Matchday Guide: Aston Villa v Man City

Aston Villa is once again proud to show the club's strong support for No Room For Racism this weekend. 

Every Premier League fixture between October 17-25 is dedicated to the No Room For Racism initiative, reiterating the ongoing commitment to tackle discrimination and promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of our game. 

The Villans will proudly display their support for No Room For Racism at Saturday's fixture, with players taking the knee before kick-off to show unity against all forms of discrimination and messaging throughout the stadium as well as online.

Read full details by clicking here. 

To help everyone’s visit go as smoothly as possible, we suggest all Villans to please:

• Download tickets before you set off. If it slips your mind, we are pleased to let you know that free WiFi is now available at the turnstiles so you can connect. 
• Arrive a little earlier than normal at Villa Park. One end of the stadium is an active construction site, so please allow enough time to make your way around and through the turnstiles. 
• Follow the new WhatsApp fan channel for timely updates on matchdays. 

We are pleased to announce the launch of an all-new matchday WhatsApp channel for this season, which can be joined by clicking here. 

With a number of changes to Villa Park over the summer, fans who join the channel can expect ticketing and travel information and real-time updates to be pushed directly to their mobile device to help them successfully navigate Villa Park and enjoy your matchday experience.

To join the channel now, click here. 

Supporters are reminded to download the latest version of the Official Aston Villa App to download their match tickets ahead of kick-off.

All match tickets will now be issued in the Official Aston Villa App only, meaning you must have the latest version of the app downloaded in order to gain access to Villa Park on matchday. If you are unable to see your tickets, please log out and log back in.

Simply log into your Digital Account in the app and your tickets will appear under the ‘Tickets’ section. Supporters must update their app to the latest version to ensure in-app ticketing works without issue, and upon first open of the app, you will need to log out and then back in to verify your identity.

Villa Park is now fully NFC ticketing enabled for supporters to access the stadium. Near-Field Communication (NFC) enables fans to enter the stadium via Apple or Google Wallet.

A limited number of general admission tickets for the match remain. Book online here.

The best way to secure tickets for future matches at Villa Park is via a Membership. 

The club has a range of hospitality and GA+ areas to complement our existing offer. Check out all the information and book online here.

Hospitality bookings for our upcoming home matches can be made over the phone on 01214680445 (option 1) or by emailing hospitality@avfc.co.uk.

Children under the age of four are no longer permitted in GA, GA+, Club Si or Sports Bar seating areas.

Children under 4 can attend other hospitality areas, where there is direct access to areas and changing facilities. However, if you are attending with a child under 4, please let us know in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements for your visit.

It's important that supporters take steps to plan their visit to the stadium. 

Turnstiles open at 11AM, so make sure you arrive at the stadium in plenty of time ahead of kick-off to ensure smooth entry. 

Please note, access to turnstiles is maintained during the first half and will close once the half-time whistle is blown.

However you're planning on getting to the match, take a look at our Travel & Parking guide before leaving home. 

A traffic exclusion zone will be in operation around the stadium, meaning there will be less traffic on Trinity Road and Witton Lane from up to two hours before the match starts. 

Please plan ahead and check train timetables for direct services or travel earlier for less busy services. Please visit Transport for West Midlands’ Journey Planner or the National Rail journey planner here.

For real time traffic updates, follow @wmroads on X.  

Our dedicated city centre shuttle bus service, the AV82, will operate for the match. For more information on the AV82, visit here.

Our shuttle bus to and from Tamworth, the AV1, will also be in operation. For more information, visit here. You can also pre-book your ticket for the AV1 bus here.

To help you plan your journey by public transport, please visit How to get to Villa Park.

Supporters are advised that the supply of car parking around Villa Park is limited.

We will be continuing to work with local parking operators to offer fans the opportunity to book parking near to the ground. 

Match-by-match car parking for the game is available through our new official travel website, travel.avfc.co.uk. 

Aston Villa is delighted to confirm to supporters that our AV82 city centre shuttle bus service will continue to run on matchdays this season.

