Championship Stadium Attendance Rates for the 2026/27 Season Uncovered
The Championship houses some of England’s biggest football clubs, but which stadiums are packed closest to their full capacity during the 2026/27 season? Despite being the second tier, the league is fiercely competitive with many clubs fighting for promotion or survival.
Fans play a big role in this competition, often driving their teams forward. Transfermarkt has ranked Championship clubs by the percentage of seats filled at their home games, revealing interesting trends about fan support relative to stadium size.
Lower Attendance Clubs (24th to 17th)
Blackburn Rovers have the lowest stadium attendance rate, with only 44.7% of Ewood Park filled. This low turnout partly stems from protests against the club's owners, Venky's. Just above Blackburn, Cardiff City fill 66.5% of their stadium, which is the fourth largest in the division.
Preston North End's Deepdale hosts crowds at nearly 73% capacity. Charlton Athletic's The Valley sees 71.7% attendance and hopes to maintain their Championship status after years in League One. Wrexham, despite having one of the smallest grounds (13,341 seats), draw almost 79% capacity, reflecting strong support following their rapid climb from the National League.
Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium has a 74.1% fill rate. Bristol City's Ashton Gate fills 79.4%, while Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane rounds out this group with 81.4%, though their slow start to the season has kept some fans away.
- Sheffield United: Bramall Lane – 81.4%
- Bristol City: Ashton Gate – 79.4%
- Wrexham: Racecourse Ground – 78.9%
- Stoke City: Bet365 Stadium – 74.1%
- Preston North End: Deepdale – 72.4%
- Charlton Athletic: The Valley – 71.7%
- Cardiff City: Cardiff City Stadium – 66.5%
- Blackburn Rovers: Ewood Park – 44.7%
Mid-Range Attendance Clubs (16th to 9th)
Derby County's Pride Park ranks 16th, with attendances dropping amid a poor start to their campaign. Watford's Vicarage Road is at 85.1%, averaging 18,366 fans per game, though this could dip if struggles continue.
Bolton Wanderers and Swansea City fill their grounds at 85.4% and 86.2% respectively, with Swansea’s strong performance drawing more fans. Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium comes close behind at 88.7%, helped by their solid form.
Burnley and Birmingham City also boast high attendance rates near 90%. Southampton’s St Mary’s stadium cracks the top ten with a 90.7% fill rate. Both aim to return to the Premier League soon.
- Southampton: St Mary's Stadium – 90.7%
- Birmingham City: St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park – 89.8%
- Burnley: Turf Moor – 89.5%
- Middlesbrough: Riverside Stadium – 88.7%
- Swansea City: Swansea.com Stadium – 86.2%
- Bolton Wanderers: Toughsheet Community Stadium – 85.4%
- Watford: Vicarage Road – 85.1%
- Derby County: Pride Park – 83.8%
Top Attendance Clubs (8th to 1st)
West Bromwich Albion’s The Hawthorns, Queens Park Rangers’ MATRADE Loftus Road, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium all hover just outside the top five with fill rates above 91%.
The first in the top five is Millwall, whose Den is nearly full every match, with about 1,000 empty seats from a 20,146 capacity. Norwich City surprises by ranking fourth despite a weak start, showing loyal support at Carrow Road.
Portsmouth’s Fratton Park is third, with their fans turning up consistently despite recent struggles. West Ham United’s London Stadium takes second place, impressively filling 97.8% of its 62,500 seats.
The most filled stadium belongs to newcomers Lincoln City. The ProAmpac Stadium, the smallest in the league with 10,780 seats, maintains an average of 97.9% capacity, leaving only around 250 seats empty each game.
- Lincoln City: ProAmpac Stadium – 97.9%
- West Ham United: London Stadium – 97.8%
- Portsmouth: Fratton Park – 97.0%
- Norwich City: Carrow Road – 95.2%
- Millwall: The Den – 94.9%
- Wolverhampton Wanderers: Molineux Stadium – 94.5%
- Queens Park Rangers: MATRADE Loftus Road – 91.7%
- West Bromwich Albion: The Hawthorns – 91.5%
