New Balance Arena

The New Balance Arena, officially Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, is the compact, intense home of Atalanta BC — one of the most extraordinary club rises in modern European football. Located in the Borgo Santa Caterina district of Bergamo, in the foothills of the Alps about 50 km north-east of Milan, the ground has been Atalanta's home since 1928 and has been progressively rebuilt across 2019-2024 into a modern club-owned stadium that retains its small-city intimacy. Capacity now sits at around 23,439 across three reconstructed stands and an Atalanta-funded transformation that included demolishing the historic Curva Nord and Curva Sud and rebuilding both to UEFA standards. The naming rights moved from Gewiss to New Balance in August 2025 after a six-year sponsorship.

Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini era — running since 2016 — transformed a provincial club into perennial European competitors, culminating in the 2024 UEFA Europa League title (3-0 vs Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin), back-to-back Champions League qualifications, a quarter-final run in 2019/20, and a sequence of Serie A finishes regularly in the top six. The stadium's small footprint, vertical stands and rabid Curva Nord create a matchday atmosphere out of all proportion to its size — comparable to the intimacy of Allianz Stadium in Turin and the smallest English Premier League grounds. With Bergamo Alta (the medieval upper city) a 20-minute funicular ride away, the matchday combines elite football with one of Lombardy's most beautiful destinations.

The stadium opened on 23 December 1928 as the Stadio Mario Brumana, named after a local fascist activist. Atalanta moved in shortly after — and have been the only tenant ever since (with the occasional AlbinoLeffe groundshare). The original ground was a simple bowl with shallow stands, befitting a small provincial Serie B club.

Renamings

In 1945, post-war de-fascistisation renamed the stadium Stadio Comunale. In 1994, it was renamed Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia in honour of Italy's national-team athletes. In 2019, a six-year naming rights deal with the Bergamo-based electrical company Gewiss took the ground briefly to the front of European football consciousness as the Gewiss Stadium. When that deal expired in summer 2025, sportswear brand New Balance took over with the current designation New Balance Arena.

The Gasperini Revolution

Gian Piero Gasperini's arrival in 2016 began an extraordinary transformation. Atalanta — a provincial club from a city of 120,000 — won qualification for European competition five times in six seasons, reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2019/20 (losing 1-2 to PSG in injury time), and lifted Italy's first European trophy by a 'small' club in modern memory — the 2024 UEFA Europa League with a 3-0 final win over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, ending Leverkusen's 51-match unbeaten run. Star players like Atalanta-developed Ademola Lookman (UEL final hat-trick scorer), Charles De Ketelaere, Mateo Retegui and Marten de Roon have made the club a magnet for international scouting.

The Phased Reconstruction 2019-2024

Funding from the club's owners (the Percassi family until 2022, then American investors Stephen Pagliuca and the Pagliuca-led group) supported a phased rebuild. The Curva Nord was demolished and rebuilt 2019-2021 (reopened 8 September 2024 in its final configuration). The Curva Sud followed 2022-2024. The Tribuna Rinascimento (main stand) was rebuilt 2022-2025. Each new stand is steeper, closer to the pitch, and equipped with modern hospitality. The total reconstruction cost roughly €70m, retained the stadium's footprint within its small urban site, and avoided the long-running Italian habit of moving to soulless suburban arenas.

How to Get Atalanta BC Tickets

There are three main ways to attend a match at the New Balance Arena:

1. Official Club Tickets (Best Value)

Buy directly from atalanta.it — general sale typically opens 2-3 weeks before kickoff. Prices range from €20 (Curva upper corners) to €140+ (Tribuna Rinascimento premium). Italian rules require nominative tickets with a matching photo ID. The 'Atalanta Member' card unlocks earlier sales windows.

⚠️ Important: Champions League knockouts and Europa League matches, plus visits from Inter, Milan, Juventus, Roma and Napoli sell out before general sale. After the 2024 Europa League title, European nights are particularly oversubscribed.

2. Official Hospitality (Guaranteed Access)

Atalanta BC hospitality at the New Balance Arena includes:

• Tribuna VIP — central premium with pre/post-match Bergamasque dining, from €200
• Sky Box — private suite for groups, from €450+ per person
• Premium Rinascimento — central lower-tier with hospitality lounge access, from €250

Book via the Atalanta hospitality desk through the official portal.

3. Third-Party Platforms (Sold-Out Matches)

For sold-out fixtures, established platforms aggregate verified resale:

• LiveFootballTickets — Serie A specialists, from €60
• SeatPick — comparison platform

⚠️ Note: Italian nominative-ticket rules mean some resale tickets cannot be legally transferred. Verify the seller can re-issue in your name.

