Emirates Stadium Move

The home of Arsenal FC since 2006, known for its 'Carpet' pitch and Arsenalisation.

Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. Arsenal's women's team made the stadium their home in 2024. It has a current seated capacity of 60,704, making it one of the largest football stadiums in England by capacity.

Lore & Background

In 1997, Arsenal explored the possibility of relocating to a new stadium, having been denied planning permission by Islington Council to expand its home stadium, Highbury. After considering various options (including purchasing Wembley Stadium), the club bought an industrial and waste disposal estate in Ashburton Grove in 2000. A year later, they received the council's approval to build a stadium on the site; manager Arsène Wenger described this as the 'biggest decision in Arsenal's history' since the board appointed Herbert Chapman in the 1920s. Relocation plans began in 2002, but financial difficulties delayed work until 2004. Emirates was later announced as the main sponsor for the stadium. The entire stadium project was completed in 2006 at a cost of £390 million. The club's former stadium was redeveloped as Highbury Square, an apartment complex.

Reader's Guide

The quality of Arsenal's pitch and groundsmanship have been recognised internationally and led to it being nicknamed 'the Carpet' by matchgoing fans and the wider sports media. Since 2009, the stadium has undergone a process of 'Arsenalisation' with an aim of restoring visible links to Arsenal's history. The stadium hosts international football fixtures (including often acting as a de facto ground of the Brazil national team in Europe), as well as hosting international music acts on a regular basis.

Did You Know?

Arsenal made an official bid to purchase Wembley Stadium in March 1998.
Islington Council approved the planning application on 10 December 2001, but final planning permission was granted in May 2002.
A legal challenge was dismissed in July 2002, but a further legal challenge by small firms was upheld in January 2005.