Faro/Loulé Estádio Algarve (new) - 30,000 capacity.
The new US$34.6m Estádio Algarve was once the home to both SC Farense and Loulé's less glamorous Louletano. Both clubs are in the lower reaches of the Portuguese league pyramid. The stadium was designed by Populous, previously HOK Sport.
The new stadium is located in São João da Venda, midway between Faro and Loulé, and is part of the new Parque das Cidades development.
The Estádio Algarve stadium also hosts concerts, music festivals and the occasional international friendly soccer competition but has remained something of a white elephant as neither local club have enjoyed enough domestic success to attract sufficient supporters to make the stadium a viable, commercial success. In fact, both teams usually play their games in smaller stadiums. Gibraltar play competitive and friendly home games at the stadium.
One bright spot is the annual Algarve Cup, an international women's football tournament held in the winter months. The stadium also hosted matches for the Gibraltar national team for a time.
The post-2008 Eurozone economic slowdown made financial matters worse, though local authorities are trying hard to utilize the facility for various purposes as well as football. Upkeep of the stadium is around 10 thousand euros a day, a sum supported by the municipal councils of Loulé and Faro. This amounts to about 3.6 million euros per year.
Getting to Estádio Algarve
Estádio Algarve is located 8 km north-west of Faro on the A22 highway to Loulé. The stadium has its own station, Parque das Cidades, with trains to Faro (the next stop), Loulé (two stops), Portimao and Lagos. From the station the stadium is a 15-minute walk.
Address
Estádio Algarve
Parque das Cidades
8135-014 Almancil
