Atletico Madrid’s new Stadium was opened to the public in 2017, and takes its name the ¨Metropolitan Stadium¨ from the original stadium they played at back in the 60s. The stadium is has the third largest capacity for spectators in Spain at close to 70,000 (67,289 to be exact). That’s 14,000 more than the previous Vicente Calderon stadium.
The Civitas Atletico Madrid stadium cost an impressive €310m euros to build, €250m to build the actual stadium, and €60m for the purchase of the land. The stadium sits on what used to be an athletics stadium where some of the Olympic Games took place, and part of the main stand actually incorporates some of the old stands.
The construction is really well thought out so getting in an out is more efficient, the acoustics are amazing so you can imagine how the players hear all the chants, and the seats are pretty comfortable. I can actually see the stadium from my balcony, and when they put on a light show it´s quite a spectacle.
Is was pretty hard for the die hard fans to accept the new home, after so many years of playing at the Vicente Calderon, but the Metropolitan Stadium is jam packed every week and the fans have definitely accepted this as the new home of Atletico Madrid FC.
Why Is It Called The Civitas Stadium?
You might be a little confused about the name of the stadium, and you will hear different variations such as:
- Atletico Madrid Stadium
- Metropolitano Stadium
- Atletico Madrid Metropolitano Stadium
- Wanda Metropolitano Madrid
- El Wanda
Confusing right, but let me help clear it up a little. In the UEFA marketing material, due to sponsorship regulations, the official name of the stadium is ¨Estadio Metropolitano¨. The name Wanda comes from the investment group that acquired a 20% steak in Atletico Madrid in 2015 making them the majority owner, and they had a 5 year sponsorship deal starting in 2017. The rest of the variations are just what develop amongst fans and media, but any one of them will do.
In 2022, that sponsorship deal ended, and a new deal was struck with the Real Estate company Civitas, so the club now uses this name.
Concerts At The Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
It’s not just football you can see at the stadium, they also put on concerts, and with it’s lights and the perfect acoustics, it’s a perfect place to listen to music outdoors at that scale. We’re not talking just any bands here, the likes of Metallica and Rammstein are due to have concerts at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in 2023, and many more giant names from the music world.
Rugby At The Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
If you are a rugby fan, keep an eye out on the notice board for the stadium, from time to time they put on international and national rugby games at the stadium.
The Atletico Madrid Stadium Tour
In Madrid and you want to see something amazing, a trip to the Atletico Madrid Stadium should be on your itinerary. Even if you don’t like football, just to see such an immense achievement of architecture is quite the sight. There are hundreds if not thousands of historic buildings you can see in Madrid, but the newer ones deserve some appreciation too.
When you arrive at the stadium, just the sheer size of the outside should be enough to impress you, but there is so much more in side. During the tour you get to see all the same places the players pass through, the changing rooms, the pitch, the dugout, the presidential box, the VIP rooms, and the press room, and it’s a strange feeling to imagine being a player and having that room full of people asking you questions.
The pitch is an impressive 105m x 68m, and when you are standing on the pitch, and you look around at close to 70,000 seats, the magnitude of the stadium makes you feel really small. Now imagine a person in each one of those seats shouting at the top of their lungs!
The best part of the stadium for me, and its a little silly, but when you are walking through the tunnel toward the pitch, you feel like a little kid. Many of us imagine something like this, how it would feel to walk out in to a stadium full of people, and although you don’t get the fan experience, it’s still pretty impressive when you come out the other end of the tunnel and see the stadium in all its glory.
Options
You have two options of tickets for the Atletico Madrid Stadium tour. You can get a fixed date ticket, where you will specify the time and date you will be attending, or you can but an open ticket that you will be able to use at any time subject to availability. If there is a game or an event taking place on the day you want to visit, there may be some restrictions to the times of the tour.
Territory Atleti Museum
The Territory Atleti Museum is dedicated to the history of the Atletico Madrid Club, and has everything you would expect. Walls lined with pictures of legends such as Diego Simeone, Luis Aragonés, Antoine Griezmann, Torres, Falcao and the list goes on.
You get a fully immersive experience, an education in the culture of Atletico Madrid narrated by players present and past. There is a hundred years of football history spread out over 1,400 square metres with interactive screens, educational videos, mini movies blasting out of projectors letting you relive some of the most important moments in the clubs history.
If you want something to do with the kids in Madrid, this is a really good idea, because you get to walk around so they wont get bored, the museum is very new and full of activities for the kids, and dad gets to enjoy a few hours with everything being about football, but the rest of the family get to be just as entertained too.
The museum is open to visit Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 1pm, then again from 3.30pm tp 5.30pm. The tour is very well organized, and gives you more than enough time to see everything with time to appreciate it.
How To Get To The Atletico Madrid Stadium
When the stadium was being built, there were talks with the local council to improve roads around the stadium, create more access points from the motorway, and talks of extending metro lines and adding more buses. A lot of these promises have been made true, and there are quite a few ways to get to the stadium, and it should be pretty easy to do no matter where in Madrid you are staying.
By Metro
Within a 5-15 minute walk to the Wanda Stadium, there are four Metro stations. Las Rosas on line 2, Canillejas on line 5, Las Musas on line7, and Estadio Metropolitano on line 7. The closest is going to be the Metro Estadio Metropolitano, it’s pretty much right in front, and it will be really busy on a game day.
My advice would be to get off at Las Rosas or Canillejas where there will be less people, and you can take a 10 minute walk to the stadium with less of a hassle.
By Bus
There are a number of busses that go to the Atletico Madrid Stadium from different parts of the city, here is a little guide:
The 140 Bus: This bus goes from Pavones To Canillejas
The 28 Bus: This bus goes from Puerta De Alcala to Canillejas
The 288 Bus: This bus goes from Garcia Noblejas to Cementerio Tanatorio
The 38 Bus: This bus goes from Manuel Becerra to Las Rosas
There are a few more buses with a stop close to the stadium with a short walk involved, 28, 38, 48, 140, 153, E2, N5 and N6 (the last two are night buses). If you are unsure, you can use the EMT journey planner.
By Car If you are going to be driving to the Atletico Madrid Stadium, you can exit the M-40 at either the Arcentales exit or the 9A exit. If you take the A-2 you will need to get off at exit 8.
Parking They have designated parking at the stadium, but these are mostly reserved for subscribing fans who purchase a parking ticket prior to the game, and the ticket lasts for 6 hours in total. 4 hours before and 2 after the end of the game. You can park in the neighborhoods around, and you will probably have to walk 10-20 mins, but its not much different to taking and walking after getting off the bus.
Buying tickets to an Atletico Madrid game You can buy your tickets for Atletico Madrid, from a number of places, and you can search for some deals online, check comparison websites, but to be on the safe side, I would always advise buying your tickets in advance directly from the clubs website.
Atletico Madrid seating plan You can see the complete seating plan for the Atletico Madrid Stadium here.
Do kids enter free? Entrance to both the Metropolitano Stadium tour and the Territorio Atleti museum are free for children under 4 years old.
Is there wheelchair access to Atletico Madrid Stadium? The stadium has great wheelchair access, you just need to let them know at the time of booking, and there are also accessible toilets around the stadium.
Can you take pets in the stadium? Sorry, but our furry friends are not allowed into the stadium.
In Conclusion
The tour itself will last around 1 hour, not including the travel to and from, but its a great way to spend either your morning or early afternoon as part of your itinerary in Madrid. From here, you can hop on a number of modes of transport, and be back in the center of Madrid in half an hour. if you need a few ideas on how to continue your day: