Premier League stadium capacity comes in a wide range of styles and histories, blending together traditional features and modern upgrades.
Some carry a rich football legacy spanning decades, while others are contemporary structures designed to enhance the fan experience and boost earnings on matchdays.
The league is home to 20 stadiums scattered across the country, each regularly hosting top-level football matches featuring the best players in the sport.
These stadiums, often massive steel structures, draw in thousands of fans, creating an electric and vibrant atmosphere.
Debates about the best stadium in the league arise because of the various types of stadiums and the absence of a clear standard for what makes one the “best.” While opinions may vary, we can determine the largest stadiums by looking at their capacity.
The size of a stadium isn’t solely about its physical size; it also considers how many spectators it can comfortably hold during a match.
- 1. Old Trafford – Manchester United
- 2. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham
- 3. London Stadium – West Ham United
- 4. Emirates Stadium – Arsenal
- 5. Etihad Stadium – Manchester City
- 6. Anfield – Liverpool
- 7. St James’ Park – Newcastle United
- 8. Villa Park – Aston Villa
- 9. Stamford Bridge – Chelsea
- 10. Goodison Park – Everton
1. Old Trafford – Manchester United
- Location: Manchester (Old Trafford)
- Capacity: 74,310
Old Trafford is the biggest soccer stadium for club matches in the United Kingdom and the second-largest after Wembley Stadium.
It’s also the twelfth-largest in Europe. The stadium is located about 0.5 miles from Old Trafford Cricket Ground and a nearby tram stop.
People often call Old Trafford “The Theatre of Dreams,” a nickname given by Bobby Charlton.
Manchester United has been playing their home games there since 1910, except for a period during the Second World War when they shared Maine Road with rivals Manchester City.
Over the years, Old Trafford has gone through expansions, especially in the 1990s and 2000s.
The stadium’s original capacity of 80,000 almost returned with the addition of extra tiers to the North, West, and East Stands. There are plans for future expansion, including adding a second tier to the South Stand, which could increase the capacity to around 88,000.
The highest number of people ever recorded at Old Trafford was in 1939, during the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town, with 76,962 spectators.
Apart from club matches, Old Trafford has hosted various football events, including an FA Cup Final, England fixtures, matches in the 1966 World Cup, Euro 96, and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
It has also been a venue for rugby league events, hosting the Super League Grand Final and the final of the Rugby League World Cups in 2000, 2013, and 2022.
2. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham
- Location: London (Tottenham)
- Capacity: 62,850
The Stadium is where the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur plays in north London.
It replaced their old ground, White Hart Lane. The stadium can seat 62,850 people, making it the third-largest football stadium in England and the biggest club ground in London.
It’s not just for football – it’s also the home of NFL games in the UK. One cool feature is its retractable football pitch, which can be divided, revealing a synthetic turf field underneath for events like the NFL London Games and concerts.
The stadium was part of a bigger plan called the Northumberland Development Project, aiming to regenerate Tottenham over 20 years.
They started talking about it in 2007, and officially announced it in 2008, but had to change the plan a few times. Construction didn’t start until 2015 due to disagreements and delays.
The stadium finally opened on April 3, 2019, with a ceremony before the first Premier League game.
Originally, they planned to sell the naming rights to a sponsor, so “Tottenham Hotspur Stadium” was supposed to be temporary. However, it hasn’t been renamed yet.
Some fans and media sometimes call it “New White Hart Lane” as a nod to the old ground.
3. London Stadium – West Ham United
- Location: London (Stratford)
- Capacity: 62,500
The London Stadium, also known as the Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is a versatile outdoor stadium in the Stratford district of London. It’s situated in the Lower Lea Valley, about 6 miles (10 km) east of central London.
This stadium was built specifically for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, serving as the place for athletics events and the opening and closing ceremonies.
After the Games, it was renovated for various uses and is now mostly the home ground for the Premier League club West Ham United.
They started getting the land ready for the stadium in the middle of 2007, and the actual construction began on May 22, 2008.
The stadium had its first public event in March 2012, marking the finish line for a celebrity run organized by the National Lottery. Originally, it could hold 80,000 people during the Olympics, but after some changes, it reopened in July 2016 with 66,000 seats.
However, for football games, it can only hold 60,000 people based on the lease terms.
Choosing West Ham United as the main team to use the stadium caused some controversy.
The process of deciding who would use it had to be done again. After David Gold and David Sullivan bought West Ham United in 2010, they wanted the stadium to be the club’s new home.
Mayor Boris Johnson also wanted a football club to take over after the 2012 Olympics, making West Ham United the most likely choice.
When West Ham United showed they were okay with keeping the running track and planned to spend £100 million to make the stadium fit 66,000 people, they became the favorites during the bid process.
4. Emirates Stadium – Arsenal
- Location: London (Holloway)
- Capacity: 60,704
The Emirates Stadium, also known as Arsenal Stadium for certain competitions, is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England. Arsenal has been playing there since it was finished in 2006.
It can hold 60,704 people and is the fifth-largest football stadium in England.
