Emirates Stadium

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Key facts

Club: Arsenal FC | Opening: 2006 | Capacity: 60,361 seats

History and description

The Emirates Stadium replaced Arsenal’s previous home Highbury, which had become too small and lacked the possiblities for expansion being hemmed in by housing.

First plans for the construction of a new stadium were made in the late 1990s, but also a move to the new Wembley Stadium was considered.

In the end a site was chosen just a few hundred yards away from Highbury, and, after a few delays, construction of the stadium started in 2004. The total project budget amounted to £390 million.

The Emirates Stadium officially opened on the 23rd of July 2006. The first match was a testimonial match for Dennis Bergkamp featuring an Arsenal and Ajax side.

Due to the competition of nearby Wembley Stadium, the Emirates Stadium has never hosted the English national team, however the Brazilian national team has regularly staged friendlies at the stadium.

Getting there

The Emirates Stadium is located in the Islington area, slightly north of the centre of London and just over 2 miles north from Kings Cross St Pancras railway station.

The stadium is best reached by metro. The nearest tube station is Arsenal, on the Piccadilly line. Alternatives are stations Finsbury Park (Victoria and Piccadilly line) and Highbury & Islington (Victoria line and North London Line). From both stations it is a 10-minute walk to the stadium. Holloway Road and Drayton Park stations will be closed pre-match and are exit-only after the match.

Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington stations can also be reached by train. It is a 5-minute journey coming from either Kings Cross or Moorgate station.

Supporters are not advised to arrive by car on matchdays, and there is little parking available around the Emirates Stadium on non-matchdays.

Address: Emirates Stadium, London N5 1BU

Eat, drink, and sleep

The Emirates Stadium is located in the recently regenerated and quiet Highbury area. There are a few pubs and cafés in the immediate surroundings of the stadium, which is mainly residential, and some further options to eat and drink along Holloway Road.

More nightlife can be found in the trendy Islington area starting south of Highbury & Islington tube station, an approximate 15 to 20-minute walk from the stadium.

There are no hotels right near the Emirates Stadium, but a fair few options further north on Seven Sisters Road near Finsbury Park, which is a 15-minute walk from the stadium. The Queens Hotel and Best Western Highbury get the best reviews and go for about £100 a night, whereas the Pembury Hotel, Woodberry Down Hotel, and Central Park Hotel are more basic options.

Click here for all hotels near the Emirates Stadium. Of course, as there are various metro lines passing by the stadium, you can just as well choose a stadium in any part of Central London.

Tickets

Tickets for Arsenal matches can be bought online, or by phone 0844 277 3625 (+44 207 649 9003 if calling from abroad).

One will often need an Arsenal membership to be able to acquire tickets. The most basic Red level membership currently costs £33.00. Arsenal sells out most of its matches, but with a membership card tickets will generally be available in pre-sale.

Arsenal matches fall into three pricing categories. Tickets for category C matches, the cheapest, start at £26.00 for most lower-tier seats and range up to £51.00 for a central upper-tier seat. Tickets for category A matches, the most expensive, range from £63.50 for most lower-tier seats to £126.00 for a central upper-tier seat.

A further booking fee of about £2.00 applies. Tickets for members are a little bit cheaper.

Attendances

Stadium tours

Arsenal offers the option to see the Emirates Stadium through a self-guided stadium tour. You can walk through the stadium at your own pace with the company of an audio guide. The route includes the changing rooms and players’ tunnel.

Alternatively, the club offers guided stadium tours by an Arsenal legend. Both tours include access to the Arsenal museum.

The stadium is opened 7 days a week for self-guided stadium tours. Entry is from 10:00 am with the last entry at 5:00 pm. There are no tours on matchdays and the stadium may close earlier on the day before a match or event. It takes anything from 55 to 90 minutes to complete the walk around the stadium.

The legends tour starts every day at 1:00 pm and lasts 75 minutes.

The self-guided tour costs £17.50 and the legends tour £35.00. Tours can be booked online, by phone +44 (0) 20 7619 5000, or at arrival at the stadium (self-guided tours).

Photos

Relevant Internet links

Arsenal.com – Official website of Arsenal FC.
Visitlondon.com – Official London city guide.
Tfl.gov.uk – Website of the London Underground and other London public transport.
Journeyplanner.org – London public transport journey planner.
Nationalrail.co.uk – Check train times and fares.