Bear Down in London: What to Expect at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Editor’s note: This series is brought to you by Goal Line Sports Bar & Grill in Crystal Lake.

The Bears will return overseas for the first time in five years. They last played in London in 2019. This time, the Bears will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 13 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Are you a Bears fan planning to visit London for the rare opportunity to see your team abroad? Here’s everything you need to know about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including how to get there and what to expect on game day.

What to know about Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opened in 2019 and has a capacity of 62,850 spectators. Last year, a game between the Bills and Jaguars set the stadium’s attendance record for an NFL game with 61,273 fans.

For 118 years, the Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur Football Club played at White Hart Lane, which was a smaller stadium located in the same spot as the current stadium. Demolition of White Hart Lane began in 2017 and Tottenham played at Wembley Stadium for the better part of two years while the new stadium was constructed.

The state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was built specifically to host Premier League soccer games and NFL football games. The natural grass soccer turf is retractable and reveals an artificial NFL football field underneath. The stadium and the NFL began a 10-year partnership in 2019, during which the stadium will host two games yearly. The Bears vs. Raiders game in 2019 was the first NFL game played at the stadium.

How to get to the stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is about eight miles north of central London. If you plan on taking a train to the game, you will have options.

The stadium website has maps of all the surrounding train stations. Taking the Overground to White Hart Lane will get you closest to the stadium, just a five-minute walk. Greater Anglia train services stop at Northumberland Park, about a 10-minute walk from the stadium, as well as at Tottenham Hale station, which is a 25-minute walk from the Stadium.

If you plan on taking the Underground you’ll be in for a longer walk to the stadium. The Seven Sisters stop is about a 30-minute walk from the stadium.

According to the stadium website there are shuttle bus services from Alexandra Palace (Great Northern Services) and Wood Green (Piccadilly Line) stations. These are free, but must be booked in advance.

There is no parking available at the stadium.

Best food options

The stadium itself features stadium food throughout. For more unique options, check out Market Place in the South Stands, which features street-food-inspired stalls as well as The Goal Line Bar. Fans can find everything from fish and chips to curry to burgers and pizza. For craft beer, visit Beavertown Brewery at the southeast corner of Level 1, just around the corner from Market Place.

During Premier League games, alcohol is sold on the concourse but fans are not allowed to drink it at their seats. NFL fans will be glad to know that this rule does not apply to NFL games at the stadium.

Stadium rules and regulations

The stadium is fully digital, including tickets for entry into the stadium. Food vendors are cashless as well. The Official Spurs + Stadium App has an interactive map of the stadium.

Per the stadium’s bag policy, personal bags must be 21cm long x 30cm high or smaller for entry. Clear carrier bags are allowed as long as they are a maximum size of 30cm long x 30cm high.

The stadium also has a full list of prohibited items available on its website.