Gazprom Arena

Gazprom Arena, also known as Saint Petersburg Stadium, Zenit Arena, and Krestovsky Stadium, got built to serve as a new contemporary home of FC Zenit and as one of the playing venues of the 2018 World Cup. It was erected in place of the former Kirov Stadium.

Planning for the new arena began late 2005, and first construction works started by the end of 2008. The ground was initially planned to be completed in 2009, but works were hampered by a series of delays, including a redesign to comply with FIFA requirements and fraud investigations.

Works ultimately sped up in 2016 and the ground was completed in April 2017, although overall costs had soared past $1 billion, which made it one of the most expensive stadiums ever built.

The first official match at Saint Petersburg Stadium was played on 22 April 2017 when Zenit staged Ural for a league match (2-0).

The ground has been designed by Japanese architecture firm Kisho Kurokawa and resembles the form of a spaceship with the roof held up by four masts. It has some similarities with that of the Japanese Toyota Stadium, which was planned by the same firm.

Saint Petersburg Stadium was one of the playing venues of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, for which it staged four first round group matches, a quarter final, the semi final between France and Belgium (1-0), and the match for third place between Belgium and England (2-0). It also staged four matches throughout the 2017 Confederations Cup, including the final.

After the World Cup, the ground took the sponsor name Gazprom Arena.

In 2021, the ground was once again a playing venue during a significant tournament when it staged six first round group matches and the quarter final between Spain and Switzerland (1-1) throughout the 2020 European Championships.

The Gazprom Arena has been selected to host the 2022 Champions League final.

The Gazprom Arena stands on the western tip of Krestovsky Island in the north-west of St. Petersburg. The ground lies about 7.5 kilometres away from Palace Square in St. Petersburg's downtown area.

The nearest metro station is Krestovsky Ostrov on the purple line 5, which runs right through central St. Petersburg. It is still a 25-minute walk from the station to the ground through Maritime Victory Park though.

Bus 10 and 25 stop a little closer to the ground, but still a 15-minute walk away. Bus 10 runs through central St. Petersburg while bus 25 runs through northern parts of St. Petersburg.

The Gazprom Arena stands on the tip of Krestovsky Island surrounded on three sides by the Baltic Sea. On its eastern side lie various sports facilities, the pleasant Maritime Victory Park, including an amusement park, and further on residential areas.

It is a pleasant area on a nice day, which is also well-known with the locals. There are in addition a reasonable number of restaurants in the area, mostly on the southern shore. The nearby Karl-Friedrich Brewhouse has a large beer garden.

Several hotels near Saint Petersburg Stadium, but they are all of the luxurious type so expect to pay a hefty price. The Arena Hotel and Hotel Park Krestovskiy are located right next to the ground, while Parklane Resort and SPA and Hermes Park Hotel are located closer to the metro station.

Use the linked guides for an overview of hotels close to the Gazprom Arena, and here to explore other options in St. Petersburg.

Admission for Zenit games are sold online, or at the ticket office at the Gazprom Arena.

Ticket prices depend on the opponent, but expect to pay from RUB 400 for an upper tier seat to RUB 1,900 for a central seat at one of the sides.

Email online-ticket@fc-zenit.ru Additional information.