Ask travelling supporters to name the best away day in the Premier League and Brighton comes up more than any other. The reasons are not complicated: the sea, the train, a stadium that works, and a city that treats a Saturday-night invasion of away fans as a normal weekend. This guide covers the trip to the Amex, the away end, what the blue and white Brighton shirt looks like on the pitch this season, and why the smart move is to book a hotel.
The ground
The American Express Stadium at Falmer, known universally as the Amex, opened in 2011 after a planning battle that lasted the best part of fifteen years, during which Brighton played two seasons at Gillingham and twelve at the Withdean athletics track. It sits in a fold of the South Downs on the edge of the city, holds just over 31,800, and is one of the best-designed grounds of its size in the country: close to the pitch, good acoustics, a roof that keeps the noise in and the rain out. It is also, unusually, a pleasant place to be even when the football is poor.
Where away fans sit
Visiting supporters are in the South Stand, behind the goal, with an allocation of around 2,900 for league games in the lower tier and, for bigger fixtures, part of the upper. It is a good end: the view is straight down the pitch, the roof is low enough to trap the noise, and the concourse is one of the better ones in the division for food, which at Brighton means more than pies. The £30 away-ticket cap applies.
Getting there
This is the part that makes the Amex special. Falmer railway station is directly outside the stadium, on the line from Brighton to Lewes, and a match ticket includes free travel on trains and buses within the Brighton zone. From Brighton station the train takes nine minutes; from London Victoria or London Bridge to Brighton it is an hour. There is no real alternative: the club actively discourages driving, parking at the ground is for permit holders only, and the shuttle buses from the city centre are for supporters who have missed the train. Queue for the train after the match; it clears faster than it looks.
Before and after
There is nothing at Falmer beyond the ground and the university, so the day is spent in Brighton itself. The seafront, the Lanes and the North Laine are all within ten minutes of the station and have more pubs than any away supporter could reasonably visit; most are relaxed about colours, and the ones that are not are obvious. After the match the city is a Saturday night, which is why an overnight stay is the sensible choice for anyone coming from further than London. The last direct trains to the north are early; the hotels are plentiful.
The shirt you will be looking at
Brighton’s 2026/27 home shirt is Nike’s thirteenth design for the club and follows the pattern: blue and white vertical stripes, white shorts, the seagull crest and the American Express logo, whose company also has its name on the stadium. Nike vary the stripe width and the collar from year to year and this season’s is a clean, traditional version. The adult replica is £70, cheaper than most in the division. Ten Premier League clubs now charge £80 or more for a shirt, with Tottenham at £90 and Chelsea at £89.99, which makes Brighton one of the better-value shirts to buy on the day. Under the Amex’s lights the stripes are unusually vivid, and the away end gets the best view of them.
The team you will be watching
Fabian Hürzeler’s side are now in their tenth consecutive Premier League season, a run that began with promotion under Chris Hughton in 2017 and has included a sixth-place finish and a Europa League campaign. The club’s model, buy young, develop, sell high, produces a squad that changes every summer and a style that does not: Brighton pass the ball, press high and give away chances at the other end. Away supporters tend to see goals at the Amex, in both directions.
Practical notes
The stadium is cashless. The South Stand concourse fills early because of the food, so arrive before the crowd or eat in the city. The walk from Falmer station to the turnstiles is a few minutes but the crush after the final whistle is real; let it clear. If you are combining the match with a night out, the seafront bars near the pier are the loudest and the North Laine the most relaxed.
Brighton, the city
The point of the trip is what surrounds it. The seafront is a ten-minute walk from Brighton station, the pier is at the end of it, and the Lanes, the tangle of narrow streets between the two, has the city’s oldest pubs and most of its restaurants. The North Laine, on the other side of the station, is the cheaper and more relaxed option, with independent bars that fill with away supporters from late morning. For a Saturday 3pm kick-off, the sensible plan is a pub in the North Laine at noon, the 1.30pm train from Brighton to Falmer, and the seafront afterwards.
Trains, in detail
Free travel with a match ticket covers trains between Falmer and Brighton, Lewes and stations along the coast, and buses in the city, from three hours before kick-off to three hours after. It does not cover the journey from London. Trains from Victoria, London Bridge and St Pancras run several times an hour and take between an hour and ninety minutes; book in advance for the cheapest fares, and note that engineering work on the Brighton main line is common on Sundays. After the match, queue on the platform at Falmer and wait for the second or third train; the first is a crush.
For families
The Amex is one of the better grounds in the division for children: the away end has a low roof and a clear view, the concourse food is edible, and the train removes the stress of parking. Brighton itself is a seaside town with a beach, a pier and an aquarium, which makes it the easiest away trip in the league to sell to a child who is not sure about the football.
Is it a good away day?
It is the best in the league, and most supporters who have done it would say so. The combination of a well-run ground, free and frequent trains, a city built for a night out and a home team that plays open football is not matched anywhere else in the division. The only complaint is distance, and that is solved with a hotel. For more ground guides, travel and the kits you will see along the way, explore Away Day Planner.