Matchday Guide: Aston Villa v Arsenal

FixturesAston Villa Vs. Arsenal - Mon, Aug 31 2026, 20:00Aston Villa will turn out at Villa Park for the first time this season on Bank Holiday Monday, hosting reigning Premier League champions Arsenal (ko 8pm). With Villa's iconic B6 home set to welcome supporters for the first time in over three months, Unai Emery will be looking to put his team's first points of the season on the board, against his former side. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the encounter to enjoy your visit on matchday...Key InformationnullJimmy Rimmer tributeVilla Park will come together ahead of kick-off to pay tribute to club legend Jimmy Rimmer, who sadly passed away earlier this month. Jimmy's family will be in attendance, and will be pitchside before the game. And, after a crowdsurfer flag has been displayed in The Holte End, there will be a period of applause before the game kicks off. Rest in peace, Jimmy. Getting around Villa ParkWith several changes having taken place at Villa Park since supporters were last present in May, we have published a useful and important guide on our B6 home and its footprint ahead of the game. Read full details by clicking here. Matchday WhatsApp channelWe are pleased to announce the launch of an all-new matchday WhatsApp channel, which can be joined by clicking here. With a number of changes to Villa Park over the summer, fans who join the channel can expect ticketing and travel information and real-time updates to be pushed directly to their mobile device to help them successfully navigate Villa Park and enjoy your matchday experience. For full details and to join, click here. Getting to the gameClick on the sections below to learn more about tickets, Villa Park and transport to the stadium.Mobile TicketsSupporters are reminded to download the latest version of the Official Aston Villa App to download their match tickets ahead of kick-off. All match tickets will now be issued in the Official Aston Villa App only, meaning you must have the latest version of the app downloaded in order to gain access to Villa Park on matchday. If you are unable to see your tickets, please log out and log back in. Simply log into your Digital Account in the app and your tickets will appear under the ‘Tickets’ section. Supporters must update their app to the latest version to ensure in-app ticketing works without issue, and upon first open of the app, you will need to log out and then back in to verify your identity. Villa Park is now fully NFC ticketing enabled for supporters to access the stadium. Near-Field Communication (NFC) enables fans to enter the stadium via Apple or Google Wallet.TicketsA limited number of general admission tickets for the match remain. Book online here. The best way to secure tickets for future matches at Villa Park is via a Membership.Hospitality and General Admission PlusThe club has a range of hospitality and GA+ areas to complement our existing offer. Check out all the information and book online here. Hospitality bookings for our upcoming home matches can be made over the phone on 01214680445 (option 1) or by emailing hospitality@avfc.co.uk.Under-3s PolicyMany supporters may not be aware of the policy regarding under-3s, so we are reminding supporters that under-3s are only permitted to be in the family areas in the Trinity Road Stand at Villa Park and must have a match ticket. Further information can be found here. Visiting Villa ParkIt's important that supporters take steps to plan their visit to the stadium. Turnstiles open at 6pm, so make sure you arrive at the stadium in plenty of time ahead of kick-off to ensure smooth entry. Please note, access to turnstiles is maintained during the first half and will close once the half-time whistle is blown. However you're planning on getting to the match, take a look at our Travel & Parking guide before leaving home. A traffic exclusion zone will be in operation around the stadium, meaning there will be less traffic on Trinity Road and Witton Lane from up to two hours before the match starts. Key Travel InformationPlease plan ahead and check train timetables for direct services or travel earlier for less busy services. Please visit Transport for West Midlands’ Journey Planner or the National Rail journey planner here. For real time traffic updates, follow @wmroads on X. Our dedicated city centre shuttle bus service, the AV82, will operate for the match. For more information on the AV82, visit here. Our shuttle bus to and from Tamworth, the AV1, will also be in operation. For more information, visit here. You can also pre-book your ticket for the AV1 bus here. To help you plan your journey by public transport, please visit How to get to Villa Park. Supporters are advised that the supply of car parking