Run by Stagecoach, the AV82 shuttle picks supporters up from outside Birmingham New Street Station on Dudley Street, running directly to Villa Park. Buses run every 15 minutes, starting three hours before kick-off for every home fixture.

Services run back to Birmingham New Street at regular intervals for up to 90 minutes after the final whistle of every game, with services departing from Grosvenor Road, on the walking route towards Aston Station. 

Traffic signals have been optimised around Villa Park to help improve flow of traffic away from the ground. This should assist with journey times for our AV82 city centre shuttle bus.  

The club also has a dedicated bus service, AV1, that runs to Villa Park from Tamworth on matchday. You can purchase tickets here. 

More information is available here. 

Covered and secure cycle parking is available a short walk away from Villa Park at our Inner City Academy, Brook Vale, on Witton Road.

Supporters with accessibility requirements travelling to Villa Park by rail are advised to look out for the accessibility signage on both platforms at Witton Station.

Station staff will be able to help you if you wait in the designated areas. More information is available here.

For any supporters with additional mobility needs who have questions about travel to and from Villa Park on a matchday, please contact accessibility@avfc.co.uk.

We have a stadium-wide bag policy in place at Villa Park; all bags will be physically and/or visually searched at the stadium entrance. Any bags larger than 20cm x 15cm x 5cm will not be allowed onto the stadium footprint. For a full list of acceptable and prohibited items, please click here.

A matchday bag drop facility is now operating at Villa Park for bags which exceed the allowable size.

The bag drop facility is located on the corner of Witton Lane and Station Road.

There is a £10 charge per item and the bag drop is open from two hours before, until two hours after each game.

You can find out more information and register your bag(s) at villa.dropmybag.co.uk.

The Support Hub, located on the first floor of the Holte Pub, will be open every matchday, providing a safe and welcoming space where supporters can access mental health support, guidance, and resources. 

This pioneering initiative forms part of Aston Villa’s ongoing commitment to its community of fans, with the clear aim of raising awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging help-seeking behaviour. 

With the tagline 'Supporting the Supporters', the Hub will be staffed by trained volunteers and mental health professionals who will be on hand to offer confidential advice, a listening ear, and signposting to specialist services.  

Text AVFC to 85258 to be connected to SHOUT - anytime, day or night, 24/7, for free confidential mental health and wellbeing support. 

Villa Park's Sports Illustrated Warehouse is open pre-match on matchday, located in the North Grounds. 

The space opens its doors at 10.30am, with supporters able to enjoy a bar area and food. There will also be live music from Lunafall! 

The Upper and Lower Plaza features a variety of different food vendors, including Aston Villa Foundation's Kerbside Cobs along with the AVFC retail unit. 

The Warehouse Fanzone is for home supporters only on presentation of your matchday ticket. 

We also have entertainment taking place on the stage opposite Trinity Reception. This will be open post-game for an hour and a half.

A brand-new fanzone has been installed outside the Trinity Road Stand entrance. Entry will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis for home fans with a valid match ticket, offering the perfect vantage point for player arrivals from 11AM.

We want to see your experience of matchday at Villa Park! Post your photos and tag #UTV and you could be featured on the big screens at the stadium! 

Supporters are advised that the R44 accessible entrance will be closed for a period of time. 

Saturday's match against Manchester City comes with something special. Visit Rwanda is bringing Rwandan coffee to Villa Park. Grown on volcanic hills in the Land of a Thousand Hills, it is one of the world's finest coffees.

Join us at Villa Park (Warehouse Upper Plaza, Trinity Marquee, The Oak Room) for a free cup/tasting of Rwandan coffee before kick-off.

Warm up. Fuel up. Find out where it comes from.

Villa Park offers a wide range of cuisine and beverages on a matchday, open from 10AM, with a number of upgrades made to our general admission food and beverage offering over the summer. 

This includes the following...

