San Mames Stadium

The visiting supporters’ section is located in the southeast corner of the ground, which, as we’ve mentioned, doesn’t affect the view you receive. In fact, the flow of the stands around the corners means you’re nicely sandwiched between home fans, which helps the atmosphere.

The other big plus point to being situated in that corner is that you’re close to the club museum, and the majority of eateries are located on that side of the Athletic Bilbao stadium.

UEFA confirm San Mames among candidates for 2028 UWCL final

San Mames is looking to hold its second UEFA Women’s Champions League final after previously staging the event in May 2024. On that occasion, 50,827 visited ‘La Catedral’ for the scene of Barcelona’s third UWCL triumph. Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas both found the net in a 2-0 victory over record European champions Lyon.

As confirmed by UEFA, Bilbao is now in the frame to host the 2027-28 Women’s Champions League final, although they face competition from three other venues. San Mames is joined on the shortlist by St. Jakob Park in Basel, Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon and the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul.

The UEFA Executive Committee will announce the host venue in September 2026.

San Mames stadium capacity and the introduction of safe standing

The San Mames Stadium’s overall capacity is 53,331, making it the seventh-largest stadium in Spain. In 2019, safe standing was introduced at Bilbao’s new stadium for the first time. This is where the most passionate Bilbao supporters are located inside the ground, and three years later, it was expanded to become a 4,000-capacity ‘singing section’ across the lower tier behind one end of the pitch.

Oscar Malo, Director of Infrastructure Athletic Club, was asked about the introduction of safe standing in an interview with ESSMA in 2024. He said:

“Five years after the first kick-off in the stadium, we changed around 700 seats in a block that was dedicated to the more fanatic fans. And after that, when we saw that the solution was quite interesting for the club, we spread the solution to a low tier. We are talking about 4,000 seats or less.”

Away fans are located at the opposite end of the stadium in the south-east corner. For European matches, the visiting team is given five percent of the stadium’s capacity, meaning the allocation is typically just over 2,500.

The birth of a new stadium

Athletic Bilbao have been around for 123 years. Work on Athletic Bilbao’s new stadium broke ground in 2010, with the official opening coming three years later; poetically, that is a century after they moved into the original San Mames.

The current stadium is built in the same place, which is an important fact to note, as the old San Mames Stadium is known all around the world.

The process wasn’t a quick one, though, with planning through to opening taking a total of seven years; even then, further tweaks have been made to enhance the overall stadium, with the previously mentioned roof one of the key areas that has come in for work.

All four stands at the Estadio de San Mames are split into three tiers.

The bottom tier is where fans will be able to get up close and personal with the players, however, this tier, all around the stadium, has a gradual incline, meaning that if you are towards the back of the lower tier, you are still going to feel quite far away from the pitch.

The middle tier is the slimmest of the three tiers, and this is where you can find executive boxes and lounges. In many ways, this is like the centre ring of Wembley if you need a British comparison to help visualise it.

The upper tier is a complete contrast to the lower tier, as it is very steep up here. While in the lower tier you can feel far away from the pitch, up here you are going to feel like you almost have a bird’s eye view of the action.

For the ‘best’ views, fans should look to the hospitality areas. However, as far as standard seating goes, look for the front of the upper tier in either of the two stands that run along the two sides of the pitch.

Football chants form an integral part of fan culture, and at Athletic Bilbao, supporters of The Lions have always composed songs to cheer their team both at home and on the road.

Club-specific chants are mostly sung for pride and to raise the team’s spirit, even on hostile grounds.

On the other hand, player-specific chants are crafted to cheer on players whose contribution to the club’s success is hard to ignore. They are also meant to lift the spirit of the players to do their best and to instil a sense of belonging.

Below are some notable Athletic Bilbao chants.

• Athletic! Athletic
• Aupa Athletic
• Beti Zurekin (Always with you)
• San Mames, Guk Geuk

Athletic Bilbao supporters singing the club anthem

Tifos have always been part of football culture. Over the years, they have not only become integrated into many a club’s support system but also a form of instilling a deep sense of belonging, especially among football ultras.

San Mames, the home of Athletic Bilbao, is no stranger to tifos, especially in the north stand usually occupied by the club’s most popular ultras, Herrit Norte Taldea.

Below are some striking tifos that have recently been spotted at San Mames.

When getting your fill in Bilbao, you’ll have many choices in San Mames Stadium. Regardless of where you’re seated, you won’t be far from one of their Pozo bars; here, you’re looking at quick grab-and-go food and drink with the atmosphere of the other fans around you.

If you’re looking for a more traditional ‘English’ way, then La Campa de los Ingleses is the place for you; this ‘pub’ translates to ‘The Englishmen’s Field’ and is a nod to the Brits who introduced football to the residents of Bilbao way back when. Finally, if you’re feeling especially bougie, head to San Mames Jatetxea, which serves top-drawer fine dining food and great wines and pays homage to the Basque traditions.

