Visiting Etihad Stadium (Manchester City) - Matchday Guide 

Tickets, Seats and Stands

The Etihad stadium is a bowl-shaped ground rather than the more traditional 4-sided stadium. Regardless of that, each part of the ground is named after its physical location, with additional names if it was sponsored. 

• The West Stand – renamed The Colin Bell Stand.
• The East Stand – known colloquially as The Kippax Stand 
• The North Stand – this was the only part built after the Commonwealth Games and it’s called the family stand because it didn’t have a roof at the time
• The South Stand – this is where you find the most passionate local fans and away fan

The stadium has two long side stands (East and West stand) and two short side stands (North and South). 

With a bowl-shaped stadium, you must be wondering where the best seats are in the football stadium. The East and West lower tier seats give you the best view of the entire field, with ticket prices starting at  £100 per person, while the upper tier unlocks an unobstructed view, with ticket prices starting at £80 per person. Those are the two best areas to sit, and they’re also priced the highest. The cheapest seats are on the North and South side in the upper tier because you have less depth to see the game. Those tickets start at £50 per person.
Looking for tickets? Buy Manchester City Stadium Tickets, Premier League tickets, or Champions League tickets. The cost of tickets varies depending on the day, opponents, section, but official tickets are as low as £50, with the average cost around £90.

Away Fans' Stand

Away fans are located on the South Stand and spread across the upper, middle, and lower tiers. The view of the action is impressive. You’ll enter the stadium through L1, L2, L3 depending on what tier your seat is on. 

There isn’t a lot of space between the hardcore fans and the away fans. For anyone attending as an away fan, be careful because it’s easy for fights to break out and there’s a high chance you will be removed if there are arguments. You can find tickets through all websites that sell Manchester City tickets and the prices remain the same for official tickets, with the average cost around £90.

Etihad Stadium hospitality: Premium/VIP tickets and private boxes

Enjoy your matchday experience in premium luxury.

The Citizens Lounge:

Enjoy access to executive long side padded seating around the halfway line, in block 205 and 206. This is the best view of the stadium. Experience a pre-match three course meal, complimentary drinks, including beer and wine, and VIP parking. The lounge price is from  £200 per person. The cost  depends on what day the game is and who is playing.  This is the best value for money in our opinion! You enjoy the best seating and complimentary beverages, what more could you want for the ultimate gameday experience? 

Legends:

The Legends is similar to the Citizens Lounge but the seats are located on the South Stand and guests have access to club legend appearances and an exclusive hospitality entrance. This is great value for families and hardcore fans. The lounge cost  is from £200 per person depending on the game date, time, and opposing team.

The 1984 Club Bar:

Guests can relax and watch the match from executive padded seats in the East Stand with great views. The seats are on the second tier of the stadium with access to a private bar before the game, during half time, and after the match. You have the option to purchase drinks and there are betting facilities available. This is the best way to elevate your tickets while enjoying the atmosphere of the stadium. Tickets for this option are from £200 per person depending on the date and team that’s playing.

Platinum Box Hospitality

Enjoy a private box, the entire box, with padded executive seats on level 2 immediately outside the box. You’ll have access to the box 2.5 hours before the match and it includes a three-course a la carte meal, half time refreshments, cash bar, dedicated server, a private plasma screen TV, and VIP parking pass. It doesn’t get more exclusive than this, the platinum box is the best for entertaining clients or enjoying with friends and family. 8-seater, 10-seater, and 20-seater boxes are from £369 per person, depending on the opposing team and the day of the game.

Etihad Stadium gates and entrances

Your ticket will be able to tell you exactly where to enter Etihad stadium. To confirm you’re at the correct entrance, there will be ticket and security checks when you arrive. Depending on your seat location, you can use the following entrances.