• Introduction of Homemade Pie offering, aligned with the recent developments in the Main Kitchen.
• Increased draught dispense capacity across all three stands of the stadium, with an additional 57 taps installed and upgraded nozzles to improve dispense times, plus five brand-new draft bars.
• Installation of Multi Dispense Units on Lower Holte Kiosks 2 and 3
• Launch of ‘The Holte Tandoor’ kiosk in Lower Holte, and Launch of the new ‘Lux Greek x Pop Street’ kiosk on Lower Trinity – providing a more curated menu suitable for both men's and women's fixtures.
• Upgraded confectionery and snack ranges, including the introduction of Brown Bag Crisps, Tony's Chocolonely and our own AVFC Jelly Mix.
• New kiosk branding across retail concessions, delivered in collaboration with our partners Carlsberg and Guinness.

Outside the stadium, several street food trucks will sit alongside a bar serving alcoholic and soft drinks.

Supporters are reminded that Aston Villa adopts a one-cup system at Villa Park, in our continued environmental sustainability efforts.

Located in the Lower Plaza outside the Sports Illustrated Warehouse on matchdays, Kerbside Cobs is a converted food unit which is run by the Aston Villa Foundation.

Cobs on offer are the delicious Villa Cheesesteak (tender ribeye steak, fried onions, melted cheese and diced peppers with a gooey cheese dripping sauce) and the Floozy Halloumi (grilled halloumi, charred peppers, shredded lettuce, pickled purple onion, avocado mayo and a sweet chilli dipping pot). 

Villa Park remains a cashless facility. This includes the Villa Store, with card payments widely accepted in and around the stadium.

The only exception is programme kiosks outside the ground, which will still accept cash.

In-stadia betting kiosks will also be in operation for this fixture and such service will be provided on a cashless basis.

Physical and digital copies of the Aston Villa News & Record are once again available this season, both online and around the ground. 

The Aston Villa Official Programme app gives supporters access to every edition of the Villa News & Record in a number of languages, no matter where you’re following from in the world, and it’s available to download now from the App Store and Google Play.

Download on the App Store     Download on Google Play

Physical copies can be purchased for £4 from sellers around Villa Park and in the Villa Store, while it's also available to order online here.

Villans can purchase digital editions on a game-by-game basis or save money with a subscription. 

There are a number of places where supporters can shop for Aston Villa merchandise on a matchday, including the upgraded Villa Store.

Below you'll find the opening times for each shop around the ground...

Villa Store: 9am-5.30pm

Holte Store: 10am-12.30pm and 4.30pm-5.30pm 

Trinty Store: 10am-12.30pm and 1pm-1.30pm 

Lower Grounds: 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-3pm 

82 Lounge: 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-3pm 

Warehouse: 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-3pm 

Secure 30% off the Heritage Embroidery collection today! 

The in-store exclusive collection launched earlier this year and features a mixture of t-shirts, polos, hoodies and quarter zips in oatmeal and claret.  

You can also save up to 30% off selected accessories this matchday. Applicable items across men’s, women’s and junior accessories will be marked clearly in-store.  

Take advantage of our matchday offer exclusively at the Villa Park Store and selected Hospitality retail kiosks*. 

*Please note: only a selection of products from the Elevated Classics range will be available in the hospitality areas.  

The all-new Kids Zone outside the Villa Store will be closed this matchday due to inclement weather conditions forecast. 

We apologise for the inconvenience caused. 

If you witness discriminatory behaviour at a match or around a stadium, please report it to the police or a steward.

Fans can also report any discriminatory behaviour via our dedicated WhatsApp channel, by clicking here or scanning the QR code below. 

We would like to remind supporters that Villa Park is an all-seater stadium.

In all areas of Villa Park, we have children, elderly fans and those with medical conditions who are unable to see or watch the match if supporters stand up in front of them.

Please be mindful of this at all times and thank you for your cooperation.

Following a proposal from the Fan Advisory Board, the clubs is pleased to announce that the Lower Grounds will be open for fans in the Lower Holte as an extended concourse at half-time.

The space will be open ten minutes before half-time and will close ten minutes into the second half.