Mendizorrotza Stadium Tickets

This guide is written for the supporter making the trip, not the browser. It covers the short walk from the centre and the railway station, how the compact bowl of stands is arranged, where away fans sit, the bag rules and the entry process, the pintxos and wine of the Basque Country, and the story of one of the oldest grounds in Spain. By the end you should know how a Deportivo Alavés matchday runs.

Mendizorrotza at a Glance

Detail	Information
Full Name	Estadio de Mendizorrotza
Location	Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Basque Country, Spain
Capacity	19,840
Opened	27 April 1924
Surface	Natural grass
Home Club	Deportivo Alavés
Home End	The fondo behind the goal, the loudest support
Owner	The city of Vitoria-Gasteiz
Notable	One of the oldest grounds in Spanish football
Nearest Station	Vitoria-Gasteiz railway station, around ten minutes' walk

How to Get There

Mendizorrotza Stadium sits in the south-central part of Vitoria-Gasteiz, close to the middle of the city and only a short distance from the railway station, in a green sports district that gives the ground its parkland setting. The great advantage of the stadium is how central it is, so most supporters walk from the centre or the station, and Vitoria-Gasteiz is a compact, flat and famously walkable city. It is an easy trip from the rest of the Basque Country and northern Spain.

By Train and on Foot

Vitoria-Gasteiz railway station is only around ten minutes' walk from the ground, so the train is the simplest way in for supporters coming from outside the city, with services linking Vitoria to the wider Spanish rail network. From the station or the centre the walk to the stadium is short and easy through a pleasant, flat city, one of the most walkable in Spain. Many supporters combine the match with time in the medieval old town, a short stroll from the ground.

By Bus

The city's TUVISA bus network serves the stadium well, with several routes stopping within a short walk of the ground, including lines that connect the centre and the outer districts to the Mendizorrotza area. The buses are frequent and simple to use, a good option for those staying further from the ground. On matchday the area around the stadium fills with supporters arriving on foot and by bus, so the final approach is a short walk from the stops.

By Car and from the Airport

Vitoria-Gasteiz sits on the main routes through the Basque Country, and the ground has a large car park serving the sports complex, more generous than at many inner-city stadiums, though it fills for a bigger fixture. The nearest major airport is Bilbao, around an hour to the north, with the Alavés-owned links to the wider Basque Country making the city easy to reach. For most supporters, though, the central location means the train and walking are easier than driving into the city.

Getting Oriented

The stadium stands in the Mendizorrotza sports complex on the southern side of the centre, with the medieval old town, the cathedral and the green ring of parks that surround Vitoria-Gasteiz all close by. Because the ground is so central, the whole matchday is easy to manage on foot, and the city's reputation as a green, liveable capital makes the walk to the match a pleasure. The compact size of Vitoria-Gasteiz keeps everything within reach.

Parking

Parking at Mendizorrotza is more straightforward than at many Spanish grounds thanks to the large car park serving the sports complex around the stadium, along with street parking in the area. Even so, the spaces fill for a bigger fixture against one of the giants or the Basque derby, and the central location means the roads get busy, so arriving early is sensible. With the railway station only around ten minutes' walk away and the city so compact and walkable, many supporters find the train and walking easier than driving, but the car park is a genuine option for those coming from outside the city.

Seating Guide

Mendizorrotza is a compact, traditional ground that a renovation turned into a near-continuous bowl of seating, with the stands built close to the pitch, which gives it an intimate feel and a good atmosphere for its modest size. The stands are the main tribune along one side, the preferencia opposite, and the two fondos behind the goals, with corner seating linking them into a bowl. As one of the oldest grounds in Spanish football it has real character, and its tight, enclosed feel makes it a difficult and noisy place for visiting teams on a big night.

The Fondo, the Home End

The fondo behind one goal is the home of Alavés's most vocal support, where the flags, the banners and the singing come from in the blue and white of the club. This is the section to target for the fullest atmosphere, close to the pitch behind the goal, in the Spanish tradition of the fondo. Because the ground is small and enclosed, the noise from the home end carries around the bowl and gives Mendizorrotza its reputation as an intense place to play.

The Tribune and Preferencia

The main tribune along one side holds the premium and hospitality seating, the media positions and the tunnel, with the higher-priced seats and the best central view along the length of the pitch. The preferencia opposite runs the length of the other touchline with good views in a calmer setting. As a compact ground the seats are close to the action on all sides, so even the cheaper areas give a clear view of the play, and the central rows of the tribune are the pick for a tactical overview.

