Seville, Spain
Overview
La Cartuja, officially the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla, is Spain's third-largest stadium and the country's main neutral venue. Built on Seville's Isla de la Cartuja for the 1999 World Championships in Athletics, it spent two decades as an athletics bowl with a running track holding spectators well back from the pitch. A rebuild completed in 2025 removed the track, dropped the pitch and added new lower tiers, turning it into a football-specific ground of 70,000 and setting it up to host matches at the 2030 World Cup. The result is a very different stadium from the one most visitors will remember, and a far more intimate place to watch football.
Because it belongs to the regional government rather than a club, La Cartuja works as Spain's rented big occasion: Copa del Rey finals, Spain internationals, the 2003 UEFA Cup final and Euro 2020 fixtures. It also serves as a stand-in home when one of Seville's clubs is rebuilding its own ground — Real Betis moved in for the works at the Villamarín — so it stages far more league football than its neutral status suggests. Anchored alongside other grounds in our La Liga guide such as the Sánchez-Pizjuán and the Bernabéu.
Key Features
- ✓Capacity of 70,000, the third-largest stadium in Spain
- ✓Athletics track removed in the 2024-25 rebuild, bringing stands close to the pitch
- ✓Spain's principal neutral venue, hosting Copa del Rey finals and internationals
- ✓Selected as a host venue for the 2030 World Cup
- ✓Owned by public bodies rather than a club, so tenants change between projects
History
Built for the Track (1999)
The stadium opened on 5 May 1999, designed by the Seville practice Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos and built for the World Championships in Athletics held that August. It was conceived as part of a bid to bring the Olympic Games to Seville, which is why it carried the name Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla for its first two decades. The athletics configuration gave it a capacity around 57,000 but placed the front rows a long way from the touchline, and the bid never succeeded.
Two Decades as an Events Venue
Without a permanent tenant, the ground was used mainly for major one-off events. Real Betis and Sevilla each considered moving in, and neither did at the time. It staged the 2003 UEFA Cup final between Celtic and Porto, occasional Spain internationals, Davis Cup ties and concerts.
Reinvention as a National Venue
From 2020 the Spanish federation began using La Cartuja as a de facto national stadium, staging a run of Copa del Rey finals and Spain fixtures there, and it hosted matches at Euro 2020. That steady use gave the ground a clear role, and made the case for rebuilding it properly.
The 2025 Rebuild
Ahead of the 2030 World Cup, the running track was removed, the pitch lowered and new lower tiers built in the space the track had occupied. The work finished in early 2025 and lifted capacity to 70,000 while transforming sightlines: spectators now sit close to the touchline rather than behind a nine-lane track. Further work is planned before 2030.
Tickets & Tours
How to Get La Cartuja Tickets
Who sells the tickets depends on who is staging the match, which is the single most important thing to understand about this stadium.
1. Official Tickets
For a Copa del Rey final or a Spain international, tickets are sold by the Royal Spanish Football Federation through rfef.es, usually with a members' and participating-clubs presale before any general release. For a league match played here while a club is rebuilding its own ground, tickets come from that club instead — currently Real Betis. Prices run from about €30 in the upper bowl to €90 on the Tribuna side, and well beyond that for a final.
⚠️ Important: finals routinely sell out in the presale to the two competing clubs, so general sale can be small or non-existent. Check which club allocations apply before assuming there will be public tickets.
2. Third-Party Platforms (Sold-Out Matches)
When a fixture sells out, resale platforms list seats above face value. Verify the seller before paying, and be aware that tickets bought outside the official allocation can be voided for finals, where segregation between the two sets of supporters is strictly enforced.
Stadium Tours and Museum
La Cartuja has no museum of its own, but while Real Betis are based here during the rebuild of the Benito Villamarín, the club runs its Real Betis Tour at La Cartuja instead. Guided visits take in the views from the box seats, an exhibition area of Betis history and memorabilia, the hospitality areas and the dressing-room area, before following the players' route through the tunnel to the benches.
