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The Riyadh Air Metropolitano is the home stadium of Atlético Madrid, sitting in the Rosas neighbourhood of the San Blas-Canillejas district in northeastern Madrid. It occupies a spot close to the M-40 ring road, not far from the IFEMA exhibition centre and within easy reach of Madrid’s airport.
This is no ordinary football ground: it has already hosted a UEFA Champions League final in 2019 and a Copa del Rey final in 2018, and it is confirmed to host the 2027 Champions League final as well. With a capacity of around 70,800 for football, it ranks among the largest and most modern stadiums in Spain.
Unlike a stadium planted in the historic core of a city, the Metropolitano sits well outside central Madrid, closer to the airport and the ring road than to the Gran Vía. Getting there without a plan can mean a longer, more confusing journey than fans expect, especially on a big matchday.
Long-time fans may still know the ground by an earlier name: it opened as the Wanda Metropolitano and later became the Cívitas Metropolitano, before a 2026 naming-rights deal made it the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. All three names refer to the same stadium, so don’t be thrown off if you see an older one still in use.
This guide covers every practical angle of getting door to seat: the metro routes and backup stations, the matchday shuttle, driving and parking on the M-40, bag rules, ticket buying, the stadium tour and what’s genuinely nearby to eat. Work through it before you travel and the only surprise on matchday should be the football.
| Stadium | Location | Capacity | Nearest Station | Primary Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Air Metropolitano | Rosas, San Blas-Canillejas, northeastern Madrid | Around 70,800 (football); around 60,000 (concerts) | Estadio Metropolitano (Metro Line 7) | Atlético Madrid home matches, Champions League finals (2019 and 2027), Spain internationals, concerts and major events |
Transport at a Glance: Every Station Worth Knowing
Getting to the Metropolitano is straightforward once you know which station to aim for. The table below breaks down every realistic option, from the station that sits almost inside the stadium to the backups worth knowing if Line 7 gets busy.
| Mode | Station | Line | Journey from Central Madrid | Walk Time to Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | Estadio Metropolitano | Line 7 | Around 26 minutes from Sol | Under 1 minute, effectively adjacent |
| Metro | Las Rosas | Line 2 | Around 20-25 minutes from Sol (change required) | Around 15 minutes |
| Metro | Canillejas | Line 5 | Around 25-30 minutes from Sol (change required) | Around 15 minutes, or a few minutes by matchday shuttle |
| Metro | Las Musas | Line 7 | Similar to Estadio Metropolitano, one stop further out | Around 10-15 minutes |
Metro Line 7: The Fastest Route to the Ground
Metro Line 7 is the route this stadium was effectively built around, and the Estadio Metropolitano station sits close enough to double as the ground’s front door. From Sol, the journey takes around 26 minutes, with a shorter ride of about 19 minutes if you’re starting from Avenida de América.
On matchdays, Metro Madrid runs reinforced frequencies on Line 7 to cope with the surge of fans heading the same way. That doesn’t mean trains run later into the night, so it’s worth checking the closing time for your journey home before kickoff rather than after the final whistle.
Nuevos Ministerios and Atocha both connect onto Line 7 with a single change, making them sensible starting points if you’re coming from a hotel near the centre or from the airport via Cercanías. Expect the platforms to fill up fast in the hour before kickoff, particularly for a Champions League night or a Madrid derby.
A metro travel card covers the ride like any other journey on the network, and there’s no separate matchday ticket to buy for the metro itself. For a full breakdown of zones, fares and travel cards across the city, our Madrid Public Transport guide covers everything you need before you travel.
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Compare pricesBackup Stations and the Matchday Shuttle Bus
If Line 7 looks too crowded or you’re coming from a different part of the city, Las Rosas on Line 2 is a solid alternative, roughly a 15-minute walk from the stadium and useful if you’re travelling from Sol or Ópera. It also has a lift, which helps if you’re managing luggage or mobility needs.
Canillejas on Line 5 is the other backup, also about 15 minutes on foot, and it doubles as a transport hub with regional bus connections. On matchdays, a special shuttle bus links Canillejas directly to Plaza de Grecia outside the stadium, running from two hours before kickoff until 90 minutes after the final whistle.
Around 15 EMT city bus lines and roughly 20 intercity routes also serve the area around the ground, several of them reinforced specifically for matchdays. Lines such as 28, 38, 48, 140 and E2 see extra buses laid on whenever Atlético are playing at home.
Whichever station you choose, buy your metro or bus ticket in advance if you can, since queues at ticket machines build quickly right before kickoff. The same Madrid Public Transport guide explains how to load a travel card so you’re not fumbling with cash at the barriers.
Matchday Crowds: What Tens of Thousands of Fans Actually Look Like
With up to 70,800 fans converging on one station, the approach to Estadio Metropolitano gets genuinely busy in the hour before kickoff. Expect a slow, shuffling crowd rather than a sprint, and build in extra time if you’re not used to stadium-scale foot traffic.