Back in 1997, Arsenal wanted to move to a new stadium because they couldn’t get permission from Islington Council to make their old stadium, Highbury, bigger.
They thought about different options, like buying Wembley Stadium, but in 2000, they bought a piece of land in Ashburton Grove.
A year later, the council said they could build a stadium there.
The manager at the time, Arsène Wenger, said it was the “biggest decision in Arsenal’s history” since the 1920s when Herbert Chapman was appointed. They started moving in 2002, but money problems slowed things down until 2004.
Emirates became the main sponsor for the stadium, and the whole project cost £390 million. They turned their old stadium, Highbury, into apartments called Highbury Square.
Since 2009, they’ve been doing “Arsenalisation” to make the stadium more connected to Arsenal’s history. Besides football games, the stadium has also had international matches and music concerts.
5. Etihad Stadium – Manchester City
- Location: Manchester (Bradford)
- Capacity: 53,400
The Etihad Stadium, currently named for sponsorship reasons, is where the Premier League team Manchester City plays. It can hold 53,400 people for football games, making it the sixth-largest stadium in England and ninth-largest in the United Kingdom.
Originally, it was built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and has since hosted various events like the 2008 UEFA Cup final, England football matches, rugby league games, a boxing world title fight, and even concerts in the summer when football isn’t happening.
The stadium was first suggested as a place for athletics during Manchester’s bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Before 1989, plans were made to build a new stadium in Manchester as part of the city’s attempt to host the 1996 Summer Olympics.
The city council proposed an 80,000-seat stadium on a greenfield site west of Manchester city center, but the bid failed, and the Games went to Atlanta.
In 2008, after a takeover, Manchester City became one of the richest football clubs globally, leading to talks about potentially buying the stadium outright.
In March 2010, Manchester City signed an agreement with the City Council for a £1 billion redevelopment led by architect Rafael Viñoly.
During the 2010 closed season, the football pitch and hospitality areas were upgraded with a £1 million investment to make the playing surface more resilient for concerts and events.
In October 2010, Manchester City renegotiated the stadium lease, securing naming rights in exchange for an annual fixed payment of £3 million to the City Council, a change from the previous arrangement where they only paid half of the ticket sales revenue from match attendances exceeding 35,000.
6. Anfield – Liverpool
- Location: Liverpool (Anfield)
- Capacity: 53,394
Anfield, steeped in history and tradition, is synonymous with the Reds. Its famous “You’ll Never Walk Alone” anthem echoes through the stadium, creating an electric atmosphere that spurs the players.
They are currently expanding it to fit 61,276, making it the fifth-largest football stadium in England.
The stadium gets its name from the surrounding area, Anfield. The word comes from Old and Middle English and means “a field on a slope.”
Anfield has been linked to the area since at least 1642. Some say the name might be connected to the arrival of Irish people in the 1850s and could be associated with Annefield in County Wexford, Ireland.
Liverpool has called Anfield home since they formed in 1892.
Before that, it was Everton’s home from 1884 to 1891 until a disagreement with the club president led Everton to move to Goodison Park. Anfield has four stands: the Spion Kop, the Main Stand, the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, and the Anfield Road End.
The highest attendance, 61,905, was in 1952 during a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The stadium became an all-seater in 1994 following the Taylor Report, which reduced its capacity.
7. St James’ Park – Newcastle United
- Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
- Capacity: 52,305
Nestled in the heart of Newcastle, St James’ Park provides a picturesque setting for football. The iconic stadium has been a fortress for the Magpies for over a century.
St James’ Park is the 8th largest football stadium in England. It’s been Newcastle United F.C.’s home since 1892, and they’ve been playing football there since 1880.
Over the years, there were discussions about making the stadium bigger, but this often caused issues with local residents and the council. \
There were even ideas to move to a different location in the 1960s and 1995, but these plans faced controversy. The reluctance to move has resulted in the stadium having a unique look with stands that aren’t symmetrical.
Originally, St James’ Park was a piece of sloping land near Leazes Terrace and the Town Moor. The local council owns the land, and this, along with its history, influenced how the stadium developed.
Newcastle Rangers was the first football team to play at St James’ Park in 1880. They moved to another ground in 1882 but returned briefly in 1884 before folding. Newcastle West End then took over the ground in 1886.
8. Villa Park – Aston Villa
- Location: Birmingham
- Capacity: 42,657
Villa Park, the historic home of the Villians, is renowned for its intimate setting and passionate fanbase. The stadium’s iconic Holte End stand adds to the unique character of this Birmingham-based arena.
The stadium is less than a mile away from Witton and Aston railway stations.
It has hosted sixteen England internationals, with the first in 1899 and the most recent in 2005. Villa Park holds a record for hosting 55 FA Cup semi-finals, making it the stadium that has hosted the most in England. It’s also the 10th largest stadium in the country.
Villa Park used to be part of Aston Lower Grounds and wasn’t Aston Villa F.C.’s first home.
Before this, they played at Wellington Road, but it had problems like an uneven pitch, poor spectator facilities, difficult access, and high rents.
So, in 1894, Villa’s committee, led by Frederick Rinder, started talking with the owners of Aston Lower Grounds, described as “the finest sports ground in the district.”
