Maracanã

Maracanã - the most important information

The Brazilian temple of football, or 'foo-chee-bol' as pronounced by locals, has stood proudly since 1950 in the neighborhood with the same name. Besides being the home stadium of two clubs and Brazil's national football team, it is a popular tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro. After a few restorations, a rough patch with the administration in charge, and an incident in the 90s, Maracanã today is a part of the complex consisting of a smaller arena called Maracanãzinho, and a must-see staple of Brazil.

About Maracanã
Originally built as a flagship venue for the 1950 World Cup, Maracanã stadium construction began in 1948 and took less than two years. The intention to make it the biggest stadium in Brazil succeeded, and it still holds that title to this day. The first match played at the stadium was a friendly game between players from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, but the first big event held there was the opening match of the 1950 World Cup. At first, the stadium had standing and seating tickets and a much bigger capacity. That changed in the 90s when a collapsing accident left people injured and, unfortunately, dead. Maracanã today houses a little less than 79.000 seated people. When it was announced that Maracanã would host the 2014 World cup, extensive renovations brought new and fresh light to the stadium. Even though Rio de Janeiro's government owns it, local clubs Flamengo and Fluminense use it as their home stadium. Maracanã is also a popular concert venue, where stars like Sting, KISS, Rolling Stones attract crowds of over 100.000. Some facts you may find interesting are:

Its official name isn't Maracanã. When respected journalist Mário Filho passed away in 1966, the stadium was named after him, Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, but people mainly still refer to it as Maracanã.
Maracanã and Tina Turner found themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records when her concert with Paul McCartney had 182,000 people. Before them, the record was held by Frank Sinatra's 180.000 crowds.
Pele scored his astonishing 1.000th goal in a 1969 match against Vasco da Gama, held at Maracanã. At that time, he was a Santos player.

What to see at Maracanã?
Touring the stadium is a joy for football lovers of all ages, as you get to see behind the scenes one of the most famous stadiums in the world. Your guide will be bilingual, or you can choose to roam around with just the written guide. You'll get picked up from your hotel and taken to the stadium, where your 40-minute tour will start. Some of the things you'll get to see at the empty stadium are:

VIP area: This includes a visit to the locker rooms decorated with former players' jerseys, VIP courtside seating, and benches for players.
Permanent exhibition: Maracanã proudly exhibits the most valuable football memorabilia, such as footmarks of Pele and Roberto Dinamite, jerseys of Galinho and Garrincha, among others, news articles and other cool stuff.
Press rooms and the lawn

Tickets and opening hours

Tickets: The price for the full stadium tour is 600 BL, which is around $11. You can purchase it online and at the stadium ticket office, every day from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. There is also a half-priced ticket for students, children, seniors, and people with special needs. Check out the Maracanã tour official website for additional information about free and half-price ticket eligibility.
Visitation: Since the reopening in 2017, stadium tours have been held every day from 9 am to 4 pm, and they last an average of 40 minutes. Be sure to check if there are any matches on the day of your visit, as on those days, the last tour finishes 3 hours before the gates open. Also, if you're coming in a group, only one of you has to buy the parking ticket. But, to feel the true spirit of this glorious stadium, we recommend you attend the Flamengo or Fluminense match.

How to get to Maracanã?
Maracanã stadium is located on the eastern side of the town, which is about 5 km from the downtown of Rio. This part of the town is easily accessible by public transport. Metro and bus lines are the best options, although you can take a train from the center of Rio and drive to the closest metro station.

By metro: Closest station to Maracanã on the METRÔ L2 line has the same name, and it takes less than 10 minutes to reach the stadium once you've reached your stop. If you want to take a longer walk, get off at the São Francisco Xavier station from METRÔ L1+L4 line
By bus: Take lines 239, 455, 622, 638, 665 to the Maracanã - Setor Sul station or lines 232, 247, 249, 306, 341 to the Maracanã - Acesso Leste station. These stations are about 5 minutes away by walking from the stadium.