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New Balance Arena Stadium Tour

Atalanta has progressively expanded the stadium tour as the reconstruction has completed.

What You'll See

• 2024 UEFA Europa League trophy — the centrepiece of Atalanta's modest but growing trophy collection
• Newly rebuilt Curva Nord including the new ultras section and behind-the-scenes views
• Home dressing room and tunnel
• Pitch-side and dugout access
• Tribuna Rinascimento hospitality lounges — the modern reconstruction is itself a showpiece
• Atalanta history exhibits including the Gasperini era and the 1962/63 Coppa Italia win
• Bergamo Alta views from the upper concourses on clear days

Practical Details

• Duration: Approximately 75-90 minutes
• Schedule: Typically Saturdays and selected weekday afternoons; not on matchdays
• Price: Adults around €15-20
• Languages: Italian, English
• Accessibility: Excellent following the reconstruction

Booking

• GetYourGuide
• Viator
• Direct: atalanta.it

Pro tip: Combine the tour with the Bergamo Alta funicular for the medieval upper city — one of Italian football's most distinctive matchday experiences combines compact European elite football with a UNESCO-walls medieval town.

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Quick Tips

• Bring photo ID: Tickets are nominative
• Champions League/Europa League: Demand is extreme since 2024 — book the instant tickets release
• Orio al Serio airport: Italy's third busiest airport is 5 km from the ground — Ryanair connections from across Europe
• Bergamo Alta: Plan time for the funicular ride and a walk around Piazza Vecchia, one of Europe's most beautiful squares

Best Seats at New Balance Arena

The ground is a tight, vertical bowl with the Curva Nord at one end (the home end for Atalanta ultras), the Curva Sud opposite, the Tribuna Rinascimento (main stand) along one long side, and the Tribuna UBI Banca opposite. Sightlines are excellent from almost everywhere thanks to the steep new stands.

Curva Nord (North End)

Historic home of the Atalanta ultras — the Curva Nord Bergamo group has been the loudest in Serie A for decades, despite the club's relatively small fanbase. The new (2024) Curva Nord is steeper than the original, with sightlines essentially over the goal. Prices typically €20-40 for Serie A. Atmosphere is exceptional — Atalanta ultras' choreographies and tifos rank among Italy's best.

Curva Sud (South End)

The opposite curve, traditionally allocated to away teams and additional Atalanta supporters. Same architectural pattern after the 2022-2024 rebuild. Prices €20-35. The away allocation typically sits in the upper section here.

Tribuna Rinascimento (Long Side, West)

The Tribuna Rinascimento (recently rebuilt main stand) runs along the west long side with the dressing room tunnel below. Includes Tribuna Rinascimento Centrale (premium central) and Tribuna Rinascimento Laterale (wings). Pricing €55-110 (Lower Tier central), €40-80 (Upper Tier), with central sections most expensive.

Tribuna UBI Banca (Long Side, East)

The Tribuna UBI Banca is the opposite long side, with central and lateral sections. Pricing €45-90. Slightly more affordable than the Tribuna Rinascimento.

Premium & Hospitality

Atalanta has built modern hospitality into the reconstructed stadium. Tribuna VIP and Sky Box offerings start around €200 and exceed €450 for Champions League knockouts and visits from Inter, Milan and Juventus. Book via the club hospitality desk.

Accessibility

The rebuilt stands include wheelchair-accessible platforms with companion seats. Lift access between levels, accessible toilets and dedicated entrances. Contact Atalanta BC accessibility in advance.

Pro Tips

• Best atmosphere: Curva Nord lower — bucket-list for Atalanta ultras' tifos
• Best balance: Tribuna Rinascimento central, Lower Tier — closest to the pitch of any new section
• Best photographs: Tribuna UBI Banca upper, looking back toward the Bergamo Alta hills
• Away fans: Curva Sud upper section
• Champions League nights: Demand is extreme since 2019/20 quarter-final run — book the instant tickets release
• Note on capacity: The 23,439 figure dates from the 2024 reopening of the Curva Sud; some Atalanta sources cite ~25,000 as a target with final adjustments

A matchday at the New Balance Arena is one of European football's most distinctive intimate experiences — a small provincial city in the Alpine foothills going entirely nerazzurri for 90 minutes, with the medieval upper town of Bergamo Alta visible in the distance.

