A fire broke out at a merchandise stand outside the Etihad Stadium ahead of Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Club Brugge, leading to an evacuation in the affected area.
The blaze erupted shortly before 6pm near the entrance where Pep Guardiola and his squad were scheduled to arrive around 6:30pm.
At the time, fans had gathered for a pre-match entertainment event featuring interviews with City’s January signings—Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, and Abdukodir Khusanov.
The show was already underway, with women’s team players Rebecca Knaak and Aemu Oyama on stage, when the fire began.
As flames spread through the kiosk, security personnel swiftly cleared the area, suspending the event. Firefighters arrived within minutes, working quickly to contain the situation.
By 6:22pm, an announcement confirmed the stadium was open for entry, though three gates in the vicinity of the fire remained closed. Due to safety concerns, the remainder of the pre-match show was called off.
In a statement, the club confirmed the incident, “Manchester City FC can confirm that there has been a fire in one of the outside merchandise kiosks, located near the entrance to the Colin Bell West Stand.
“Emergency services are present at the scene and the fire has now been extinguished.
“The safety of all attending the match tonight is our top priority, and as such all events planned for West Stand reception have been cancelled, including the welcome event for new players, and the first team arrival.
“All entrances are open, and fans can move around the Etihad Stadium as per usual. Thank you for your cooperation.
“We can confirm that tonight’s match will kick off at 8pm as originally planned. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Etihad Stadium for tonight’s match.”*
Despite the disruption, the game remained on schedule, ensuring fans could still enjoy the much-anticipated European fixture.