This area, once part of the grounds of Aston Hall, a Jacobean stately home, had various uses over the years.
In 1897, Aston Villa moved to Aston Lower Grounds, a sports ground in a Victorian amusement park on the former grounds of Aston Hall.
Villa Park has seen changes and improvements over time, resulting in the current stand configuration with the Holte End, Trinity Road Stand, North Stand, and Doug Ellis Stand.
9. Stamford Bridge – Chelsea
- Location: London (Fulham)
- Capacity: 40,343
Stamford Bridge, situated in the affluent Fulham district of London, is Chelsea’s fortress. The compact yet lively stadium has witnessed the club’s triumphs in domestic and international competitions.
The stadium can hold 40,343 fans, making it the ninth largest in the 2023–24 Premier League season and the eleventh largest in England.
Stamford Bridge has been around since 1877, originally used by the London Athletic Club until 1905.
That’s when Gus Mears, the new owner, founded Chelsea Football Club, and they’ve been playing there ever since. Over the years, the stadium has gone through significant changes, especially in the 1990s when it was transformed into a modern, all-seater venue.
The name “Stamford Bridge” is believed to come from “Samfordesbrigge,” which means “the bridge at the sandy ford.”
Originally, Stamford Bridge was designed to hold about 100,000 people, making it the second-largest stadium in England after Crystal Palace. It was even used as the venue for the FA Cup final.
When it was first built, Stamford Bridge had an athletics track, and the football pitch was in the middle of it.
This setup meant that spectators were separated from the field by the width of the running track, with a particularly large gap on the north and south sides because the running track was longer than the football pitch.
On the east side, there was a single stand designed by Archibald Leitch, able to hold 5,000 spectators.
This stand was an exact copy of the one he had built at Craven Cottage.
The other sides of the stadium were open, creating a large bowl shape. Tons of material from the excavation of the Piccadilly line were used to create high terracing for standing spectators on the west side, exposed to the elements.
In 1945, Stamford Bridge hosted a significant match. FC Dynamo Moscow, a Soviet team, was invited to tour the United Kingdom at the end of World War II, and Chelsea was the first team they played against.
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10. Goodison Park – Everton
- Location: Liverpool (Walton)
- Capacity: 39,414
In the Walton area of Liverpool, England, about 2 miles north of the city center, you’ll find Goodison Park. Everton, a Premier League club, has been calling this place home since 1892.
Everton’s first games were played on an open field in the south-east corner of Stanley Park.
This is the same area where Liverpool FC, their rivals, thought about building a stadium more than a hundred years later. The first official match as Everton happened at Stanley Park on December 20, 1879, with St. Peter’s as the opposing team, and it was free to attend.
Everton initially played at a ground on Priory Road, donated by a man named J. Cruit in 1882.
However, after two years, Cruit asked them to leave because the crowds were too big and noisy. Everton then moved to Anfield Road in 1884, where they had proper covered stands.
They played there until 1892, turning professional and winning their first championship in 1890–91. Anfield’s capacity grew to over 20,000 during this time.
In 1892, Everton faced a dilemma about where to play.
John Houlding’s suggestion to stay at Anfield was rejected, and George Mahon proposed relocating Everton to Mere Green Field in Walton, Lancashire.
The option to lease this land was revealed during a meeting at the former Liverpool College building on Shaw Street.
Goodison Park got its name because it was built along Goodison Road, named after a civil engineer, George Goodison, who provided a sewage report in the mid-1800s and later became a local landowner.
After 132 years at Goodison Park, Everton is planning to leave in 2024 and move to the Bramley-Moore Dock site. The Goodison Park site will then undergo redevelopment.
English Premier League Stadium Capacity 2023/24 Season
| Team | Stadium | Location | Capacity |
| Manchester United | Old Trafford | Manchester (Old Trafford) | 74,310 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London (Tottenham) | 62,850 |
| West Ham United | London Stadium | London (Stratford) | 62,500 |
| Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | London (Holloway) | 60,704 |
| Manchester City | Etihad Stadium | Manchester (Bradford) | 53,400 |
| Liverpool | Anfield | Liverpool (Anfield) | 53,394 |
| Newcastle United | St James’ Park | Newcastle upon Tyne | 52,305 |
| Aston Villa | Villa Park | Birmingham | 42,657 |
| Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | London (Fulham) | 40,343 |
| Everton | Goodison Park | Liverpool (Walton) | 39,414 |
| Sheffield United | Bramall Lane | Sheffield | 32,050 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Falmer Stadium | Falmer | 31,800 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Molineux Stadium | Wolverhampton | 31,750 |
| Nottingham Forest | City Ground | West Bridgford | 30,332 |
| Fulham | Craven Cottage | London (Fulham) | 29,600 |
| Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | London (Selhurst) | 25,486 |
| Burnley | Turf Moor | Burnley | 21,944 |
| Brentford | Brentford Community Stadium | London (Brentford) | 17,250 |
| Bournemouth | Dean Court | Bournemouth | 11,307 |
| Luton Town | Kenilworth Road | Luton | 10,356 |
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