Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Tickets
The only thing standing between you and the opening ceremony of the English season are Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Tickets — and this year the venue will be in Cardiff instead of London. The 2026 FA Community Shield will start at 3pm (15:00 BST) on Sunday, 16 August 2026 at the Principality Stadium, marking the first time in 20 years that this fixture has been staged outside England. Arsenal enter the game as Premier League champions for the first time in over two decades. Manchester City enter as FA Cup winners and domestic cup double winners, with a new manager for the first time in a decade. As match day approaches and approximately 1,700 tickets remain, we'll take you through all you need to know about Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield tickets – including prices, seating, kick-off times, and why the match was relocated to Wales.
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Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Details
The Community Shield is English football's traditional opener: a single match in the afternoon, with the Premier League champions facing the FA Cup winners, deciding the first piece of silverware of the 2026/27 season just a week before the new campaign begins. 90 minutes, no extra-time; if it ends level then it goes straight to penalties.
Arsenal Community Shield tickets carry the weight of a club that finally reached the summit. Mikel Arteta's team won the 2025/26 Premier League on 85 points, finishing seven ahead of City, with David Raya recording 19 clean sheets – the club's first league title in over two decades, and Arteta's first as a manager.
Manchester City Community Shield tickets represent the other half of the story. City wrapped up the domestic cup double last season, defeating Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final in March and Chelsea 1-0 in the Emirates FA Cup final in May. A deft touch by Antoine Semenyo from an Erling Haaland pass sealed victory at Wembley and provided the club's eighth FA Cup.
But there is another storyline – the managers. Pep Guardiola departed in May following a decade in charge, winning 20 trophies, while Enzo Maresca, previously Guardiola's assistant, returns to the club for the third time as manager and will lead them in their first competitive fixture on Sunday. The club have already set a new transfer record for Elliot Anderson, and Bernardo Silva and John Stones have both left the squad. This is a completely different Manchester City side, and Cardiff will be the debut stage for the team.
Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield History
Both clubs have crossed paths at Wembley twice in the past three seasons and have shared the spoils. In the 2023 Community Shield, Leandro Trossard equalised in the 101st minute to make it 1-1, and Arsenal went on to win the penalty shootout 4-1. During the 2026 Carabao Cup final on 22 March, Nico O'Reilly struck twice in the space of five second-half goals, resulting in a 2-0 victory for City in front of 88,486 spectators and ending Arsenal's quest for a quadruple.
The record between the two teams at the Community Shield is unevenly in Arsenal's favour. Arsenal have won 17 Shields, second only to Manchester United, and have won the last five of theirs: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2023. City have been in 16 Shields for seven wins, last beating Manchester United on penalties in 2024. This venue isn't a new one for Arsenal: between 2001 and 2006, they contested four Shields in Cardiff and won two, and they also won three FA Cups here in the same time frame.
Principality Stadium: 2026 Community Shield venue
It's at the Principality Stadium on Westgate Street, central Cardiff, otherwise known to most as the Millennium Stadium and the national stadium of Wales. It's not the usual host for the fixture. With Wembley booked up for five nights of The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn tour, 14-19 August, the FA are moving it to Cardiff for the first time since 2006.
Either way, it's better for the atmosphere. It's a 73,931-capacity football venue, with a retractable roof, and it's sunk below street level in a steep bowl, trapping and magnifying crowd noise. It was built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and it hosted six Community Shields between 2001 and 2006 while Wembley was being redeveloped, along with FA Cup and League Cup finals.
It's also a very easy trip to reach by train. The stadium is just a five-minute walk from Cardiff Central station, the city centre is wrapped around it, and there's basically no car parking, which means the entire crowd has to walk through the same couple of main streets to get to the gates. Get there early.
100% Genuine Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Tickets
All our listings are verified prior to going live, and payments are only released when we can confirm delivery. We provide a full refund if the seller doesn't send the tickets, or if they aren't the right ones, or if the match is called off.
It's even more important here, because Arsenal and Manchester City are both issuing personalised digital tickets, and both have said they'll be conducting on-the-day checks on those tickets. Using a verified ticket exchange site could mean the difference between being inside the game and having to make a trip all the way to Wales. With 70,000 fans heading into the heart of the city, the streets around Westgate Street will be flooded — the exact area where fake tickets tend to trade the most heavily.
Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield information
| Competition | FA Community Shield 2026 (the 104th) |
| Match | Arsenal vs Manchester City |
| Date | Sunday 16 August 2026 |
| Kick-off | 15:00 BST (16:00 CEST / 19:30 IST) |
| Stadium | Principality Stadium, Westgate Street, Cardiff |
| Capacity | 73,931 |
| Format | One match only – kicks to penalties if it's drawn at 90 minutes, no extra time |
| Broadcast | TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max (UK), ESPN Select (USA) |
Why Buy Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Tickets
It's a one-off final between the top two teams in England, and the last time this game will ever be played in this form. It's the first competitive match Maresca will manage City in. It's also the first time Arsenal have been crowned champions since 2004, and it's the first time the Shield has been played in Cardiff since 2006, when they last hosted it as an emergency measure while Wembley was being built. And it doesn't look like they'll host it again any time soon.