around Villa Park is limited. We will be continuing to work with local parking operators to offer fans the opportunity to book parking near to the ground. Match-by-match car parking for the game is available through our new official travel website, travel.avfc.co.uk. City Centre and Tamworth Shuttle BusesAston Villa is delighted to confirm to supporters that our AV82 city centre shuttle bus service will continue to run on matchdays this season. Run by Stagecoach, the AV82 shuttle picks supporters up from outside Birmingham New Street Station on Dudley Street, running directly to Villa Park. Buses run every 15 minutes, starting three hours before kick-off for every home fixture. Services run back to Birmingham New Street at regular intervals for up to 90 minutes after the final whistle of every game, with services departing from Grosvenor Road, on the walking route towards Aston Station. Traffic signals have been optimised around Villa Park to help improve flow of traffic away from the ground. This should assist with journey times for our AV82 city centre shuttle bus. The club also has a dedicated bus service, AV1, that runs to Villa Park from Tamworth on matchday. You can purchase tickets here. More information is available here. Cycle ParkingCovered and secure cycle parking is available a short walk away from Villa Park at our Inner City Academy, Brook Vale, on Witton Road.Accessibility InformationSupporters with accessibility requirements travelling to Villa Park by rail are advised to look out for the accessibility signage on both platforms at Witton Station. Station staff will be able to help you if you wait in the designated areas. More information is available here. For any supporters with additional mobility needs who have questions about travel to and from Villa Park on a matchday, please contact accessibility@avfc.co.uk.Which items can I bring into the stadium?We have a stadium-wide bag policy in place at Villa Park; all bags will be physically and/or visually searched at the stadium entrance. Any bags larger than 20cm x 15cm x 5cm will not be allowed onto the stadium footprint. For a full list of acceptable and prohibited items, please click here.Bag DropA matchday bag drop facility is now operating at Villa Park for bags which exceed the allowable size. The bag drop facility is located on the corner of Witton Lane and Station Road. There is a £5 charge per item and the bag drop is open from two hours before, until two hours after each game. You can find out more information and register your bag(s) at villa.dropmybag.co.uk.Matchday Mental Health & Wellbeing Support Hub The Support Hub, located on the first floor of the Holte Pub, will be open every matchday, providing a safe and welcoming space where supporters can access mental health support, guidance, and resources. This pioneering initiative forms part of Aston Villa’s ongoing commitment to its community of fans, with the clear aim of raising awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging help-seeking behaviour. With the tagline 'Supporting the Supporters', the Hub will be staffed by trained volunteers and mental health professionals who will be on hand to offer confidential advice, a listening ear, and signposting to specialist services. Text AVFC to 85258 to be connected to SHOUT - anytime, day or night, 24/7, for free confidential mental health and wellbeing support. Pre-match activitiesClick on the sections below to learn more about activities taking place at Villa Park before kick-off.The Sports Illustrated Warehouse Matchday FanzoneVilla Park's all-new Sports Illustrated Warehouse is again open on matchday, located in the North Grounds. The new space opens its doors at 5PM, with supporters able to enjoy a bar area and food. There will also be live music from resident DJ! We will be showing the build-up to the game with Aston Villa heroes Alan McInally and Lee Hendrie, who will be joining us for a chat on the game and recounting some special memories from over the years. We also have entertainment taking place on the stage opposite Trinity Reception. A brand-new fanzone has also been installed outside the Trinity Road Stand! Entrance will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis for home fans with a valid match ticket, offering the perfect vantage point for player arrivals from 6.30pm. We want to see your experience of matchday at Villa Park! Post your photos and tag #UTV and you could be featured on the big screens at the stadium! Supporters are advised that the R44 accessible entrance will be closed for a period of time. Food and BeverageVilla Park offers a wide range of cuisine and beverages on a matchday, open from 5pm, with a number of upgrades made to our general admission food and beverage offering over the summer. This includes the following... • Introduction of Homemade Pie offering, aligned with the recent developments in the Main Kitchen.