Arsenal's Emirates Stadium is set to introduce safe-standing areas to finally fulfil a long-term hope of many supporters
16:00, 17 Feb 2026
Arsenal safe-standing plans to go ahead from next season
View Image
Arsenal safe-standing plans to go ahead from next season (Image: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal are finally set to introduce safe standing at the Emirates Stadium from next season, 2026/27. This will be a two-year process in which Arsenal’s Clock End, the south stand, will first receive the implemented upgrades to allow supporters to safely stand in the area.
Then the North Bank will get the upgrade from the 2027/28 campaign. 6850 seats are set to undergo the transformation in the Clock End, with a further 6650 in the North Bank, the following season, taking the total to 13500.
The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has played a key role in the many groups which have pushed for this to occur at the Emirates Stadium. The implementation is hoped to help improve both the match-going experience for fans and the atmosphere inside the ground.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The safe standing improvements have been undertaken without the fear of needing to segregate areas in the Emirates bowl or the concourse due to migration concerns. This effectively means there had been concerns that fans would move from non-standing areas to the safe-standing areas in order to avoid being told to remain seated throughout the game by stewards.
football.london understands that additional checks in these zones will be undertaken to ensure that the right supporters are in the right sections of the stadium and to deter fan migration in the ground to these sections. The south stand, of course, currently contains both the away fans, but also the fan group The Ashburton Army, whose main purpose is an ambition to encourage a louder Emirates Stadium atmosphere.
The changes will not increase the stadium’s capacity, with existing seats converted into safe-standing zones. There are no plans to implement safe standing in the East or West stands, with both the Clock End and North Bank recognised as areas where matchday standing already occurs.
View of Arsenal reporter Tom Canton
This is a big moment, a long-awaited moment, and a massive plus that I imagine will overshadow the announcement of a fifth successive rise in ticket prices. It shouldn’t, and the timing of both announcements is not surprising.
Article continues below
That said, when increased ticket prices result in revenue being redirected to what is believed to be a seven-figure cost to improve the fan experience, it does help justify it. The atmosphere is something Mikel Arteta has been very passionate about improving, and while the Spaniard is consulted on any changes, this is certainly a project that has been worked on throughout the club with encouragement from associations like the AST.
Anything that aims to improve the stadium’s ferocity and intimidation factor can only be a good thing. Now it will be intriguing to see after it's implementation how much of an impact it ends up making.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings