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San Mamés

A unique stadium

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Much more than

Football

A true icon

San Mamés stadium, located in Bilbao (Bizkaia), is the home ground for Athletic Club, a team with a unique philosophy and over 120 years of history.

The Club is an international referent, because of both its current facilities and the history of its legendary stadium, which was rebuilt in 2013, and is known throughout the world by the nickname ‘The Cathedral’.

A true icon

San Mamés stadium, located in Bilbao (Bizkaia), is the home ground for Athletic Club, a team with a unique philosophy and over 120 years of history.

The Club is an international referent, because of both its current facilities and the history of its legendary stadium, which was rebuilt in 2013, and is known throughout the world by the sobriquet ‘The Cathedral’.

Facilities

The stadium has a capacity for 53,331 spectators, and was designed according to the most demanding standards, namely, those pertaining to UEFA’s Elite Category. It was recognised as the world’s best sports venue in 2015 at the World Architecture Festival, and Venue of the Year 2017 at the World Football Summit.

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Middle terraces

One of the outstanding features of this new San Mamés is the stadium’s middle terraces. It is an area that combines design, history and tradition in a modern and functional style. This middle area has several VIP zones arranged for enjoying the matches and savouring an unforgettable experience under the seal of San Mames BAT.

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International

Prestige

Awards

With a capacity of 53,000 spectators, San Mamés is one of Europe’s leading stadia (considered to be one of the world’s 30 most vibrant grounds, according to France Football), and has set the tone for the construction of large sports venues throughout the world, constituting a veritable benchmark both at home and abroad.

Awards

With a capacity of 53,000 spectators, San Mamés is one of Europe’s leading stadia (considered to be one of the world’s 30 most vibrant grounds, according to France Football), and has set the tone for the construction of large sports venues throughout the world, constituting a veritable benchmark both at home and abroad.

The new San Mamés has received the accolade as best sorts venue in 2015 at the World Architecture Festival, Venue of the Year 2017 at the World Football Summit, and first prize in the category of sports and recreational facilities at the World Design Awards in 2020. The stadium has become an icon in the city’s landscape, creating a new setting against a traditional background, bringing fans closer to the field of play.

Major events

The stadium’s features in terms of design, comfort, safety and security, accesses and services have enabled UEFA to classify San Mamés as part of the Élite, the highest rating that means it can host major events.

As a result, UEFA designated San Mamés as one of the stadia for the 2020 Euros. Prior to that, in May 2018, the Cathedral hosted the finals of rugby’s Challenge Cup and Champions Cup, Europe’s foremost competitions in this sport. San Mamés is set to host two European football finals over the coming years: the final stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2024 and the UEFA Europa League in 2025.

San Mamés is consolidating its position as a unique venue both in the regional market and in the global MICE industry, thanks to events of international prestige as a site for parallel activities for such major gatherings as “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants”, a concert by Muse, and the gala ceremony in the programme held to celebrate the “MTV European Music Awards”.

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An Architectural

Triumph

Unique architecture in the centre of Bilbao

San Mamés has an instantly recognisable façade that is semi-transparent and permeable, constituting an architectural feature that is remarkable for its originality and reinforces the links with the city and its surrounding area.

Unique architecture in the centre of Bilbao

San Mamés has an instantly recognisable façade that is semi-transparent and permeable, constituting an architectural feature that is remarkable for its originality and reinforces the links with the city and its surrounding area.

Furthermore, the new San Mamés continues to maintain the same allure as the previous ground. The pressure of the crowd and the fantastic atmosphere on matchdays are the stadium’s hallmarks, which everyone refers to as “The Catedral of Football”.

Interior design with essence

The ground’s interior design reflects the essence of the old San Mamés through the presence of unique features related to the history of both the Club and Bilbao itself.

The pitch is still the original size (105 x 68 metres), and it upholds the minimum statutory distance between the stand and the playing field, while still generating the “cauldron effect” that was also a feature of the former ground. Furthermore, the pitch is 7.8 metres below the surrounding ground-level, with the intention of lowering the overall height of the stadium and providing obstacle-free access to the lower stands. The terraces themselves have been built with the steepest gradient within parameters of comfort in order to bring the crowd closer to the pitch.

A model of sustainability

The stadium has been built bearing in mind certain values such as sustainability. This has made it the first football ground in Europe to obtain the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) sustainable building certificate.

This recognition assesses a building’s degree of sustainability based on numerous criteria, such as the impact on the surrounding area, energy and water saving, the use of low-impact materials, innovation and design.

Lighting

The lighting on the façade of the San Mamés stadium constitutes one of its defining features, with a dynamic LED system that permits changing its white plastic ETFE panels into any other colour or arrangement.

La iluminación de la fachada de San Mamés es, sin duda, una de las señas de identidad del campo. Se puede The light show on San Mamés can be enjoyed daily from 10 pm to 10.30 pm in summer, and from 8 pm to 8.30 pm in winter, and it is visible from different parts of the city.

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100 years of

History

The old San Mamés was an essential landmark in the world of football, becoming a legendary ground in the international game, which earned it the nickname that ultimately secured its place in history: The Cathedral.

The stadium opened in 1913, and 100 years later its was replaced by its present incarnation. The new ground embraced the challenge of preserving the old traditions of San Mames, its atmosphere, its respect for the opposition, and its passion. It is now a modern, accessible, comfortable and marketable venue that is suited to our modern times.

From the old to the new

1898 – 1913

In the early years of the 20th century, Athletic did not play in what we now consider to be proper grounds, but instead on makeshift pitches. The first of these pitches was near the mouth of the estuary in Lamiako (Leioa), which was followed by Jolaseta (Getxo). Yet Athletic’s overriding ambition was to have its own ground and, if possible, in the heart of Bilbao, as the pitches in Lamiako and Jolaseta were very far away from the city centre. The dream began to materialise when they rented a plot adjacent to the San Mamés retirement home.

Lamiako and Jolaseta, the first pitches

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The birth of San Mamés: the general meeting and foundation stone

Description of San Mamés in 1913, designed by the architect Manuel Smith

San Mamés, The Cathedral

1913 – 2013

The Club initially rented the plot for a period of ten years from the heirs of Pedro Novia Salcedo, but this ended up extending to a hundred years. The ground, which initially held 7,000 spectators, underwent a continuous process of extensions and alterations. The main one was in 1952, and involved the building of the trademark arch, and the last one was the refurbishment in preparation for the 1982 World Cup, increasing its capacity to 45,000 spectators. In 2013, after 100 years and 3,695 matches, San Mamés, The Catedral, passed the baton on to the new San Mamés.

Purchase of San Mamés, and its arch

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The Cathedral of Football

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The farewell

The new San Mamés

2013 – Today

The new ground was built almost exactly on the same pot and continues to be an undisputed benchmark among football stadia of recognised prestige, living up to the sobriquet it has inherited, namely, The Cathedral. Both its modern, innovative and spectacular design, and its architecture and privileged location mean that the 53,000 fans packed into the stadium enjoy the full atmosphere of football. The essence of tradition dovetails harmoniously with modern expectations.

A veritable icon

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Major events

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Lighting

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From the old to the new

1898 – 1913

In the early years of the 20th century, Athletic did not play in what we now consider to be proper grounds, but instead on makeshift pitches. The first of these pitches was near the mouth of the estuary in Lamiako (Leioa), which was followed by Jolaseta (Getxo). Yet Athletic’s overriding ambition was to have its own ground and, if possible, in the heart of Bilbao, as the pitches in Lamiako and Jolaseta were very far away from the city centre. The dream began to materialise when they rented a plot adjacent to the San Mamés retirement home.

Lamiako and Jolaseta, the first pitches

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The birth of San Mamés: the general meeting and foundation stone

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Description of San Mamés in 1913, designed by the architect Manuel Smith

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San Mamés, The Cathedral

1913 – 2013

The Club initially rented the plot for a period of ten years from the heirs of Pedro Novia Salcedo, but this ended up extending to a hundred years. The ground, which initially held 7,000 spectators, underwent a continuous process of extensions and alterations. The main one was in 1952, and involved the building of the trademark arch, and the last one was the refurbishment in preparation for the 1982 World Cup, increasing its capacity to 45,000 spectators. In 2013, after 100 years and 3,695 matches, San Mamés, The Catedral, passed the baton on to the new San Mamés.

Purchase of San Mamés, and its arch

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The Cathedral of Football

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The farewell

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The new San Mamés

2013 – Today

The new ground was built almost exactly on the same pot and continues to be an undisputed benchmark among football stadia of recognised prestige, living up to the sobriquet it has inherited, namely, The Cathedral. Both its modern, innovative and spectacular design, and its architecture and privileged location mean that the 53,000 fans packed into the stadium enjoy the full atmosphere of football. The essence of tradition dovetails harmoniously with modern expectations.

A veritable icon

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Major events

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Lighting

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