- Booking: reserve a time slot in advance through the official Real Betis website; there are no tours on matchdays or during other events at the stadium
For other stadium experiences in Seville:
- GetYourGuide - Seville football and stadium experiences
- Viator - Alternative booking platform
Ticket Buying Tips
- Confirm the venue first. Fixtures move between La Cartuja and club grounds at short notice while rebuilding work continues. Check the venue on your ticket rather than assuming
- Book finals the moment presale opens, and through your club if you have an affiliation
- Bring photo ID for finals and internationals; name checks are common
- Avoid street sellers on the approach roads; counterfeits circulate around big occasions
Best Seats at La Cartuja
The 2025 rebuild changed the answer to this question completely. Before it, every seat sat behind a running track and the honest advice was to go as high as possible to compensate. Now the lower rows are genuinely close to the pitch, and the ground rewards sitting low in a way it never used to.
La Cartuja is a continuous oval rather than four separate stands, with sections numbered around the bowl. Seating is sold as Tribuna (the main side), Preferencia (the opposite side), and the two ends, Fondo Norte and Fondo Sur. Because the venue is hired by whoever is staging the match, section names and pricing change from event to event, and a Copa del Rey final is sold on an entirely different plan from a league fixture.
The Tribuna side holds the halfway line, the tunnel and the media positions, and carries the highest prices, typically €60-90 for a big fixture. Preferencia opposite gives a very similar view of play for noticeably less, usually €45-70, and is the value pick for anyone who cares more about sightlines than about being on the television side.
Tier Structure
The Lower Tier is the part created by the rebuild, filling the ground the track used to occupy. These rows are the closest to the pitch the stadium has ever had and are the best seats for atmosphere, though the shallow rake near the corners means the far touchline can feel distant. The Upper Tier is the original 1999 bowl, set higher and further back, with a steeper rake and a complete view of the pitch. It is the better choice for following shape and tactics, and for photography. The gap between the two tiers is wider than at a purpose-built club ground, a legacy of the athletics design.
Hospitality and Premium
VIP and hospitality seating sits in the central Tribuna sections, with lounge access included. Because the stadium has no permanent tenant, hospitality is packaged by the organiser of each match rather than by a club, so what is included varies from fixture to fixture. Expect €150 and upwards for a final.
Accessibility
Wheelchair positions with companion seating are provided at several points around the lower bowl, with step-free access from the surrounding esplanade, which is flat. Book through whoever is selling tickets for that specific match rather than through a club, and do it early: the allocation is finite and finals sell out.
Pro Tips
- Best value: Preferencia central, €45-70, for a view close to the Tribuna at a lower price
- Best atmosphere: the lower rows behind the goals, which the rebuild brought properly into the ground
- Best overview: Upper Tier on the halfway line, the original bowl, steep enough to read the game
- Shade matters: Seville is very hot from May to September, and the roof covers only part of the seating. For an afternoon kickoff, pay attention to which side is in shade
- Check the plan every time: section naming and pricing change with the organiser, so a seat number that worked last visit may sit somewhere else entirely
Match Day Experience
Pre-Match
La Cartuja sits on the Isla de la Cartuja, the island site of the 1992 Expo, across the river from the city proper. The surroundings are science-park offices, exhibition halls and wide boulevards rather than bars, so supporters gather in Triana, the district immediately across the Puente del Cachorro, or in the centre, and move across an hour or so before kickoff.
Food and Drink
Eat before you cross the river. Triana's Calle San Jacinto and the Mercado de Triana are the obvious choice, with the tapas you actually came to Seville for, and the walk to the ground from there is short. Inside, concessions offer standard stadium fare; allow for half-time queues when the ground is full. If the match is in high summer, take water seriously.
Inside the Stadium
The atmosphere depends entirely on who is playing. A Copa del Rey final or a Betis league match fills the bowl and the noise is considerable now that the crowd sits close to the pitch. Smaller crowds feel more spread out in a bowl of this size, so the big occasions are the ones to aim for.
After the Match
Leaving takes patience. The island has limited road access and a crowd of 70,000 leaves through a small number of routes, so expect a slow walk and heavy queues for buses and taxis. The usual advice is to walk back over the river towards Triana rather than wait, which takes around 25 minutes and puts you where the bars are. Cross the Puente del Cachorro or the Puente de la Barqueta and the city reopens in front of you.
