Built in 2010, Aviva Stadium has turned into a legendary battlefield hosting the Republic of Ireland football team and the Irish rugby union team. The ground depicts teams’ glorious histories and is home of 51,700 of their dedicated supporters.

Key facts

Address 62 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4, Dublin, Ireland
Capacity 51,700 seats (football and rugby), 49,000 (American football), 65,000 (concerts)
Club The Republic of Ireland football team and the Irish rugby union team
Build Date May 14, 2010
Architect Populous, Scott Tallon Walker
Average Attendance 34,122 (football)
Record Attendance 51,700 (multiple times)
Stadium Cost £367 million
Roof Unique wave-like roof
Who is the owner of Aviva Stadium? Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
Pitch Size 106 m × 68 m
Where is Aviva Stadium located? 53°20′6.5″N 6°13′42.0″W
Nickname None
Surface Perennial Ryegrass

Seating plan

Aviva Stadium seating plan

Dublin’s most unusual and marvellous sports ground was opened in 2010. It replaced the Lansdowne Road stadium which stood there from 1872 to 2007. Today the Aviva Stadium is the second largest sports venue in Ireland, trailing only to Croke Park.

This bowl-shaped ground has four tiers on three of its sides, excluding the North stand which only has one tier. The stadium is open at one end due to its proximity to local residences. In order to avoid blocking light to its neighbours, the venue also features a phenomenal wave-like roof. Speaking about the other three sides of the Aviva Stadium, their lower and upper tiers incorporate regular seats. The second and the third tiers contain Premium and Box/Restaurant areas correspondingly.

The categories of seats are as follows:

  • Premium seats;
  • Cat 1 seats;
  • Cat 2 seats;
  • Cat 3 seats;
  • Cat 4 seats;
  • Box/Restaurant;
  • VIP/Press.

The Aviva Stadium hosted the Europa League Final in 2011. So far it’s the brightest football event that took place there. In fact, the venue also hosted the 2010 FAI Cup Final, the 2011 Nations Cup, the 2011 Dublin Super Cup, and a number of important rugby and American football battles, as well as some epic concerts.

Tickets

tickets

The capacity of the Aviva stadium is often criticized so the tickets there are often scarce. Ticket Compare is a timesaving solution which can be extremely helpful whenever you want to buy sports and other events tickets to the Aviva stadium. The prices are usually very reasonable considering the convenience, reliability, and the intuitive interface of that web platform. The visitors can certainly opt for the other way to get tickets. You can purchase them at the official website of the Football Association of Ireland.

The prices often vary because the venue hosts both friendly and competitive matches such as the UEFA European Qualifiers. Speaking about the official matches, the common ticket price ranges from £36 to £71.

Hotels near

hotel

Dublin is a magnificent city and you shouldn’t miss out a fantastic opportunity to explore its hidden gems during your Irish football adventure. Below you’ll find several great hotel options and hopefully, you’ll have an amazing experience during your stay there.

Cheapest offers

  1. The Camden Hotel – is a wonderful pick. The Aviva Stadium can be reached within a 10-minute car ride from this hotel. The lively street near this hotel provides numerous opportunities to go out and enjoy Dublin’s atmosphere. The room costs £106 per night.
  2. The Draper Rooms – is located near the greenery, the bus stops, casino, and a bunch of great restaurants and cafes. The distance from this place to the sports ground is less than a mile. It’s a very cosy, clean, and welcoming hotel priced at £110 per night.

Highest-rated

  1. The Merrion Hotel – is a five-star venue located in an amazing neighbourhood, within walking distance from the stadium. They serve fabulous food in a lovely bar and in the garden room. The excellent facilities and the tiniest details are making this place super cosy. The price is £333 per night.
  2. The Marker Hotel – is situated about 1 mile away from the sports ground in the city’s most centric cultural and business quarter. The superb night in this 5-star venue with the indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and a nice bar costs £259.
  3. The Devlin – offers one-of-a-kind city views and some incredible facilities including the coffee machines, free toiletries, and a rooftop restaurant. They charge £232 per night for exceptional service and genuine hospitality.
  4. Roxford Lodge Hotel – is a short walk away from the Aviva Stadium. It features spacious rooms with plenty of light and spa baths. The free sauna and a coffee machine are two more things to enjoy there. At £119, it’s a bargain in Dublin.

How to get to

Aviva Stadium on the map

The stadium’s neighbourhood of Ballsbridge can be found in D4 area of the Irish capital. A reliable and cosy public transport connects the multipurpose complex with the other parts of the city. If you are heading to the home match of the Green Army, the following directions will help you to navigate the Dublin transport system.

By Bus – several bus lines have stops in proximity to the home ground of the Republic of Ireland national football team. Among them are 13, 1, 4, 7, and 47.

By Car – 62 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4 is the ground’s address. Because of the intensive traffic and roads closures on matchdays, it’s better to use sat nav on your way to the stadium.

By Bike – bike racks can be easily spotted outside Stadium Tour office as well as under the Stadium Tour office in the car parking zone. Unfortunately, cycle lanes are still rare in the capital of Ireland so cycling in Dublin can be quite dangerous.

