Key facts
| Address | Futebol Clube do Porto, Alameda das Antas, 4350-414 Porto, Portugal |
| Capacity | 50,399 seats |
| Club | FC Porto |
| Build Date | 16 November 2003 |
| Architect | Manuel Salgado |
| Average Attendance | 42,674 (Season 2017-18) |
| Record Attendance | 52,000 (16 November 2003, Porto v. Barcelona 2-0, friendly) |
| Stadium Cost | £112 million |
| Roof | Steel roof |
| Who is the owner of Estadio do Dragao? | FC Porto |
| Pitch Size | 105 m × 68 m |
| Where is Estadio do Dragao located? | 41.161758°N 8.583933°W |
| Nickname | Dragão, the Dragon stadium |
| Surface | Grass |
Seating plan
Opened in 2003, half-a-year before the Euro 2004, the Dragon stadium has become a new centre-piece of Porto. The ground itself is just part of a huge multi-purpose complex. It features spacious commercial zones, ultra-modern conference halls, fancy restaurants, parking lots, and even swimming pools. Among the other things, the creators of this important infrastructure object concentrated on the energy efficiency of the new facilities. Therefore, Estadio do Dragao can boast with smart integration into nearby residential areas and rich greenery.
The continuous design of the stadium’s bowl is outlined by a marvellous steel roof. It reliably protects the venue from rains and also leaves more than enough transparent zones to ensure ideal daylight path. The East and West stands (Nascente and Poente) of the Dragon’s arena stretch along the main sides of the pitch. Both are very similar and consist of two tiers. The West stand has the corporate seating area in between the tiers. While the East stand has some executive boxes and the Tribune (VIP seats) in between of its tiers. The stadium’s North and South stands (Norte and Sul) are one-tiered stands which can be easily converted into two-tiered when the time for renovations will come.
Let’s have a look at the seat categories:
- Tribune or VIP seats located in between of the tiers of the East stand (Nascente);
- Central seats at the Nascente and Poente stands;
- Lateral seats at the Nascente and Poente stands;
- Corner zone seats;
- The Norte and Sul stands.
Estadio do Dragao was one of the main venues of the Euro 2004 hosting five matches including one semi-final. The venue has also seen some epic football games featuring the Portugal national football team, numerous Champions League games, live music concerts, and important international events like the annual ESSMA Summit.
Tickets
FC Porto has a big army of prominent fans. Therefore, their stadium can be often seen fully packed, especially when it comes to the most important European matches and battles against the rivals such as SL Benfica, Sporting CP, and Boavista FC. Ticket Compare can help you to buy tickets to Estadio do Dragao at a reasonable price, save a lot of time, and eliminate pain in the neck. The service has a very intuitive interface and advanced navigation which ensures the best experience while shopping for football tickets.
Here are some other ways to get tickets:
- At the official website of FC Porto;
- By phone – +351 707 28 1893;
- At Loja Azul – FC Porto’s official stores;
- At the ticket office located right at the Dragon stadium.
Prices below can serve as an example:
- Tribune or VIP seats – £71;
- Central Nascente and Central Poente seats – £58;
- Lateral Nascente and Lateral Poente seats – £40;
- Corner zone seats – £31;
- The seats at the Norte and Sul stands – £22.
Prices may vary from match to match depending on the opposing side and the competition’s status.
Hotels near
Porto is a wonderful travel destination in terms of safety, affordability, climate, and numerous other aspects. The stadium of FC Porto is located 2-3 miles north-east of the central areas of the city. It allows us to choose between the accommodations situated close to the football ground and those located in the neighbourhoods of Praça da Liberdade, Torre de los Clérigos, Mercado do Bolhão and other primary areas of Porto.
Highest-rated
- House of Pandora Arts Mansion & Spa – is a peaceful place located outside the city. However, the distance to the stadium of the Dragons is just about 1 mile. It can ensure superb accommodations for an affordable price of £62 per night.
- Seculo Hotel – is located near two metro stations and the stadium can be reached within a 30-minute walk from there. £70 per night including a delicious breakfast is a bargain. The rooms are clean and spacious; the hotel also provides free parking.
- Porto Antas Hotel – is ideal for the football fans who don’t want to accommodate any further than a couple of steps away from the main sports venue of Porto. There is a metro station, fine restaurants, and shopping malls within walking distance from this wonderful hotel. The price per night is £78 including breakfast.
- AC Hotel Porto, a Marriott Lifestyle Hotel – is a super comfortable hotel with efficient and modern amenities. The price is fair – £73 per room for two. The hotel’s building stands just next to Estadio do Dragao.
- Hotel Poveira – provides some pretty basic accommodations where you can stay with total comfort. It is around a 25-minute walk away from the ground but it’s also close enough to the city centre. You can stay there as cheap as £46 per night.
How to get to
By Metro – the lines A, B, C, and E (blue, red, green, and purple) can be used to reach the metro station called Estadio do Dragao. Getting back from FC Porto’s stadium on the metro is also very convenient because you can choose any of the above mentioned four lines and quickly get yourself to almost any area of the city.
By Bus – the lines 300, 305, 402, 700, 701, 702, 703, 800, 801, 805, and 806 are the examples of bus lines serving the area around the stadium of the Blue and White.
