Matchday parking at Etihad Stadium
If driving to the stadium, book an official Manchester City car park first and follow the postcode supplied with your booking. Blue is M11 3DU through Gate 2, Orange is M11 4TA through Gate 3, Green is M11 3FY and Vermillion is M40 8AD.
Plan a stay at Manchester City ↗Put your trip together
Your route into Etihad Stadium
Head for South Stand entrances L1, L2 or L3, which Manchester City designates for visiting supporters. If arriving at Etihad Campus tram stop, follow the stadium signs around to the away side rather than joining the first queue you see. Your ticket gives the final entrance and seating level. The Grey Car Park stands opposite the away turnstiles and is also the visiting-coach area. Pre-arranged ticket collections are handled at the South Stand Ticket Office from two hours before kick-off, with photo ID required. Tickets must be arranged through your club beforehand. The club opens turnstiles two hours before kick-off and advises visitors to arrive at least one hour before the match. Security checks can take time, particularly for large away allocations. The club only accepts small bags no larger than A4 dimensions, so travel light.
Etihad Stadium Away Fan Guide ↗Parking & park-and-ride
Book parking to drive right to the Etihad. We cannot recommend a confirmed free street within an easy matchday walk of the away entrance. Eastlands permit controls operate daily, and short-stay visitor bays cannot cover a football match. Official car parks cost £12 for a shared car or £14 for a solo driver. Book ahead and use the correct postcode for Blue, Orange, Green or Vermillion. They open three hours before kick-off. Your booking guarantees a space, not a numbered bay; expect possible exit queues. For free parking, use Ashton Moss on Alexandria Drive (OL6 7UB) or Ashton West on Lord Sheldon Way (OL7 0PG). Both are free for paying Metrolink passengers, normally open 5am–1am and prohibit overnight parking. Buy a tram ticket and check return services. Co-op Academy Belle Vue also offers pre-booked Park & Ride, with MC1, MC2 and MC6 buses included for car occupants. It costs £12 shared or £14 solo, so is not cheaper than club parking. It closes one hour after full-time; late cars can be locked in. Do not use supermarkets, retail parks or permit bays without clear permission. Allow four to five hours for the visit, including security, the match and walking. The council’s 90-minute visitor bays are unsuitable, and no supermarket football-parking permission was confirmed. Aim to park 75–90 minutes before kick-off, especially on busy event days. If club parking has sold out, use Metrolink Park & Ride rather than circle Eastlands streets. Check engineering works and allow for post-match queues.
Eastlands Residents Parking Scheme ↗Choose your base before your hotel
Stay around Manchester Piccadilly for the easiest overall football trip. You can arrive by inter-city train, take a short tram ride to Etihad Campus and walk to restaurants and pubs afterwards.
Hotel to compare: Motel One Manchester-Piccadilly · Piccadilly / city-centre east
Compare the stay areas →Driving & road restrictions
If driving to the stadium, book an official Manchester City car park first and follow the postcode supplied with your booking. Blue is M11 3DU through Gate 2, Orange is M11 4TA through Gate 3, Green is M11 3FY and Vermillion is M40 8AD. Do not simply put “Etihad Stadium” into your sat-nav and expect unrestricted access.
The Eastlands residents’ scheme covers a large area around Ashton New Road, Alan Turing Way and neighbouring streets. It operates from midday until 11pm every day. Double yellow lines remain prohibited and short-stay visitor bays are not a matchday substitute.
Manchester City’s 2026/27 Anti-Terrorism Traffic Regulation Order retains its previously enforced matchday road closures initially. The club also reports a northbound closure on Alan Turing Way between Ashton Old Road and Ashton New Road. Check the fixture travel notice before the drive, as coaches, buses and cars can be held or diverted.
- Blue Car Park postcode
- M11 3DU, Gate 2
- Orange Car Park postcode
- M11 4TA, Gate 3
- Green Car Park postcode
- M11 3FY
- Vermillion Car Park postcode
- M40 8AD
- Official car park opening
- Three hours before kick-off
- Northbound Alan Turing Way roadworks
- Club reports closure from Ashton Old Road to Ashton New Road; live recheck essential
- Security matchday closure
- ATTRO granted; club initially using road closures under previous traffic order
- Eastlands permit restrictions
- Midday to 11pm every day
- Exact vehicle route
- Follow booking directions, event signage and live travel information
Parking & park-and-ride
Book parking to drive right to the Etihad. We cannot recommend a confirmed free street within an easy matchday walk of the away entrance. Eastlands permit controls operate daily, and short-stay visitor bays cannot cover a football match.
