Helsinki Olympic Stadium is the national stadium of Finland, a 36,251-capacity landmark in the Töölö district of Helsinki that was built for the Olympics, hosted the 1952 Summer Games and reopened in 2020 after a major renovation. Demand for Helsinki Olympic Stadium tickets is driven above all by the Finland national football team, the Huuhkajat, whose World Cup and Nations League home matches are the main draw, along with the big concerts and athletics meetings that fill this historic ground. The stadium, known in Finnish as the Olympiastadion, is famous for its functionalist architecture and its 72-metre tower, and the recent rebuild placed a new roof over every seat. 1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace established in 2006, with seat-level detail at checkout and a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
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This guide is written for the supporter making the trip, not the browser. It covers the walk and the tram out from the centre of Helsinki, how the renovated bowl and its running track are arranged, where visiting supporters sit, the bag rules and the entry process, the food and drink of Helsinki, and the story of one of the great Olympic stadiums and its life as the home of Finnish football. By the end you should know how a matchday at the Olympiastadion runs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, the Olympiastadion |
| Location | Paavo Nurmen tie, Töölö, Helsinki, Finland |
| Capacity | 36,251 for football, more for concerts |
| Opened | 1938, renovated 2016 to 2020 |
| Architects | Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti |
| Surface | Natural grass with an athletics track |
| Primary Use | Finland national football team, athletics and concerts |
| Landmark | The 72-metre stadium tower |
| Owner | Stadion-säätiö, the stadium foundation |
| Nearest Station | Helsinki Central, around a 25-minute walk or a short tram |
Helsinki Olympic Stadium sits in the Töölö district a little over two kilometres north of the centre of Helsinki, close to the city's sports quarter with its swimming stadium and ice hall, in a green and pleasant part of the capital. Because Helsinki is a compact and well-run city with an excellent tram network, the ground is easy to reach on foot or by tram, and the club and the venue encourage supporters to travel by public transport on event days, when parking around the stadium is very limited. The address is Paavo Nurmen tie, named after the great Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, whose statue stands outside.
Trams and buses run close to the stadium, with the nearest stops including Töölön Kisahalli, Auroran sairaala, the Opera house and Töölön kirjasto, all a short walk from the ground. Helsinki's trams are frequent and simple to use with the HSL travel app or a ticket, and the tram is the easiest way out from the centre for those who would rather not walk. Follow the crowd and the signs from the nearest stop to the stadium on a matchday.
From the centre of Helsinki and the Central Railway Station the stadium is around a twenty-five-minute walk north through the city and the park areas of Töölö, a pleasant route on a fine day that many supporters take. Helsinki is a walkable, human-scale city, so combining the match with a stroll out from the centre is an easy option, and the ground is visible from a distance thanks to its tower. For those staying centrally, walking is often as quick as waiting for a tram.
Helsinki Central Railway Station and the Pasila station nearby connect the city to the rest of Finland and to the airport by the commuter rail, with tram and bus links on to the stadium, so visitors arriving by train can reach the ground easily. Helsinki is also a strong cycling city with good bike lanes and a city-bike scheme, with docking stations near the stadium at the swimming stadium and the ice hall, so cycling is a genuine option in the warmer months.
Driving to the Olympic Stadium is not recommended on event days, as all the parking around the ground is chargeable and much of it is closed or full when a big event is on. There is no large dedicated event car park at the stadium, with the nearest options including the P-Töölö parking hall and various street and sports-hall car parks that fill quickly. With the tram and the short walk from the centre, public transport is far easier than driving, and the venue advises supporters to leave the car behind for events.
Parking at Helsinki Olympic Stadium is limited and chargeable, and on event days much of the parking nearest the ground is closed or reserved, so it is not a reliable option for a big match or concert. The nearest parking hall is P-Töölö on Töölönkatu, with other paid car parks around the sports quarter, but all fill quickly when an event is on. The venue and the city strongly recommend arriving by tram, bus, bike or on foot for events, given the very limited parking and the compact, well-connected nature of Helsinki. Drivers who must come should use one of the parking halls further out and complete the journey by tram or on foot.
Helsinki Olympic Stadium is a historic athletics stadium rather than a football-specific ground, so it is a continuous oval bowl with a running track around the pitch, which means the seats are set a little further back from the play than at a dedicated football stadium. The 2016 to 2020 renovation rebuilt the interior and, most noticeably, added a canopy roof over every seat, a major improvement on the old open bowl. The main grandstand sits beneath the famous tower on one side, with the curved ends behind the goals and the long stand opposite, all now under cover.