Away Fans and Accessibility

Away supporters are housed in a designated section of the ground, usually a part of one fondo or a corner, with the allocation set for each fixture, so away fans should check the details for their specific game. The ground has accessible provision, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces and step-free access, though published detail on exact numbers is limited, so supporters with access requirements should contact the club before the match. The table below matches a section to what you want from the day.

Priority	Recommended Sections
Atmosphere	The fondo behind the goal
Tactical overview	Main tribune, central rows
Close to pitch	Front rows of any stand
Calmer view	The preferencia side
Budget-friendly	The fondos and the corners
Away fans	Designated away section (confirm per fixture)
Accessibility	Wheelchair-user bays with companion spaces (request at purchase)

Weather and Roof Coverage

Vitoria-Gasteiz sits inland on a plateau in the Basque Country, with a cooler, wetter climate than much of Spain, cold winters that can bring frost and even snow, and mild summers, so a matchday here can be chilly and wet. The stands offer some cover, but as a traditional ground parts of the seating are exposed to the weather, so for an autumn or winter fixture a warm and waterproof layer is essential, more so than at grounds further south. Summer and early-season matches are usually mild and pleasant, but the inland Basque climate means rain is possible at any time.

Bag Policy

Like other Spanish grounds, Mendizorrotza 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. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel, and arrive early to clear the search at a compact ground.

Food, Drink and Bars

Vitoria-Gasteiz is a Basque city, which means outstanding food and drink, above all the pintxos culture of the bars in the old town, along with the wines of the nearby Rioja Alavesa, so the matchday build-up is a real pleasure. The ground is central, so the bars of the city and the spots near the stadium are all within easy reach.

Basque Pintxos and Rioja

The old town of Vitoria-Gasteiz, around the cathedral and the medieval streets, is full of bars serving pintxos, the Basque bar snacks that are a highlight of any trip to the region, washed down with local wine or txakoli. The city sits on the edge of the Rioja Alavesa, one of the great wine areas of Spain, so the wine list is exceptional. A round of pintxos in the old town before the short walk to the ground is one of the joys of a football trip to the Basque Country.

Bars near the Ground

Close to the stadium are supporters' bars such as Bar Mendizorrotza, the Café Bar La Lonja with its outdoor seating, and the Dublin House pub, which fill with Alavés fans on matchday. Because the ground is central, gathering near the stadium or in the old town before walking to the turnstiles is easy. The friendly, small-city feel of Vitoria-Gasteiz makes the pre-match atmosphere in the bars a pleasant part of the day.

Food Inside the Ground

Inside the stadium the concourses serve Spanish matchday snacks and drinks at the usual standard for a compact ground. The real draw, though, is the pintxos and wine of the city, so for a fuller experience eat and drink in the old town or the bars near the ground beforehand, where the Basque food is among the best in Spain, then head to the match.

Entry Process and Gate Times

Deportivo Alavés use modern ticketing, so for most fixtures the ticket is issued digitally and scanned at the turnstile, though some tickets may still be collected or printed, so check the delivery method for your fixture. Load the ticket, charge your phone and turn the screen brightness up before you reach the entrance. Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd filter in, and with a bag search and a crowd arriving on foot from the centre at once, the entrances at a compact ground 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 big La Liga fixture or the Basque derby.

Getting Away After the Match

Leaving a central ground in a compact city is quick and easy, with the walk back into the centre or to the station the usual way out.

On Foot and by Train

Most supporters walk back into the centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz or the short distance to the railway station, around ten minutes, for trains onward across the Basque Country and northern Spain. The streets are busy immediately after a bigger fixture, so either move quickly with the first wave or give the crush a few minutes to clear before setting off. The central location and the compact, walkable city make getting away far easier than at a big-city stadium.

By Bus and Car

The TUVISA buses run back towards the centre and the outer districts after the match, and drivers who used the car park or street parking should expect the roads to clear steadily rather than all at once after a bigger fixture. Few need to drive far given how central and walkable the ground is, so most walk back into the city or take a short bus ride. Following the signed routes out of the city is the quickest way for those who drove in.

Rounding Off the Evening

The natural way to end a matchday is to head back into the old town of Vitoria-Gasteiz for the evening, for more pintxos and a glass of Rioja in the bars of the medieval centre, in one of the most pleasant small cities in Spain. The simplest way to beat any post-match crowd is to let the first wave clear before heading off, then enjoy the old town. An evening over Basque food and wine is a fine end to a football trip.

Stadium History

Mendizorrotza opened on 27 April 1924, making it one of the oldest football grounds in Spanish professional football, built in the growing sports district on the southern side of Vitoria-Gasteiz. It has been the home of Deportivo Alavés throughout, the club of the Basque city of Vitoria, founded in 1921, and the ground has grown and been renovated over the following century while keeping its compact, traditional character. A renovation at the end of the 1990s added corner seating and turned the ground into a near-continuous bowl, giving it the enclosed feel it has today.