If you’d instead pick up your grub outside of the ground, you’ve still got a lot of choice. Your closest options worth visiting are probably Bar Cafe Pacifico and Gabina; both are just a five-minute walk to the stadium, offering a bar and grill experience. Pushing slightly further away – but still inside a 10-minute stroll – you have the likes of Le Bol Blanc, Baden Baden and the well-respected Gu2.

It’s not all about food, though. Thankfully, there are plenty of places you can grab a good beverage, too. Bar Aterpe, located on Juan Antonio Zunzunegui, is just five minutes away and will get you in the mood for game day. The pub Sir Winston Churchill, which operates as a cocktail bar, and Corto Maltes are other options. Finally, if you want to be on the water, then you’ll want to hit up El Cargadero de Bilbao.

Hotels near  San Mames stadium

If you want to enjoy Bilbao for longer than 90 minutes, then a stay in the area could be worth considering. You’re not blessed with options, but there is still enough choice to ensure you can rest your head somewhere respectable.

For easy access to the Athletic Bilbao stadium, you could stay at San Mames Ostatua. It’s only a 2-star hotel, but it has a reputation for being clean and tidy, and the price of around £60 a night is easy on the wallet.

The 4-star Hotel NH Collection Villa de Bilbao is a better-quality hotel that also offers a pretty straightforward route to the stadium—a five-minute walk. It will set you back 50% more, though, at £90 per room per night. If, however, you’ve splashed enough on your tickets, then Bilbao Metropolitan Hostel by Bossh! Hotels offer rooms from £25 a night. The downside is that you will be over a mile away from the Athletic Bilbao ground.

Some stadiums can be a real pain; San Mames Stadium is not one of them. If you live – or are staying in Bilbao – you can reach the stadium on foot from anywhere if you’re willing to put the yards in.

Equally, it’s well connected via main roads—namely the AP-8—and bus and train links are very good. The main metro station is appropriately named ‘San Mames’ and brings you to the stadium.

There are many ways to explore San Mames and learn about the history of Athletic Bilbao.

• You can opt for a self-tour with an audio guide, in which case your mobile phone and headphones become handy. AC Museoa offers an audio tour guide for a fee of €15, which lasts up to 90 minutes.
• A tour of San Mames with the help of a professional guide is another option, with fees starting from €22. A tour guide takes you through everything. This option lasts between 45 and 90 minutes.

During your tour of Athletic Bilbao, you will explore changing rooms, players’ tunnel, press room, dugouts and even VIP areas.

The club museum is another place you will visit. Here, there are at least 1,000 exhibits that showcase more than 125 years of the club’s history. Multimedia exhibits of club legends, an immersive 360-degree projection of San Mames and lots of other memorabilia are other things to see during your tour.

Real Sociedad are Athletic Club’s biggest rival in Spanish football. This rivalry is famously known as the Basque Derby or Derbi Vasco, and the matches between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad are the most significant in the Basque Country.

Despite the long-standing nature of this football rivalry, fans from both teams have consistently shown mutual respect over the years.

In addition to Real Sociedad, Athletic Club also has a notable rival in Real Madrid. Matches between these two La Liga teams often generate significant tension, despite not being based in the same city.

Barcelona is another rival of Athletic Club, but the nature of this clash tends to be more cultural. Athletic Club represents the Basque region, while Barcelona symbolises Catalonia.

Basque Derby

The Basque Derby is one of the fiercest football rivalries in Spain, so it’s important to look at the statistics. This raises the question: Which team has been the most dominant in the matchups between Athletic Club Bilbao and Real Sociedad?

During the 1990s, particularly from 1994 to 1999, there were very few decisive outcomes in the Basque Derby. Out of 13 meetings in that period, 10 ended in a draw, while Real Sociedad won the other three matches.

In recent times, the home stadium has played a key role in the results between the two rivals. Athletic have won their last four meetings with Real Sociedad at San Mames, while they have lost three of their previous four outings at Anoeta, including a 3-2 defeat in their most recent encounter in November 2025.

2025/26 Athletic Bilbao tickets are available on their official website and also at the ticketing office.

La Liga and Copa del Rey ticket prices are based on the seating location and the age of supporters. However, Champions League ticket prices for matches staged at San Mames cost more, with VIP prices currently set between €120 and €180.

The Lions are set to host Arsenal in the 2025/26 Champions League. With that, you can check our Bilbao vs Arsenal guide and secure your seat at San Mames.

Matchday tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and a maximum of two tickets is allowed per purchase. La Liga ticket prices are €60 or up to €90 for adults.

Supporters who wish to access pre-sale offers must have a Club Athletic membership card.