Puskás Aréna: matchday guide, stands and away section
Puskás Aréna is the home of Hungary national team in Budapest, with a nominal capacity of 67,215 and an opening date of 2019. Opened in 2019 on the site of the old Ferenc Puskás Stadium, it hosted the 2020 European Championship matches in Budapest. 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
Hungary national team have played at Puskás Aréna since 2019, and the ground is the anchor of the whole matchday: everything in Zugló is organised around the hours either side of kick-off.
Getting there: lines, stations and timings
Routes for Puskás Aréna, station by station. Budapest Metro — line M2 — Puskás Ferenc Stadion station is directly outside the ground. Tram 1 — The tram line runs along the Danube-side boulevards and connects to the metro network. Local buses and trolleybuses — Several routes serve the stadium area from the city centre. From the airport — Liszt Ferenc Airport is about 40 minutes by bus into the centre.
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 — Puskás Aréna 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 North stand, upper tier turnstiles only.
- Plan the journey home before you travel: the nearest station queues after the whistle.
The stands, and where to sit
North stand 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
At a national stadium the visiting allocation is agreed per fixture and is usually placed high in the north end. For internationals the split is agreed per fixture; UEFA competition uses roughly five per cent for the visiting club.
The visiting allocation at Puskás Aréna sits in North stand, upper tier. 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 North stand, upper tier 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 | Hungary national team |
| City | Budapest, Hungary |
| Nominal capacity | 67,215 (Permanent · all-seater) |
| Opened | 2019 · Zugló |
| Stands | North stand, East stand, South stand, West stand |
| Away allocation | North stand, upper tier |
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.
Drums and other instruments are the most tightly controlled item on the list. At club grounds they are effectively reserved for the organised groups; in the away section they need prior agreement.
Where supporters gather
For Puskás Aréna the pattern is this. Zugló: The district around the ground, with cafés on the approach streets. City Park (Városliget): The parkland next to the stadium, useful for an early arrival. Budapest centre: Where most visitors stay, a short metro ride away.
Zugló 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 Budapest.
For a quieter pre-match, City Park (Városliget) 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 on selected days and take in the dressing rooms, the tunnel, the dugouts and the Hungarian football museum exhibits.
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.
Puskás Aréna 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.