Official car parks cost £12 for a shared car or £14 for a solo driver. Book ahead and use the correct postcode for Blue, Orange, Green or Vermillion. They open three hours before kick-off. Your booking guarantees a space, not a numbered bay; expect possible exit queues.
For free parking, use Ashton Moss on Alexandria Drive (OL6 7UB) or Ashton West on Lord Sheldon Way (OL7 0PG). Both are free for paying Metrolink passengers, normally open 5am–1am and prohibit overnight parking. Buy a tram ticket and check return services.
Co-op Academy Belle Vue also offers pre-booked Park & Ride, with MC1, MC2 and MC6 buses included for car occupants. It costs £12 shared or £14 solo, so is not cheaper than club parking. It closes one hour after full-time; late cars can be locked in.
Do not use supermarkets, retail parks or permit bays without clear permission. Allow four to five hours for the visit, including security, the match and walking. The council’s 90-minute visitor bays are unsuitable, and no supermarket football-parking permission was confirmed.
Aim to park 75–90 minutes before kick-off, especially on busy event days. If club parking has sold out, use Metrolink Park & Ride rather than circle Eastlands streets. Check engineering works and allow for post-match queues.
- Parking verdict
- Book an authorised stadium or independent space, or use an official tram Park & Ride; no named free street legally confirmed for a matchday visit
- Free option — area
- Ashton Moss Park & Ride, Alexandria Drive OL6 7UB; free with a valid Metrolink ticket
- Free option — alternative
- Ashton West Park & Ride, Lord Sheldon Way OL7 0PG; free with valid Metrolink ticket
- Legal restrictions — Eastlands
- Many streets permit-only midday–11pm daily, with separate signed 90-minute nonpermit bays and no waiting where marked
- Legal restrictions — permit-area streets
- Council Eastlands list includes Ashton New Road, Alan Turing Way, Bradford Road and Albert Street; exact bay/sign rules vary
- Legal restrictions — 90 minute bays
- Maximum 90 minutes for non-permit holders from midday to 11pm; not suitable for 4–5-hour football visit
- Matchday availability — stadium bays
- Advance-booked subject to remaining inventory; spaces first-come-first-served within reserved car park
- Matchday availability — Metrolink P&R
- Ashton Moss and Ashton West open to users with valid tram tickets; no space guaranteed; check event demand
- Matchday availability — supporter reports
- December 2025 supporters describe slow car-park exits and advise against relying on street parking; anecdotal, not legal evidence
- Walk — area
- Official Etihad car parks are on or near the campus; exact walk to South Stand L1–L3 depends on assigned car park
- Walk — Park and Ride
- Ashton Moss/Ashton West use direct tram to Etihad Campus; additional walking to South Stand required
- Arrive by — area
- Aim to be parked 75–90 minutes before kick-off; club requires visitors at entrances at least one hour ahead
- Paid fallback
- Etihad Blue/Orange/Green/Vermillion booked car parks: £12 multi-occupant vehicle, £14 solo
- Booking recommendation
- Advance booking required for official stadium car parking; season ticket member priority opens 10 days before fixture, then remaining spaces released 24 hours later
- Official booking guarantee
- Booked space guaranteed, not a numbered bay; first-come-first-served internal allocation
- Belle Vue Park & Ride fee
- £12 car carrying two or more; £14 solo, with relevant MC1/MC2/MC6 passengers included
- Belle Vue Park & Ride opening
- Two hours before kick-off until one hour after final whistle; late cars locked in
- Belle Vue Park & Ride capacity
- 105 regular bays plus 6 widened bays
- Ashton Moss address/hours
- Alexandria Drive OL6 7UB; 05:00–01:00 daily, no overnight stays
- Ashton West address/hours
- Lord Sheldon Way OL7 0PG; 05:00–01:00 daily, no overnight stays
- Ashton West neighbouring retail warning
- Only park within designated Metrolink bays; Ashton Leisure Park enforces other spaces
- Retail parking permission
- Co-op Live event parking is separately sold for arena event tickets and not proof of football-match visitor parking
- Total dwell time
- Allow around 4–5 hours for a normal visit from parking until exit; longer for cups or slow departures
- After the match
- Possible congestion at official car parks and tram queues; road-controlled shuttle buses may be held about 25 minutes
Driving and staying overnight?
Plan a base for the match. Check parking arrangements with the hotel before booking.
