Buy Elche vs Espanyol tickets for the 2026/27 Season, with the match listed for Sunday 2 May 2027 at 17:00 as Matchday 34 of La Liga at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero. LaLiga sets final kick-off times a few weeks before each round, so the slot can still move within that weekend. With four rounds left after this one, the points could matter at either end of the table.
Thousands trust 1BoxOffice
The hosts arrive with momentum in the fixture. Elche won 3-1 away to Espanyol in September 2026, while last season's meeting in Elche ended 2-2 after a 90th-minute penalty rescued a point for the home side. A late-season return in front of a near-full ground promises a lively afternoon in the Valencian sunshine.
Getting in is the challenge, even for a fixture without a Madrid or Barcelona giant involved. Elche closed their 2025/26 season ticket campaign with a club-record 27,000 holders in a stadium of 31,388, which leaves only a thin slice of seats for anyone else.
Demand at the Martínez Valero has outgrown the stadium. After the record 2025/26 campaign, 24,452 holders renewed for 2026/27 and the lower tiers filled during the renewal phase. New season ticket holders could only choose from seats left in the upper ring.
That leaves single-match tickets squeezed between season ticket holders, sponsors, LaLiga's allocation, the visiting club and the legal minimum for general sale. For a sunny Sunday in May with the season approaching its finish, the remaining stock goes quickly.
The numbers back that up. More than 25,000 watched the March 2026 meeting between these sides. The stadium also celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2026. A spring fixture with points at stake tends to draw an even bigger crowd.
The visitors add their own following. Espanyol are a Barcelona club with a loyal travelling support. Elche also take part in LaLiga's Grada Visitante scheme, which caps visiting fans' tickets at €30 and links the size of the allocation to stadium capacity.
Elche's recent record against Espanyol gives home fans reason for optimism. They are unbeaten in their last two league meetings with the Catalans, home and away, including that 3-1 win in Barcelona in September 2026.
The reverse fixture adds an edge. Elche's 3-1 win at the RCDE Stadium in September 2026 means Espanyol arrive in May looking to settle the season series, while Elche will be chasing a league double over the Catalans.
For travelling Espanyol fans it is a long trip, more than 500 kilometres down the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona. Many make a weekend of it, which adds demand from visiting supporters for seats outside the away section, despite the colours rules in home areas.
Yes, but the club route is narrow. Elche run a season ticket system built around the Carnet Franjiverde. Holders get first claim on almost every seat. Single-match tickets go on general sale only after season ticket holders and other commitments are covered.
For 2026/27, new season ticket sign-ups opened in August with a priority pass costing €49.95. Even then, only upper-ring seats were available. A visitor who wants a seat in the lower Tribuna or Preferencia for one match has very little chance through the club.
That is a recent change. Elche spent several recent seasons in the Second Division, but record season ticket demand since their return to La Liga has made a seat at the Martínez Valero far harder to come by.
Season ticket holders who cannot attend do release seats, but those appear at short notice and rarely in pairs. Visiting supporters, meanwhile, buy through Espanyol under the Grada Visitante scheme.
The club's own sales are also staged. New season ticket sign-ups opened in waves according to each member's Carnet Franjiverde number, with a further window only if seats remained. Single-match sales follow the same principle of priority for existing members, which leaves visitors from outside the region at the back of the queue.
The secondary market is the practical alternative, particularly for visitors from abroad who cannot join the queue as members. Verified sellers on 1BoxOffice list seats across the stadium, with the stand, the number of seats together and the delivery method stated on each listing before you pay.
