Riyadh Air Metropolitano

Atlético de Madrid's modern stadium in eastern Madrid, renamed Riyadh Air Metropolitano in 2024, offering pitch-side tours through Territorio Atleti.

Overview

The Riyadh Air Metropolitano is Atlético de Madrid’s home stadium, a striking modern arena on the eastern edge of the city that opened in 2017 and has carried its current sponsor name since October 2024, under a naming-rights deal with the Saudi airline Riyadh Air. Built on the site of the former La Peineta athletics stadium, it’s a purpose-designed football venue — steep stands, close sightlines, and a capacity of roughly 70,000 — that stands in deliberate contrast to the older, more improvised stadiums it replaced.

Atlético de Madrid moved here from their historic Vicente Calderón stadium in 2017, and the ground has since hosted major finals, including a UEFA Champions League final, cementing its status as one of Europe’s premier football venues within just a few years of opening. The self-guided tour takes visitors through the Territorio Atleti museum, pitchside areas, and press facilities.

This is the destination for football fans wanting to see Atlético’s modern home, families looking for an engaging stadium tour, and travelers curious about one of Madrid’s newest major sports venues.

History & Significance

The stadium was built on the site of La Peineta, an athletics stadium constructed in the 1990s as part of Madrid’s (ultimately unsuccessful) Olympic bid efforts. Atlético de Madrid took over the site and rebuilt it as a dedicated football stadium, opening in September 2017 as the club’s new home after decades at the riverside Vicente Calderón, which was subsequently demolished as part of Madrid’s broader urban redevelopment along the Manzanares.

Since opening, the stadium has quickly built a major-event track record, hosting the 2019 UEFA Champions League final among other significant fixtures — an unusually fast rise to top-tier international venue status for a stadium still in its first decade. Its capacity of around 70,000 makes it one of the largest football stadiums in Spain, reflecting Atlético’s ambitions as a club competing at the highest level of European football.

The venue’s naming history reflects the broader business of modern stadium sponsorship: it opened as the Wanda Metropolitano under a deal with Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group, became the Cívitas Metropolitano in 2022 after a Spanish property developer took over naming rights, and most recently became the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in October 2024 under a reported nine-year, roughly €250-300 million deal with the Saudi airline — a sponsorship arrangement running through 2033. For visitors, the practical significance is simple: whatever the current name on the building, it refers to the same stadium and the same club.

Top Things to See & Do

• Territorio Atleti — the club’s museum, covering Atlético de Madrid’s history, trophies, and identity as one of Spain’s most historically significant football clubs.
• Pitchside and tunnel access — walk close to the playing surface and through areas normally reserved for players and staff.
• The press room and dressing room areas — included on the standard tour route, giving a behind-the-scenes look at match-day operations.
• The stadium’s modern architecture — the steep, close-set stands and angular exterior are worth appreciating even for visitors without a strong football interest.
• Match-day atmosphere — for those able to attend an actual fixture, the stadium’s supporter culture is one of the most intense in Spanish football.

Hidden gem: The museum’s sections dealing with Atlético’s identity as historically the “other” club in Madrid — long overshadowed by Real Madrid despite a deeply loyal fanbase — offer more context on Spanish football culture than most visitors expect from a stadium tour.

Insider Tips & Etiquette

Budget an hour to an hour and a half for the standard self-guided tour, covering the museum and pitch-level areas. There’s no dress code — this is a casual, fan-focused experience throughout. Photography is generally permitted along the tour route, with standard restrictions limited to specific restricted-access zones like technical or security areas.

The stadium is fully modern and wheelchair accessible, with elevators covering the public tour route rather than relying on stairs. In summer, parts of the tour cross open-air seating sections, so sun protection and water are worth having for a midday visit; in winter, the museum and most of the interior tour areas are indoors and comfortable. The most useful practical note for this particular venue: the stadium has changed its sponsored name three times in under a decade — Wanda Metropolitano, then Cívitas Metropolitano, now Riyadh Air Metropolitano — so when booking tickets or navigating to the venue, make sure whatever site or app you’re using reflects the current name to avoid confusion.

Photography & Social Media Guide

The pitch-level photo point built into the tour route is the most popular shot, giving a player’s-eye view of the stands. For exterior photography, the plaza in front of the main entrance captures the stadium’s angular metal facade well, with early evening light giving the best definition to its geometric lines. Photography is generally unrestricted throughout the public tour route, with the usual limits around specific operational areas.

Who It’s For

Family & Kid-Friendly: Very good — the Territorio Atleti museum and pitch-view stops are built to hold younger fans’ attention as effectively as adults’, with a good mix of interactive and visual content.

Accessibility & Mobility: Fully modern and wheelchair accessible as a purpose-built stadium, with elevator access throughout the public tour route.

Budget Traveler: The standard tour ticket, without premium upgrades, is the most cost-effective way to see the pitch, museum, and press areas.

Booking Strategy & Crowd Hacking

The standard tour ticket covers the core experience — pitch access, Territorio Atleti museum, and press facilities — without needing to upgrade to a premium package. There’s no free-entry window for the tour itself. The crowd meter is lowest on weekday mornings on non-match days, rises through weekday afternoons, and peaks hard on weekends and in the hours before kickoff on match days, when general stadium tours are typically suspended entirely — always check the fixture calendar before planning a visit.

Where to Go Next

The Riyadh Air Metropolitano sits well outside Madrid’s historic center, in the San Blas-Canillejas district on the eastern edge of the city, so this is best treated as a standalone half-day trip via Metro Line 7 rather than combined with a central-Madrid walking itinerary. On non-match days, plan to head back into the city center for food and further sightseeing rather than relying on the stadium’s surrounding area, which is quieter outside of game times. For match-day visitors, the plaza and surrounding bars come alive for several hours before kickoff — arriving early to soak up that atmosphere is arguably as memorable as the tour itself.