Bag Policy & Prohibited Items
⚠️ Important: La Cartuja has no permanent tenant, so entry rules are set by whoever is staging the match — the Spanish federation for a final or an international, a club for a league fixture. Always check the rules published for your specific match.
As a general rule, Spanish grounds allow one small bag, roughly A4 or smaller, subject to search on entry. Larger bags are refused, and there is no bag drop or left luggage at the stadium, which matters more here than elsewhere: the ground is on an island site with few services immediately around it, so there is nowhere nearby to leave anything. If you are arriving from Santa Justa station with luggage, leave it at the station or your hotel before you travel out.
Typically prohibited: large backpacks and holdalls, glass containers and cans, alcohol brought from outside, flares and pyrotechnics, professional cameras with detachable lenses, selfie sticks, and flagpoles beyond an agreed length.
Worth bringing: mobile ticket, ID or passport for a final, a card rather than cash, sunscreen and a hat for anything kicking off in daylight between May and September, and water to drink before the search queue.
Getting There
🚇 Metro
Seville's metro does not serve La Cartuja. Line 1, the city's only line, runs east to west across the south of the city and does not cross to the Isla de la Cartuja at all, so there is no useful metro option for the stadium. The nearest stations leave you a long way short. In practice this means buses, taxis and walking are your realistic choices, and on a matchday walking across the river is often the fastest of the three. If you are arriving into Seville by train at Santa Justa, do not plan a metro connection; take a taxi or a bus, or walk into the centre and cross from there.
🚌 Bus
Tussam city buses are the main public transport to the stadium. The circular lines C1 and C2 run around the city and serve the Isla de la Cartuja, stopping on the avenues near the ground, and line C3 covers part of the same orbit. Journey times from the centre are around 15-25 minutes depending on traffic and where you board. A single ticket costs about €1.40 from the driver, and the rechargeable Tarjeta Multiviaje brings that down considerably if you are making several journeys. For major fixtures, Tussam usually runs extra services and special shuttles from the centre and from Santa Justa; these are announced in the days before the match rather than fixed year-round, so check before you travel. Buses fill up from around 90 minutes before kickoff. Afterwards is the harder part: a full house of 70,000 leaving an island site puts serious pressure on a small number of stops, and waits of 30 minutes or more are normal immediately after the final whistle. Many supporters simply walk back over the river instead.
🅿️ Parking
There is surface parking on the Isla de la Cartuja, and more of it than at most Spanish grounds, because the island was built for the 1992 Expo and retains wide roads and large open lots. Free and low-cost spaces exist along Avenida Charles de Gaulle, Avenida Leonardo da Vinci and around the science-park buildings, generally within a 10-15 minute walk of the stadium. For an ordinary fixture this is genuinely convenient. For a Copa del Rey final it is not: 70,000 people arriving at a site with limited road access creates heavy congestion on the bridges, and the lots closest to the ground fill more than two hours before kickoff. Restrictions in the business areas apply on weekdays during office hours, which rarely affects evening or weekend matches, but check signage for residents-only and reserved bays. The bigger problem is leaving. The island is reached by a handful of bridges, and after a sell-out they all back up at once; expect to sit in traffic for 45 minutes or more. If you are driving, the pragmatic approach is to park in the city, on the Triana side of the river, and walk across.
🚶 From City Center
Walking is the underrated option here, and after a big match it is often the quickest way out. La Cartuja is about 2.5 kilometres from the centre of Seville and roughly 1.5 kilometres from Triana, the district directly across the river. From Triana, cross the Puente del Cachorro and continue north-west; the walk takes about 20-25 minutes on flat ground and is well signposted on matchdays, with a steady stream of supporters to follow. From the cathedral or Plaza Nueva allow 35-40 minutes. The Puente de la Barqueta is the other main crossing and serves the northern side of the island. Both routes are flat, paved and well lit. The one serious caveat is heat: from May to September an afternoon walk across open ground with no shade is very demanding, and in July and August temperatures above 40°C are routine. In those months take a bus or taxi out and walk back after dark. Taxis are plentiful in the centre and cost roughly €8-12 to the ground, but on the way back they are scarce and slow to reach the stadium; walking to Triana and picking one up there is usually faster than queueing.