Five things move the price for this fixture: where the seat sits in the bowl, how strong demand is that weekend, how close the match is, what is at stake in the 2026/27 table and whether hospitality is included. Face values at the Martínez Valero are modest by La Liga standards; upper-ring seats sold for €35 at a high-demand match in 2025, while visiting supporters pay no more than €30.
| Ticket Type | Resale Price Range | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper ring, behind the goals | £30 – £55 | Budget buyers | High and distant, with a full view of the large pitch |
| Upper ring, Tribuna or Preferencia | £35 – £65 | First-time visitors | Longside view from height at a lower price |
| Lower Preferencia | £45 – £85 | Fans wanting to be close to play | Sold out to season ticket holders for new members |
| Lower Tribuna, central | £60 – £120 | Neutrals and couples | Main stand, usually the first to sell |
| Hospitality / VIP | £150 – £450+ | Corporate guests, special occasions | VIP area access, catering and premium seats |
Prices reflect typical resale ranges and may change as demand and availability shift closer to the match.
The gap between face value and resale reflects supply more than prestige. With most lower-tier seats held by season ticket holders, the few that reach the open market carry a premium. Upper-ring seats stay closer to face value because they are the only area where the club still had stock for new members.
Supply is the deciding factor at this ground. With so few seats outside the season ticket base, a handful of new listings can change the picture quickly, in either direction.
Timing shifts prices too. Listings usually firm up once LaLiga fixes the kick-off time, then climb in the final week if either side still has something to play for. Hospitality moves least, as packages are priced per person and stock is small from the outset.
The stadium, the largest sports venue in the province of Alicante, has four main stands: the Tribuna (main stand) and the Preferencia opposite, with the Fondo Norte and Fondo Sur behind the goals. Each has an upper ring above. The curved corners are split into covered and open sections, which matters on a hot May afternoon. The Martínez Valero seating plan shows how the rings and corners fit together.
The pitch is the largest in Spain at 108 by 70 metres, with space between the stands and the touchline. Upper-ring seats compensate with a clear, elevated view of the whole field, while the lower rows bring you nearer to the action on the near touchline.
The ground has a long history beyond Elche's own matches. It opened on 8 September 1976 with a 3-3 friendly against Mexico. It later hosted three group games at the 1982 World Cup, including Hungary's 10-1 win over El Salvador, as well as the 2003 Copa del Rey final. Capacity peaked at around 40,000 before seating rules reduced it to today's 31,388.
Matchday sound has improved recently, with a new system of more than 100 speakers installed in 2025. A wider redevelopment plan includes a new green and white façade and a canopy over the upper ring of the Tribuna, so parts of the exterior may look different from older photos.
| Area | What It Suits | Pricing Bracket | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tribuna, lower central | Neutrals wanting the classic angle | Premium | Main stand with the strongest central view of the large pitch |
| Preferencia, lower | Longside views opposite the dugouts | Mid to premium | Opposite the main stand; the redevelopment plans add VIP boxes here |
| Upper rings, Tribuna and Preferencia | Value on the longsides | Lower to mid | The ring where new members were placed for 2026/27 |
| Fondo Sur | Fans happy behind a goal | Lower | The covered section of the south curve gives shelter from the sun |
| Fondo Norte, home section | Budget buyers and groups | Lower | Sits beside the visiting section, separated by segregation |
| Away section (north area) | Espanyol supporters | Club allocation | Entry through Gate 22, tickets sold through Espanyol; no Espanyol colours in home areas |
Neutral buyers and undecided fans, including families on a first visit, are better off in the Tribuna or Preferencia, away from the north end where the away section sits. Espanyol supporters without an away ticket should keep colours out of sight in home sections. All matchday options are listed with our Martínez Valero tickets range.
Elche supporters are known as the franjiverdes, after the green stripe across the club's white shirt. The home sections are a sea of white and green on matchday, so neutral buyers who want to blend in should avoid blue and white, Espanyol's colours.
Sun matters in early May. A 17:00 kick-off in southern Spain can be warm, so covered corners and the shaded side of the ground are worth seeking out. Bring water and sun protection for an open seat.
The corners are worth reading closely on a listing. The south curve is split into a covered section and an open one, while the north curve sits next to the visiting supporters. A corner seat described as covered will feel very different on a warm afternoon from one in the open section a few blocks away.
