Buy Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest tickets for the 2026/27 Season and the first thing to fix is the date, because it has moved. Kick-off is 20:00 on Friday 23 October 2026, not the Saturday afternoon the fixture was originally scheduled for, after Sky Sports selected it for live coverage. Six Premier League meetings between these clubs have produced six results and not a single draw.
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This is Ipswich Town's first season back in the top flight after going up as Championship runners-up in May 2026, and Portman Road is close to full every week. The ground holds around 30,056 and roughly 21,000 of those seats sit with season ticket holders, which is about seventy per cent of the stadium locked up before a single match ticket is sold. Anyone weighing up Ipswich Town tickets is buying into a small ground with a long waiting list.
The Friday night slot changes the trip as much as the ticket. A 20:00 start finishes around 21:50, and the last scheduled train from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street currently departs at 22:43. That is makeable on a five to ten minute walk from the ground, and it leaves nothing spare.
The arithmetic is the story here. Portman Road is one of the smaller Premier League grounds, and Ipswich averaged 29,742 across their last top-flight campaign against a capacity a few hundred higher than that. In 2026/27 the two home league matches played so far drew 29,669 and 30,019. This is a stadium that fills.
Underneath that sits a season ticket base of roughly 21,000 with a waiting list of around 6,000 behind it, and the club sold no new season tickets in either of the previous two summers. Renewals only, with a randomly ordered queue for everyone else. That is the structural reason match tickets are scarce rather than merely popular.
Subtract the away allocation and the picture sharpens further. Roughly 6,000 seats reach the individual ticket market for a Premier League fixture once season ticket holders and visiting supporters are accounted for, before hospitality is taken out. That is a fifth of the ground competing for by far the larger share of the demand.
The visiting end is a separate market again. Nottingham Forest tickets for away fixtures are distributed by Forest to their own supporters on an away priority points ladder, and the allocation at Portman Road is 3,000 in the Cobbold Stand. Nottingham to Ipswich is a cross-country drive of roughly three hours with no useful direct train, so a Friday night start makes that a demanding journey and the allocation is spoken for regardless.
Through the club, in practice no. Ipswich run every Premier League home fixture through a members-only ballot followed by members-only sale windows and then season ticket holders, with the club's own wording being that a general sale is announced only if needed. On a full ground that step is the exception rather than the routine.
The sequence opens about five weeks before the match. A ballot runs for twenty-four hours, winners are notified and buy first, then non-season-ticket members get their window three days later, then season ticket holding members, then season ticket holders themselves. Ballot entry requires having held a 2025/26 membership and renewed it for 2026/27, so joining now does not put you in it.
Membership for 2026/27 costs £40.99 for a UK Super Blues membership, or £35.99 if you already hold a season ticket, with International Blues at £35.99 for overseas supporters and Junior Blues tiers from £29.99. One point is widely misunderstood and worth correcting. Ipswich do operate a priority points system, but it governs away tickets only, so accumulating points does nothing for your position on a home fixture like this one.
The club also run a season ticket resale platform, where holders who cannot attend list their seat from the moment the ballot opens until the turnstiles open on the night. That is genuine supply and it is the route most non-season-ticket members actually use. A verified marketplace covers the rest, and 1BoxOffice lists seats across every stand at Portman Road with the block shown before you commit, with no ballot entry, membership year or renewal history required.
Face value is published and it is a useful anchor, which is unusual enough to be worth stating. Ipswich grade their nineteen home league games A or B, and adult prices run from £28 in the lowest West Stand blocks on a Grade B fixture to £48 in the highest-priced West Stand and Cobbold upper blocks on a Grade A one. The premium blocks reach £60. The Forest fixture had not been graded at the time of writing, though the club's other Friday night televised match this season was priced as Grade A.
