spirit of the North Korean people.

may day stadium
Chris Price/Flickr
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All of the performances pay tribute to the founder of the country, Kim Il Sung, who led the country from 1972 to 1994. Without him, the Mass Games and May Day Stadium might not exist.

may day stadium kim il sung
Chris Price/Flickr
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