What to Bring

Standard Italian league security. Bags larger than A4 (21cm × 30cm) are not permitted; small handbags and rucksacks are subject to search. Prohibited items include large backpacks, umbrellas with rigid handles, professional cameras with detachable lenses, selfie sticks, flares, glass and outside food/drink. Italian regulations require nominative tickets matched to a photo ID. Arrive 45-60 minutes before kickoff; for European nights, 90 minutes.

Pre-Match (2-3 hours before)

The matchday gathers around Borgo Santa Caterina, the district just outside the stadium, and the broader Bergamo city centre. Bars and trattorias along Via Borgo Palazzo, Via Pignolo and the Sentierone (the main central promenade) fill with nerazzurri-clad supporters. Try Trattoria Da Mimmo (excellent Bergamasco cuisine), Bar Bonomi (legendary aperitivo), or Il Fornaio for traditional polenta-based snacks. The Bergamasque dialect chants begin in the bars and continue into the curva. Many fans take the funicular up to Bergamo Alta (the medieval upper city) for lunch with panoramic views over the lower town and stadium — one of Italian football's most scenic pre-match traditions.

Inside the Stadium

Gates open roughly 90 minutes before kickoff. The newly rebuilt stands place fans extraordinarily close to the pitch. Pre-match anthems include 'Nerazzurri Atalanta', the iconic chant 'Atalanta Atalanta Olè', and during the Europa League run, the modern celebratory 'Campioni d'Europa'. The Curva Nord leads relentless singing throughout — Atalanta supporters are among Italy's most knowledgeable and engaged, in the tradition of small-club English supporters at grounds like Burnley or Brighton.

Food & Drink

Concession kiosks sell Bergamasque matchday fare — polenta taragna (cornmeal with cheese), casoncelli (stuffed pasta), panini con porchetta, plus Birra Bionda Italiana and Birra Bergamo. Prices reasonable (around €5-7). Hospitality areas offer Bergamasque tasting menus with Valcalepio wines.

After the Match

Post-match crowds funnel toward Bergamo Centrale railway station (15 minutes' walk) and the bus interchange. The Città Bassa restaurants stay open late — Da Mimmo for traditional, Polentone for the local specialty, and the funicular to Bergamo Alta runs late evenings for those who want a panoramic post-match drink. The medieval Piazza Vecchia in Città Alta is considered one of Europe's most beautiful squares.

International Visitor Tips: Italian rules require nominative tickets matched to a photo ID. Bergamo Alta (the medieval upper city) is genuinely one of Italy's most beautiful destinations and most international visitors stay there. The Orio al Serio airport is 5 km from the stadium and is Italy's third busiest, with extensive Ryanair connections — making Bergamo one of the easiest European football destinations to reach.

Where to Stay for New Balance Arena

Near the Stadium (Borgo Santa Caterina)

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The Borgo Santa Caterina district is residential and quiet outside matchdays. Most visitors stay in central Bergamo (Città Bassa) or Bergamo Alta for the medieval atmosphere.

B&B Hotel Bergamo (1.0 km)

Mid-range chain within walking distance of the stadium and Bergamo Centrale. Comfortable rooms, parking. Practical for match-focused trips.

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Bergamo Centre / Città Bassa (Recommended)

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The lower town Città Bassa combines walkable access to the stadium (15-20 minutes) with easy connections to Bergamo Alta and the Lombardy region.

Hotel Excelsior San Marco (Città Bassa, 1.5 km)

Four-star landmark on Piazza della Repubblica with views of the upper town. Good restaurant, classic Bergamasque service, central for both stadium and city.

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Bergamo Alta (Medieval Upper City — Most Atmospheric)

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The medieval Città Alta is genuinely one of Italy's most beautiful small destinations — a UNESCO Venetian walls site with cobbled streets and the famous Piazza Vecchia. Funicular connection to the lower town (and the stadium) takes minutes.

Relais San Lorenzo (Bergamo Alta, 2.5 km)

Four-star within the medieval walls, with rooftop terrace and views over the entire upper town. Walking distance to Piazza Vecchia. Spectacular base for combining football with the medieval experience.

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GombitHotel (Bergamo Alta, 2.5 km)

Design-led four-star inside a converted medieval tower, on the cobbled streets of the upper town. Smaller and more boutique than the larger hotels. Excellent for a couple's matchday weekend.

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Our Recommendation

For most visitors, stay in Bergamo Alta for the medieval experience and use the funicular down to the lower city for matchdays — the combination of compact European elite football with one of Italy's most beautiful destinations is unique among Serie A trips. For purely match-focused trips, Città Bassa near the centre and the railway station is more practical. Bergamo also pairs naturally with Milan (50 minutes by train) — many international visitors do a San Siro + New Balance Arena weekend.