By Train – Lansdowne Road station of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit railway network is adjacent to the Aviva Stadium. There is a direct train from Pearse Street station in Dublin’s centre to Lansdowne Road station.

By Plane – the distance from Dublin Airport (DUB) to the Aviva Stadium is only 9 miles. The bus lines 702 and 703 connect the airport with the stadium’s neighbourhood. Take off at D4 Hotels bus stop and walk in north-east direction for just about 5 minutes to reach the venue.

Parking

There is a £1,5 per hour car park located just past entrance A of the stadium but it’s closed on game days, same as the roads surrounding the venue. However, there is always a solution. The approximate matchday paid parking price near the sports ground in Dublin is £8.

Eating out nearby

pub

Dublin is famous among the foodies for its amazing restaurants and cafes. The city’s grub bucket list is very long so I recommend you to spend at least a week there if you want to explore the diversity of tasty options. It’s hard to choose only a few eateries and bars in the Irish capital but the list below will help you to start your culinary experience in Dublin.

Pubs, bars & cafes

  • The Brazen Head – is one of Dublin’s best pubs located less than 3 miles from the ground of the Green Army. It’s a roomy pub where the locals love to watch rugby and other sports. The food in the city’s oldest pub is excellent!
  • O’Donoghues Bar – sometimes it gets extremely noisy in this wonderful pub but this is unsurprising. The place is one of the best bars located minutes away from the stadium. They have great outdoor seats for the sleepless summer nights.
  • Il Valentino – produces fresh Italian cookies and serves it with the Irish coffee of the best quality. It’s a very authentic place with a great selection of scones, cakes, and pastries. The stadium can be reached within a 20-minute walk from this place.

Restaurants

  • Forest Avenue – is located only 1 mile away from the football ground in Dublin. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this terrific venue and taste the mouth-watering meals presented in a lovely fashion.
  • Juniors Deli & Café – is known because of its incredible brunch menu, unique sandwiches, and proximity to the Aviva Stadium. It’s an excellent place to enjoy authentic food in a small group.
  • Osteria Lucio – serves very tasty Italian meals in the friendliest way. The decorations of this restaurant are stunning and they create a brilliant atmosphere. It’s located 15 mins’ walk from the ground of the Boys in Green.

Things to see at the stadium

stadium

This fantastic sports venue has seen some of the most important on-field battles featuring Irish sports teams. Since the ground is relatively new, it features modern facilities, good views from every single seat, and certainly plenty of food and drink options. Multiple corporate boxes with marvellous pitch views can be used as meeting rooms and boast with the world-class catering. Another great thing to experience at the complex is a stadium tour.

Tour

The experienced football fans won’t be surprised to see a stadium tour on the list of must-do things in Dublin. A nice guided tour is always a fun experience, especially when it comes to world-class sports grounds. The adult ticket for the tour at the Aviva Stadium currently costs £10. Seniors pay £8 and kids from 5 to 12 pay £6. Things may change at any moment but you can get more details here.

Fan store

Currently, there is no permanent fan store located at the home stadium of the Green Army. In fact, numerous kiosks with official and unofficial merchandise pop up near the ground on the matchdays. In any case, you can always go online and order football gear of the Ireland national football team directly from FAI shop.

Things to do in Dublin

Dublin

Colourful doors, alluring streets, and impressive architecture are attracting millions of tourists to Dublin. There are so many obvious and hidden attractions in this city that you’ll need weeks or even months to discover all of the secret spots of this relatively small European capital city. Among the must-see places for the football fan are definitely the Irish Whiskey Museum, Guinness Storehouse, National Museum of Ireland, and Dublin Castle. You may also want to learn to play the unique Gaelic games such as world-known hurling.

Sightseeing tour

The fans of hop on hop off buses should be happy about their planned trip to Dublin. The city offers excellent entertaining bus tours with a large number of stops. It will help you to start exploring the key attractions of Dublin. If you plan to see more than just the capital city, go on a day trip to the Wicklow Mountains with unforgettable landscapes. Another brilliant day trip idea to consider is Cliffs of Moher where several Harry Potter’s scenes had been filmed. Visit one of the numerous tourism centres in Dublin to find out more.

Top 3 places to visit

Guinness Storehouse – is the attraction #1 in Ireland. Hardly surprising it has relatively pricey tickets at £16 if purchased online and they are even pricier if purchased onsite. A totally inimitable seven-storey pint glass will give you a magnificent interactive experience. The guided tour will immerse you into the Irish brewing history and the rooftop Gravity Bar will leave you totally breathless.

Saint Patrick Cathedral – is a holy place with mind-bending architecture and 820-year history to discover. While the cathedral itself is a real masterpiece, you’ll also love to walk around the lovely park surrounding the site.

Kilmainham Gaol – is a restored abandoned prison which is a very unusual place of interest as you should agree. The guided 50-minute jail tour won’t leave you indifferent. It is a remarkable journey through devastating pages of Irish history.