Hospitality at the Martínez Valero is centred on the VIP area reached through Gate 0, next to the club shop, with seats in the central Tribuna. A redevelopment planned to finish around the stadium's 50th anniversary includes new and upgraded VIP boxes extending into the Preferencia.
| Hospitality Option | Typical Buyer | Main Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| VIP seats in the Tribuna | Couples and small groups | Central seats with lounge access before kick-off |
| Private boxes | Corporate hosts | Private space with catering and a direct view of the pitch |
| Preferencia boxes | Business groups | Boxes planned for the opposite longside as part of the redevelopment |
| Matchday experience packages | Fans marking an occasion | Premium seat combined with food, drink and stadium extras |
Single-match hospitality for this fixture is limited, because many boxes are sold to local businesses for the whole season. Treat any package that appears for this match as scarce stock and confirm what is included before you pay.
Hospitality guests enter through Gate 0, separate from the general turnstiles, which makes arrival simpler on a busy matchday when the main entrances are crowded. The club shop sits beside the same entrance for anyone wanting a scarf or shirt before kick-off.
Hospitality also solves the main problem with this fixture: availability. For a guest who needs a guaranteed central seat, a package is often easier to secure than a standard ticket in the lower Tribuna. It also brings food and drink under cover, a real benefit on a warm spring afternoon.
| Delivery Type | What to Confirm |
|---|---|
| Mobile ticket | When the ticket transfers to your phone and which name it carries |
| PDF e-ticket | The file opens offline and the barcode is clear enough to scan |
| Season ticket card seat | How the card or seat is handed over and when it must be returned |
| Hospitality booking | Gate 0 entry, lounge opening time and the name the booking is held under |
Read the listing notes before paying, since they state the delivery type and timing. Bring valid photo ID. Charge your phone fully for mobile entry, as signal can slow when a near-full crowd arrives.
Some listings for this fixture are a season ticket holder's seat released for a single match, which is common at a ground with so many members. In that case the listing explains how access is handed over and by when, so read those details closely and plan your arrival around them.
The stadium sits on Avenida de Manuel Martínez Valero on the edge of Elche, with ticket offices at the north and south ends. Elche-Parque station and the city bus station are the main public transport links, while the Espacio Candalix car park serves drivers. Supporters with disabilities have accessible entry through Gate 3 or Gate 14. Visiting team buses and supporters' coaches use a dedicated area reached from the old Alicante road.
Arrive early, since a near-full crowd builds queues in the final half hour. Gates around the ground are numbered from 0 to 24, so match the gate on your ticket to the signs as you approach. Allow at least an hour before kick-off to find your gate and settle in. Before kick-off the crowd sings the habanera Aromas Ilicitanos, adopted as the anthem of both club and city, which is worth being in your seat for.
1BoxOffice has run a verified marketplace since 2006, with every order covered by a 150% money-back guarantee.
Step1
Find the fixture
Open the match listing for Elche against Espanyol on 2 May 2027 and view every available seat.
Step2
Set up your account
Create an account using the name on your photo ID and an email address you use on your phone.
Step3
Filter by stand
Narrow the list by stand, ring and price so you only compare seats that suit you.
Step4
Read the listing notes
Confirm the delivery method, expected delivery date and the exact section of the seat, including whether it is covered.
Step5
Choose your quantity
Select how many seats you need; listings state whether seats are sold together.
Step6
Pay securely
Complete payment through the encrypted page and keep your confirmation email.
Step7
Supply attendee details
Enter the name of each attendee if the listing asks for it, exactly as it appears on their ID.
Step8
Follow your order
Use track order to follow delivery until your tickets arrive before the match.
Overseas buyers should favour mobile or PDF delivery, which needs no postal step and arrives wherever you are. If you are booking for a group, filter for listings marked as seats together, since season ticket blocks leave few adjacent seats free. Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is a short drive from the stadium, with frequent flights from across Europe. Local Cercanías trains also connect Elche with Alicante for visitors staying on the coast.
The 2 May date is listed, but LaLiga rounds can move by a day once broadcast slots are set, so book flexible flights or a refundable night either side. Elche's UNESCO-listed palm groves and the nearby beaches of the Costa Blanca make it easy to build a short break around the match.
