Vitality Stadium Facilities Guide 2026: Accessibility, Toilets, Food and Fan Experience

A visit to Vitality Stadium offers one of the most intimate matchday experiences in the Premier League.

Home to AFC Bournemouth, the compact ground places supporters close to the pitch and creates a lively atmosphere that many away fans enjoy. Despite its smaller size, the stadium continues to modernise, with redevelopment plans aimed at improving accessibility, concourses and fan facilities.

Whether you're a home supporter, away fan or travelling with family, FootballGroundGuide breaks down everything you need to know about facilities at the Vitality Stadium in 2026.

Vitality Stadium Turnstiles, Entry and Security Access

The Vitality Stadium is a compact four-sided ground with turnstiles located around all stands.

Supporters enter using either digital or printed tickets, scanned at automated turnstiles, while stewards and Supporter Services staff are positioned throughout the stadium exterior to assist fans.

Security Procedures

Supporters should expect:

Bag searches at turnstiles
Restrictions on large bags (A4-sized bags are recommended)
Prohibited items include flares, large flags and glass bottles

Turnstiles usually open around 90 minutes before kick-off, although timings may vary depending on the fixture.

Stadium Redevelopment

AFC Bournemouth is continuing redevelopment work around the stadium, including:

Relocated turnstiles
A new perimeter fence line to improve crowd flow
Enhanced ingress and egress routes

These upgrades are designed to improve safety and reduce congestion around the ground.

Food and Drink at Vitality Stadium: Options, Quality and Prices

Food and drink options inside the Vitality Stadium offer the usual Premier League matchday staples, alongside some increasingly popular local food offerings.

Typical stadium options include:

Hot pies and pastries
Burgers and hot dogs
Crisps, sweets and chocolate
Tea, coffee and soft drinks
Alcoholic beverages (availability varies by stand)

Fan Zone Food Options

The stadium’s Fan Zone has become a popular pre-match destination and includes:

Dorset Pizza
Idelica Paella
Teddy’s Fish & Chips

Around the Stadium

The Great Escape bar is located inside the Fan Zone and offers a lively pre-match atmosphere
Perimeter bars are positioned around the stadium corners

The club is also developing a larger southwest Fan Zone area as part of ongoing redevelopment plans, adding more food and drink outlets for supporters.

*View outside the Vitality Stadium – Photo via IMAGO / Action Plus*

Vitality Stadium Concourse Areas, Bars and Matchday Facilities

Although one of the smallest stadiums in the league, the Vitality Stadium remains functional and well organised.

Concourse Features

Across the stadium, supporters will find:

Food and drink kiosks in each stand
Supporter Services staff available to help fans
Compact but manageable concourses
A close-to-the-pitch atmosphere throughout the ground

Stadium Redevelopment Plans

Future improvements include:

Refurbished West Stand concourses and hospitality areas
Expanded concourse capacity in the North and East Stands
Enclosed upper patios to improve weather protection

These changes are expected to significantly improve the overall matchday experience in the coming years.

Toilets and Other Matchday Facilities at Vitality Stadium

Toilets are located throughout all concourses and are generally clean, functional and well maintained.

Facilities include:

Standard toilets in every stand
Accessible toilets for disabled supporters
First aid points
Programme sellers and merchandise kiosks

Given the compact nature of the stadium, queues can build quickly at half-time, particularly in busier home sections.

Family Areas at Vitality Stadium

AFC Bournemouth strongly promotes a family-friendly matchday experience.

While there is no officially designated Family Stand, supporters attending with children benefit from:

Friendly stewarding
Accessible concourses
Family-oriented club initiatives such as the Junior Cherries programme

The planned expansion of the Fan Zone is also expected to improve family-focused pre-match entertainment and activities.

Safe Standing at Vitality Stadium

The Vitality Stadium does now operate a licensed safe-standing area, which can be round in Rows J-R of the Steve Fletcher North Stand.

Supporters in these rows are permitted to stand throughout matches under licensed rail seating regulations.

For safety reasons, children under the age of three are not permitted in safe-standing sections.

The introduction of rail seating has helped improve the atmosphere while maintaining modern safety standards.

Disability Access and Inclusive Facilities at Vitality Stadium

The Vitality Stadium offers a growing range of accessibility features, with further improvements planned through redevelopment.

Accessible Seating

Wheelchair spaces available across multiple stands
Away wheelchair supporters are typically seated in the East Stand

Accessible Facilities