Four things then move the resale number above that. Supply leads, because a ground running at ninety-nine per cent of capacity produces very little. Stand is second and the split between the West Stand and the two ends is the main decision. Broadcast slot is third, and hospitality sits on its own curve entirely.
| Ticket Type | Resale Price Range | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey upper tiers | £55 – £95 | The lowest entry point into the ground | Behind both goals, elevated enough to read the game across the full pitch. Where availability tends to last longest |
| West Stand lower, outer blocks | £60 – £105 | Sideline position without the central premium | The value end of the main stand, running toward the corners. Face value here starts at £28, so the mark-up is the scarcity rather than the seat |
| Sir Alf Ramsey lower and Cobbold lower | £70 – £120 | Atmosphere and closeness to the pitch | Ground level behind the south goal and along the east side. Flatter sightlines than the tiers above and a louder environment |
| West Stand central and Cobbold upper | £105 – £180 | Buyers who want the halfway line | The prime sideline blocks in a three-tier main stand and the elevated east side. Smallest resale pool on this page |
| Premium blocks and hospitality | £190 – £400+ | Groups, corporate buyers and milestone trips | Block X in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand and Block Y in the West Stand, plus the lounge packages. Priced per person |
Prices reflect typical resale ranges and may change as demand and availability shift closer to the match. Because face value at this ground is modest by Premier League standards, the gap between the two numbers here is a supply story rather than a pricing one.
Portman Road has four stands and a genuinely intimate feel, which is one of the advantages of a ground this size. The West Stand runs along the west side and is the only three-tier stand, carrying the tunnel, the dugouts and the premium seating. The Cobbold Stand faces it across the pitch, the Sir Bobby Robson Stand sits behind the north goal and the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand behind the south. The Portman Road stadium guide covers the ground itself and the Portman Road seating plan maps where each block sits relative to the pitch.
| Area | What It Suits | Pricing Bracket | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Bobby Robson Stand, lower tier | Supporters who want the noise at source | Mid | The singing end, fitted with rail seating, so expect to stand for the match. Under-14s are not permitted in this tier |
| Sir Bobby Robson Stand, upper tier | Value seats and larger groups | Lowest | Directly above the loudest section and carrying most of the sound, with a clean view of both penalty areas. The value pick on this page |
| West Stand, central blocks | Watching the game properly | Highest general admission | The main stand and the only three-tier structure in the ground, square to the halfway line. Where the tunnel, the dugouts and the press box sit |
| West Stand, lower outer blocks | Sideline position on a budget | Lower | The same stand running toward the corners, at the lowest face value in the ground. A strong compromise if central blocks have gone |
| Sir Alf Ramsey Stand | Families and mixed groups | Lower to mid | Behind the south goal in two tiers, calmer than the north end and home to Block X, the ground's most expensive premium seating |
| Cobbold Stand visitors' section | Forest's allocated travelling support | Set by the visiting club | Blocks VU1 to VU3 in the upper tier, which is rail seating, plus VA and VL below. Around 3,000 seats. Visiting colours belong here and nowhere else |
If you want one recommendation, take the Sir Bobby Robson upper tier. You sit above the noisiest part of the ground with a straight view down the pitch, and at a stadium this compact the elevation behind a goal costs you very little. Buyers who want the halfway line should go central in the West Stand and accept the bracket that comes with it.
Two practical notes before you commit. The Cobbold Stand is the oldest structure in the ground, opened in 1971, and some upper-tier seats there carry restricted views, with a metal railing running through the middle sections of the lower blocks. Portman Road is also entirely cashless throughout, including the club shop and every concourse bar.
Ipswich sell premium seating as well as full hospitality, and the distinction matters because they sit at very different prices. The premium blocks are simply better seats with padding, a programme and a drink included, at £50 to £60 face value. The lounge packages in the West Stand are a different product with dining attached.
| Hospitality Option | Typical Buyer | Main Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Premium seating, Blocks X and Y | Couples and small groups wanting comfort | Padded central seating in the Sir Alf Ramsey and West Stands with a programme and drink vouchers, at a modest step up from general admission |
| West Stand lounges | Corporate groups and larger parties | A seated meal and an indoor base before the match, which suits a 20:00 October kick-off better than standing outside on a Suffolk evening |
| West Stand boxes | Companies and private groups | A private room with its own view of the pitch, sold for the whole party rather than per seat |
| Matchday package through a verified seller | Visitors buying late | A bundled seat and lounge entry once the club's own premium inventory has gone, which at this ground happens early |
Read the inclusions line by line before committing. At Portman Road the gap between a premium seat and a hospitality package is mostly catering and lounge access rather than where you sit, so confirm which of the two a listing actually is. Club members receive a discount of up to twenty per cent on matchday hospitality bought directly.