The main grandstand on the west side, beneath the tower, holds the premium and hospitality seating, the media positions and the best central views along the pitch, and it is the most sheltered and comfortable part of the ground. As the historic heart of the stadium, rebuilt in the renovation, it carries the higher-priced seats and the best facilities. For a clear view of the whole pitch and the tactical shape of a match, the central rows of the main stand are the pick of the ground.
The curved ends behind the goals are where the most vocal Finland supporters gather, the home of the Huuhkajat's followers who bring the flags, the singing and the colour to an international night. These are the sections to target for the fullest atmosphere at a Finland match, though the running track means they sit further from the goal than a football-specific end. The opposite long stand completes the bowl with a good elevated view across the pitch in a calmer setting.
For international matches the visiting country's supporters are given a designated section of the ground, with the exact location and allocation set for each fixture, so away fans should check the details for their specific game. As a stadium rebuilt to modern standards in 2020, the ground has strong accessibility provision, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces, accessible facilities and step-free access, though published detail on exact numbers is limited, so supporters with access requirements should contact the venue before the match. The table below matches a section to what you want from the day.
| Priority | Recommended Sections |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | The curved ends behind the goals |
| Tactical overview | Main grandstand under the tower, central rows |
| Shelter and comfort | Main grandstand, now fully covered |
| Calmer view | The long stand opposite the tower |
| Budget-friendly | Upper rows and the corners |
| Visiting fans | Designated away section (confirm per fixture) |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair-user bays with companion spaces (request at purchase) |
Helsinki has a northern climate, with cold winters, mild summers and long daylight in June and July, so the weather at a match depends heavily on the time of year. The great change from the renovation is that a canopy roof now covers every seat, keeping the crowd dry and sheltered in a way the old open bowl never did, which is a real benefit in a city that can turn wet and cold. For an autumn international a warm and waterproof layer is still sensible, especially as evenings cool quickly, while a summer fixture under the new roof is usually comfortable in the long Nordic daylight.
Like other international grounds, Helsinki Olympic Stadium runs a firm bag policy with searches on entry, so the sensible approach is to travel light. Large bags and rucksacks are best left at your accommodation, since oversized bags are refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store. Standard prohibited items apply, including bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares, and any object judged dangerous. The concourses take card and contactless payment, and Finland is largely a cashless country, so a contactless card is essential. Check the venue's guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel, and arrive early to clear the search on a busy day.
Helsinki is a fine city for food and drink, with a lively restaurant and bar scene in the compact centre and around the harbour, and the ground is close enough to the city that building the day around the centre is easy. The Töölö district around the stadium is quieter and more residential, so the fuller choice is in the centre, a short tram ride or walk away.
Helsinki has a strong food culture, from the market halls and the harbourside stalls to modern Nordic restaurants and traditional Finnish fare of fish, rye bread and hearty stews, with a lively craft-beer scene and plenty of bars and cafes. The area around the market square, the Design District and the central streets is full of places to eat and drink, and a meal in the city before the tram out to the ground is the natural approach. Finnish coffee culture is also strong, so a cafe stop is part of the day.
The Töölö district around the stadium is leafy and residential, with some cafes and restaurants but a quieter feel than the centre, and the sports quarter nearby is more about the swimming stadium, the ice hall and the parks than nightlife. A few spots near the ground serve supporters on a matchday, but most build the day around the centre and travel out. The nearby Töölönlahti bay and its parkland make a pleasant setting for a pre-match walk.
Inside the renovated stadium the concourses are modern and serve Finnish matchday and event fare, with card and contactless payment throughout. The rebuild improved the catering and facilities considerably from the old ground. For a fuller meal, eat in the centre of Helsinki beforehand, where the market halls, the harbour and the city-centre restaurants offer the best of Finnish and international food, then take the tram or walk out to the stadium.
Finnish football and events use modern digital ticketing, so for most fixtures the ticket sits in your phone wallet or an app and is scanned at the entrance. Load the ticket, charge your phone and turn the screen brightness up before you reach the turnstile, since a saved screenshot can fail to scan when a barcode refreshes. Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd filter in, and with a bag search and a crowd arriving by tram and on foot at once, the entrances get busy in the last half hour. Aim to be at the ground in good time rather than joining the final rush, particularly for a sold-out international or a concert.
