History and description

Etihad Stadium, which is also known as Eastlands, was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Manchester City moved into Etihad Stadium at the start of the 2003-04 season in order to have a modern replacement for their old stadium, Maine Road. In 2008, the UEFA Cup final was played at Etihad Stadium in Manchester between Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers FC. The stadium was originally called City of Manchester Stadium, but was renamed Etihad Stadium in 2011 following a ten-year sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways.

At around the same time, Manchester City started to look into expanding the stadium. First they considered plans to raise the roof and add a complete third tier, but eventually decided to just add additional tiers to the stands behind the goals.

In the summer of 2014, work started on expanding the South Stand with an additional tier. This boosted capacity with 6,000 seats. At the same time, the club announced plans to add a further 3 rows of seating pitchside, which brought total capacity to over 55,000 seats for the start of the 2015-16 season.

If there is sufficient demand, the club may consider adding a third tier to the North Stand to increase capacity to an approximate 61,000 seats.

How to get to the Etihad Stadium

Etihad Stadium is located east of Manchester near Manchester city centre and Manchester Piccadilly Station. The walk from the city centre to the stadium takes about 30 minutes, and it takes about 25 minutes from Manchester Piccadilly Station. Follow the City Link signs.

It is quicker to catch the Metro from either Piccadilly Station or - for example - Market Street in the city centre. Take a train in the direction of Droylsden and get off at stop Etihad Campus right next to Etihad Stadium. The journey takes 8 to 10 minutes.

There are many buses that serve the stadium, e.g. line 53, 54, 185, 186, 216, 217, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, X36 and X37. After the match buses will depart from Ashton New Road next to the South Stand.

If arriving by car, the stadium can best be reached from the M60. Take either junction 22 or 24, and drive east towards the city centre. From there on, follow the signs for Sportcity.

Address: Etihad Stadium, SportCity, Manchester, M11 3FF

Eat, drink, and sleep near Etihad Stadium

There is not a lot of good places to eat and drink in the vicinity of the Etihad Stadium, which is not surprising considering how spread out the area is. A walk or ride on the metro to the stadium is an option for those who want to eat and drink in the city centre. Several bars are located around Piccadilly Station, which is closest to the stadium, but other nightlife areas such as the Northern Quarters, The Printworks (both north of the center), Deansgate Locks (south), or Town Hall are not too far away either.

There are no hotels located directly near the Etihad Stadium. However, there is an Ibis Budget hotel approximately 10 minutes away towards the center. To learn more about hotels near the stadium, please click here.

There are plenty of options near Piccadilly Station, though most fall in the high-end category. The Portland by Thistle, Premier Inn, Britannia Hotel, and Mercure are some of the cheaper options. Of course, there are plenty of other options elsewhere in the center, and the stadium is easily reached by public transport. Click here for an overview of all hotels in Manchester.

Manchester City Tickets

Tickets for Manchester City games can be purchased online or by telephone. While Man City generally sells out high profile matches, tickets for most other matches are generally available, especially if booked in advance.

Ticket prices depend on the opponent. Football tickets start at £35.00 for a lower-tier seat behind the goal and go up to £57.00 for tickets to see the most interesting opponents.

If the match is sold out, you can get hospitality tickets through either Viagogo or Stubhub. These tend to be rather reasonably priced so are even worth a shot if you fancy trying out a slightly upgraded experience.

For more information call +44 (0) 161 444 1894 or email [email protected]

Etihad Stadium tours

Manchester City offers guided stadium tours that include visits to the dressing room, players? tunnel, directors? box, press conference room, and the dug outs. The tours last approximately 70 minutes. Tours run every day of the week, though different schedules can apply, in particular on matchdays.

You can book tours online or by phone +44 (0) 161 444 1894. It costs £16.00. For more information, email [email protected]

Relevant Internet links

The official website of Manchester City, VisitManchester.com, is dedicated to providing Greater Manchester residents and visitors with information on all things related to the city and its inhabitants. The website includes a wealth of information on attractions, events, hotels, transportation, and more. Additionally, TfGM.com is a site devoted to providing Metro users with maps and timetables for all modes of transport in the area as well as fare information. Special mention should go to the Manchester City stewards. They were exemplary, cheerful, helpful and enthusiastic. This was a great experience, and I would like to thank all of them for their hard work. Villa were unfortunately not in the Premier League this season, but I hope to visit them again soon.

I attended the Taylor Swift concert on 9 June 18. I am a Villa fan and this was my first visit to the stadium. I can't praise it enough. Everything is well laid out and signposted, and I especially appreciate the Man City stewards. They were exemplary, cheerful, helpful and enthusiastic and ready to help. Well done to all of us - we had a great time. Just wish Villa were back in the Premier so I could visit again soon.

It is easy to find a bar in the city centre and then go onto the stadium. Plenty of accommodation is available in Manchester with good price ranges, but be aware that Manchester hosts a lot of events so make sure to book your room early if you want one.

There are special buses from the city centre on match days. You can walk from the city centre in about 25 minutes. It is easy to go to a bar in the city centre then onto the stadium. Plenty of accommodation in Manchester with a good price range, but be aware that Manchester hosts a lot of events so do not leave it too late if you want a hotel room.

to anyone. I went on the Stadium tour today, 7th December. Our guide Lynne was so nice, pleasant and informative. There was plenty of time to take as many photos as we wanted. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone.

to anyone. I went on the Stadium tour today and Lynne was so nice, pleasant, and informative. There was plenty of time to take as many photos as we wanted. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone.

Sharron Dickinson wrote: I enjoyed visiting the stadium last night to see Bon Jovi in concert. Thank you to your staff for helping me relocate my seats without any fuss and providing lots of help. I was very scared of heights, and the seats we were allocated were on the third level, so your staff did a great job accommodating me. Thank you again!

I want to thank the staff at the stadium for moving my seats without any fuss and help. I was scared of heights and was given seats on the third level, which was really helpful.

A very enjoyable evening, thank you again x

Ivo wrote: The stadium tour is great. You get to see all there is to see, and the friendly guide makes it easy to ask your questions and take lots of pictures. In addition, the tour includes some friendly trivia about another team from the same town. Be sure to present your tour ticket at the souvenir shop to get a 10% discount on your purchase!

The perfect way to get to know your competition! The stadium tour is great. You get to see all there is to see and the guide is very friendly. The price includes some trivia about the team from the same town. It's the perfect way to get to know your competition!

Present your tour ticket at the fan shop to get a 10% discount on your purchase!