Arrival timing matters more than usual on a Friday night. Turnstiles open roughly ninety minutes before kick-off, so around 18:30, and the road behind the Sir Bobby Robson Stand closes at about the same time. Hospitality entrances open ahead of the general gates, which on a cold evening is part of what you are paying for.
Ipswich moved to fully digital entry for 2026/27 and there is no alternative format, so every ticket loads into an Apple or Google wallet. This is the detail most likely to catch out a first-time visitor, particularly one arriving from overseas. Set up your account before a sale window opens rather than during it.
| Delivery Type | What to Confirm |
|---|---|
| Digital wallet ticket | The seat arrives to the email address or phone number on your order and loads into a phone wallet. Make sure both details are correct at the point of purchase and load it before you leave for the ground |
| Electronic ticket (PDF or QR) | Download it before you travel and keep an offline copy. A photograph of a refreshing code will not scan at the turnstile |
| Collection in Ipswich | Some sellers arrange a handover near the ground. Note the location, the window and the identification required, then build it into your evening rather than leaving it to the last half hour |
| Member-linked or forwarded seat | Because home tickets originate with members and season ticket holders, some listings involve a named transfer. Confirm the listing states a clean transfer into your own account |
Read the listing notes in full whatever the format. They carry the details that decide your evening: whether the seats are together, which stand and tier the block sits in, whether the area is rail seating and how the handover works. Bring photo identification for any concession seat and charge your phone, because a wallet ticket fails on a dead battery.
Getting there is one of the easiest journeys in English football. Ipswich station is about 450 yards from the turnstiles, a walk of five to ten minutes, and Greater Anglia run direct trains from London Liverpool Street in as little as fifty-eight minutes with up to three an hour. The ground sits inside the town rather than on a ring road, so the centre is a five to ten minute walk and the waterfront about fifteen. There is no stadium car park, and the nearest large one on Portman Road fills by around 18:30 on an evening fixture.
1BoxOffice has run as a verified marketplace since 2006 and every order carries a 150% money-back guarantee, so the sequence below is the whole process.
Step1
Open the fixture and set a ceiling
Go to the listing for Friday 23 October and fix your maximum per person before you look at seats. Face value at this ground runs from £28 to £48, so decide what a premium over that is worth to you.
Step2
Set up your account first
You can create an account in under a minute. Doing it before you pick seats stops the purchase stalling on a fixture where the released pool is small.
Step3
Choose your stand and tier
Sir Bobby Robson upper for value and noise, West Stand central for the halfway line, Sir Alf Ramsey for a calmer end, West Stand lower outer blocks for a sideline seat at the lowest price. The stand decides your turnstile as well as your seat.
Step4
Read the listing notes properly
Seats together, block and row, rail seating, restricted views in the Cobbold upper tier and how the ticket is delivered all live in the notes. Two listings at the same price are frequently not the same product.
Step5
Fix your quantity before you proceed
Split rules apply to some listings, so a pair may not come out of a block of three. Set the number first and let it filter what you see, which matters at a ground where the released pool is around six thousand seats.
Step6
Complete the secure payment
Enter your details on the encrypted payment page. Use the same name that appears on the photo identification you will carry, because mismatches cause avoidable trouble at any collection point.
Step7
Save your confirmation
The confirmation email holds your order reference and the delivery method. Keep it available offline, along with a saved copy of the ticket once it arrives.
Step8
Follow the order through to delivery
Use track order to see where your tickets are at any stage. Raise anything that looks wrong in the week of the match rather than at the gate.
The Friday night slot is confirmed and will not move again, which removes the usual uncertainty around booking travel. It also creates the single biggest planning problem on this page. A 20:00 kick-off finishes at roughly 21:50, and the currently published last train from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street leaves at 22:43.
That is achievable on a five to ten minute walk if you leave promptly, and it collapses if there is lengthy stoppage time or you stop for anything on the way. The timetable for 23 October 2026 had not been published at the time of writing, and there is no evidence that extra late services run for evening fixtures at Portman Road, so confirm the departure on the National Rail or Greater Anglia site in the fortnight before you travel. Staying overnight in Ipswich is the safer plan, and there are hotels within a ten minute walk of the ground.
Air travel needs the same honesty. Stansted is the nearest usable airport but there is no direct train, the journey runs to around two hours with one or two changes, and the last service from Ipswich toward Stansted departs at 21:41, which is before this match finishes. An overnight stay is not optional if you are flying out of Stansted. Buyers watching from the Gulf should note that 20:00 in Ipswich is 23:00 in the UAE, so this is a late night rather than an evening.