• Increased draught dispense capacity across all three stands of the stadium, with an additional 57 taps installed and upgraded nozzles to improve dispense times, plus five brand-new draft bars.• Installation of Multi Dispense Units on Lower Holte Kiosks 2 and 3 (scheduled to be completed ahead of the Nottingham Forest fixture)• Launch of ‘The Holte Tandoor’ kiosk in Lower Holte, and Launch of the new ‘Lux Greek x Pop Street’ kiosk on Lower Trinity – providing a more curated menu suitable for both men's and women's fixtures.• Upgraded confectionery and snack ranges, including the introduction of Brown Bag Crisps, Tony's Chocolonely and our own AVFC Jelly Mix.• New kiosk branding across retail concessions, delivered in collaboration with our partners Carlsberg and Guinness. Outside the stadium, several street food trucks will sit alongside a bar serving alcoholic and soft drinks. On the Holte End car park there will also be a bar and food traders, including Aston Villa Foundation's Kerbside Cobs. Supporters are reminded that Aston Villa adopts a one-cup system at Villa Park, in our continued environmental sustainability efforts.Cashless StadiumVilla Park remains a cashless facility. This includes the Villa Store, with card payments widely accepted in and around the stadium. The only exception is programme kiosks outside the ground, which will still accept cash. In-stadia betting kiosks will also be in operation for this fixture and such service will be provided on a cashless basis.Matchday Programme Physical and digital copies of the Aston Villa News & Record are once again available this season, both online and around the ground. The Aston Villa Official Programme app gives supporters access to every edition of the Villa News & Record in a number of languages, no matter where you’re following from in the world, and it’s available to download now from the App Store and Google Play. Download on the App Store Download on Google Play Physical copies can be purchased for £4 from sellers around Villa Park and in the Villa Store, while it's also available to order online here. Villans can purchase digital editions on a game-by-game basis or save money with a subscription. Villa StoreClick on the sections below to learn about merchandise points around the stadium.Store Opening HoursThere are a number of places where supporters can shop for Aston Villa merchandise on a matchday, including the upgraded Villa Store. Below you'll find the opening times for each shop around the ground... Villa Store: 9.30am-8pm and 9.30pm-10.30pm Holte Store: 5pm-8pm and 9.30pm-10.30pm Trinty Store: 6.30pm-8pm and 8.30pm-9pm Lower Grounds: 5pm-8pm and 8.45pm-10.30pm 82 Lounge: 5pm-8pm and 8.45pm-10.30pm Warehouse: 4.30pm-8pm and 9.30pm-10.30pm Matchday DealsShop 30% off selected ranges in-store, including our A/W Casual Range, A/W Textured Range and AVFC Branded Footballs. Join us in-store to shop our latest deals and all products included in the offer will be marked. All 2026/27 adidas collections, including kits, training wear and travel wear will be available in-store in adult and junior sizes. Shop the new 2026/27 Home Anthem Jacket – available in-store from Sunday, August 30. Our latest collection with New Era has launched in-store, including new caps and beanies ahead of A/W.During the gameClick on the sections below to learn more about events that take place during the match.See it...hear it...report it!If you witness discriminatory behaviour at a match or around a stadium, please report it to the police or a steward. Supporters at Villa Park can text REPORT to 60060 along with the location of the incident and details of what you have witnessed. The text line also includes the reporting of any safeguarding concerns. The text service will be supported by our security team and West Midlands Police. Each text costs one standard message at your network rate. The club may share your details with West Midlands Police if further information is required to assist with a criminal prosecution.All-seater StadiumWe would like to remind supporters that Villa Park is an all-seater stadium. In all areas of Villa Park, we have children, elderly fans and those with medical conditions who are unable to see or watch the match if supporters stand up in front of them. Please be mindful of this at all times and thank you for your cooperation.Lower Grounds AccessFollowing a proposal from the Fan Advisory Board, the clubs is pleased to announce that the Lower Grounds will be open for fans in the Lower Holte as an extended concourse at half-time. The space will be open ten minutes before half-time and will close ten minutes into the second half.