The Vitality Stadium had 3 stands in 2003 when I first visited but with the addition of the new Ted MacDougall stand the stadium now looks almost complete. The new stand does have a number of pillars across the front of it so hopefully this will be improved in the near future. The remaining three stands were all built in 2001 over the course of approximated 4 months.
Stadium redevelopment: AFC Bournemouth are undertaking a phased redevelopment of the Vitality Stadium. The eventual plans will increase capacity to more than 20,000, although the stadium remains at roughly 11,300 capacity during the current phase of work. Supporters should check the club’s latest matchday information for any temporary changes to access, parking or facilities.
Visiting supporters are housed in Blocks 21–24 in the corner of the Vitality East Stand, accessed via Turnstile F. The normal away allocation is around 1,300, although this can vary for individual fixtures and cup competitions.
Vitality Stadium seating plan:
For a detailed look into the best and worst places to sit at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium, check out their team page on 'Where To Sit?' which features plenty of information and photos submitted by fans with views from their seats - Best Places To Sit at the Vitality Stadium
For fans walking from the main station in Bournemouth, there are a number of pubs ideally situated on the main road (Holdenhurst Rd) that leads to the ground. If you've parked your car in the council car park in Kings Park, simply walk out of the park (the way you came in) and turn left.
Mello Mello Bar (677 Christchurch Rd, Boscombe, BH7 6AA) is widely regarded as the primary away supporters' pub, welcoming visiting fans with cheap drinks, multiple screens showing Sky and TNT Sports, and outdoor seating.
Matchday parking at Vitality Stadium has changed for the 2026/27 season. There is no general-admission parking in the Kings Park car parks; these are now available on a pre-booked basis to eligible supporters. Parking restrictions on surrounding residential roads are actively enforced on matchdays, so supporters are advised not to rely on street parking. The club recommends using public transport where possible.
Alternative parking: Avonbourne Academies may provide free supporter parking around a 10-minute walk from the stadium, but spaces are limited and availability should be checked before travelling.
Secure a parking space near to the Vitality Stadium and save £££. Simply book a nearby space or driveway with JustPark
Get directions to the Vitality Stadium from your house by entering your post code or location below:
Pokesdown for Boscombe is the closest station to the Vitality Stadium, approximately a 15-minute walk away. Bournemouth station is further away but has more frequent services.
As you come out of Pokesdown station, turn right and walk up towards Boscombe. Take a right into Gloucester Road (3rd on your right) and follow the street until it leads you into Kings Park. You should be able see the ground from there.
Rivals - Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton
Visiting supporters are seated in blocks 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the East Stand. Away fans normally enter through Turnstile F in the south-east corner of the stadium.
Pokesdown for Boscombe is the closest railway station to the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth railway station is further away but has wider rail connections.
Matchday parking is available in the council-operated car park south of the stadium, subject to availability. Parking is limited and supporters should arrive early.
Yes. The Vitality Stadium is a cashless venue and accepts major debit cards, credit cards and contactless payments.
Supporters are advised not to bring a bag unless essential. Bags larger than A4 size are not permitted inside the stadium.
Yes. AFC Bournemouth operates security searching and electronic wanding at stadium entry points. Supporters should arrive early to allow time for checks.
Yes. Accessible viewing positions and facilities are available. The visiting supporter accessible entrance is located near the corner of the South and East stands.
Supporters should arrive at least 60 minutes before kick-off because security searches and electronic checks can cause queues at Turnstile F.
Travel: I took a train from Durham to London Kings Cross which was a breeze. But the notorious South West Rail journey from Waterloo to Bournemouth took a lot longer than planned as our train was cancelled after arriving into Southampton, so we were forced onto a different train running at a reduced speed with extra stops.
Refreshments: After our delays, we headed to Mello Mello Bar in Boscombe for a quick one pre-match. The pub was fairly subdued and a little on the neglected side but it did the trick before our 10 minute walk to the ground. The home fans after the game were very friendly and had a little bit of a chat with one that agreed the result was fair and was good to see Matt Ritchie getting a goal, probably a rare comment from oppositions supporters!
Impressions: Of course, it's the smallest ground in the division by far and this is obvious when you cross the park towards the away turnstiles. It's a good little ground with a bit about it, being directly opposite the first team training complex, which I thought added character. Our away allocation was right next to the press seats and TV cameras which was a unique situation.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere from both sets of fans was quite quiet throughout. This possibly due to a dull first half and fairly nasty weather conditions thanks to storm Gareth. I ended up missing our opening goal at 45 +5 to go down for a half time pint, which was a Fosters costing £3.50, possibly the cheapest pint in the Premier League? The second half heard a bit of noise from the home fans after their two goals saw them going into second half injury time 2-1 up. Fortunately for us Matt Ritchie came back to haunt his old club by netting an equaliser with the last kick of the game sending the away section into raptures. The stewards apprehended a number of fans that spilled over the advertising boards and the police made 7 subsequent arrests, possibly a bit harsh given that nobody seemed to encroach onto the pitch or attempt to do anything other than celebrate in between the 200 fans squashing behind them and the 2-foot high advert boards. Nonetheless, this late goal made our long trip worth it.
Exit: The traffic around the ground and Bournemouth town centre was quite bad, so we jumped on a bus to Bournemouth Square for a post-match beer, then to a fantastic Chinese restaurant in the town named Mandarin Fusion before continuing our night among the many bars around that part of town.
Enjoy: A good ground with pleasant fans and a great little town to suit all the needs of eating and drinking. In future would probably drive instead of putting faith in trains as this seemed too stressful to be worthwhile.
Ground Name: Vitality Stadium
Capacity: 11,329 (all seated)
Address: Dean Court, Kings Park, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH7 7AF
Main Tel No.: 0844 576 1910
Team Nickname: The Cherries
Year Ground Opened: 1910
Site: www.afcb.co.uk