• Entrance L1 for supporters located on Level 1 
• Entrance L2 for supporters located on Level 2
• Entrance L3 for supporters located on Level 3

The gates for the stadium are spread out along the grounds, here are the main entrances: 

• Gate 2:  Located next to the Etihad Stadium Car Park and close to the bag drop off area, city square bars & cafe, ticket office and the North Stand 
• Gate 3: The closest gate to the bus drop off area for bus 53, 217, 218, close the East Stand 
• Gate 7: The closest gate to the bus drop off area for bus 188,216,217,218,231,236,237, located near the South Stand and City Circle 
• Gate 11, 12 and 13: Located close to the Manchester Regional Arena near the West Stand 

How to get to the Etihad Stadium

Public transportation is the fastest way to get to and from the match. 

Metrolink:

The Etihad stadium has its own Metrolink stop on the East Manchester line called Etihad Campus and it’s a 5-minute walk from the stadium. The Metrolink runs from the city centre, including Manchester Piccadilly station to Etihad Campus stop and connects to Ashton. 

Please note that both Holt Town and Velopark Merolink stops, located on either side of Etihad Campus stop, will not be open for at least an hour after an event at the stadium. We advise you to use the Etihad Campus stop when returning home from the stadium. 

If you’re travelling from London, depart from London’s Euston train station and it will take you around 2 hours to get to Manchester’s Picadilly train station.

Railway:

The closest railway station is Ashburys which is a short 5-minute train ride away from Manchester Piccadilly Station. You can also walk from Ashburys to the stadium, it’s a 15-minute walk.

Bus:

There are bus stops adjacent to the stadium. At the end of the match, shuttle buses are lined up on Ashton New Road next to the South stand heading to Manchester city centre.

Etihad Stadium car parks 

Manchester City introduced a new Car Parking system through Etihad Campus. Car Parking is now open to pre-book on a match-by-match basis for £10 per car. This is the best way to secure your parking spot before coming to the game. There are also some unofficial car parks that are in the area that usually take longer to fill up.

Coming to the game and parking is a lot easier than leaving. Most people exit at the same time and leaving the area can take over an hour. For that reason, we recommend using public transportation. 

Landmarks and points of interest in Etihad

The Etihad Stadium has amazing places to see within the grounds.

The large-scale statues of Kompany and Silva are situated on the east side of the Etihad Stadium. It was constructed using thousands of welded pieces of galvanised steel and at night it illuminates with blue tinted lighting. It’s beautiful to see at any time of day and worth taking a picture with.

The toroidal-shaped roof is held together by a tension system and is the only stadium fully covered. It’s unique to the venue and worth admiring before the game.
The City Square is the perfect spot to enter the stadium and enjoy kick-off. It sets the atmosphere and excitement for the rest of the match.
With Etihad stadium being one of the newer stadiums, there isn’t the same history as other stadiums. But the concourse and stadium itself is a beautiful arena with many places for photos. 

Infrastructures, Stores, Food, Drink:

The Etihad Stadium has a bowl design and is completely enclosed. It’s one the best stadiums in the UK and offers many concourses for food, toilets near all entrances, and merchandise to order. The stadium recently launched environmental beer and coffee cups that are edible and prevent waste at each game. There’s also been new vegan food added to the menu to cater to everyone’s needs. 

Food and drink at the Etihad stadium 

The Etihad is a newer stadium with great facilities for food and drinks with plenty of concourses with plasma screens. You’ll find everything you can expect at a football stadium – hot dogs, pies, tea, beer, pizza, burgers, curries, vegan food options, and more. A pint of beer is only £4 but don’t bring your own food or drinks into the stadium, it’s not allowed. 

Stores and merchandise at the Etihad 

Shop the Manchester City Official store for team merchandise! The store is a part of the PUMA group and has access to the latest licensed official products, special editions, and exclusive products that aren’t available anywhere else. The store is located inside Etihad Stadium, and you’ll be able to find jerseys, sweaters, polos, kits, seasonal items, and more. 

Etihad Stadium Tours

There are a couple options for stadium tours fans can take.

Etihad Stadium: Manchester City Stadium and Museum Tour 

On this tour you’ll walk the footsteps of your favorite players and see behind the scenes of the stadium. You’ll see pre-match preparation, the media obligations, the changerooms, and learn interesting stories. There is plenty to see, including the brand new player facilities and the introduction to The Tunnel Club – the first of its kind in football.