Where to stay
Stay around Manchester Piccadilly for the easiest overall football trip. You can arrive by inter-city train, take a short tram ride to Etihad Campus and walk to restaurants and pubs afterwards. The Northern Quarter is close enough to make a second evening journey unnecessary. If food, independent bars and nightlife matter most, look around Stevenson Square, Tib Street and the Northern Quarter. You are slightly farther from the tram connection than a hotel next to Piccadilly but much closer to the best evening choice. Check city events as well as the fixture when comparing prices. For the shortest possible walk back after the match, the new Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel opened on the Etihad Campus in September 2026. It is beside the stadium and Co-op Live, so it suits an early start or late fixture. It is less useful if you want to spend the evening in central Manchester.
Etihad Campus – Travelling by Metrolink ↗For most one-night football trips, Piccadilly is the best compromise: it is the main inter-city rail arrival point, has direct Metrolink access towards the Etihad Campus, is walkable to the ground for supporters who prefer to go on foot, and keeps the Northern Quarter within easy reach. Stay on the Etihad Campus only when the shortest possible post-match return matters more than city-centre choice.
For the evening
The Northern Quarter is the strongest fit for supporters who want independent pubs, bars, late food and restaurants after the match. Newton Street, Stevenson Square, Tib Street and the surrounding streets put you in the middle of that scene rather than requiring a second trip after checking in.
For the train
Manchester Piccadilly is the most useful rail base for this trip. Motel One sits beside the station, while the Etihad Campus is reached directly by Metrolink; the Piccadilly/New Islington side of the centre also avoids crossing the whole city before and after the match.
Hotels to compare
Motel One Manchester-PiccadillyPiccadilly / city-centre eastAll-round choiceBeside Manchester Piccadilly, so it works particularly well for supporters arriving by train.
Bear in mind: It is not the closest hotel to the Etihad; allow roughly 25–32 minutes if walking, depending on route and crowd conditions.
Hotel details checked 2026-09-30Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Simple onward trip to the Etihad by Metrolink, taxi or on foot.
Close enough to the Northern Quarter to have a proper choice of pubs, bars and food after the match.
Large, current review base with recurring praise for cleanliness, staff and location.
Non-event pricing is often materially lower than the stadium hotel or boutique Northern Quarter options.
Standard rooms are compact and functional rather than spacious.
Breakfast is primarily continental rather than a full cooked-hotel breakfast.
Some guests mention city/tram noise and the rooms are deliberately light on extras such as mini-fridges.
Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel, ManchesterEtihad Campus / Medlock SquareFor the shortest ground journeyGenuinely on the Etihad Campus rather than merely marketed as 'near the stadium'.
Bear in mind: Normal sampled rates are higher than Motel One and can climb sharply on busy weekends or event nights.
Hotel details checked 2026-09-30Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Around a few minutes on foot from the Etihad, making it the easiest hotel after a late finish or poor weather.
Modern full-service four-star property with restaurant, bar and fitness facilities.
Direct Metrolink connection keeps the city centre reachable without needing a taxi.
Particularly useful for supporters with mobility concerns or anyone prioritising the shortest post-match return.
The immediate area is an entertainment campus, not Manchester's best-established nightlife district.
The hotel only opened on 7 September 2026, so it does not yet have the long operating track record of the other primary choices.
Early reviews repeatedly mention awkward parking/site access and continuing works around the new development; one recent review also reported intrusive HVAC/ventilation noise.
The Cow Hollow HotelNorthern QuarterFor the eveningRight in the Northern Quarter, with a dense choice of independent bars, pubs and food around the hotel.
Bear in mind: Only 16 bedrooms, so availability can disappear quickly on football, arena and busy city weekends.
Hotel details checked 2026-09-30Check availability ↗Booking.com · Choose your dates and check the final price.More about this choice
Boutique character rather than a generic chain stay.
Strong current guest scores for staff, location, comfort and cleanliness.
Still reasonably close to Piccadilly for rail arrivals and the tram/walk to the Etihad.
Official direct pricing gives a useful sense of positioning: standard rooms from £99 and weekends from around £149 before event-driven spikes.
Some room categories are small and can feel dark compared with larger chain rooms.
The Northern Quarter is lively late into the night; street noise is a real possibility for light sleepers.
Recent negative reviews include isolated plumbing/shower, Wi-Fi, lift/service and heat-related complaints; these are not the dominant review pattern but should not be ignored.
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Sources, limitations and matchday changes
Reviewed transport publication. This permanent guide uses the existing approved research; admission, opening hours, services and parking controls may change for each match.
Station mappings identify arrival options. They do not guarantee a walking route, step-free access or a train timetable. Confirm current club guidance and your actual service.
Official club guidance ↗