The Spiritual Home of Basque Identity
Designed by César Azkarate and IDOM, the new San Mamés opened on the historic site of the original 1913 ground. The stadium is wrapped in thousands of dynamic ETFE louvers that illuminate in vivid red on match nights along the Bilbao estuary.
The stands sit right beside the touchline, creating a vertical red-and-white wall of 53,289 Basque socios. Athletic Club’s unbroken 125-year tradition of fielding solely Basque-trained footballers turns every fixture into a deeply emotional civic gathering.
Pre-Match Ritual: The Calle Pozas Pintxos Run
No ground-hopping journey in Spain is complete without visiting Calle Licenciado Poza 3 hours prior to kickoff. Fans sample pintxos of tortilla, bacalao, and txakoli wine as the entire street moves in unison toward the illuminated stadium.