Etihad Stadium

Etihad Stadium, also known as Eastlands, was constructed for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Following the games, the ground was converted into a football ground as to provide Manchester City with a contemporary replacement for Maine Road. The club moved into Etihad Stadium at the start of the 2003-04 season.

In 2008, Etihad Stadium was the venue for the UEFA Cup final between Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers FC (2-0). The ground was initially called City of Manchester Stadium, but was renamed Etihad Stadium in 2011 following a 10-year sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways.

At around the same time, Manchester City started to conduct feasibility studies into expanding the ground, first considering ambitious plans to raise the roof and add a complete third tier, but in time settling on just adding additional tiers to the stands behind the goals.

In the summer of 2014, works started on expanding the South Stand with an additional tier, which 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 add a third tier to the North Stand as well, which will raise capacity to an approximate 61,000 seats.

Etihad Stadium is situated toward the east of Manchester at about 1.5 miles from Manchester's downtown area and slightly less from Manchester Piccadilly Station.

The walk from the downtown area to the ground takes about 30 minutes, and that from Manchester Piccadilly Station 25 minutes. Follow the City Link signs.

It is quicker though to catch the metrolink from either Piccadilly Station or – for example – Market Street in the downtown area. 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.

Alternatively, visitors will find a large number of buses that serve the ground, e.g. Line 53, 54, 185, 186, 216, 217, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, X36 and X37. After the match buses to the downtown area will depart from Ashton New Road next to the South Stand.

If arriving by car, the ground can best be reached from the M60 (running east from the city). Take either junction 22 or 24, and drive east towards the downtown area. From there on, follow the signs for Sportcity.

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

The area around the Etihad Stadium is not one of the best of Manchester, and apart from the odd pub there are few options for dining and drinks.

The downtown area is at a short walk though, and one can as a result just as well dine and drink there and then walk or take the metrolink to the ground. There are some bars around Piccadilly Station, closest to the ground, but other nightlife areas such as the Northern Quarters, The Printworks (both north of the center), Deansgate Locks (south), or around the Town Hall are not too far away either.

There are no hotels directly close to the Etihad Stadium, but visitors will find an Ibis Budget at an approximate 10-minute walk towards the centre. Use the linked guides for an overview of hotels close to the Etihad Stadium.

Alternatively, there are plenty of options near Piccadilly Station, though most come 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 options elsewhere in the centre, and the ground is without difficulty reached by public transit. Use the linked guides for an overview of all hotels in Manchester.

Admission for Manchester City games are sold online, or by phone +44 (0) 161 444 1894.

While Man City does sell out most high-profile matches, Admission for most other matches are rather without difficulty available, especially if booked in advance.

Ticket prices depend on the opponent with those for the least interesting fixtures starting at £35.00 for a lower-tier seat behind the goal and those for the highest-profile opponents starting at £57.00.

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.

Additional information call +44 (0) 161 444 1894 or email tickets@mcfc.co.uk.

Manchester City offer guided venue tours around the Etihad Stadium, that include visits to the dressing room, players' tunnel, directors' box, press conference room, and the dug outs. The tours last roughly 70 minutes.

Tours run daily from 10:30 a.m. To 3:30 p.m. (3:00 pm on Sundays), though different schedules can apply, in particular on match days.

Tours can be booked online, or by phone +44 (0) 161 444 1894. It is priced at £16.00. Further details are available by email at tours@mcfc.co.uk.