The worst crush tends to hit around 60-90 minutes before kickoff, as fans arriving from across the city converge on Line 7 at once. Arriving earlier than you think necessary is the simplest way to avoid the densest part of the crowd and still have time to find your gate.
Leaving is usually calmer than arriving, since fans disperse across several exits and multiple stations rather than funnelling back through one. Even so, the platforms at Estadio Metropolitano fill quickly after the final whistle, and it’s often faster to walk the 15 minutes to Las Rosas or Canillejas than to wait for the first few packed trains.
For a big European night or a derby against Real Madrid, treat the crowd as a city-scale event, not a normal matchday. Extra stewarding, longer queues at bag checks and a heavier police presence are all standard, so patience matters more than speed.
What You Can’t Bring: Riyadh Air Metropolitano Prohibited Items and Bag Rules
The club’s prohibited items list is long and strictly enforced: weapons, knives and sharp objects, flares, fireworks and other pyrotechnics, and flammable or corrosive substances are all banned from the stadium, along with alcohol and illegal drugs. Selfie sticks, laser pointers, compressed-air horns and drones are also turned away at the gate.
Bottled drinks and rigid containers made of metal, glass, ceramic or wood aren’t permitted either, and that includes metal thermos flasks. Large cameras with detachable lenses, laptops and suitcases are also on the list, and stewards have discretion to refuse anything else they judge a risk.
Atlético doesn’t publish a single official bag size limit, which makes the safest approach a small, soft bag with only the essentials. A compact crossbody bag, waist bag or handbag is the lowest-risk choice, and while a small backpack may pass inspection, there’s no guarantee it will.
If you’re travelling with luggage, don’t rely on the stadium’s small consigna service on Paseo de los Colchoneros, since its capacity isn’t published and space can’t be guaranteed. It’s safer to leave bags at your hotel or a left-luggage locker in central Madrid before heading out to the ground.
Driving and Parking: The M-40 Makes This an Easier Drive
Unlike a stadium buried in a dense city centre, the Metropolitano’s position next to the M-40 ring road actually makes it one of the more drive-friendly grounds in Madrid. Exit 10 (Avenida de Arcentales) serves traffic arriving from the south, while exits 9A and 9B handle arrivals from the north.
Exit 9A leads onto Avenida Luis Aragonés and the underground car parks, while exit 9B onto Avenida de Arcentales serves the outdoor lots. The official club site puts the stadium about four minutes from the M-40/A-2 junction, which is a rare boast for a ground this size.
Matchday parking access typically opens at 12:00, or from 10:00 for an earlier 14:00 kickoff, giving fans a wide window to arrive and settle in before the gates open. Most of this parking, though, is reserved for season-ticket holders with parking passes or fans who’ve pre-booked a matchday parking ticket online.
The Exterior Sur-B lot works well as an informal park-and-ride on non-matchdays, and the west exterior lot is free to use except on event days. If you’re driving in for a match without a pre-booked space, arrive early and have a backup plan, since ordinary walk-up parking is limited.
Buying Tickets for Football and Events
Atlético Madrid sells tickets through one official channel, its own ticketing platform linked from en.atleticodemadrid.com, and that’s the only place to buy with any confidence in the price and validity of what you’re getting. Third-party resale sites carry real risk of inflated prices or tickets that never actually get you through the gate.
Club members, or socios, get priority access to season tickets and first refusal on big matches, which can push general sale for high-demand fixtures like a Champions League night or the Madrid derby down to a small pool of remaining seats. General sale for most La Liga fixtures opens further out and is usually easier to find.
If you’re planning around a specific date, especially anything involving Real Madrid or a Champions League knockout tie, it pays to check the official site as soon as fixtures are confirmed rather than waiting until the week of the match. Prices vary considerably by opponent and by how far the seat is from the pitch.
For events beyond football, concerts and one-off shows at the stadium are ticketed separately through the promoter, though official club channels usually link out to the correct booking page. Always confirm you’re buying through an official channel before entering any payment details.
Touring the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Off a Matchday
Even without a match ticket, the Metropolitano is genuinely worth visiting. A self-guided stadium and museum tour lets you explore the ground and the club’s interactive museum at your own pace, with each part taking around an hour.
The museum traces Atlético’s history back to 1903 through touchscreens, virtual reality displays and interactive games, while the stadium portion typically includes the tunnel out to the pitch and views over the stands. An optional audioguide in English and Spanish is available if you want more context than the displays alone provide.
Pricing sits at around €26 (£23/$28) for a standard adult ticket, and it’s worth booking ahead online rather than turning up on the day, since the ground closes the tour on match days and during pitch renovation windows. Full guided tours with access to the dressing room and presidential box are also available at a higher price point.
For visitors who want the tour handled for them with a fixed time slot and instant confirmation, a verified listing through GetYourGuide covers stadium and museum entry in one booking. It typically includes free cancellation up to 24 hours before the visit, which is useful if your travel plans shift closer to the date.