These clubs have shared the Premier League in only three seasons before this one, so the record is short, and it is also completely decisive. Six Premier League meetings have produced two Ipswich wins and four Forest wins, with no draws at all. Forest lead the goals 11 to 6.
The most recent meeting at Portman Road was the heaviest of the three played there. Forest won 4-2 in March 2025, with Anthony Elanga scoring twice inside a three-goal spell that lasted seven minutes either side of the half hour. Before that you have to go back three decades, and to a match that carries more weight in English football than the scoreline suggests.
Two things give the October fixture its shape. The first is the absence of draws, which is genuinely unusual across six matches and suggests a fixture that tends to break open rather than settle. The second is that Ipswich have not beaten Forest in the Premier League since that afternoon in May 1993, a run of four straight defeats stretched across thirty-two years and two very different eras for both clubs. For a buyer the practical read is that goals have been reliable here, with seventeen across the six, so a seat with a clear view of both penalty areas earns its money.
Ipswich and Forest have met only three times in the Premier League at Portman Road, which is too short a record to draw anything from, so the figures below widen to every Premier League meeting between the clubs at either ground, from 1992/93 to the present. Second-tier meetings, of which there are many, and the two FA Cup ties are excluded.
| Metric | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 6 |
| Ipswich Town wins | 2 |
| Nottingham Forest wins | 4 |
| Draws | 0 |
| Ipswich Town goals | 6 |
| Nottingham Forest goals | 11 |
| Biggest Ipswich Town win | 2-1 |
| Biggest Nottingham Forest win | 1-4 |
| First Premier League meeting | 31 October 1992 |
| Most recent Premier League meeting | 15 March 2025 |
| At Portman Road only | 3 played, 1 Ipswich win, 2 Forest wins |
Figures calculated from the verified match-by-match results below and cross-referenced against two independent match records for every fixture.
All six Premier League fixtures between the clubs at either ground, newest first, with the venue shown because the record widens beyond Portman Road.
| Date | Venue | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 2025 | Portman Road | 2-4 |
| 30 Nov 2024 | City Ground | 0-1 |
| 10 Dec 1994 | City Ground | 1-4 |
| 20 Aug 1994 | Portman Road | 0-1 |
| 08 May 1993 | Portman Road | 2-1 |
| 31 Oct 1992 | City Ground | 1-0 |
Scores shown with Ipswich Town first regardless of venue. Every result cross-referenced against two independent match records.
Friday 23 October 2026 at 20:00, not the Saturday it was originally scheduled for. The Premier League moved it after Sky Sports selected it for live coverage, so build travel around the Friday.
Not as standard. Ipswich sell home fixtures through a members-only ballot, then members' windows, then season ticket holders, with a general sale announced only if seats remain. On a ground that fills, that step is rare.
The Sir Bobby Robson upper tier. It sits above the singing end so it keeps the atmosphere, it looks straight down the pitch and it avoids the rail seating in the tier below. The outer West Stand blocks are the other value option.
In the Cobbold Stand, blocks VU1 to VU3 in the upper tier and VA and VL below, with an allocation of around 3,000. The upper blocks are rail seating. Visiting colours are permitted in that section only.
On the current timetable yes, but only just. Full time is around 21:50 and the last scheduled departure to Liverpool Street is 22:43, a five to ten minute walk away. Confirm the date's timetable before travelling, or stay over.
Sources: Ipswich Town official club ticketing, membership, matchday pricing and seating plan documents for 2026/27, covering stand names, block letters, the ballot sequence, the resale platform and face values; Premier League fixture amendment listings for the confirmed date, kick-off time and broadcaster; Liverpool FC away ticket information for the 2026/27 Portman Road allocation and away block detail; worldfootball.net, 11v11 and Sky Sports match reports for every result in the head-to-head tables; Wikipedia season records and footballwebpages for attendance figures; Greater Anglia published timetables for rail journey and last departure times; planning submissions to Ipswich Borough Council for the West Stand and car park proposals.
Neither club qualified for European competition in 2026/27, so the domestic calendar is the whole season for both. Forest played in the Europa League in 2025/26 after finishing seventh the season before, and Ipswich have not been in Europe in this period.