The Etihad Stadium tour does not feel like a museum visit. It feels like being shown around a working spaceship. The dressing room has an immersive audio-visual show projected across the walls. The press conference room contains a virtual Pep Guardiola who you can ask questions. The trophy room glitters with the silverware of the four-in-a-row Premier League titles and the 2023 Treble. The brand new North Stand — renamed the Pep Guardiola Stand in May 2026 to mark Guardiola’s departure after a decade — adds 7,900 seats and brings capacity to over 61,000. And next door, the Joie Stadium hosts Manchester City Women, with a brand-new £10m women’s first-team facility opened in May 2026. If Old Trafford is the cathedral, the Etihad is the cutting-edge science lab.
This is the 2026 visitor guide to the Etihad Stadium tour and the wider Etihad Campus: tour options, prices, what’s in the trophy room, the Pep Guardiola Stand expansion, the Etihad Campus geography, the City Football Academy combined tour, how to combine with the Joie Stadium and the Manchester Velodrome next door. For the rival visit see our Old Trafford guide, or compare them with our United vs City tour comparison.
Etihad Stadium Tour at a glance
- Address: Etihad Campus, Manchester M11 3FF
- Standard Stadium Tour: From £26 adult / £17 child
- Stadium + City Football Academy combined: From £45 adult
- VIP Tour (120 min): From £85 adult
- Walk With A Legend Tour (3.5 hrs): From £50 adult
- Tour duration: 75 minutes standard
- Hours: Daily, generally 10am–4pm (last tour timings vary)
- Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese
- Nearest tram: Etihad Campus (Ashton-under-Lyne / Yellow line), 11 min from Piccadilly Gardens
- Capacity (2026 expanded): ~61,474 net
The stadium story: from Commonwealth Games to Pep’s Empire
The Etihad was originally built as the City of Manchester Stadium (“CoMS” — old fans still call it that) for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The opening ceremony took place on 25 July 2002 with the Queen in attendance. The stadium was designed by Arup Associates as an athletics venue; after the Games it was converted to a football configuration, with the running track lifted out and the lower tier rebuilt to extend down to pitch level.
Manchester City moved in for the start of the 2003–04 season, leaving their historic home of Maine Road in Moss Side (where they had played since 1923). The first football match at the new ground was a friendly against Barcelona on 10 August 2003 (City won 2–1; Nicolas Anelka scored the first goal).
For the next five years, City laboured in mid-table. Then in August 2008 the club was acquired by the Abu Dhabi United Group led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Within four years they had won their first Premier League title (the famous “Agueroooo” 93:20 goal vs QPR on 13 May 2012); within sixteen years they had won eight Premier League titles (six under Pep Guardiola, including a record four-in-a-row 2021–2024), the 2023 Champions League, and the historic 2022–23 Continental Treble (PL + FA Cup + UCL). The Etihad has been the stage for all of it.
The 2026 North Stand expansion
The North Stand has been transformed into a new 5-tier expansion adding around 7,900 seats. The expanded capacity is approximately 61,474 net (after fan-separation seats are blocked). The £300m+ project also includes a new 400-room hotel (opening 2027), a 3,000-capacity covered fan park, a Skybar with 450 premium seats linked to the hotel, and around 3,000 rail seats (a safe-standing singing section). The first public match in the expanded stand was the final game of the 2025–26 season against Aston Villa.
To mark Pep Guardiola’s tenth anniversary at the club and his subsequent departure, the expanded North Stand has been formally named The Pep Guardiola Stand from May 2026 — only the second managerial stand-naming in Premier League history (after Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford).
Etihad tour options and 2026 prices
Standard Stadium Tour (75 minutes, from £26 adult)
The core experience. 75 minutes guided. Covers the players’ tunnel walkout (now featuring expanded North Stand views), the home and away dressing rooms (with the immersive audio-visual show), the dugouts and manager’s seat (sit where Pep sat), pitchside view (no walking on the actual playing surface — protects the hybrid grass), the press conference room with the interactive AI/360° Pep Guardiola experience, the trophy room, the Etihad Plaza, and a megastore stop at the end. From £26 adult / £17 child / under-5s free. Cityzens Members get discounted rates and priority booking.
Stadium + City Football Academy combined tour (from £45 adult)
Adds a tour of the adjacent City Football Academy (CFA) — the 80-acre training complex that opened in December 2014. Walk through the elite training pitches, see the first-team facilities (from the visitor pathways — players’ areas remain restricted), and learn about the City Football Group’s global structure. Allow about 2 hours total. Excellent if you want the full Etihad Campus picture in one visit.
VIP Stadium Tour (120 min, from £85 adult)
Premium two-hour version including access to the 1894 Suite and the Tunnel Club (the glass-walled players’ tunnel viewing area that is normally hospitality-only on match days), a guided trophy-room session with a stadium ambassador, complimentary refreshments and a souvenir gift bag.
Walk With A Legend Tour (3.5 hrs, from £50–£85)
Tour escorted by a former Manchester City player, with Q&A, photos and autographs. Past hosts have included Paul Dickov, Shaun Goater, Joey Barton, Tony Book. Includes refreshments and longer access to the dressing rooms and pitchside.
