Hasely Crawford Stadium

The Hasely Crawford Stadium in the Mucurapo district of Port of Spain does not hide its purpose. The view from the stands reveals a red synthetic athletics track that circles a natural grass pitch.

It has lived through two distinct lives. Originally opened in 1982 as the National Stadium, the venue kept that name for fourteen years before being renamed in December 1996 to honour Hasely Crawford, the sprinter who won the first Olympic gold medal for Trinidad and Tobago in the men's 100-metre race. The ground has also hosted significant football tournaments, including the final of the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship and the 2010 Women's World Cup final.

A major renovation completed in 2023 for the Commonwealth Youth Games brought a new track and a new scoreboard, but the capacity stayed at 23,000. The renovation did not alter the number of seats, only the surface beneath the athletes' feet. While the stadium serves as a home for the national team, its role extends further. It has been the setting for the "Red Light Concert" series, where artists like Ne-Yo performed for thousands, and for the annual "Machel Monday" Carnival concert, events that turned the athletic grounds into a cultural stage. The sun flares over the main stand in the afternoon, casting long shadows across the empty blue seats.