How to get to Etihad Stadium
Getting to Etihad Stadium couldn’t be easier. There’s no specific Etihad train station, with the closest station being Ashburys Rail Station. You can take the train to Etihad Stadium from Manchester Piccadilly, with a journey time to Ashburys of roughly five minutes. You can then walk to the stadium in just ten minutes. Alternatively, walking directly from Manchester Piccadilly will take you around 25 minutes along the signposted ‘City Link’ route.
You can also take a tram to the Etihad Campus stop, adjacent to the stadium. You can take the Metrolink directly to the stadium from Manchester Piccadilly, with a journey time of less than 10 minutes. There are also multiple bus routes with stops adjacent to the stadium, or you can cycle and make use of bike racks around the stadium to securely park your bike.
There is car parking at Etihad Stadium, but it must be pre-booked on a match-by-match basis.
What to do at Etihad Stadium
Etihad Stadium, sometimes also known as City of Manchester Stadium, is the home of Premier League football club Manchester City, and plays host to their home games as well as England international games, rugby league matches, boxing and music concerts. The first concert at the stadium was the Red Hot Chili Peppers and James Brown in 2004. Other artists to play the stadium include Take That, Rod Stewart, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé. It also hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the rugby sevens and athletics events.
About Etihad Stadium
Etihad Stadium was purpose-built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and Manchester City F.C. moved there from their previous stadium, Maine Road, in summer 2003. For football matches it has a capacity of 53,400, which makes it the sixth-largest stadium in the country, behind Wembley, Old Trafford, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and London Stadium. The stadium’s design has been much-lauded, winning an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004 for its inclusive building design, and an award in 2003 from the Institution of Structural Engineers for its unique structural design.
Concerts at Etihad Stadium
As a city famous for its musical outputs, the Etihad Stadium has become one of the most well-utilised football stadiums for music events in the UK. Welcoming several artists every year, it’s become a much-loved live music venue for both Mancunians and concertgoers from further afield. The first band to play here was the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2004, and there has been no shortage of world-class superstars holding concerts at the Etihad Stadium since then.
Other artists to have performed here over the years include Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Rod Stewart and of course, Manchester’s own Liam Gallagher and the Stone Roses.
The Etihad is located just outside the centre of Manchester, with convenient rail links to Ashburys Rail Station which is just a 10-minute walk to the venue. If you manage to visit Manchester when the weather is dry, getting to concerts at the Etihad Stadium is also possible on foot, with a walk from Manchester Piccadilly taking just 25 minutes.
Etihad Stadium Tours
If your affinity lies on the blue side of Manchester, or you’re just someone who can appreciate a good football success story, a tour of the Etihad Stadium is a great experience. Every visit to the Etihad Stadium takes you on an immersive guided tour through the club’s history and triumphs, while allowing you to walk through the player’s tunnel and get those all-important pictures from the dug-outs.
An Etihad Stadium tour is both a great gift and a fun day out for anyone travelling to Manchester for the weekend, especially as it’s a city with such a rich heritage when it comes to the beautiful game.
While the stadium is located just outside the city centre, there are plenty of convenient rail links from Manchester Piccadilly to Ashburys Rail Station which is a mere 10-minute walk from the ground. If you’re already purchasing rail tickets for your Manchester trip, why not buy your Etihad Stadium tour tickets directly from Avanti while you’re at it?
