Emirates Stadium: the complete London matchday guide
Emirates Stadium is the home of Arsenal in London, with a nominal capacity of 60,704 and an opening date of 2006. Arsenal moved here in 2006 from Highbury, a few hundred metres away; the old pitch is now housing. This guide covers how to reach the ground, the real names of its stands, the away section, the matchday rules, where supporters gather, and tours and tickets.
At a glance
Arsenal have played at Emirates Stadium since 2006, and the ground is the anchor of the whole matchday: everything in Holloway is organised around the hours either side of kick-off.
Getting there: lines, stations and timings
Routes for Emirates Stadium, station by station. Piccadilly line — Arsenal station is a two-minute walk from the south stand; Finsbury Park is a 10-minute walk. Victoria line — Highbury & Islington, about a 15-minute walk, and the usual route for a big away following. From King's Cross — About three stops on the Piccadilly line, 10-12 minutes in total. From the airports — Heathrow via the Piccadilly line is direct and takes around 60 minutes; Stansted and Luton need a train to King's Cross first.
Public transport is the default here, and the map below sets out the lines and the stations rather than a single route — there is usually more than one sensible way in.
Driving is possible but rarely worth it. Parking near a ground of this size is limited, expensive and slow to leave after the final whistle.
The matchday essentials
- Arrive about an hour before kick-off — Emirates Stadium is large and the walk from the station is busiest late.
- Your gate matters more than your seat: check it against the stand name on the ticket.
- Take only a small bag; there is no general left luggage at the ground.
- Away supporters enter through the Clock End, south-east corner turnstiles only.
- Plan the journey home before you travel: the nearest station queues after the whistle.
The stands, and where to sit
North Bank is the reference point most regulars use when they describe the ground, and the other three stands each have their own character.
If you want volume rather than analysis, head for the goal ends. If you want to watch the way a team builds up, a seat along one of the side stands will always beat a place behind the goal.
As a rule, a seat in the corner between a side stand and a goal end gives you the best compromise: close enough to the singing to feel it, high enough to read the whole pitch.
The away section and its view
Away supporters are grouped in the corner of the Clock End with their own concourse and turnstiles, separated from the home blocks. League rules set a minimum away allocation for visiting clubs; cup and European ties follow their own competition rules.
The visiting allocation at Emirates Stadium sits in Clock End, south-east corner. Because the away section is agreed by competition rather than by a single rule, the size and position can change between a league match and a European night.
The view from Clock End, south-east corner is a trade-off: a corner or upper-tier position gives you a clear sightline but puts distance between you and the goalmouth action.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Club | Arsenal |
| City | London, England |
| Nominal capacity | 60,704 (Permanent · all-seater) |
| Opened | 2006 · Holloway |
| Stands | North Bank, Clock End, East Stand, West Stand |
| Away allocation | Clock End, south-east corner |
Matchday rules: bags, colours, banners and drums
Bag policy is the single most common reason for a delay at the turnstiles. Most grounds in this guide admit only small bags and refuse anything that will not fit under a seat.
Where supporters gather
For Emirates Stadium the pattern is this. Holloway Road: The busiest pre-match street, lined with pubs that fill from early afternoon. Finsbury Park: A wider spread of bars and restaurants, reached on foot from the Victoria line. Highbury: The quieter old-home quarter, useful when the main roads are shoulder to shoulder.
Holloway Road is where the crowd gathers before kick-off, and it is the quickest way to feel the mood of a fixture on your first visit to London.
For a quieter pre-match, Finsbury Park is the sensible choice; the streets closest to the turnstiles fill first and empty last.
Tours, tickets and the rest of the visit
Tours run most non-match days through the dressing rooms, the players' tunnel and the directors' box, with a pitch-side stop and a look at the club museum.
On tickets: buy through the club or the official competition channel. Inflated resale prices are a genuine feature of the biggest fixtures at grounds this size, and they are avoidable.
If you are travelling specifically for the ground rather than the match, midweek league fixtures are usually easier to get into than weekend or European matches.
Matchday questions
How long does it take to get in? Turnstiles typically open between 60 and 90 minutes before kick-off, and the queue peaks in the final half hour. Arriving 45 minutes early is enough at most grounds.
Can I buy on the day? Occasionally, for smaller fixtures. For anything involving a big club or a European tie, assume you need a ticket in advance.
Emirates Stadium is worth the journey whether or not you have a seat in the best part of the ground. Read the stand names, plan the transport, keep the bag small, and the matchday takes care of itself.