How the Champions League final venue is chosen and what final week is like

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The Champions League final is played at a neutral stadium, usually on a Saturday in late May or early June, and the venue is known long before anyone knows who will be playing. That is why fans of the finalists often have only a few weeks to sort out travel to a city that may be hundreds or thousands of kilometres from home.

A bidding process

UEFA appoints final venues through a formal bidding process, run several years ahead of each final.

National associations declare interest, usually on behalf of a specific stadium and city.
Bidders submit a full dossier answering UEFA's requirements on the stadium, security, transport, accommodation, government support and fan facilities.
UEFA evaluates the bids, often visiting the venues.
The UEFA Executive Committee makes the appointment, sometimes several finals at once.

Venues are usually fixed several seasons ahead, so UEFA's announcements are the place to check where upcoming finals will be.

What UEFA looks for

A large, modern stadium that meets UEFA's top category of infrastructure standards.
Transport capacity: an airport able to handle many extra flights, plus rail and public transport to the stadium.
Hotel capacity for tens of thousands of visiting supporters, officials and media.
Security and crowd management plans, including separate routes and fan zones for each club's supporters.
Government guarantees on safety, visas and other support.

Crowd safety has become a central part of the assessment after problems at some recent finals, and UEFA has reviewed how supporters are moved into and around stadiums.

Why the venue can change

Occasionally a final is moved after it has been awarded, for example because of security concerns, a public health crisis or a stadium not being ready. This is rare, but it is a reason to book flexible travel if you are planning far in advance.

Final week in the host city

The final is the centrepiece of a week of events.

The UEFA Champions Festival, a free fan festival in the city centre, usually runs for several days before the final, with football activities, trophy displays, legends matches and entertainment.
The finalists arrive a day or two before the match. Each club holds a press conference and trains at the stadium the day before the final.
Fan zones are set up for each club's supporters, usually in separate parts of the city to keep groups apart.
Other finals in UEFA's competitions, including the women's final and the Europa League and Conference League finals, are played in other cities around the same period.

On the day

Gates open many hours before kick-off. There is usually a pre-match show, so supporters are encouraged to arrive early.
Security checks are thorough and queues are long. Follow the routes the organisers publish for your club's supporters.
Public transport is busy and sometimes free for ticket holders, depending on the host city.
After the match, expect long waits to leave the stadium area and to get back to the city centre.

Travelling without a ticket

Many fans travel just to be part of it. If you do:

Stay in the official fan zone for your club and watch on the big screens.
Do not buy tickets from touts; unofficial tickets may be fake or cancelled.
Book accommodation early, and consider staying outside the host city with a train connection.

Each host city publishes its own travel advice in the build-up to the final, so check UEFA's site and the local organisers for current information. Have you been to a final or a Champions Festival? Tell us what it was like in the comments.