Etihad Stadium and City Football Academy Tour

Become completely immersed in Manchester City history via a cinema experience and interact with the team manager Pep Guardiola in the press room using the latest technology. In addition the to the cinema experience, you’ll get to walk the grounds and view the Etihad Stadium and see everything that the Stadium and Museum Tour provides. 

The Etihad Area

Manchester, the area the Etihad stadium is in, is a modern cosmopolitan city with a thriving local culture and amenities you would expect from major metropolis. It has a high quality of bars and restaurants that go toe to toe with major European cities, the cost of the city is reasonable compared to London, and it has spawned some of Britain’s most iconic bands. In addition, it hasn’t lost its charm and character in the process. There are many neighbourhoods with canals and industrial parts kept from the past. You can enjoy streets of restored Victorian terraces that maintain the culture of the city.  

Hotel accommodation

It’s common for fans to come from far away and need a place to stay. The accommodations close to the stadium are great and cater to fans. 

• The Holiday Inn Manchester Central Park is a 30-minute walk to the stadium and offers modern facilities, free resident parking and is close to the city centre, Manchester City FC, and other attractions. It’s the perfect place to stay if you’re in town for a couple days 
• Hotel Ibis Budget Manchester is 20-minutes from the stadium and provides breakfast, access to parking, and is close to major landmarks like cafes and Piccadilly station.
• Leonardo Hotel Manchester is a 20-minute walk from the stadium and includes a fitness centre, bar, free WiFi, and a restaurant. It’s a great hotel to unwind before heading to the game. 

Pubs and restaurants 

The bars close to the Etihad stadium are for home fans only and offer a loud atmosphere for a pre or post game drink.

• The Townley is a 3-minute walk from the stadium and is perfect for a beer before or after the game. There is on-site parking, and they have a beer garden out the front and back of the pub.
• The Bradford Inn is a community focussed pub that is minutes away from the stadium. They allow home and away fans and includes pool tables, karaoke, live music, amazing food, and a beer garden. You’re guaranteed to have a good time here! 
• The Cornershop is 2-minutes away from the stadium and is available for home fans only. It’s a favorite for fans and is always busy with supporters wanting a pint before and after the game.

Attractions 

Manchester is a beautiful city that has a lot of amazing history and sites to see.

• Canal street is a popular hotspot for visitors who are looking for a welcoming place to shop, dine, and enjoy late-night celebrations. The street is about 35-minutes walking from the stadium, but it’s worth seeing. 
• The Manchester Art Gallery is a publicly owned art museum in the city centre and houses many works of local and international significance. It has a collection of more than 25,000 objects. It’s beautiful to see if you’re in the city for a couple days. It’s a 5-minute walk from Canal street and 40-minutes from the stadium.
• The Queen Victoria’s Statue is an over-sized bronze statue of the Queen Victoria seated on a large throne wearing a dress with a Order of Garter. She holds a sceptre in her right hand and an orb in the left. At the top of the throne, she’s fighting the dragon. The statue has been there since 1901 and holds a lot of value in the city. 

Etihad Stadium history

Etihad Stadium, formerly known as City of Manchester Stadium, was built in 2002 for the Commonwealth games. It replaced Maine Road as the home ground for Manchester City FC in 2003. The stadium has two long side stands and two short side stands and has been expanded to fit 61,000 people. The stadium is relatively new and is not going to be replaced soon. 

FAQ

Does Manchester City own the Etihad Stadium?

The stadium is owned by Manchester City Council and is leased by the football club.

How far is Etihad from Old Trafford?    

Etihad and Old Trafford are 4 miles apart.

Can I pay cash at the Etihad stadium?

Cash is no longer accepted at Etihad Stadium but they do accept credit and debit cards for payment. 

Can you take a bag into the Etihad stadium?

Bags that are no larger than 20cm x 15cm x 5cm are allowed in the stadium If you bring a bag that exceeds that size, there are bag drop facilities you can use to secure your items until the match is over.

How much is a pint at Etihad stadium?

A pint of beer is £4 at the Etihad stadium. 
 

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