Estadi Montilivi - Girona stadium

The Estadi Montilivi is a must-visit for fans in Spain, particularly before the expansion and renovation works completely reshape it.

It is one of the most enthralling venues in Spanish football and makes for a terrific host of elite-level football, albeit one that lacks the size and facilities of some more iconic stadiums.

Where is the away section at Estadi Montilivi?

At present, away fans are only given a small portion of the ground in the corner between the Preferent and Gold Nord Stands but it is far from a hostile experience as the Girona supporters are generally very welcoming.

What is the away allocation at Girona?

A typical allocation at the stadium is often in the region of 500-600 tickets which means tickets are often in high demand for visiting supporters.

What to expect upon your visit

The only downside to sitting in this corner of the stadium is that you are nowhere near the one bit of shelter at the stadium which means if it rains (which is rare in Catalonia) then you won’t be safe from the elements.

Food and drinks options inside the away end are very limited but that is expected to change with the renovation work.

Away entrance

All away fans will be permitted entry into the Estadi Montilivi via turnstiles located behind the North Stand, all of which open 2 hours before kick-off.

Away fan best views

Sadly, due to the limited size of the stadium, away fans at the ground are accommodated in just one tier, meaning that views can be sub-optimal – particularly for those at the back of the away section.

For the best views, secure a ticket as close to the front of this stand as possible.

UEFA approve Estadi Montilivi for UCL

Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the confirmation that UEFA would allow Girona to play their matches at Estadi Montilivi was a huge news story.

There was huge concern regarding the stadium’s ability to live up to the standard of other Champions League venues – after all, its capacity of just 14,600 makes it the smallest stadium in the Champions League this season.

This, combined with sup-par facilities, led to a widespread belief that the Estadi Montilivi would not be approved for UCL matches by UEFA. However, thankfully, this was not the case.

Stadium expansion

More positive news from the Estadi Montilivi comes in the form of a stadium expansion.

While not much information has been released at this stage regarding what the new capacity for the ground will be, the project is expected to begin in 2028.

It has been reported to be a complex operation, with a completion date of 2038 touted for the expansion.

In any case, these renovations are very exciting for Girona and should see a more stable future for the club.

As you may expect, Girona Estadi Montilivi often creates an incredible atmosphere on matchday, in part due to its relatively modest size.

However, just as responsible are the club’s extremely passionate and dedicated fanbase, who create plenty of noise from the stands in virtually every game.

While there aren’t too many videos available online of club-specific chants, the video below is an excellent example of the pre-match atmosphere created in the stadium during Girona’s official club anthem:

While some areas of the ground do unfortunately provide obstructed views due to poorly placed support beams, its small size means that you are situated extremely close to the pitch.

As a result, most seats offer a fantastic view of the action.

Much of the stadium is single-tiered in its current form, however, if you can secure a seat as high up as possible, the Estadi Montilivi does provide an excellent view of Catalonia due to its roofless design.

Entrances

Compared to other stadiums in the Champions League, Estadi Montilivi does not boast a huge number of turnstiles for fans to enter through.

However, given its modest size, this usually isn’t too much of a problem.

Away fans usually enter the stadium via turnstiles located behind the corner between the Preferent and Gold Nord Stands.

For home fans, please consult your matchday ticket for information on which turnstile you should head towards on matchday.

In any case, all turnstiles will open two hours before kick-off.

Unfortunately, while the atmosphere inside the Estadi Montilivi is often fantastic, the same cannot be said for the area surrounding the stadium.

There is a distinct lack of pubs and bars for fans to enjoy a pre-match pint ahead of kick-off, particularly for travelling away fans.

As such, our advice is to stay in the centre of Girona, which is around a 30-minute walk away from the ground.

Our top three suggestions in this area are as follows:

• River Girona – Placa de Sant Feliu, 2, 17004 Girona, Spain
• Cu Cut – Pl. de la Independncia, 10, 17001 Girona, Spain
• McKiernans – Rambla de la Llibertat, 32, 17004 Girona, Spain

Home fans

For home fans, while options still aren’t as rife as in other Spanish cities, the selection is far bigger than that of the away fans.