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Check transfersEating and Drinking Near the Stadium: Be Honest About the Location
The area around the Metropolitano is genuinely more suburban than central Madrid, sitting in a mostly residential pocket of San Blas-Canillejas rather than a lively restaurant district. Don’t expect the tapas-bar density of somewhere like La Latina once you step outside the stadium gates.
The stadium complex itself covers the basics well, with food trucks, fan-zone terraces and the official Bendita Locura bar between gates 39 and 41 serving drinks, sandwiches and burgers before kickoff. It’s a reliable gathering point, if not a destination in its own right.
For a proper meal with more variety, it’s worth eating in central Madrid before you travel out. Areas like La Latina offer dozens of tapas bars within a few streets, and a sit-down lunch there costs roughly €10-15 (£9-13/$11-16) a head.
If you’d rather explore more of the city before or after the match, our guide to things to do in Madrid covers the neighbourhoods worth building a matchday trip around. Many of the areas it covers, like Malasaña and La Latina, sit close to metro lines that connect straight onto Line 7, so looping them into your matchday route adds little extra travel time.
Football, Concerts and Events: What’s Actually On
Atlético Madrid’s La Liga campaign fills most of the stadium’s football calendar, supplemented by Champions League group and knockout matches through the 2026/27 season. Spain’s national team also plays occasional fixtures here when Madrid hosts an international match.
The ground’s biggest football moment on the horizon is the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, confirmed for the Metropolitano and following on from the final it already hosted in 2019. Expect ticket demand and citywide interest to build well ahead of that date.
Beyond football, the stadium runs a genuinely heavy concert schedule. Bad Bunny played multiple sold-out nights here in 2026, and the venue regularly hosts major touring artists alongside Spanish entertainment events like La Velada del Año, the celebrity boxing show that draws huge crowds in its own right.
If you’re planning a trip around a specific fixture or show, check the club’s official site and the venue’s own event listings well in advance. Big non-football events can quietly reshape matchday logistics, from parking access to which gates are open.
Rupert’s Handy Travel Tips
Here’s what I’d want to know before making the trip out to Atlético’s ground.
- Take Line 7 direct: skip the backup stations unless it looks genuinely packed, since Estadio Metropolitano opens right onto the stadium.
- Load your travel card first: buy or top up a metro card before matchday so you’re not queuing at a machine with thousands of other fans.
- Buy only through official channels: that goes for match tickets, the stadium tour and any concert, not just resale sites for big games.
- Eat before you travel out: the streets around the ground are residential, so have a proper meal in central Madrid first.
- Check tour availability before booking: the pitch and tour routes are sometimes closed around May to August for concerts and events.
- Pack light: leave big bags at your hotel given the strict prohibited items list and the stadium’s limited left-luggage space.
Want to meet the reindeer behind our travel tips? Find out more in our page Who is Rupert?.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Riyadh Air Metropolitano previously called?
It opened as the Wanda Metropolitano in 2017 and was later known as the Cívitas Metropolitano, before a 2026 naming-rights deal made it the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
What is the nearest metro station to the stadium?
Estadio Metropolitano on Metro Line 7 sits right beside the stadium and is the fastest, most direct way to get there.
How long does it take to reach the stadium from central Madrid?
Around 26 minutes from Sol via Metro Line 7, or closer to 19 minutes if you’re starting from Avenida de América.
Can I drive and park at the stadium?
Yes, the stadium sits close to the M-40 ring road, but most matchday parking is reserved for season-ticket holders and fans who’ve pre-booked a parking ticket.
What items are banned from the stadium?
Weapons, flares and fireworks, alcohol, laptops, large cameras, selfie sticks, drones, bottled drinks and rigid containers are all prohibited, among other items.
How do I buy tickets for an Atlético Madrid match?
Buy only through the club’s official ticketing platform linked from en.atleticodemadrid.com, since club members get priority access ahead of general sale.
Is there a stadium tour outside matchdays?
Yes, a self-guided tour covers both the stadium and the interactive museum, usually taking around two hours in total.
What will the Riyadh Air Metropolitano host in 2027?
It’s confirmed to host the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, having already staged the final in 2019.
Further Reading
Before you travel, it’s worth getting comfortable with how Madrid’s transport network fits together beyond just Line 7. Our Madrid Public Transport guide covers travel cards, zones and fares across the whole city, and it’s the natural companion to this guide if you’re combining a match with a longer stay.
If you’re building a full day around the fixture rather than just the match itself, our guide to things to do in Madrid rounds up the neighbourhoods, sights and food worth exploring in the hours before or after kickoff. Given how far the Metropolitano sits from the centre, pairing a match with a proper look at the city makes for a fuller trip.
Since the stadium sits close to Madrid’s airport rather than deep in the city centre, our Madrid airport transfers guide is genuinely useful if you’re flying in on matchday itself. For official information straight from the club, including live updates on access and events, the official Atlético Madrid stadium access page is worth bookmarking too.