Where to Stay for La Cartuja
Near the Stadium (Isla de la Cartuja)
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The Isla de la Cartuja is a business and exhibition district that is quiet in the evenings, and there is limited hotel stock right beside the ground. What follows is the closest useful accommodation rather than a genuine stadium-side cluster.
Hotel Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento (1.5 km)
The closest substantial hotel, a striking circular building left over from Expo 92, on the island side of the river. Large rooms, a pool that earns its keep in summer, and a genuine walk to the stadium. The trade-off is that you are away from the city's restaurants and will be taking taxis in the evening.
Eurostars Torre Sevilla (2.0 km)
Inside the Torre Sevilla skyscraper, with sweeping views over the city and a shopping centre beneath. Modern, comfortable and well placed between the island and Triana, which makes it a sensible compromise for a matchday.
Hotel Ribera de Triana (2.5 km)
On the Triana riverbank, a short walk from the bridges and the tapas of Calle San Jacinto. This is the sweet spot for a match at La Cartuja: close enough to walk to the ground, and in the part of Seville you would actually want to spend an evening.
Meliá Sevilla (3.5 km)
Large, reliable hotel near the Plaza de España and the Parque de María Luisa, on the opposite side of the centre. Better for sightseeing than for the stadium, with a taxi or bus needed on matchday.
Hotel Colón Gran Meliá (4.0 km)
The grand old hotel of Seville, long a favourite of visiting teams. Central, elegant and one of the city's classic addresses, but firmly a sightseeing base rather than a stadium one.
City Centre and Triana (Better for Everything Else)
Search hotels in Seville City Centre
Pros:
- Seville's main sights, restaurants and bars are here
- Triana is a 20-25 minute flat walk from the stadium over the Puente del Cachorro
- Far better choice of restaurants, bars and transport links
- Walking back after a match beats queueing for a bus on the island
Cons:
- You will walk or take a bus to the ground rather than roll out of bed
- Central prices rise sharply during Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril
- The old town can be noisy at weekends
Our Recommendation
Stay in Triana. It is the obvious answer for this stadium: close enough to walk across the river to the ground, and on the right side of the water for the tapas bars and the evening. The island has the proximity, the city centre has the sights, and Triana has both.
Frequently Asked Questions
La Cartuja holds 70,000 after the rebuild completed in early 2025, making it the third-largest stadium in Spain. It held around 57,000 before the work, when a running track separated the stands from the pitch.
No club owns it. La Cartuja is a publicly owned neutral venue used by the Spain national team and for Copa del Rey finals. It also serves as a temporary home for Seville clubs while their own grounds are rebuilt, so the team playing there changes between seasons.
Expect a limit of one small bag around A4 size, subject to search. There is no bag drop or left luggage at the stadium, and the island site has few services nearby, so leave larger bags at your hotel or at Santa Justa station. Because the stadium has no permanent tenant, the exact rules are set by whoever is staging the match.
The metro does not serve the stadium. Take a Tussam bus on the C1 or C2 circular lines, around 15-25 minutes, or walk from Triana across the Puente del Cachorro in about 20-25 minutes. After a sell-out, walking back over the river is usually faster than queueing for a bus.
La Cartuja has no museum of its own, but while Real Betis are based here during the Villamarín rebuild, the club runs its stadium tour at La Cartuja. Book through the official Real Betis website, which lists current prices and times.
The track was removed during the 2024-25 rebuild so the pitch could be lowered and new lower tiers built in the space it occupied. The work was done to prepare the ground for the 2030 World Cup, and it also brought spectators much closer to the action.
Since the rebuild the lower tier is genuinely close to the pitch and best for atmosphere, while the original upper bowl gives the better overview. Preferencia central offers a similar view to the Tribuna for less. In summer, check which side is in shade before booking.
Triana is the best base. It sits directly across the river, a flat 20-25 minute walk from the ground, and has the tapas bars and nightlife that make an evening in Seville. The Isla de la Cartuja itself is a quieter business district.
Details on this page can change without much notice, and cup or European fixtures often run different rules. Last reviewed 28 September 2026 — worth confirming anything important with the club before you travel.
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