The Anoeta Stadium or Reale Arena is the home to La Liga side Real Sociedad and occasionally the Real Soceidad Women’s team.
The stadium sits in the Amara district of San Sebastian, which is to the south of the city but easily accessible from the city centre by metro, biking or even walking.
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Things to know about the Anoeta Stadium
If you don’t know much about the Anoeta stadium, then read on to understand the main things that make this stadium so special.
1. It replaced the Atotxa Stadium
The Reale Arena opened in 1993 with the first game at the Anoeta being a 0-0 draw between Real Sociedad and Real Madrid.
The new ground was a big change for Real Sociedad who previously played in the Atotxa Stadium for 80 years (which only had a capacity of 17,000) before moving to their new home. Prior to that they actually played at the Ondarreta Stadium too.
The Reale Arena was built and funded by the local government as part of the Anoeta Sports Complex which covers a wider area, housing basketball courts, swimming pools, gyms and tennis courts amongst other things.
2. It’s the 11th largest stadium in Spain
The Reale Arena has a capacity of 40,000, making it the 11th largest in Spain.
As a council-led initiative, the stadium occasionally plays host to other important events in San Sebastian such as rugby matches, athletics championships and concerts. Big names such as U2, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd have all played here in the past.
When the stadium first opened, it had an athletics track around the outside of the pitch. However, this was criticised by the Real Sociedad fans as in some areas of the stadium the fans were nearly 40 metres away from the action.
In the end, the athletics track was taken out and despite only opening 30 or so years ago, the Aneota has undergone a number of changes to make it a modern football stadium fit for purpose.
Today there’s a good atmosphere in the stadium with much of the noise coming from the Txuri-urdin (fans) behind the goal in the South Stand.
How to visit the Anoeta Stadium
OK, so now you know a little bit about the stadium, how do you actually go about visiting it? Well, below we run through your options.
1. Go to a game
The best way to visit the Anoeta is to go to a game. Tickets for Real Sociedad matches generally go on public sale and are pretty easy to get hold off via the clubs website – https://www.realsociedad.eus//en
For a standard La Liga game, tickets start at around €30 (rising to €60 depending on where you chose to sit).
For more premium games in La Liga (against the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid) and El Derbi (against local rivals Athletic Bilbao) expect to pay a little more – with tickets starting between €60 – €90.
2. Museum and Stadium Tour
If you’re visiting San Sebastian in the summer, or there’s no game whilst you’re in the city, there’s also a museum and stadium tour that will give you a peek into the Anoeta.
For more information on the tours available, check out the clubs website – https://www.realsociedad.eus//en
How to get to the Anoeta Stadium
The Reale Arena is one of those rare modern stadiums that is actually situated fairly close to the centre of the city. That makes it really easy to get to on foot or by public transport.
1. By foot
The Anoeta is typically no more than a 30 minute walk from the centre and Área Romántica of San Sebastian.
It’s located just under 3 km to the south of the city (about a 25 minute walk from the main Amara Euskotrain station). Just follow streets Antso Jakituna Hiribidea and Madrid Etorb to the south and you can’t miss it.
2. By metro and train
Most of the local trains on the Euskotren network stop at the Anoeta Stadium on their way into San Sebastian. This is the closest station to the stadium (right outside).
If you’re already in the centre of San Sebastian and don’t fancy the 30 minute walk. You can hop on most of the trains leaving Amara Station and get off at the next stop (Aneota).
Check out the schedule search on the Euskotren website for more details.
3. By bus
Perhaps the easiest way to get to the Anoeta Stadium is by bus.
There are plenty of regular services that pass close by to the Anoeta Stadium, but on match days the city puts on special buses to the stadium.
Whether you’re based in Antiguo, the centre, Gros, Egia or Liola, there are special services that run when there’s a game on.
You can consult this guide (in Spanish) on which buses stop past the stadium. It even includes a map of where you need to get the bus back after a game!
If you’re unsure, the best way is to search on Google Maps and select the public transport option.
FAQs about the Anoeta Stadium
Below we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the Reale Arena.
If you have a question that’s not been answered in this article, feel free to drop it down in the comments below and we’ll get back to you.
Real Sociedad have had three stadiums in their history. They previously played at the Atotxa Stadium (for 80 years) before moving to their new stadium. Prior to the Atotxa, they played at the Ondarreta Stadium too.
For a standard La Liga game, tickets to see Real Sociedad will cost between €30 – €60 depending on where you chose to sit.
For more premium games, tickets will cost between €60-€90.