Revenge will also be a factor here. Arsenal lost the Carabao Cup final to these very opponents five months ago, with a quadruple still in their sights. But they won the league, and still saw City win two domestic trophies. This will be the first chance to right those wrongs.
One thing that must be taken into account: the World Cup ended in July, and the Premier League has started a week later than usual as a result. Both sides will be without some key players who went deep in the tournament and need to gradually come back into the squad. We can expect to see younger players, and to see a more open game.
Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Seating Map
The Principality Stadium is a symmetrical four-sided bowl in three tiers, making it easier to choose where to sit than in many larger stadiums.
Lower tier: These seats are closest to the action and form the loudest sections of the stadium, especially behind the goals. However, the viewing angle is somewhat flat, and it's worth heading up a tier if you want to see the flow of the game, not just hear it.
Middle tier: The best seats in the house. You're high enough to see the shape of the game, and close enough to get caught up in the atmosphere. The best blocks in the stadium are the central seats in the middle tier, facing the halfway line.
Upper tier: Near 360-degree view of the stadium. These are also the cheapest seats in the building, and you're genuinely high up, so avoid them if you're not comfortable with steep seating.
When it comes to club allocations, Arsenal fans will be seated on the South side, with City supporters in the opposite block. Remaining seats will be sold as neutral. If you want to be surrounded by fans of one team, make sure you know what block you're in before buying, as tickets on the secondary market aren't guaranteed to end up in either of the allocated sections.
Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Ticket Prices
Official prices for the 2026 Community Shield ranged from £30 to £75 for adults, with cheaper prices for concessions, or £10 off for seats where the view might be partially obstructed. Each club received around 26,000 tickets. Arsenal initially received 25,987, with another 6,755 available on 7 August.
| Ticket type | Official face value |
|---|---|
| Lowest-priced adult tickets | from £30 |
| Middle-priced tickets | £45–£60 |
| Most expensive adult tickets | up to £75 |
With club allocations now sold out, your only option is the official resale market. Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield tickets are now available from about €84, with approximately 1,700 listings of all types. The closer you are to the centre and the closer to the halfway line, the higher the price will be. However, there are plenty of affordable options in the upper corner sections and behind the goal areas.
When To Get Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield Tickets
Now! The game is just four days away and it's already past the window for the official sales which were open until mid-July or early August (City's sales started on 16 July, Arsenal's on 20 July, and the final batch went on sale on 7 August). All of those are now closed. You can only purchase the remaining ones via resale which will dwindle as the match gets nearer since it's a one-off affair and fans don't want to risk having to spend money they might not use. The usual rule for this competition is that there will be some seats left on the day because some people won't be able to travel, but given the two teams, that won't really happen because both sets of supporters are large enough to fill the place three times over. That means that anyone hoping for a late-day deal may be disappointed and end up watching on TNT Sports instead. If you're coming from outside Cardiff then you should also think about booking your travel. Great Western Railway services into Cardiff Central are busy on big match days, so it's likely the trains will be full and hotels are already mostly booked out.
FAQ
How much are Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield tickets?
The official face value was £30 to £75 per adult for members of both clubs. But on the verified resale market Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield tickets now start from around €84, with prices depending on the ticket type, how central the seat is, and when you buy.
Can I still buy tickets for the 2026 Community Shield?
Yes. Official sales are closed but Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield tickets are still available for purchase on the verified secondary market in all categories, with buyer protection guaranteed.
Why isn't the Community Shield at Wembley?
Because The Weeknd is playing five shows there from 14 to 19 August as part of his After Hours til Dawn tour and the FA wanted to avoid clashing with his concerts. As a result, they've moved the event to Cardiff's Principality Stadium for the first time in two decades. The city used to stage the Shield six times from 2001 to 2006, while Wembley was being renovated.
When does Arsenal vs Manchester City kick off?
Kick-off is at 15:00 BST on Sunday, 16 August 2026 (16:00 CEST in central Europe and 19:30 IST in India). The game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the UK and ESPN Select in the US.
How did Arsenal and Manchester City qualify?
The Shield is contested between the Premier League champions and the holders of the FA Cup. Arsenal claimed the title in the 2025/26 season on 85 points, while Man City won the 2026 FA Cup, defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley on 16 May. Crystal Palace are defending Shield holders after winning in 2025 but did not qualify for this year's edition.
What if it's a draw?
The game goes straight to penalties without any extra time. Arsenal beat Man City on spot-kicks in the 2023 Shield and Man City won the 2024 edition by the same method against Manchester United.
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