Leaving the Olympic Stadium is straightforward given how close it is to the centre of Helsinki, with the tram and a short walk the usual ways back.
Most supporters walk back into the centre, around twenty-five minutes through Töölö, or take a tram from the nearby stops towards the city and the railway station. The stops are busy immediately after a sold-out event, so either move quickly with the first wave or give the initial crush a few minutes to clear before setting off. The short distance into the compact centre means you are quickly among the bars and restaurants of the city.
Drivers who parked further out should expect the roads around the sports quarter to be busy after an event, so a patient exit is the usual pattern, though few come by car given the parking limits. Cyclists collect their bikes from the racks and city-bike stations and ride back on Helsinki's good cycle network, an easy option in the lighter months. The tram and the walk remain the simplest ways back for most.
The natural way to end a matchday is to head back into central Helsinki for the evening, to the bars and restaurants around the market square, the Design District and the harbour, in one of the most pleasant capital cities in northern Europe. The simplest way to beat any post-event crowd is to let the first wave clear before heading off, and with the short distance into town there is no rush. A summer evening in Helsinki, with its long daylight, makes for a memorable end to the day.
Helsinki Olympic Stadium was built in the 1930s to a functionalist design by the architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti, opening in 1938, and its slender 72-metre tower became a symbol of the city, its height said to match the distance of Matti Järvinen's javelin gold at the 1932 Olympics. The ground was intended to host the 1940 Olympics, which were cancelled by the Second World War, and instead it staged the 1952 Summer Olympics, one of the most celebrated Games of the era, when the stadium held a temporary capacity of over 70,000. That Olympic history gave the ground its enduring place at the heart of Finnish sport.
Over the following decades the stadium hosted a remarkable run of major athletics events, including the World Championships in Athletics in 1983, the first ever held, and again in 2005, along with several European Athletics Championships, confirming its status as one of the great athletics arenas. It has also been the home of the Finland national football team since 1938, and it hosted the final of the Women's European Championship in 2009 and, more recently, the 2022 UEFA Super Cup, when Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt in front of a full house, bringing the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League to Helsinki.
Between 2016 and 2020 the stadium underwent a comprehensive renovation costing around 337 million euros, which rebuilt the interior, modernised the facilities and, most visibly, added a canopy roof over every seat while carefully preserving the protected functionalist architecture and the tower. The ground reopened in 2020 as a modern venue that keeps its historic character, ready to serve Finnish football, athletics and major concerts for a new era. A charming footnote to its history came in 2007, when a Eurasian eagle-owl perched on a goalpost during a Finland match, delaying play, after which the national team took the nickname Huuhkajat, the eagle-owls.
The stadium's history, verified by contemporary records, spans far more than football. The 1952 Olympics remain its defining moment, but its football highlights include Finland's international nights, the Women's European Championship final of 2009 and the 2022 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt. For the Finland national team the biggest occasions have been the qualifying campaigns that finally took the country to its first major tournament, when the Olympic Stadium roared the Huuhkajat towards a place at the European Championship, among the proudest nights in Finnish football at a ground more used to Olympic and athletics glory.
Having been comprehensively renovated between 2016 and 2020, Helsinki Olympic Stadium is a modern venue with its historic architecture preserved, so its future lies in continuing as the national stadium of Finland for football, athletics and major events. The new roof, the rebuilt interior and the modern facilities have equipped it to host international football, big concerts and athletics meetings for decades to come, while the protected status of the functionalist design ensures its character is retained. The ground remains the settled home of the Finland national team and the centrepiece of Finnish sport, admired as one of the finest surviving Olympic stadiums.
Following its renovation, Helsinki Olympic Stadium has strong accessibility provision designed into the rebuilt ground, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces, accessible facilities and step-free access, a major improvement on the old stadium. The exact number and location of accessible spaces are not widely published, so supporters with access requirements should contact the venue well before the match to confirm the available seating, arrange any companion ticket and check the route into the ground. The central location, close to the city and served by trams, makes reaching the stadium more manageable than at many out-of-town grounds, and the venue can advise on the most suitable arrangement for a given event.
