Where is Murrayfield Stadium? Capacity, location & history of Edinburgh venue as Man Utd confirm Lyon friendly

The current Premier League season might not be over but there are already big plans coming out of Old Trafford for the summer, including a high profile warm up match in Edinburgh.

Manchester United will face French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) in a pre-season friendly which will take place at BT Murrayfield Stadium. It will be the first time in 13 years that the Red Devils have played in Scotland and will give supporters the chance to experience an iconic sporting venue that will likely be entirely new to them.

Here is everything you need to know about the match and about Murrayfield, including the stadium’s capacity and history:

When is Man Utd vs Lyon?

The match will be played on Wednesday, July 19 with a kick off time of 2pm (BST). Tickets for this match go on pre-sale to fans who have pre-registered and Manchester United Season Ticket Holders, Official Members and Executive Club Members from 6pm on May 16 and then on general sale from noon on May 18.

Where is BT Murrayfield Stadium?

Murrayfield is Scotland’s largets sporting venue and is the home of the Scotland international rugby union team. It is located in the Roseburn area of Edinburgh’s capital, just next door to Gorgie where Heart of Midlothian play at Tynecastle Stadium.

For supporters travelling to the game, the stadium is only a short 20 minute walk from Haymarket train station. There are also trams and buses which run regularly and drop off either close to or right in front of the entrances.

What is BT Murrayfield’s capacity?

Murrayfield, first opened in 1925, has a capacity of just over 67,000 which makes it the largest stadium in Scotland and only slightly less than Old Trafford’s 74,000 plus capacity. It is slightly larger than the next biggest venue north of the border which is Celtic Park at a capacity of just over 60,000 and significantly more than that of Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium and Hampden Park - the home of the Scottish national football team.

Why are Man Utd playing at Murrayfield?

Manchester United Football Director, John Murtough, said: “Whilst as a club we have great historical links to Scotland, this will be the first time we’ve played at BT Murrayfield, and we’re really looking forward to performing in front of our Scottish fans in what will be a great occasion in a world-class sporting venue.”

“This is an important competitive match for our squad as we commence our preparations for the season ahead. With a 14.00 kick-off during the school holidays, we hope many families and young fans from all over Scotland and the UK will be able to travel to the game.”

BT Murrayfield history and major events

Murrayfield is best known as the home of Scottish rugby and hosts most of the Scotland men’s national team Test matches. In 2021 it also hosted a warm up match for the British & Irish Lions against Japan ahead of their tour to South Africa.

The venue has also played host to major football matches involving Hearts while their home ground of Tynecastle was being worked on as well as major matches in the Scottish Cup when Hampden Park was unavailable. The stadium is also regularly used as a concert venue and has hosted the likes of The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters and Spice Girls in recent years.