Hotels for UEFA Euro 2028 — Birmingham (Villa Park)

A major international tournament fixture on home soil, drawing travelling supporters from across the continent alongside domestic fans who rarely get the chance to see this level of football without crossing borders. Expect flags, face paint and replica shirts on the streets for hours before kick-off, with pubs and squares filling up early as strangers swap predictions.

Villa Park has stood in the leafy Aston district since 1897, and after more than 125 years it remains one of English football's grand old grounds, the home of Aston Villa and a regular stage for FA Cup semi-finals and England internationals down the decades. For UEFA Euro 2028 the stadium takes its place among nine venues across the UK and Ireland, hosting group-stage matches and one of the round-of-16 ties as the finals unfold through June.

It is a fitting return to the big stage for a ground that welcomed the world at the 1966 World Cup and again at Euro 96, and a North Stand redevelopment will lift its capacity and comforts for a new generation of supporters. Birmingham, Britain's spirited second city, wraps around it: the Bullring and its markets, the Georgian quarter of the canals, and a food scene that has earned a clutch of Michelin stars. Stay in the city centre and the trains run out to Witton and Aston in minutes, leaving plenty of time to explore between matchdays.

Aston Villa's grand old ground in the Aston district north of Birmingham city centre is one of England's most historic stadiums, a regular host of top-flight football and, in the past, cup semi-finals. The surrounding area is traditional and residential, with Villa's history woven into the streets around it.

Witton and Aston rail stations sit close to the ground, linking quickly to central Birmingham. Staying in the city centre keeps bars, restaurants and transport handy before an easy run out to the match.