The fixtures that move Helsinki Olympic Stadium tickets fastest are the Finland national team's home matches, especially the World Cup and Nations League games against the sides Finland needs to beat. The full home programme sits on the Finland tickets page, with individual matches such as the Finland vs Belarus tickets and the Finland vs Albania tickets fixtures listed as they are confirmed. Finland's World Cup qualifying nights, part of the wider World Cup tickets road, are the biggest draws of all, when a place at a major tournament is on the line and the ground fills with the Huuhkajat's supporters. International tickets in Finland are reasonably priced by European standards, but the biggest qualifiers sell out, so the marquee nights are the ones to book early. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than fixed and buy early for the key matches.
1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace that has operated since 2006, showing seat-level detail before you pay and backing every order with a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday. The eight steps below cover the process from finding a fixture to tracking your order.
Step1
Find the fixture
Go to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium listing on 1BoxOffice and select the match or event you want. Each fixture shows the available stands, rows and current pricing before you commit to a seat.
Step2
Check the seat detail
Use the stand and price filters to compare sections. Seat location and row are shown against the venue layout, so you can weigh a curved end behind the goal against a sheltered main-grandstand seat before deciding.
Step3
Confirm the supporter section
Make sure the block matches who you are travelling with. For internationals, home and visiting-supporter areas are listed separately, and visiting fans are routed to the designated section confirmed for each fixture.
Step4
Review before checkout
Check the delivery method and the kick-off time against your travel plans. International and Nations League kick-off times can shift with scheduling, so verify the date and time before you book travel or a hotel, especially for a trip to Helsinki.
Step5
Create your account
First-time buyers should create an account to complete checkout and receive the ticket. Returning customers simply log in. An account keeps your order and delivery details in one place.
Step6
Complete payment
All major credit and debit cards are accepted. The 150% money-back guarantee applies automatically to every order if the ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
Step7
Receive your ticket
Tickets for Finland matches and events are typically issued digitally. Keep the live ticket in your wallet or the relevant app ready to scan, and avoid relying on a saved screenshot that may fail at the turnstile.
Step8
Track your order
Follow delivery status and manage your booking through track order. Digital tickets arrive ahead of the match so you can travel with everything ready.
Helsinki makes a rewarding football trip, a clean, safe and walkable Nordic capital on the Baltic with a strong food and design culture and easy connections across Europe. Fly into Helsinki Airport and take the commuter train or bus into the city in around half an hour, then reach the stadium by tram or on foot. Base yourself in the compact centre, close to the trams out to Töölö, and remember that Finland is largely cashless, so a contactless card is essential, that the ground is a historic athletics stadium with the seats set back a little from the pitch, and that the summer brings long daylight while autumn internationals can be cold. Helsinki pairs well with a short trip taking in the harbour, the islands and the design quarter.
With the city and the region rewarding a longer stay, many supporters build a trip around the match. If you are lining up other fixtures, the football tickets hub, the wider football tournaments calendar and the venues tickets directory show what else is on. The Olympic Stadium itself has hosted the biggest European nights, from the Women's European Championship final to the 2022 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, the annual meeting of the Champions League tickets holders and the Europa League tickets winners, so it is a ground with a genuine European pedigree. In Helsinki, the market square and harbour, the Suomenlinna sea fortress, the Design District and the saunas and islands all reward a matchday visit.
Helsinki Olympic Stadium holds 36,251 for football after its renovation, with a higher capacity for concerts depending on the stage. At the 1952 Olympics it held over 70,000 with temporary stands. The 2016 to 2020 rebuild modernised the ground and added a roof over every seat while preserving its historic functionalist design.
The stadium is the home of the Finland national football team, the Huuhkajat, who play their major World Cup and Nations League home matches there. It is not a weekly club ground but a national stadium, also used for athletics, big concerts and national events, and it hosted the 2022 UEFA Super Cup and the 2009 Women's European Championship final.
The stadium is in Töölö, a little over two kilometres north of the centre, around a twenty-five-minute walk from the Central Railway Station or a short tram ride. Trams and buses stop nearby at Töölön Kisahalli, Auroran sairaala and the Opera house. The venue recommends public transport or walking on event days, as parking is very limited.
Parking is limited and chargeable, and on event days much of the parking nearest the ground is closed or full. The nearest parking hall is P-Töölö, with other paid car parks around the sports quarter that fill quickly. The venue strongly recommends arriving by tram, bus, bike or on foot, given the very limited parking in a compact, well-connected city.
