History and description

The stadium has a capacity of 27,000 and is located in the city of Gent. The Ghelamco Arena, also known as Arteveldestadion, opened in 2013 and has a capacity of 27,000. It is located in the city of Gent. The club had long desired to build a new stadium to replace their Jules Ottenstadion, with initial plans presented as early as 2003. However, a series of difficulties including funding gaps and environmental concerns significantly delayed the project.

Construction of the stadium was expected to be completed before the start of the 2012-13 season, however additional financing problems delayed completion by one year.

On 17 July 2013, the Ghelamco Arena officially opened with a friendly match between Ghent and Stuttgart.

The arena has a total of 1,200 business seats and 20 sky boxes. It is designed to be expandable to 30,000 or 40,000 seats.

How to get to the Ghelamco Arena

The Ghelamco Arena is located in the south of Ghent, about five kilometres from Ghent's historic city centre and three and a half kilometres from Ghent's main railway station Gent-Sint-Pieters. At the roundabout, take the first exit to your right. After about 200 meters, you will see a large building on your left. The stadium is located in this building.

If travelling to the Ghelamco Arena to watch a match on matchday, you can take a shuttle bus from Woodrow Wilsonplein on the southern edge of the historic centre 2.5 hours before kick-off.

If you are coming from Gent-Sint-Pieters railway station, you can take tram 4 in the direction of Gent-Zwijnaardebrug. Get off after about 10 minutes at stop Gestichtstraat, walk ahead until reaching the canal, and take the footpath left along the canal until reaching the Ghelamco Arena. The walk will take about 15 minutes.

Address: Ottergemsesteenweg Zuid 808, 9000 Ghent

Eat, drink, and sleep near the Ghelamco Arena

The Ghelamco Arena is located in an office park which boasts a mix of offices and light industry, and apart from a single small cafe/restaurant, has little to offer in terms of eating and drinking, which is better done in Ghent's very pleasant city centre. There are two hotels located on the same office park a short walk away from the arena. Both are typical roadside major brand hotels with reliable standards, such as a Holiday Inn Express and a Campanile Hotel. They are both ideal if you travel by car.

If you plan to explore Ghent's city centre while travelling by public transport, you are likely to prefer staying in the centre. This centre offers many hotels of different price ranges.

Ghent Tickets

Tickets for KAA Gent matches can be bought online or at the ticket office at the Ghelamco Arena on the day of the match. Ghent sell out occasionally so booking in advance is advised.

A range of ticket prices are available, with prices varying depending on where you sit. For example, tickets for the end stands range in price from €20 to €40.

You can find a seating map here. Email [email protected] for more information.

Photos of the Ghelamco Arena

I felt overwhelmed with sadness as I witnessed the devastation caused by the hurricane.

Useful Internet links

The official website of KAA Gent, VisitGent.be, provides information on tourist attractions in Ghent, public transport options in Ghent, and train timetables and fares. BelgianRail.be provides information on the available trains and their destinations throughout Belgium. I got off the bus too far away and had to walk to the station. It took me nearly an hour because the buses were packed. But getting to the ground wasn't too much of a problem.

I attended the first competitive match at Gent?, which was a stunning experience. It's a bit of a walk back to the station though.

I do not think there is a bad seat in the house. The pitch is raised up on a stage. After talking with several fans about their old ground, this ground was a welcome change. The fans love it and rightly so. The atmosphere was great. New stadiums often have a problem with creating atmospheres, but this had no such problem.

Getting down from the bus proved to be no problem. However, getting out was difficult because I was too far away from the stop. I followed the crowd and eventually found myself at the station. It took me nearly an hour to walk there due to the crowded buses. However, I am hoping that the teething problems will be fixed in Belgium.