Plenty of Evertonians travelling to Bournemouth on Saturday will have made the journey many times before. But if the Vitality Stadium is a new ground for you, there are a few things worth knowing before setting off for the south coast.
This guide isn’t aimed at the Blues who spend their lives following Everton around the country and need no help finding an away end.
Perhaps it is your first Everton away game. Maybe you’re taking a youngster for the first time. Or perhaps Bournemouth is simply one of those grounds you’ve never managed to tick off.
If so, expect something rather different from the Hill Dickinson.
The Vitality Stadium is the smallest ground in the Premier League and sits in Kings Park, over towards Boscombe rather than beside Bournemouth’s famous seafront.
Where will the Everton fans be?…
Visiting supporters are in Blocks 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the East Stand, with access through Turnstile F.
So rather than being directly behind a goal, Evertonians will be down one side of the pitch towards the southern end of the stadium.
One advantage of the Vitality’s size is that you never feel particularly far from the football.
Turnstiles open 90 minutes before kick-off, with food and drink available on the concourse.
What is the Vitality Stadium like?…
Small, tight and quite different from most modern Premier League grounds.
Bournemouth’s rise through the divisions happened far more quickly than their stadium could develop around them, and that remains part of the character of the place.
There are no enormous tiers and few bad views from miles away.
For somebody accustomed to watching Everton at the Hill Dickinson, the difference in scale will be immediately obvious.
But small grounds can make plenty of noise when they are full, particularly with a healthy away following inside.
Everton will provide that.
Why does part of the ground look like a building site?…
If this is your first visit, don’t be surprised to see evidence of construction work around the Vitality.
Bournemouth are in the middle of a major redevelopment which will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to more than 20,000.
Work over the summer has not been entirely straightforward.
The project slipped behind schedule and, with Everton providing the first competitive visitors of the season, there were questions over whether everything would be sufficiently ready in time.
As ReadEverton reported in our Vitality Stadium update ahead of the Bournemouth game, Bournemouth president of business operations Jim Frevola subsequently gave an unequivocal assurance that the stadium would “absolutely be ready”.
Not everything will be finished, however.
Work around the corners of the stadium is continuing and the redevelopment is being completed in stages, so even Evertonians who have visited before may notice plenty of changes.
There have also been alterations around the stadium perimeter and entrances during the work.
Saturday’s game therefore has the slightly unusual distinction of being Bournemouth’s first competitive home fixture since the redevelopment began.
The football is ready.
The ground remains a work in progress.
Where will the Bournemouth noise come from?…
The Steve Fletcher Stand behind the goal is traditionally home to some of Bournemouth’s more vocal support.
Named after the former Cherries striker, it is the end most associated with generating the home atmosphere.
Evertonians will be positioned nearby in the East Stand.
Anyone who regularly follows the Blues away will know what happens next.
For a first-timer, joining a full Everton away end should be one of the better parts of the afternoon.
Which station should Everton fans use?…
Pokesdown for Boscombe is the closest.
It is roughly a mile from the Vitality Stadium, with Bournemouth advising supporters to allow around 15 minutes for the walk.
Leave the station, turn right along Christchurch Road and then right into Gloucester Road before following signs towards Kings Park.
There is an important accessibility point, however.
Pokesdown does not currently have step-free access.
Supporters who require an accessible station are better using Bournemouth, which has step-free access and staff assistance.
It is around a 25-minute walk from Bournemouth station to the ground.
There are also bus services towards Boscombe if walking the whole way doesn’t appeal.
Driving to Bournemouth?…
The South Stand car park behind the stadium operates on a paid basis, but Bournemouth say it normally reaches capacity around 75 minutes before kick-off.
Getting out afterwards can also take up to 45 minutes.
Another option for a Saturday game is Avonbourne Academies, around a 10-minute walk away, where Bournemouth currently offer free matchday parking. It opens three hours before kick-off and has around 200 spaces.
There is also paid parking at the Sovereign Centre in Boscombe.
Whichever option you choose, this probably isn’t the away day to leave parking until 2.45pm.
Residential restrictions operate around parts of the stadium, so check before leaving the car somewhere that merely looks convenient.
What if you’re making a day of it?…
One thing worth remembering is that the football ground isn’t in Bournemouth town centre.
And it certainly isn’t next to the beach.
The Vitality sits in Kings Park towards Boscombe, so anyone planning to visit the town centre or seafront beforehand needs to leave enough time to get across to the ground.
That’s perhaps part of the appeal of Bournemouth as an away trip.
You can make rather more of a day of it than simply stepping off a train, watching 90 minutes of football and heading home again.
For the experienced Everton traveller, none of this will be news.
But if Saturday is your first trip with the Blues – or your first time at Bournemouth – the Vitality should be an enjoyable ground to add to the list.
Small ground, close to the pitch and a packed Everton away section.
Now all it needs is the right result.
For updates on the Toffees throughout the season, take a look at our LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments page.
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