Game Day at Emirates Stadium

Check on the club’s site for exact time that the stadium opens… it should definitely be open 2 hours before. (The ground where our club plays opens 3 hours prior to each match.)

Going early is fun! There’s a party to enjoy! Arsenal will likely hand Bournemouth’s as*** to them, so everyone should be in a good mood. You can check out the shop, watch the team warm up, and if there’s some sort of little pre-show you will be there to see it.

So no: IMHO 2 hours is exactly right. You will have a blast!

Oop! Edit to note that Helen is correct - the pub before a match is a must, even if you don’t drink. :-) That said, pubs fill up early, so you could aim to get to the pub 3 hours before match time, and plan to get the stadium an hour ahead. But again, if you want to explore the Emirates and see all there is to see, 2 hours before match isn’t too early to arrive. YMMV depending on how much of an Arsenal super supporter you are.

You should go to the pub before the game. There will be certain pubs that are the usual gathering points for fans. I don’t think you’d want to be in the stadium for 2 hours before the game but you definitely want to be in the vicinity.

Game Day around Emirates is a lot of fun! Definitely recommend going to a nearby pub first - Tollington Arms is really popular, but there are others a little further that are just as much fun. You will pass a good handful if you get off at the Finsbury Park tube stop.

As for being in the stadium itself, I would head there about an hour or so before the start of the match - you could go to the club shop, head into the stadium, walk around a bit, get a beer in the concourse (if that's your jam), and then head to your seat. When Arsenal wins, you can hang around the area to let the crowds die down a bit before heading to the Tube.

I am pretty sure when my boyfriend and I went to a match vs Leeds in April 2023, we were in the stadium area for six or seven hours that day (pre-match, match, post-match) and had a blast.

Oh, also my boyfriend reminded me that we went to the club shop after the match so that we wouldn't have to bring any purchases into the game, so that is always an option as well.

Thanks for great tips!

I am always up for a pre-match pint! I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time soaking up the atmosphere.

I never thought about stopping by the club shop after the game sounds like a great idea.

Yeah, definitely head up early. If it were me, I'd go up around noon for lunch and a few pints at a nearby pub. Soak in the atmosphere. You'll probably only go to Emirates a few times in your life (if that), so make the most of it.

The pub I'm familiar with is the Tollington Arms. Its on the west side of the tracks, which makes a difference for access because if you go to Arsenal station on the east side, there are not many places to cross. To get to anywhere on the west side, use Finsbury Park station, or Bus 91 or 259 which go up the Hornsey Road. To get from the pub (or anwhere on the west side) to the stadium, there is a road under the tracks. There are loads of pubs on both sides of the tracks. Look all these places up on Google Maps and you'll be alright.

Spend the last two hours on the stadium grounds, on the concourse, at the shop, and at your seat, soaking it all in.

Up the Gunners!