Adventure
Strawberry Arena: football and concerts at the largest arena in the Nordics
Strawberry Arena in Solna is AIK's home ground and the venue for Stockholm's biggest concerts. Here are the hotels right next to the arena, how to get there, and the match day we spent with AIK supporters.
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Picolo has a commercial partnership with Strawberry.
In short
Strawberry Arena is in Solna, a few minutes by commuter train from central Stockholm. For a match or a concert, the easiest option is to stay right next to the arena. If you stay in the centre, take the commuter train to Solna station and walk through Mall of Scandinavia.
Our first choice: Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena, the hotel connected to the arena.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena
The links to the hotels are partner links. If you book through them, Picolo may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Match day with AIK in 2023
Picolo was in Solna on a Monday in April 2023, when AIK hosted Norrköping in front of 32,178 spectators. The stadium was still called Friends Arena, and long before kick-off the square outside was a sea of black and yellow.
Fans waited for the team bus with flares and smoke, and the crowd was a broad mix: families with children, couples with a beer in hand, and the ultras at the heart of it all.
Stockholm derby
The Stockholm derby is the name for matches between the city's big clubs, AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby.
About Strawberry Arena
Strawberry Arena in Arenastaden, Solna, is the largest arena in the Nordics, home to AIK and the Swedish men's national team, and the place where Stockholm stages its biggest concerts. It was called Friends Arena until 12 July 2024, when the hotel group Strawberry took over the naming rights.
It holds around 50,000 seated spectators for football and up to 65,000 for concerts. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen have all played here in recent years, and the Melodifestivalen final is held here too.
How to get to Strawberry Arena
Commuter trains run from Stockholm City to Solna station in a few minutes. From there, walk through the Mall of Scandinavia shopping centre to the arena. The green metro line from Odenplan to Arenastaden is due to open in 2028.
Trains are packed before and after big matches and concerts, so arrive in good time, or stay by the arena and walk back.
Football in Stockholm
You do not have to be Swedish to know about the Stockholm derbies. When AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby meet, crowds of nearly 40,000 are not unusual, and the noise is louder than anywhere else in the Nordics. Djurgården and Hammarby play their home games at Tele2 Arena in Johanneshov, south of the centre.
Hotels at Strawberry Arena
Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena: next door to the stadium
Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena, formerly Quality Hotel Friends, is connected to the arena. After the match or the show, you are back in your room before the queues have started to move. When Picolo visited in 2023, families were playing shuffleboard in the lobby before kick-off, and on the 25th floor the restaurant Brasserie X looked out over Solna.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena
Comfort Hotel Solna: solar panels on the façade
Comfort Hotel Solna stands close to the arena and opened in 2021. Its façade and roof are covered in solar panels, and according to Strawberry it was the first energy-neutral hotel in Scandinavia. The rooms are simpler, and guests have free laundry facilities and a gym.
Book your stay: See available rooms at Comfort Hotel Solna
Stay in the centre and take the train
If you would rather stay in town and take the train out, Clarion Hotel Sign is on Norra Bantorget and Hotel C Stockholm is on Vasaplan, both a few minutes from Central Station.
The sound from the stands
When AIK score, you feel it right across the arena.
Before kick-off
Inside Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena, then still Quality Hotel Friends, it was calmer. In the lobby, a father and son were playing shuffleboard while the drums sounded outside, scarves ready for when it was time to join the crowd.
Unity and rivalry
For AIK supporters, the rivalry with the other Stockholm clubs is a blend of unity and animosity.
In the stands
Inside the arena you feel the noise in your chest. The home end is a wall of flags, flares and a homemade tifo, while the away fans from Norrköping stand in blue and white in the far corner.
For the three friends we stood with, it was as much about belonging as about the football. ‘We have a football culture no one else in the Nordics has,’ they told us.
The atmosphere in the stands
32,178 spectators watched AIK play Norrköping in Solna in April 2023.
When the team loses
AIK lost that day, and the whistling aimed at the home side was loud at half-time and at the final whistle. But on the way out, it was the sense of togetherness the supporters talked about, not the result.
Strawberry Arena: frequently asked questions
Where is Strawberry Arena?
In Arenastaden in Solna, just north of central Stockholm, next to the Mall of Scandinavia shopping centre. The arena was called Friends Arena until July 2024.
How do I get to Strawberry Arena?
Take the commuter train from Stockholm City to Solna station and walk through Mall of Scandinavia to the arena. A new metro line to Arenastaden is planned from 2028.
Which hotels are closest to Strawberry Arena?
Quality Hotel Strawberry Arena is connected to the arena, and Comfort Hotel Solna is close by.
What is the capacity of Strawberry Arena?
Around 50,000 seated for football and up to 65,000 for concerts.
Where do AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby play?
AIK play at Strawberry Arena in Solna. Djurgården and Hammarby play their home games at Tele2 Arena in Johanneshov, south of the centre.
Have a nice trip to Stockholm, Sweden
Picolo Editorial