Manchester Derby Tour and Behind The Scenes
Specialist tours focused on the Manchester derby fixture or the operational behind-the-scenes (groundskeeping, media operations, IT/comms). Limited availability — check mancity.com/tours for current dates.
Matchday Tunnel Club hospitality
For matchday experience (not a tour but worth knowing): £269–£399 per person for standard fixtures, up to £699 per person for Manchester derbies or Liverpool. Includes glass-tunnel view of the players entering the pitch, pre-match dining, post-match analysis. See our match tickets guide for full hospitality detail.
What you’ll see on the stadium tour
The expanded Etihad seating bowl
The tour begins with the seating bowl — and 2026 is particularly impressive because of the new North Stand height. The view from the upper tier of the expanded stand is dramatic: 61,000+ seats arrayed below, the singing South Stand opposite, the East and West Stands with their hospitality decks.
The players’ tunnel walk-out
You walk down the actual tunnel City players walk down on a Saturday — past the Tunnel Club glass viewing area, out onto the pitchside. Photo opportunity at the tunnel mouth.
The home and away dressing rooms
The home dressing room has been upgraded with an immersive audio-visual experience — projection on the walls, archive footage of pre-match talks, atmospheric sound. The away dressing room is deliberately less plush. Kit is laid out for the first team. Photos allowed.
Dugouts and the manager’s seat
Walk out to the dugouts, sit in Pep’s seat (well — the seat the manager occupies; Pep has technically departed by 2026). The dugouts are heated, with retractable hoods and individual touchscreens for the coaching staff.
The press conference room with Virtual Pep
The press room is the standout tech moment. An AI/360° virtual Pep Guardiola sits at the manager’s podium and answers questions from the tour group — using archive press-conference footage trained into a conversational interface. Properly impressive; particularly good with kids 8+.
The trophy room
The trophy room post-Pep is one of the most stacked silverware displays in English football: 8 Premier League titles (1937, 1968, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 — six under Pep including a record four-in-a-row 2021–2024), 7 FA Cups, 8 League Cups, the 1970 European Cup Winners’ Cup, and the 2023 UEFA Champions League (1–0 vs Inter in Istanbul, the centrepiece of the 2022–23 Continental Treble). The Treble silverware is displayed together in a single case.
The Etihad Campus — 80 acres of City
The Etihad is the centrepiece of an 80-acre Manchester City complex that has grown substantially since the 2008 Abu Dhabi takeover. Worth knowing what’s on the wider site:
Joie Stadium (formerly Academy Stadium)
Renamed in September 2023 in a deal with stroller brand Joie. 7,000 capacity (4,998 seats + 2,000 standing). Home of Manchester City Women in the Women’s Super League, and the EDS/Academy. Connected to the Etihad via the 190-metre SuisseGas Bridge over Alan Turing Way. About 400 metres from the Etihad. The new £10m Women’s First Team Facility opened in May 2026 — a world-leading dedicated training and recovery centre adjacent to the Joie.
City Football Academy (CFA)
The training complex, opened 8 December 2014 after a £200m investment. 16.5 training pitches, the first-team HQ, the academy training facilities, and the headquarters of the City Football Group (which now owns 12+ clubs worldwide including New York City FC, Melbourne City, Yokohama F. Marinos, and most recently Palermo). Accessible on the combined tour.
Etihad Plaza
The public square outside the Etihad with the “Family of Statues” — bronzes of Sergio Agüero (the QPR goal), Vincent Kompany (the title-winning thunderbolt against Leicester), and David Silva. Free to visit any time.
SportCity legacy venues
The Etihad Campus is part of the wider SportCity precinct built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Within 500 metres you also have the Manchester Velodrome (HSBC UK National Cycling Centre — Team GB training base), the National Indoor BMX Arena, the National Squash Centre, the National Taekwondo Centre, the Regional Athletics Arena, and the Manchester Tennis Centre. Most are open for public taster sessions. See our other sports in Manchester guide.
Manchester City: 8 league titles and counting
For context as you walk the trophy room — Manchester City’s full league title list: 1937, 1968, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. The 2021–2024 run of four consecutive Premier League titles is unprecedented in English top-flight football — no club had ever won four English league titles in a row before. Plus the 2023 Champions League — City’s first — and the 2022–23 Continental Treble (PL + FA Cup + UCL), only the second by an English club after Manchester United’s 1999 Treble.
Practical: booking, pricing, Cityzens discounts
How to book
Direct via mancity.com/tours. Book at least a few days ahead — weekend slots fill fast, particularly during school holidays. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Tours sometimes don’t run on match days (check the City fixture list).
Cityzens membership discounts
Cityzens Members (£25/year) and Cityzens Matchday Members (£35/year) get discounted tour rates and priority booking. Junior Cityzens (£20) for under-17s. See our tickets guide for the full membership breakdown.
