Etihad Stadium away guide

Away fans sit in the South Stand behind the goal, across three tiers, with a usual allocation of about 3,000. This is a domestic away day, so most UK fans arrive by train or car rather than by air. From the city centre take the Metrolink tram to the Etihad Campus stop, immediately north of the ground and about five minutes' walk from the away turnstiles.

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

This is a domestic away day, so for most fans it is a train, a coach or a drive rather than a flight. The Etihad sits just east of Manchester city centre with its own tram stop, so the last leg is the same however you arrive: Metrolink to Etihad Campus. From London the real choice is the fast-but-dearer train against the slow-but-cheap coach, and only fans from the far north or overseas gain anything from flying into Manchester Airport. Costs and times below are estimates and vary with how far ahead you book.

Getting there from the airport

The quickest route from Manchester Airport is a train to Manchester Piccadilly, around 15 to 20 minutes and frequent, then a change onto the Metrolink tram to Etihad Campus. There is a direct tram from the airport into town changing at Cornbrook, but the full trip is much slower than going via Piccadilly.

Getting there from the city centre and Piccadilly

The stadium has its own Metrolink stop, Etihad Campus, on the East Manchester line towards Ashton-under-Lyne. From Manchester Piccadilly the tram takes under 10 minutes, and the stop is immediately north of the stadium off Joe Mercer Way, roughly a five-minute walk to the away end. Note that the match ticket alone does not cover the tram: free matchday travel needs a separate Metrolink Matchday Season Ticket, so away fans should buy a standard tram ticket.

If you would rather walk from Piccadilly, allow about 25 minutes: right into Ducie Street, right onto Great Ancoats Street, cross the canal, left into Pollard Street, then onto Ashton New Road with the stadium on your left. By rail, the closest station is Ashburys, a short hop from Piccadilly and about a 15-minute walk from the ground.

Where the away section and turnstiles are

Away fans are housed in the South Stand behind one goal, spread across three tiers, with the away entrance at turnstiles L1, L2 or L3 depending on which tier your ticket is in. The allocation is usually around 3,000, and can be doubled for cup games. Turnstiles open two hours before kick-off.

What you can bring in and security

Only small handheld bags no larger than A4, roughly 12in x 8in x 3in, are allowed, and rucksacks, holdalls and backpacks of any size are refused entry. Prohibited items include glass bottles, cans, food and drink brought from outside, flares and fireworks, large flags and banners, flagpoles, selfie sticks, cameras and tablets. If you arrive with an oversized bag there is a paid bag drop of around £10 per item for away fans in the 'Grey' car park within the away compound. All supporters are searched before entry, searches are thorough and sniffer dogs may be present, so arrive early.

Inside the ground

As a relatively modern stadium, the away concourse is spacious with good, modern toilet facilities, and sightlines are good from all three away tiers, though the higher up you sit the further you are from the pitch. Expect lengthy ticket checks, typically two checkpoints, before you even reach the turnstiles, another reason to allow extra time. Concourse lager is City's official partner Asahi, at roughly £6 to £7 a pint as an estimate.

Where to drink

There are no designated away pubs right next to the Etihad, and most venues within a mile are home-only, so the sensible plan is to drink in the city centre or Ancoats and travel out. Prices below are estimates, expect roughly £5 to £6 a pint in the centre.

• The Townley (M11 3QW): the most relaxed of the local pubs about away support, a five to ten-minute walk from the ground, but keep colours covered and behave.
• Piccadilly Tavern: city-centre pub by Piccadilly station that welcomes away fans, handy before the tram out.
• Ancoats (Cutting Room Square area): the best matchday base for away fans, a walkable district of craft-beer bars and relaxed pubs about 20 minutes from the ground. Seven Bro7hers Beerhouse and the Ancoats micro-bars are reliable.
• Northern Quarter: Manchester's indie bar district, full of independent pubs and craft venues, a short tram or walk from Piccadilly and comfortable for neutrals.
• East Stand fan zone: the official pre-match drinking option right at the stadium if you would rather not travel out, Asahi on tap at roughly £6 to £7.

Avoid: Mary D's and the Queen Victoria, both firmly home pubs, and the pubs along Ashton New Road directly behind the away end.

Where to eat

Manchester eats well from a chippy queue up to a proper sit-down. The city's edible signatures are the Manchester tart, Eccles cakes from just up the road, Bury black pudding, and the curry houses of the Rusholme Curry Mile.

• Maine Road Chippy: matchday classic next to the ground, always queued on a matchday, cheap and fast.
• Professor Skully's Perfect Pizza Emporium (Ancoats): affordable, crowd-pleasing pizzas with good vegan options, an easy pre-match stop.
• The Counter House or Canto (Ancoats): sit-down bistro dining if you are making a day of it.
• Mackie Mayor (Northern Quarter): a restored market hall of independent food traders, mid-range and reliable for a group who can't agree.
• Rusholme Curry Mile: a short trip south for a proper Manchester balti, budget to mid-range, the city's best-known food street.
• Manchester tart or an Eccles cake from a city-centre bakery or cafe, the local sweet to try before you head home.

