Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz has opened a new premium matchday space, with Benfica selling every one of its 160 seats for the 2026/27 season at €12,500 per place. The sold-out hospitality suite, unveiled during Sunday’s 2-0 Portuguese league win over Vitória de Guimarães, is expected to bring the club €2 million annually.
A six-hour matchday at the Luz
Set within the VIP area of the stadium’s main stand, the new box combines a private setting with direct views over the pitch and leather seating. Guests arrive two hours before kick-off and can remain for two more hours after the final whistle, making the overall experience roughly six hours long on a matchday.
- The suite holds 160 guests.
- Season access costs €12,500 per seat, equivalent to R$69,750.
- All places for 2026/27 were sold.
- The projected seasonal income is €2 million, or R$11.16 million.
- Visitors are offered dishes, snacks and desserts, alongside an area for watching and discussing the game.
Portuguese cooking at the centre of the offer
The food programme has been created by Portuguese chef Vítor Matos, whose restaurants under his culinary direction hold six Michelin stars in total. He said each fixture will bring a refreshed selection rather than a repeating fixed menu.
Between 40 and 50 different recipes are prepared for each match, with Portuguese culinary influences included among the options. Matos said the breadth of choice was warranted for those who had invested in the seats: “The people who bought them deserve that variety.”
Desert tones in a Lisbon stadium
Portuguese architect Miguel Câncio Martins, known for international hotel and restaurant projects, designed the interior. The room draws on desert landscapes, using curved wall surfaces, sand-coloured shades, indirect lighting and high-end finishing materials.
The speed of the commercial response surprised Benfica’s leadership. Vice-president José Gandarez said the entire allocation was taken within 15 to 20 days.
Part of Benfica’s wider commercial plan
The new suite is intended to strengthen Benfica’s non-match revenue operation at the Luz. Corporate and hospitality spaces currently account for about 5% of the stadium’s commercial activity, and the club wants that share to reach as much as 10%.
When there is no football on the calendar, the facility is also expected to host business functions, meetings, presentations and celebrations, extending its use beyond Benfica’s home fixtures.