Languages
The Etihad runs guided tours in nine languages — English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese. Particularly useful for international visitors; check available dates in your language.
Getting there
By Metrolink (best option)
The Etihad Campus Metrolink stop is on the Ashton-under-Lyne line (the “Yellow line”). From Piccadilly Gardens the journey takes about 11 minutes; trams every 6 minutes on event days, every 12 minutes otherwise. The tram drops you directly at the Etihad Plaza, with the stadium 30 seconds’ walk away.
By Park & Ride
Ashton Moss (183 spaces, about 25 minutes to the Etihad) and Ashton West Park & Ride sites offer free parking with a valid Metrolink ticket. The smart choice if you’re driving from outside the city.
On-site parking
£12 (2+ passengers) or £14 (solo). Pre-book only at mancity.com — limited availability and gives priority to season ticket holders. West Gate, Joe Mercer Way and Citizens Way are the main parking decks. Avoid driving on match days.
Walking
About 25 minutes from Manchester Piccadilly via New Islington and the Ancoats canalside — pleasant on a sunny day. The walk back into the city is also a good way to avoid post-event tram crowds.
Bus
Bee Network buses 216 and 217 run from Piccadilly Gardens to the Etihad along Ashton New Road. Single fare £2; daily cap £5.
Cycle
The Manchester Velodrome is part of the Etihad Campus — secure cycle parking on site. Bee Network cycle lanes connect from the city centre.
Best time to visit and what to combine with
Best time of day: Morning slots are quietest. Avoid 90 minutes before or 2 hours after any match (campus busy with players, staff, security). Tours generally don’t run on match days.
Combine with:
- Manchester Velodrome / National Cycling Centre — 5 minutes’ walk; book a taster session in advance.
- Joie Stadium — combined tour available; also catch a Manchester City Women WSL match (tickets typically £10–15, far easier than men’s matches).
- Ancoats / New Islington — 15 minutes’ walk; brilliant food scene (Mana, Erst, Pollen Bakery).
- Northern Quarter — 25 minutes’ walk; cafés, independent shops.
- Co-op Live — opened 2024; UK’s largest indoor arena, immediately adjacent.
Megastore
The Manchester City Experience Megastore on the Etihad Plaza is the largest dedicated City retail space — replica shirts (with shirt printing of any name/number for £15–20), training gear, scarves, mugs, kids’ kits, the full range. Open daily; longer hours on match days.
FAQ — Etihad Stadium Tour
How much is the Etihad Stadium tour?
Standard Stadium Tour from £26 adult / £17 child; combined Stadium + City Football Academy tour from £45 adult; VIP tour from £85 adult; Walk With A Legend from £50–85.
How long is the Etihad tour?
Standard tour 75 minutes; VIP tour 120 minutes; Walk With A Legend 3.5 hours.
Is Manchester City tour worth it?
Yes — consistently 4.5+ stars on TripAdvisor. Particularly strong for the immersive dressing-room AV show, the Virtual Pep press room, the Treble trophy collection, and the newly expanded Pep Guardiola Stand.
What’s included in the Etihad tour?
Players’ tunnel walkout, home and away dressing rooms (with audio-visual show), pitchside view, dugouts and manager’s seat, press conference room with Virtual Pep AI, trophy room, Etihad Plaza, Megastore access.
Can you walk on the pitch?
No — pitchside access only, no walking on the playing surface (protects the hybrid grass).
Is the museum included?
The Etihad doesn’t have a standalone museum like Old Trafford does. The trophy room and interactive history zones are included as part of every tour. For a broader football museum see our National Football Museum guide.
Where to park at the Etihad?
On-site £12–14, must be pre-booked. Smarter option: Ashton Moss Park & Ride (free with Metrolink ticket).
What is the Pep Guardiola Stand?
The expanded North Stand at the Etihad, formally renamed in May 2026 to mark Guardiola’s decade at the club. Adds 7,900 seats, taking capacity to ~61,474. Only the second managerial stand-naming in Premier League history after Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
How do I get to the Etihad?
Metrolink to Etihad Campus stop (Ashton-under-Lyne line / Yellow line), 11 minutes from Piccadilly Gardens. Trams every 6 minutes on event days.
What is the Joie Stadium?
The 7,000-capacity stadium adjacent to the Etihad, home of Manchester City Women in the WSL. Renamed from Academy Stadium in 2023.
What’s the difference between Etihad and Old Trafford tours?
The Etihad has more modern tech (immersive dressing room, Virtual Pep press room), the expanded Pep Guardiola Stand, and the campus extras (Joie Stadium, City Football Academy). Old Trafford has the deeper history, a full 3-floor museum, and the Take to the Pitch experience. See our full comparison.
Plan more of your Manchester visit
The Etihad pairs naturally with the wider Manchester football and sports cluster. Our Old Trafford tour guide covers the rival pilgrimage; our United vs City comparison helps you choose; our National Football Museum guide covers the city-centre collection; our match tickets guide covers how to attend an actual game; our other sports guide covers the Velodrome and the wider SportCity precinct. For everything, see our Manchester football and sports pillar.
