Watching Arsenal Champions league game May 30

They will be showing it on screens at The Emirates.

Arsenal pubs that are near the ground would include:

The World's End https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjSboeTh7tvcWBCF8

The Gunners https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZR2iwBWumv4DbzAD9

Tollington Arms https://maps.app.goo.gl/r3ag7EnXJ1qcQKjD6 Probably my choice. I've been in several times, never on a match day though.

The Twelve Pins https://maps.app.goo.gl/RitotP7qGbwixFWC6 Handy for the tube station. I've been in a couple of times briefly after getting off the tube here.

Brook Gate, formerly The Arsenal Tavern (amusingly bad reviews of the manager on Google. Never been in it myself) https://maps.app.goo.gl/QdsfPgMxRdWYiwwx7

All of these are in the Finsbury Park / Hornsey area. You'd get the tube to Finsbury Park on the Victoria Line or Piccadilly Line and all are a short walk. It's a bit of a trek over from Earl's Court. I'm sure most pubs over there will be showing the game too. Coming up to north London puts you more in the heart of Arsenal territory for the full experience though. Don't count on your hotel bar showing it.

Thanks so much for the list! I’m reading online that pubs in the area may be impossible to get in and a very cramped experience. My sons may be up for that but not sure I am. 😁

I wondered if it would be screened at the stadium. That would be fun but I imagine tickets are hard to get!

I know it’s in the vicinity of Chelsea FC, but what are the odds The King’s Arms would have the game on?

ETA: just found the answer to my question. Looks like they are airing it but already booked. That’s what I get for waiting!

I think the match starts at 18:00 Budapest time (17:00 London). Every hotel will have it on, including yours, and it won’t be crowded.

Yes, a pub sounded more fun than hotel but at this late date, it may be our best option. Thanks!

I think it's fairly likely that most pubs will be showing it, even in Chelsea. It's going to be a major earner for them. It's pay per view, rather controversially, so there's extra incentive not to just watch it at home. The pub will usually have a blackboard outside with a list of football and other sports they're screening. You won't be stuck for somewhere to watch it. Expect everywhere to be busy to a greater or lesser degree. It's a big game.

Every hotel will have it on, including yours

Not necessarily. It's an expensive pay per view that some may or may not stump up for.

If your sons are that obsessed with soccer, in addition to watching the game, they might enjoy a stadium tour. I took two of my grandkids (girl and boy) to London last year, both of whom are soccer players and fanatics, and they wanted to go on a stadium tour, so we booked a visit to the Tottenham Spurs Stadium. This is probably the most elaborate stadium (it was completely rebuilt in 2019 and seats over 62,000 people).

We had such a great time, and that was partly due to the kindness and friendliness of the Tottenham stadium tour staff. They went out of their way to talk to both kids about soccer and life in general and encouraged us to visit every area we could. All of the visitors in our tour were Brits, so we were an anomaly. We visited the stadium pitches, of course, and saw the swanky private suites, which are custom built, designed for each suite holder and cost many mega thousands of Great British pounds. We also saw the changing room for the Spurs and their workout room.

It was such a great experience for them, and I bet your sons would love it. And if they're Arsenal fans and wouldn't be caught dead in a Spurs stadium, all the other stadiums offer tours as well, including Emirates.

Yes, we are planning to tour Chelsea FC’s stadium.

I am reading about Market Hall that has various locations. I may be able to make a reservation at the one in Paddington. Is that a good venue?

I am reading about Market Hall that has various locations.

I don't know that one. One place (or several places actually) that springs to mind is Boxpark. They have capacity for lots of people and it would be a good buzz, especially for a younger crowd. I'll link below.

https://www.boxpark.co.uk/sports-bar/where-to-watch-football?sport=Football&date=2026-05-29T23:00:00.000Z

I think Market Hall would be fun! But call right now and book.

In fact, you can also try just searching Google maps for pubs near your hotel and then calling around to see who is showing it, and ask if you can book a seat. Booking might be your biggest stumbling block, seeing as the match is so soon.

Frankly, I’d call several places, book anywhere you can, then pop back here and post where you were able to get seats. Then we can weigh in on the best option, and you can cancel the other places.

And yes, watching at a pub will be far superior to catching it in your hotel… if they even buy the PPV package.

I wondered if it would be screened at the stadium. That would be fun but I imagine tickets are hard to get!

Looks like tickets are £15 per adult but you have to get a membership first. I haven’t looked into that as I would rather stick pins in my eyes than watch Arsenal, live or on screen. Others have different views on this but they are wrong.

The whole of London will be watching it, not just Arsenal fans. A London team being in the Champions League Final is big news for everyone. Right at prime Saturday afternoon drinking time too. The pay per view issue. The Prime Minister stepped into the debate over that the other day I believe. The good weather is set to hold up. A perfect storm in terms of the numbers that are going to turn out to see it at pubs and elsewhere.

I wasn't watching the game, but I could tell Arsenal had won the league from all the honking at the final whistle. Pretty firmly Arsenal around here where I live. The place will go mental if they win the Champions League.

