The Millennium Stadium has a 72,500 capacity

The sporting crucible best known for hosting Welsh rugby games and the FA Cup final will instead greet Tories for their annual get-together next March.

Conservatives said the stadium would provide a "memorable backdrop".

Welsh Tory chairman Carole Hyde said: "Where better to kick the Labour Party into touch?"

The party held this year's Welsh conference in Llandudno, north Wales, and is accustomed to a conventional seaside setting for their yearly meeting.

So we'll have a decade of the Conservative Party being the major British force in the European Parliament, I think that is something I can take a little bit of credit for Jonathan Evans MEP

But the party faithful will be in Cardiff city centre for the two-day event on March 5 and 6, 2005, just weeks from a possible general election date.

Mrs Hyde said: "The Millennium Stadium is a fantastic venue with world-class facilities. It will provide us with a prestigious location for a prestigious conference.

Meanwhile, Welsh Conservative MEP Jonathan Evans has announced he is to give up his leadership of the Conservative group in the European Parliament.

Mr Evans, a former MP said he wanted to devote more time to his appointment as chair of a committee responsible for fostering closer relations between Europe and the United States.

Mr Evans' role will be a diplomatic one on behalf of Europe

He said: "I think it's important to make the point that this is not a party political role - I have been elected to this role on behalf of the whole (European) parliament.

"I think that there are a whole variety of areas in which we share common interests with the United States.

"We within Wales have a significant amount of American investment - it's underpinning a huge amount of our employment.

"Therefore it is necessary that we recognise that we've got a common interest there, build upon that sort of dialogue and I think that with good will on all sides, perhaps even given a year or so, I think relationships between Europe and the United States can be very much better than they are today."

He added that he was proud of the size of the Conservative group in the Euro parliament under his stewardship.

He said: "I now lead a group of 28 and the Labour Party only have 19 and the others are nowhere.

"So we'll have a decade of the Conservative Party being the major British force in the European Parliament, I think that is something I can take a little bit of credit for."