Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium is the home ground of Arsenal F.C. in north London. Opened in 2006 and named for the Emirates airline, it is a modern multi-use venue for football, events, tours and community activities.
Overview
The football stadium known as Emirates Stadium serves as the principal home ground of Arsenal F.C.. Located in north London, England, the venue replaced the club's previous ground in the mid-2000s and is commonly identified by its sponsorship name, linked to the Emirates airline.
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Design and characteristics
The stadium was built with modern spectator planning in mind: continuous seating tiers, corporate suites, media facilities and public concourses that improve sightlines and circulation compared with older grounds. The playing surface meets top professional standards and the complex includes club offices and visitor amenities. Many seating areas offer unobstructed views and acoustic design that amplifies crowd atmosphere.
History and development
After long-term use of the club's former stadium, Arsenal sought a larger, purpose-built venue. Planning and construction took place in the early 2000s, and the team moved ground to the new site in 2006. A commercial naming-rights agreement with an international airline became an important element of the club's financing and long-term operations.
Uses and public access
Primarily the stadium hosts domestic and European football fixtures for Arsenal, but it is also used for international matches, concerts and corporate events. The site offers guided stadium tours, a museum and matchday hospitality. Visitor services such as ticketing and event schedules are publicly available through official channels; see visitor information for details.
Transport and facilities
The location benefits from multiple public-transport options and local roads that handle matchday flows; nearby rail and underground stations serve supporters traveling to and from the area. On-site facilities include concessions, retail outlets and accessibility provisions for fans with mobility needs.
Notable facts and distinctions
- It stands among London's larger club football venues and reflects a shift toward modern, commercially funded stadium development.
- The move allowed the club to increase capacity and improve year-round commercial use while retaining strong community links.
- Beyond sport, the site functions as a venue for cultural events and community initiatives, extending its role in the local area.
For more detailed specifications, event calendars and official announcements, use the club's resources and designated visitor pages linked above.
History of the stadium
The construction of this building was supported with about 160 million euros by the Arabian airline Emirates, which previously financially helped the rival Chelsea FC. As announced in October 2004, Emirates is taking a long-term stake in the financing of the project and will receive the naming rights for 15 years in return. This sum also includes eight years of shirt advertising for Emirates, starting with the 2006/07 season.
Worth knowing
Many also call the new stadium Ashburton Grove, after the place where it is located. This discrepancy between the official and occasionally unofficial name also existed with the name of Arsenal FC's previous venue, which was often referred to as Highbury, although it was actually called Arsenal Stadium. Opposing fans also jokingly refer to the Emirates as The Library (the Library). The term had already become established at the Highbury because, in their opinion, Arsenal home games were much quieter than other English first division stadiums.
The Emirates Stadium is the most expensive stadium in the English Premier League, costing around €600 million in total.
In order to obtain the license required for the opening, three events had to be held at the stadium without full capacity. First, a meeting of investors was initiated, later a public training for 20,000 selected club members on 20 July 2006. The third event was Dennis Bergkamp's farewell match against his former club Ajax Amsterdam, which took place on 22 July 2006 in front of a crowd of 54,000. The first league match was played on 19 August 2006 against Aston Villa.
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AlegsaOnline.com Emirates Stadium Leandro Alegsa
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