What to do

If you are making a day or two of it, Manchester packs a lot into a walkable centre.

• National Football Museum: free to enter, four galleries of trophies, the original laws of the game and interactive games, the obvious pick for a football weekend.
• Science and Industry Museum: free, telling the story of the world's first industrial city on the site of the oldest surviving passenger railway station.
• People's History Museum: free, the national museum of democracy and the labour movement, a strong Manchester story.
• Manchester Art Gallery: free, a solid collection of Pre-Raphaelites and modern British work in the centre.
• Northern Quarter: the city's indie heart of record shops, street art, cafes and bars, best explored on foot.
• Castlefield: canal basins, a reconstructed Roman fort and the raised Castlefield Viaduct park, good for an afternoon wander.
• John Rylands Library: a spectacular neo-Gothic library on Deansgate that is free to visit and worth the detour.

Common questions

How do you get to the Etihad from Manchester Airport?

Take a train from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly, around 15 to 20 minutes and frequent, then change onto the Metrolink tram to Etihad Campus, which is a couple of stops. A direct tram exists changing at Cornbrook, but it is much slower than routing through Piccadilly, so the train-then-tram option is the one to use.

Which airport should away fans use, and is there a hub?

Manchester Airport (MAN) sits inside the city and is the UK's largest outside London, so there is no hub-and-train problem here. Most UK fans will not fly at all, since Manchester is well connected by train and motorway. If you are coming from overseas or the far north, fly straight into Manchester and take the train two stops into the centre.

Where do away fans sit at Manchester City?

In the South Stand behind one goal, spread across three tiers. You enter through turnstiles L1, L2 or L3 depending on which tier your ticket is in. The higher tiers give a good view but sit further back from the pitch.

How big is the away allocation?

Usually around 3,000 for league games, and it can be doubled for cup ties. That is a healthy allocation by Premier League standards, though it is spread across three tiers rather than one deep bank behind the goal.

What time should you arrive?

Turnstiles open two hours before kick-off, and there are typically two ticket checkpoints plus a thorough search before the turnstiles. Aim to be at the away compound at least 45 minutes early, more for a big game, so you are not stuck in the queue at kick-off.

Can you drink inside the ground?

Yes, the away concourse is modern and spacious and serves lager on the concourse, though as at all English grounds you cannot take a drink to your seat in view of the pitch. City's partner is Asahi, at roughly £6 to £7 a pint as an estimate.

How much is a pint in Manchester?

Estimate roughly £5 to £6 a pint in city-centre and Ancoats bars, and around £6 to £7 inside the stadium or the East Stand fan zone. Prices vary by venue, with the Northern Quarter craft bars at the higher end and traditional pubs a little cheaper.

Is Manchester safe for away fans?

Yes, Manchester is a normal big-city away day. The usual caution applies: avoid the home pubs by the ground such as Mary D's and the Queen Victoria and the pubs on Ashton New Road behind the away end, keep colours sensible in mixed areas, and there is a visible police and steward presence around the stadium on matchdays.

Where should away fans drink?

The centre and Ancoats are the away-friendly options. Ancoats is the best base, a walkable district of craft-beer bars and pubs about 20 minutes from the ground, with the Northern Quarter and Piccadilly Tavern also comfortable. If you want to stay put, the East Stand fan zone is the official pre-match option at the stadium.

Does the match ticket include free tram travel?

No. Unlike some schemes, the away match ticket does not cover Metrolink. Free matchday tram travel needs a separate Metrolink Matchday Season Ticket, which is a season-ticket product not available with a one-off away ticket. Away fans should buy a standard tram ticket, roughly £3 to £5 return from the centre.

How far is the stadium from the city centre?

It is close. The Etihad Campus tram stop is under 10 minutes from Manchester Piccadilly, and it is a walkable 25 minutes from Piccadilly on foot. The ground sits just east of the centre in the Etihad Campus regeneration area, so you are never far from the city's bars and hotels.

Where should you stay?

Stay in the city centre for the best mix of transport, bars and food. The Northern Quarter and Ancoats put you within a short tram or walk of the ground and the nightlife, while the area around Piccadilly station is convenient for the tram out to the Etihad and for the train home. There is little reason to stay out by the stadium itself.

What is there to do besides the match?

Plenty. The free National Football Museum is the obvious pick for a football weekend, alongside the free Science and Industry Museum, People's History Museum and Manchester Art Gallery. For a wander, the Northern Quarter, Castlefield's canals and the John Rylands Library are all worth an hour or two.