The same two sons just graduated college so I blame that distraction for my late planning! Looks like many places are booked and unfortunately we do have enough other sight seeing we want to do that we can’t park in a pub too early. I will try to get some bookings somewhere because I am sure the atmosphere will be electric. Crossing my fingers I get lucky. I appreciate all the insight. And Trelawney, your comment made me laugh! I’m not sure if my boys have a favorite EPL team. They are fans of the game and never miss a Champions League match. They are also in a EPL fantasy league with friends so watch most games. It’s a miracle they graduated with all this football viewing! 🙄😁

I wouldn't necessarily expect to turn up at a pub at kick off and get in, even with a reservation. If it were me, I'd be getting out and getting my spot an hour or two early.

For comparison, we were in Keswick on May 3rd and tried to find a pub to watch Liverpool vs Man United. It was not a championship game and it was not Arsenal but it was impossible to find any way to see it in the pubs we tried. No seating, no standing room, shoulder to shoulder throughout. I would go with the hotel.

@Katiecem thanks for sharing. That is my concern!

That's if the hotel is an option of course. As I mentioned above, the hotel may or may not have bought the rights to show it. You'd need to check. I wouldn't have the same expectation it's a given that Katie and Roberto have, based on what I know about cultural norms in this country.

I was doing a bit of reading before bed last night. Some north London pubs are expecting people to start queueing at 9am for opening at 11am. Some are issuing reservations, some are walk up. Personally, I'm not convinced that a "reservation" at a pub that you haven't paid for would hold much value in practice. The pubs will be managing their doors and running at capacity. I can't imagine them turning early birds away to wait for reservation holders to turn up.

Central London might be a better bet than areas where lots of people actually live. The Arsenal pubs I mentioned are pretty much a bust unless you commit to an all day affair it sounds like.

I wish you good luck. It might be harder work than I had anticipated when I first read your post last night. Fingers crossed your hotel has it. I think if you're looking to combine it with sightseeing earlier in the day that would be the best option. It's going to need a certain level of commitment to see it in a decent pub.

I would suggest trying The Salisbury Hotel (a pub) in Harringay. They have several large rooms where they show sport and I’ve been to watch a few times before. It’s also just a great pub. And you can go for Turkish food before or after on Green Lanes. Gokyuzu is one of my favourites for Turkish food in London.

I don’t think it’s that common for hotels in this country to show football matches. It’s not like Spain where it’s on everywhere all the time. It would never occur to me that I might be able to watch a match at a hotel in England.

Liverpool/Man Utd is one of the biggest games of the season. May 3rd was a Bank holiday weekend when many, many people from the Manchester and Liverpool area descend on the Lake District. The experience of very busy pubs will not be replicated all over London. London has 8 Premier League teams alone. Not everyone supports Arsenal.

The experience of very busy pubs will not be replicated all over London. London has 8 Premier League teams alone.

Probably some truth to that Helen. I'm maybe being a bit pessimistic

It's maybe an idea for the football fans to skip the British Museum and concentrate on seeing the game. That area around Finsbury Park / Green Lanes / Stroud Green Road / Tollington Park has several other pubs I read about on Reddit last night that I didn't recognise. Do a Google on those areas for pubs and you'll see.

If I were going to try to see it, I'd probably get up to the Finsbury Park area around lunchtime with a few places in mind, to see how I get on. It's not far to Holloway Road where there's some more possibility. It's a short bus ride to Camden for more pubs or if Boxpark appealed. I think Wembley would be the best of the three Boxpark options though, in term of experience.

We're Arsenal fans and booked a last-minute trip once they won the League so we can go to the parade next Sunday. Our plan for the Champs League final is to queue early in the morning at a pub in North London (probably The George or The Gunners) and hope for the best. Both of those are walk-up and 10 pounds entry. The Tollington is ticketed and you have to get a ticket on 5/26 in person; I know some of the other pubs in that area are also ticketed. There are no tickets left to watch at The Emirates (we are members and checked).

I know it's not anywhere near where you mentioned, but The George Inn near London Bridge tube station has a good outdoor area with a large screen. When I was there last month they were showing a Premier League match on a Monday evening. I imagine they are showing the Champs League match on Saturday.

Other than that, I'd probably plan on having a list of pubs near where you will be sightseeing or around your hotel and then check to confirm they will be showing the match (I'm guessing a lot of pubs, if they have TVs, will be). I'd also plan on eating somewhere else after the match since it is on at 5 pm and theoretically will be over a little after 7. So that eliminates the need for a table reservation.

I love this forum and really appreciate everyone's tips and insight. We are getting so excited for our trip!

Update: We found a pub! Squeezed in and standing room only but it was fun. Not the match outcome we wanted, but I’m glad we were able to see the game. As some suggested, our hotel did not pay for the game so the hotel was not as option. Our pub was primarily Arsenal fans but PSG fans were also in attendance and after the game one corner of the neighborhood filled as a crowd of PSG fans gathered. As football loving tourists, it was a fun experience overall.

Update for today, 31 May, - due to the Arsenal Victory Parade all tube, Overground (National Rail) and bus services in the area will be heavily amended- https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/arsenal-victory-parade?cid=arsenal-parade

MarAdventures, I am glad you found a pub to watch at! Definitely not the outcome we wanted :(

The parade on Sunday was fantastic and a party. Overall, a wonderful weekend!

I've never seen so many Arsenal shirts around Hackney as I did at the weekend. It's not always so obvious what team people support around here the same way it is in Glasgow and surrounds, where I'm from originally. It's just a shame that the wee b--ds ruined it with violence later on Sunday, the same way they did in Paris on Saturday. A real disappointment to see headlines on Monday morning full of that.