Some of our top suggestions for pubs for Girona fans near the Estadi Montilivi are listed below:

• König 2, Pl. de la Independència, 2, 17001 Girona, Spain
• Bar Sant Fèlix, Plaça de Sant Feliu, 7, 17004 Girona, Spain
• Märzen Sport Bar, Carrer del Riu Güell, 128, bajos 2, 17006 Girona, Spain

One of the best aspects of an away day in another country is the opportunity to try some food that ordinarily, would not be available at the football in England.

In that regard, Girona’s Estadi Montilivi is an excellent venue and provides plenty of Spanish dishes for you to try.

The image below should give you an idea of what to expect upon your visit to the stadium:

Paella with a pint at Girona FC (@GironaFC)

💶 €10 (£8.50) all in pic.twitter.com/kf61wqPkLB

— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) December 5, 2023

By train

The Estadi Montilivi isn’t the most straightforward stadium in the world to get to unless you don’t mind a lengthy walk. The closest railway station to the ground is Girona Railway Station which is 2.5km away. This equates to a 40-minute walk at a normal pace.

By bus

If the weather is having an off day or if you aren’t able to walk that far then there are buses from the railway station which take you much closer to the Estadi Montilivi. Get on an L8 bus and get off at UDG Montilivi – these buses run every half hour so you should never be waiting too long for one.

By car

Of course, another option is to drive to the Estadi Montilivi, although most travelling away fans are unlikely to take this route.

However, if doing so, once in Girona, you will want to head south on the Avinguda de Lluis Pericot for three kilometres, which equates to an approximate journey time of around eight minutes.

Where is the best place to park for the Girona game?

While it will likely be extremely busy on matchday, an excellent place to park for Girona matches is in the free outdoor parking facility located near the Nova Creu Alta, which is usually open day and night.

Alternative options

Due to the limited public transport options in the local area, another option, particularly for travelling away fans is to make use of their club’s shuttle bus services for the match.

In most cases, these shuttle bus services will run to Girona city centre and on to Barcelona after that.

Having first opened in 1970, exact figures regarding the original capacity of the venue are difficult to come by.

It has been the home of Girona since that date, although the ground has changed drastically since it first opened.

In 2011, the first match hosted at the ground with side stands, Estadi Montilivi played host to a crowd of 9,285.

Six years later, Girona earned their first-ever promotion to Spain’s top flight, and as a result, were granted permission to expand Estadi Montilivi to a 13,450 capacity.

Unfortunately, this figure was later limited to just 11,810.

Nowadays, the stadium has a capacity of 14,624 and can host a variety of sports events, although football remains the ground’s main purpose.

After many years of being unavailable, fans can now purchase tickets for stadium tours at Estadi Montilvi.

With tickets starting from just €6, it is one of the cheaper stadium tours in Europe at this current moment in time and provdes supporters with access to areas that are ordinarily restricted.

Tours generally last one hour and all attendees will be designated a specialist tour guide.

Estadi Montilivi stadium tour opening times

Frustratingly, these stadium tours are only available between select hours from Thursday to Sunday.

While times are subject to change, the standard opening times are as follows:

• Thursday: 6pm and 7pm
• Friday: 6pm and 7pm
• Saturday: 11am, 12pm, 6pm and 7pm
• Sunday: 11am and 12pm

The Estadi Montilivi stadium tour is incredibly inclusive and can be completed in the following four languages: Spanish, Catalan, French and English.

Due to the limited time slots, always book in advance to ensure that you don’t miss out.

As mentioned previously, Girona does not boast a huge amount of bars and pubs for your entertainment, however, the city is rife with cultural attractions to keep you busy.

Visit Games of Thrones filming locations

Quite possibly one of the most watched television shows of the 21st Century, Games of Thrones was filmed in multiple cities, including Girona.

The city was used to represent both Braavos and King’s Landing.

Specific locations that were used in filming include:

• Cathedral of Saint Mary
• Galligants Bridge
• La placa dels Jurats

Passeig de la Muralla

For those of you who enjoy a good walk, then a stroll along the Passeig de la Muralla (Girona city walls), may be for you.