The first top-flight meeting at the Martínez Valero came in February 1977, months after the stadium opened. Elche won it 4-1. They won again the following October, 2-0, before Espanyol took control of the next visit with a 3-0 win in March 1985. That remains the widest margin of the fixture at the ground.
A 1-1 draw in April 1989 closed the early era. It came in the first season the ground carried its current name. It would be more than two decades before Espanyol returned for a league match.
Elche's long absences from the top flight meant a 24-year wait for the next meeting. When it came, the hosts won 2-1 in both October 2013 and November 2014. Those two wins came in Elche's first spell back in the top flight after a long absence.
Since the sides returned to La Liga together, the fixture has been tight: a 2-2 draw in 2021, a 1-0 Espanyol win in 2023 and another 2-2 in March 2026, settled by a 90th-minute penalty.
The recent seasons have been turbulent for both clubs. Each was relegated at the end of 2022/23, shortly after Espanyol's 1-0 win in Elche that February. The sides then met in the Second Division in 2023/24 before returning to La Liga separately. That shared path adds a note of respect to a fixture that has rarely been one-sided, with both sets of supporters well aware of how quickly fortunes can change.
What makes the fixture distinctive is how evenly it has run in recent seasons, despite the gaps in the record. Neither side has won by more than a goal at the Martínez Valero since 1985. Two of the last three meetings have been drawn.
That makes late drama more likely than a comfortable afternoon. With Elche having already won in Barcelona this season, the hosts will feel this is a match they can win. Espanyol, for their part, have the memory of their 2023 win here to draw on.
Figures cover every La Liga meeting at the Estadio Martínez Valero with Elche as hosts, from its first season in 1976/77 to the end of 2025/26. Second Division and Copa del Rey meetings are excluded. Elche have lost only two of these nine home meetings, averaging close to 1.7 goals a game against Espanyol's 1.3. The stadium was known as the Nuevo Estadio until 1988, when it was renamed after Manuel Martínez Valero, the club figure who drove its construction.
| Metric | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 9 |
| Elche wins | 4 |
| Espanyol wins | 2 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Elche goals | 15 |
| Espanyol goals | 12 |
| Biggest Elche win | 4-1 (1977) |
| Biggest Espanyol win | 0-3 (1985) |
| First La Liga meeting in scope | 27 Feb 1977 |
| Most recent meeting in scope | 01 Mar 2026 |
Source: Transfermarkt match records cross-referenced with BDFutbol, RSSSF and LaLiga match data.
All results are shown with the Elche score first, newest first. Gaps between seasons mark years when one of the clubs was outside La Liga.
| Date | Score |
|---|---|
| 01 Mar 2026 | 2-2 |
| 19 Feb 2023 | 0-1 |
| 23 Oct 2021 | 2-2 |
| 02 Nov 2014 | 2-1 |
| 05 Oct 2013 | 2-1 |
| 30 Apr 1989 | 1-1 |
| 10 Mar 1985 | 0-3 |
| 08 Oct 1977 | 2-0 |
| 27 Feb 1977 | 4-1 |
Source: Transfermarkt with BDFutbol for the 1977 to 1989 matches, RSSSF for 2013 to 2023 and LaLiga for 2026.
Very likely, since around 27,000 season ticket holders fill most of the 31,388-seat stadium. Buying in advance is the surest way to secure seats together.
Visiting supporters are housed in the north area of the ground with entry through Gate 22. Their tickets are sold through Espanyol under LaLiga's Grada Visitante price cap.
The airport lies within the Elche municipality, a short taxi ride from the ground. Allow extra time on matchday, as roads near the stadium get busy before kick-off.
Yes, choose listings marked as seats together when you select your quantity. Groups usually find more paired stock in the upper rings, where newer members sit.
Packages pair a premium seat in the central Tribuna with VIP area access, food and drink, with entry through Gate 0. Private boxes add exclusive space for your group.
Sources: Elche CF and LaLiga official stadium and match information, Alicante Plaza, Stadium DB, Transfermarkt, BDFutbol and RSSSF.