The ground's greatest days came around the turn of the century, when Alavés enjoyed a remarkable run in Europe, reaching the 2001 UEFA Cup final. That campaign ended in one of the most dramatic finals in the history of the competition, a 5-4 defeat to Liverpool after extra time in Dortmund, but the run remains the proudest chapter in the club's history and a source of enormous pride at Mendizorrotza. The blue and white of Alavés and the passion of the home fondo have carried that memory through the years since, through the ups and downs of a club that has moved between the divisions.

In more recent seasons Alavés have established themselves back in La Liga, bringing the visits of Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque rivals to the compact old ground, where the intimate atmosphere makes it a difficult trip for the giants. There have been plans to modernise and expand the stadium towards a larger capacity, reflecting the club's ambitions, though such work has been slow to arrive. For now Mendizorrotza remains a characterful, historic home, one of the oldest and most atmospheric grounds in the Spanish top flight.

Memorable Matches

The stadium's history, verified by contemporary records, is tied above all to the European run of 2001, when Alavés reached the UEFA Cup final, the defining achievement of the club and a story that captured the imagination of Spanish football. At Mendizorrotza itself the biggest occasions have been the visits of Real Madrid and Barcelona, when the compact ground is at its loudest, and the Basque derby against Athletic Bilbao, one of the fiercest and most keenly awaited fixtures of the season. These are the matches that fill the old ground and show off its intense, enclosed atmosphere.

Stadium Future

Mendizorrotza remains the home of Deportivo Alavés, and there have long been plans to modernise and expand the ground towards a larger capacity of around 28,000, reflecting the club's wish for a bigger, more modern stadium, though the work has been repeatedly delayed. In the near term the ground continues in its compact, historic form, one of the oldest and most characterful in La Liga, hosting the club's top-flight fixtures. Whether or not the expansion arrives, the intimate atmosphere and the central location will remain the defining features of the stadium, and it gives Alavés a distinctive home in the Spanish top flight.

Accessibility

Mendizorrotza has accessible provision, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces and step-free access, though as one of the oldest grounds in Spanish football it retains some of the constraints of a historic, compact stadium. The exact number and location of accessible spaces are not widely published, so supporters with access requirements should contact the club 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 railway station and served by city buses, makes reaching the stadium manageable, and the club can advise on the most suitable arrangement for a given fixture.

High-Demand Fixtures and Pricing

The fixtures that move Mendizorrotza Stadium tickets fastest are the visits of the Spanish giants and the Basque derby. The match against Real Madrid is the standout draw, and you can follow it on the Alavés vs Real Madrid tickets page, with the visitors' own listings on the Real Madrid tickets page. The visit of Barcelona is the other huge occasion, covered on the Barcelona tickets listings, while the Basque derby against Athletic Bilbao is one of the fiercest fixtures of the season. The full home programme sits on the Alavés tickets and La Liga tickets listings. The ground's greatest history came in Europe, on the run to the 2001 final, part of the wider Europa League tickets story in its earlier form. Fixtures against mid-table sides are the most accessible and sometimes available closer to kick-off. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than fixed and buy early for the marquee matches.

Buying Mendizorrotza Stadium Tickets on 1BoxOffice

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.

Tips for International Visitors

Vitoria-Gasteiz makes a rewarding and authentic football trip, the capital of the Basque Country autonomous community, a green, walkable city with a beautiful medieval old town, named the European Green Capital, and far less touristy than some of its neighbours. Fly into Bilbao, around an hour to the north, and take a bus or train to Vitoria-Gasteiz, then walk the short distance from the centre or the station to the ground. Base yourself in or near the old town, and remember that the Basque climate is cooler and wetter than much of Spain, so pack a warm layer, that the ground is compact and central, and that the pintxos and the wines of the Rioja Alavesa are a reason to travel in themselves. Vitoria pairs a match with a superb Basque city break.

With the region rich in things to see and taste, many supporters build a longer trip around the match. If you are lining up other fixtures, the football tickets hub and the venues tickets directory show what else is on, while tournament travellers follow the World Cup tickets hub. In and around Vitoria-Gasteiz, the medieval old town and the cathedral, the green ring of parks that circle the city, the pintxos bars and the vineyards of the nearby Rioja Alavesa all reward a matchday trip to the Basque Country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Deportivo Alavés (alaves.eus), club matchday guidance, TUVISA and Vitoria-Gasteiz transport information, and La Liga and stadium reference records.