A 3km walking path on top of the old city walls, some of which date back to the 14th century, this activity will afford supporters excellent views of Girona and beyond.

The colourful houses

One of the most unique aspects of Girona occurs along the bank of the Onyar River.

The houses that are situated along this section of the city are famous for their vibrant, multi-coloured aesthetic that is a must-see for all who visit Girona.

Casa Maso is the most famous of these houses and is also available to visit.

Opened on this day in 1970 – Girona FC’s Estadi de Montilivi https://t.co/WQBlzfA33U pic.twitter.com/Ilv1su2FVD

— EstadiosDeEspaña now on @estadiosspain.bsky.social (@estadios_Spain) August 14, 2017

Despite being nearly 100 years old as a football club having formed in 1930, Girona have only ever had two different permanent homes.

The first of these was the Vista Alegre Stadium, which was built during the 1920s. Exact capacity figures for this ground are not available online, however, the club did stay at the facility for a whopping 40 years.

Then, in 1970, the Estadi Montilivi was opened and has continued to be the home of Girona until this day.

While renovations have of course been mad over the years, for example, the relatively recent introduction of side stands into the venue, the stadium still looks fairly similar to its original aesthetic.

Although, with expansion plans progressing well, that may not always be the case.

Girona have announced spectacular and long-term expansion plans for the Estadi Montilivi that will last until the 2038/39 season. The stadium has been left to rot somewhat but the club are finally heavily investing to bring Girona supporters a new, state-of-the-art stadium without having to move from their spiritual home.

While the club are yet to announce how much the capacity will increase by, the plans include installing new stands across the whole stadium and adding a roof to allow the feverish atmosphere at the Motilivi to reverberate around the pitch.

The club have also announced that they will be building a commercial zone around the stadium which will be ready by 2033. This will enhance the matchday experience for supporters by bringing them to the stadium well before kick-off to enjoy a bite to eat and a drink.

In total, the project will cost around €50 million and will commence imminently.

Record attendance 

In its current form, the record attendance at the Estadi Montilivi came in a match against Real Madrid in January 2019 when 14,158 supporters came through the gates to watch Girona take on Los Blancos.

Although, while not exact figures are available, it ism likely this figure was exceeded many times in the 20th century before health and safety regulations were tightened.

Average attendance 

• 2023/24:12,520
• 2022/23:11,471
• 2021/22: 4,984
• 2020/21: N/A (Covid-19)
• 2019/20: 7,838
• 2018/19: 10,921
• 2017/18: 10,406

Girona vs Barcelona rivalry: As far as rivalries go, this one is fairly tame and is viewed more as friendly competition, rather than bitter hatred among the the two fanbases.

The rivalry stems from the Catalan connection between the two sides, however, there is a lot of respect on both ends of the rivalry.

Barcelona have always been well-supported in Girona, and Girona in Barcelona.

Girona vs Espanyol rivalry: In a similar fashion to that of Barcelona, this rivalry has also been born out of proximity, but, this is far more intense.

It is still far from the most intense derby in the country, however, whenever these two teams play, there is an extra edge to the match as both sides are desperate to get the bragging rights in this regional rivalry.

In terms of disabled facilities and accessibility features, the Estadi Montilivi unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired.

The stadium does not offer commentary services for those with visual impairments, nor does the club provide any designated accessible parking spaces on matchday.

There are accessible toilets located in the ground as well as accessible entrances, however, there isn’t much in the way of facilities beyond that.

If you will be attending the Estadi Montilivi and have specific needs, we strongly recommend that you contact the club in advance.

Rather frustratingly, Girona do not openly provide detailed price lists for their matchday tickets, which have seen a sharp increase in price in recent years.

However, for points of reference, the following two games have tickets priced in the following ranges:

Girona vs Arsenal

For their final Champions League clash of the season, Girona tickets have been priced from €80, with some seats reaching figures far higher than that.

Girona vs UD Las Palmas

However, for standard league matches, such as that of Girona vs UD Las Palmas on February 3, 2025, tickets have been priced between €35-€76.