The City of Manchester Stadium (known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is the home of Manchester City and originally built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The stadium hosted all of the track and field events and Rugby Sevens matches at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, as well as the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
The City of Manchester Stadium was originally constructed with a capacity of 41,000, with an athletics track. However it was always the intention at the end of the Games for the stadium to be converted for football. The track was removed and permanent seating was added to increase capacity to 48,000, with Manchester City moving in for the start of the 2003-2004 Premier League season.
Tenants: Manchester City (Premier League)
Opened: 2002
Capacity: 55,017
Address: Ashton New Rd, Manchester M11 3FF
When the club was taken over in 2008, this started a series of renovations to the stadium which has increased capacity to just over 55,000. A 10 year sponsorship deal was made in 2011 with Etihad Airways, with the ground becoming the Etihad Stadium. The same year witnessed one of the most dramatic ends to the Premier League at the stadium – with two goals in injury time in the last match of the season resulting in Manchester City winning their first ever Premier League title.
The Etihad Stadium has also hosted a number of other high profile events, including several England international’s – the first being a 1-1 draw with Japan in June 2004. England’s opening match of the 2005 UEFA Women’s Championship was also played there, setting a then attendance record of 29,092 for the competition.
The 2008 UEFA Cup Final was held at the Etihad Stadium, with Zenit Saint Petersburg defeating Rangers 2-0. That same year, boxer Ricky Hatton defeated Juan Lazcano for the IBO World Title in front of 56,337 fans, setting a record attendance for a British boxing event post World War II.
The City of Manchester Stadium hosted its first rugby league match in October 2004, with Great Britain losing 12-8 to Australia. Super League’s Magic Weekend took place there in consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2014. A 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool match between England and Uruguay was also there, with England winning 60-3.
Tickets at Etihad Stadium
Manchester City Tickets
Tickets for most matches to watch Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium will be readily available, except the most high-profile matches. Tickets are available to purchase through the official Manchester City website.
Etihad Stadium Tour
Stadium tours of Etihad Stadium last approximately 70 minutes and usually run every day between 10:30am and 3:30pm, although are restricted on match days. The tour costs:
- Adults – £25
- 18-21/Student/Senior (over 65) – £17
- Under 18s – £15
- Under 5s – Free
- Family Pack: Two Adults + Two U18s – £64
- Family Pack: One Adult + Three U18s – £56
Further information and booking is available on the Manchester City website.
Location & Travel to Etihad Stadium
The Etihad Stadium is located in the area of Clayton, approximately 1.5 miles east of Manchester city centre.
Airport: Manchester Airport is the third busiest in the UK and serves a number of international destinations. The airport is approximately 10 miles south of the stadium and has a train and tram station, where you can travel to the city to connect with the ground.
Thinking of flying? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.
Bus: Routes 53, 188, 216, 217, 231 all run to the bus stop adjacent to the stadium. Further information is available on the official Transport for Manchester website. Alternatively, Stagecoach Manchester offer a service on matchday from Piccadilly.
Coach: Manchester Coach Station is close to the city centre, about 2 miles from the Etihad, with the blue tram line going to the ground. Megabus offers cheap travel to Manchester and offers over 10 routes from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Inverness, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Newcastle and Sheffield. You can search and book your tickets here.
Parking: Car parking is available onsite in the Blue Car Park’s G & H, accessed from Alan Turing Way (Gate 2). Parking costs £8 for two or more passengers, £10 for single occupancy. An alternative, is to use the free park and ride on offer at a number of Metrolink stations.
Train: Manchester Piccadilly is the main station in the city, with links to all major cities including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton and York. From the station, you can catch a Tram straight to the Etihad or walk as below.
Thinking of catching a train to Manchester? Search and book your journey through the Trainline here.
Tram: Manchester is served by an extensive tram network, operated by Metrolink with the Etihad Campus stop adjacent to the stadium. Trams from Piccadilly station run every 6 minutes on match day, with the journey taking about 10 minutes. Further information is available on the official Transport for Manchester website.
Walk: You can walk to the Etihad from Manchester city centre in about 30 minutes, or 25 minutes walk from Piccadilly station. The walk is well-lit and sign-posted.
Hotels near the Etihad Stadium
Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Manchester by clicking here.
Further Information & Events
Manchester City Official Website
Last Updated on May 17, 2022 by Sports Tourist