Back in the old days, watching a match at Old Trafford was as simple as choosing a fixture and turning up on the day to buy a ticket.
Then came the internet, and online booking systems, and a massive surge in global exposure, and now, getting a ticket to watch Manchester United is as difficult as it is expensive. How much Manchester United tickets cost is not the only question that needs answering, though.
First, you will need a membership, and in many cases, you will need a paid membership. This is another cost, but it gives you access to the tickets where they are openly released, or access to the ballots if they are managed in that way.
After that, you will need to choose your tickets from those that remain, and pay for them, which can cost a pretty penny. You also need to know where in the stadium would suit you best, because different parts of the stadium result in different experiences.
So there is a lot to know if you want to buy Manchester United tickets, and this guide should help you figure it all out.
Ticket Prices
Man United introduced match categories for tickets in 2025/26. The most recent price bands published were:
- Category A: £59 to £97
- Category B: £57 to £86
- Category C: £37 to £60
- Category D: £32 to £52, for domestic cup matches
Obviously, the biggest Premier League fixtures like Man City and Liverpool cost the most, less glamorous leagues games make up the middle two categories, and domestic cup games tend to be the cheapest way to watch a match.
As for memberships, there are a few different options:
- Official Membership: £37.50
- Premium Membership: £70.00
- Under-16 Membership: £20.00
- Forwarding Membership: £30.00
Official Membership is what you need to get access to ticket ballots, Premium Membership gets you slightly better access plus some other goodies like MUTV, bigger discounts in the club store and for hospitality packages, Under 16 Membership is essentially Official Membership for kids, and Forwarding Membership allows other people to send you tickets, but you can’t buy them yourself.
Each person needs their own membership, so you can’t buy tickets for your friends and get them all in under your membership. You can buy the tickets, but you would then need to forward the tickets on.
Membership Does Not Guarantee a Ticket
You should be aware that buying a membership does not guarantee you will be able to buy a ticket to a specific match.
Demand almost always outstrips supply at Old Trafford – this is why they want to build a new stadium with greater capacity – so the most popular matches are sold through ballots. In other words, you throw your hat in the ring, and if you are lucky, the club let you buy a ticket.
Other games release seats directly to all members, but they will go fast. This means you have to be quick, or be happy to sit separately, as you can usually find the odd single seat dotted around the stadium, but I literally mean a handful of them.
More seats can become available if season ticket holders return or resell tickets they can’t use, so it’s worth checking back regularly or signing up for ticket alerts if a match you want to go to is sold out.
Hospitality is the other option, but that will obviously cost a lot more.
How Much is Hospitality?
The good thing about hospitality tickets is you don’t need to be a member or enter a ballot to book them. The bad thing about hospitality tickets is they are very expensive.
The prices vary enormously depending on the hospitality package you go for and the opposition, but even the most entry level option starts at £199 and they can rise to over £5,000 at the top end. You get a lot more than just a match ticket with these experiences, like gourmet food, drinks, padded seats, lounge access, and even meet and greets in some cases, but still, they are pricey.
Read the information carefully if you are considering buying hospitality, because each package is a little different, and you don’t want to spend all that money and not get what you were expecting.
These tickets are usually non-refundable too.
What About Season Tickets?
Season tickets are an excellent way to guarantee access to the club’s home games for the season, but unfortunately, they are effectively sold out and the waiting list is very long indeed.
They are better value than buying individual tickets for each game, but you have to stump up a lot of money up front, and again, availability is a big issue.
This isn’t a practical solution for someone wanting to watch their first Manchester United game.
The Best Place to Sit at Old Trafford
The other thing to consider when buying tickets for Manchester United games, is where to sit.
Realistically, this will be partly decided for you by ticket cost and availability – you might just have to take what you can get. But if you do get a choice, it’s worth knowing a bit about the different parts of the stadium so you can get the experience that suits you best.
The Stretford End
Everyone has heard of the Stretford End.
This is where the most vocal supporters tend to sit, or stand, to be more accurate. Ticket holders here very rarely sit in the seats they have paid for. It’s the home of United’s biggest fans.
If you want atmosphere, if you want to feel right in amongst it all, The Stretford End is the place to be. This is where the songs and the chants start, it’s close to the player’s tunnel, and it’s undoubtedly got the most exciting feel in the whole place.
The trade off is the view. It’s right behind the goal so it’s harder to judge distances and see all the details. Especially in the lower tier. The upper tier is slightly better but you feel much farther from the pitch.
Best for: Atmosphere.
The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand
Running along the side of the pitch, the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand offers very good views in most areas, and it feels much calmer, especially in the centre away from the corners.
If you really want to follow the shape of the game then this is a good place to sit to be able to do that. Especially in the middle or upper tiers. You can get a really good tactical overview from these areas.
The lower tier is good too, as you will be close to the players to see their technical skills up close.
Best for: Overall view.
The Sir Bobby Charlton Stand
The Sir Bobby Charlton Stand is where the technical areas are, along with the original players tunnel. As a result, people want to sit here because they can feel more involved in what is going on, and see the managers and coaches talking, the subs on the bench, etc. Especially in the lower section.
It can be harder to get tickets in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, but if you do, you can also enjoy similar views to the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
The atmosphere is calmer and quieter here too. You can expect more sitting to watch the match than standing, although people will still get up at exciting moments like they would anywhere else.
Best for: Proximity to the action.
The East Stand
The East stand is where the away supporters usually go, so it can feel pretty lively here, especially where the home and away sections meet in the south-east corner. You often get some pretty good back and forth between the opposing fans.
Sitting opposite the Stretford End, the East Stand shares most of the same sort of viewing issues such as being low and behind the goal, or high up and feeling quite far from the game. In terms of sightlines though, your view will be uninterrupted.
Ticket availability is often better here, but if you don’t fancy facing down the opposition fans, aim for a seat at the north-east side of the stand, closer to the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
Best for: Banter with away fans.
A Final Word on Resale Websites
If you’re desperate to see a game and there is no other ay, it can be tempting to explore resale websites, but Manchester United give very clear advice on this: do not buy ordinary match tickets from unofficial websites or touts.
Any tickets bought outside of the authorised routes could be cancelled, if they aren’t simply an out and out scam. If this happens, your money is gone, you won’t get into the stadium, and you will have no way to fix the situation.
Screenshots are not valid tickets, physical tickets no longer exist, and if someone tries to sell you a code or something like that, walk away. The club use digital NFC tickets only, which must be added to a compatible Google or Apple phone wallet to be used at the turnstiles.
So stick to the club’s ticketing website, a ticket forwarded through an official route or from someone you know, or matchday hospitality. Anything else is likely to leave you disappointed and potentially out of pocket.