By Car – use the following address and your sat nav or a smartphone to find the shortest way to the ground on a matchday: Alameda das Antas, 4350-414 Porto, Portugal.
By Plane – Porto Airport (OPO) is located 15 miles north-west of the stadium. It can be reached less than within 15 minutes by car or about 50 minutes by metro line E (purple line).
Parking
The venue’s parking is new and affordable but it gets very busy before the kick-off. However, there is always a solution. The approximate matchday paid parking price near the sports venue in Porto is £4.
Eating out nearby
The Porto food scene is never boring. It features many national and local dishes and the city is actually known as Portugal’s food capital. In fact, the country was once a powerful empire. Thus the popular flavours of its former colonies including mysterious Mozambique and Cabo Verde, distant Malacca, Goa, Barbados, and Brazil influenced the local food habits vastly. The things like the Francesinha sandwich, tripas à moda do Porto, white sausages called alheira, and a famous bread broa de avintes are the meals you should try while you are in Porto.
Pubs, bars & cafes
- Beer Warehouse – is located about 2 miles from the Dragons stadium in Porto and super close to the centric metro stations – Aliados, 24 de Agosto, and Bolhao – and nearby places of interest. It’s a place to enjoy a huge choice of beers and excellent music on an open terrace.
- Wine Quay Bar – is an affordable and cosy bar and one of the best such venues in Porto. You can enjoy sitting on the balcony with fantastic river views and inimitable sunsets. It is located within a 10-minute drive from Estadio do Dragao.
- Bonaparte Baixa – is a gem for each football fan. The venue’s cosiness and atmosphere of the real pub, mouth-watering meals and drinks on the menu, and a number of TVs will help you to have an amazing evening. It’s located in Porto’s Downtown which is packed with night clubs and restaurants where you can always continue celebration of your favourite team’s success.
Restaurants
- Cufra Grill – is located 7 miles east of the stadium of FC Porto, near lovely Parque da Cidade. In fact, it’s a very special oceanfront restaurant with plenty of space, amazing menu, and a large number of TV’s to enjoy sports events during dinner.
- Francesinha Café – is a pleasant and cosy restaurant serving traditional Portuguese meals. They make absolutely the best Francesinha sandwiches in Porto. The place is around a 20-minute walk away from the city’s main football ground.
- 17th Restaurant & Bar – is located about 2 miles away from the main sports complex in Porto. Among its pros are spectacular city views, excellent service, fabulous non-alcoholic cocktails, and fair prices.
Things to see at the stadium
The incredible home ground of FC Porto is exciting to explore in so many ways. Among the options available to every football traveller are guided stadium tours and marvellous museum tours. Since the sports complex is huge and also consists of the fan store, shopping malls, and greenery, spending time there is a real pleasure.
Tour
An exclusive 45-minute tour at Estadio do Dragao is a perfect chance to look behind the scenes of this astonishing venue. The stadium tours are affordable and only cost £7 for adults and £4 for kids. There are no tours on matchdays and public holidays. The number of tickets is limited. If you want to book a group tour, contact the museum in advance via email.
Museum
Porto FC is proud of its numerous trophies which are displayed at their epic museum. Prepare to see the Intercontinental Cup, the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup, and certainly a huge collection of the local trophies. The museum ticket costs £10 for adults and £7 for children. If you buy the joint ticket of the stadium tour and museum you’ll be able to pay only £13 per adult and £8 per child.
Fan store
FC Porto Fan Store is available both online and offline for your best shopping experience. An endless number of souvenirs, accessories, and other official items can be purchased there. The club’s stadium features the main fan store of the Dragons. The second option is FC Porto Store Baixa which can be found 2 miles away in Downtown.
Things to do in Porto
There are many amazing aspects to love about Porto. It’s the city featuring impressive historical sights, lovely streets, spectacular beaches, energetic nightlife, unique cuisine, and places to connect with nature as well. The number of fun spots and activities you can enjoy during your stay in Porto is very broad. Below you’ll find just a few tips to scratch the surface of the subject.
Sightseeing tour
A classic hop-on-hop-off bus tour is always a cool experience and especially in the sunny oceanfront cities with a wonderful climate. Porto is definitely among such cities and both unique routes of the bus tour are worthy, especially since the ticket only costs £13. In addition, six-bridge cruises, numerous river boat tours, Segway and walking tours, and food tours are popular in the city. And if you have time to explore Porto’s neighbourhoods, you should take the full-day trip to the Douro Valley where you can enjoy the marvellous scenery and a large list of very special wines.
Top 3 places to visit
Foz do Douro – can be listed as the most romantic and inspiring area of Porto. It’s impossible not to adore its long promenade with gorgeous pines, palm trees and terrific views of the powerful Atlantic Ocean with an old lighthouse.
Muralha Fernandina – dates back to the 14th century and features impressive wall at the edge of the natural steep. There is a funicular running along the medieval streets of Porto and the wall. The views from there are totally awesome. You should also explore the nearby orange garden and read the stories behind the UNESCO signs located at the ancient buildings.
Cais da Ribeira – is a very picturesque area of Porto which goes along the river. Its image is shaped by lovely pastel-painted houses, hundreds of cosy cafes packed with a good mix of the locals and tourists, and the best views on the legendary Luís I Bridge.