Yes, Finland international tickets are sold to the general public, though the biggest qualifiers sell out and the best sections go first. Public sales can be limited for a sold-out night, which is why a verified secondary marketplace is often the realistic route for visitors, with seat detail shown before you pay.
Travel light, as large bags and rucksacks are refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store. Expect a search at the entrance. Bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares are prohibited. Finland is largely cashless, so bring a contactless card. Check the venue's guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel.
The curved ends behind the goals are where the most vocal Finland supporters gather, with the flags and singing, so target them for the fullest atmosphere. Bear in mind the running track sets them a little back from the goal. The main grandstand under the tower is the most sheltered and best for a clear tactical view.
For international matches the visiting country's supporters are given a designated section, with the exact location and allocation set for each fixture. The arrangement can vary by game, so visiting fans should always check the details for their specific match and follow the guidance issued with the ticket.
Yes. The renovation added positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces, accessible facilities and step-free access, a major improvement on the old ground. The exact number of spaces is not widely published, so contact the venue before the match to confirm the seating and arrange it in advance. The central location and tram links help with reaching the ground.
Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd in, typically well over an hour before an international. With a bag search and a crowd arriving by tram and on foot at once, the entrances get busy in the last half hour, so aim to arrive in good time. The precise opening time is confirmed with your ticket or event details.
The renovated concourses are cashless and serve Finnish matchday and event fare. The real draw is central Helsinki, a short tram ride away, with its market halls, harbourside stalls, Nordic restaurants and craft-beer bars. Eat and drink in the centre before travelling out to the ground, as Töölö around the stadium is quieter and more residential.
It was built for the Olympics, opening in 1938, and hosted the celebrated 1952 Summer Games after the 1940 edition was cancelled by war. It is a landmark of functionalist architecture with a 72-metre tower, and has staged the World Championships in Athletics twice, making it one of the great Olympic and athletics stadiums in the world.
The stadium was comprehensively renovated between 2016 and 2020, at a cost of around 337 million euros, reopening in 2020. The rebuild modernised the interior and facilities and added a canopy roof over every seat, while carefully preserving the protected functionalist architecture and the famous tower.
Finland international tickets are reasonably priced by European standards, with a range of categories from the curves to the main grandstand. Resale prices depend on the fixture, with the decisive World Cup qualifiers the most in demand. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than a promise, and buy early for the big nights.
During a Finland match at the Olympic Stadium in 2007, a Eurasian eagle-owl flew onto the pitch and perched on a goalpost, delaying play. The owl became a local celebrity, and the national team took the nickname Huuhkajat, the eagle-owls, a story that has become part of the folklore of the ground.
Tickets are usually issued digitally, so the barcode sits in your phone wallet or an app and is scanned at the entrance. Charge your phone, turn up the screen brightness and load the ticket before you arrive. A saved screenshot can fail to scan when a barcode refreshes, so rely on the live ticket in the app.
It is a historic athletics stadium with a running track, so the seats sit a little further from the pitch than at a football-specific ground, but the renovation added a roof over every seat and improved the views and facilities. On an international night the atmosphere is strong, and the setting and history make it a memorable place to watch football.
The ground is in the leafy Töölö sports quarter, near the Töölönlahti bay and parkland, the swimming stadium and the ice hall. Central Helsinki is a short tram ride away, with the market square and harbour, the Design District, the Suomenlinna sea fortress and the city's saunas and islands all rewarding a matchday trip.
Yes. As the national stadium it hosts major concerts and athletics meetings as well as Finland football matches, with a higher capacity for concerts depending on the stage. It has staged the World Championships in Athletics twice and hosts the biggest touring acts, so it is a leading events venue as well as a football ground.
They are as safe as the marketplace you use. A verified marketplace shows seat details before checkout, confirms sellers and offers a money-back policy if the ticket fails to admit you. 1BoxOffice has operated since 2006 and applies a 150% money-back guarantee. Avoid anonymous sellers who will not show seat details before payment.
Sources: Helsinki Olympic Stadium (stadion.fi), the Football Association of Finland, HSL Helsinki transport information, and Olympic, athletics and stadium reference records. Information was gathered in July 2026 and may change; check sources for the latest details. 1BoxOffice is not affiliated with the Helsinki Olympic Stadium or the Finland national team. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.