We would like to inform you that the Home Supporters' Seats for Kashima Antlers' home games at Mercari Stadium in the 2026/27 season, which were previously sold as unreserved seats, will now be converted to fully reserved seating.
Home Supporters' Seats: Fighting Together, Driving Forces of Victory
The Home Supporters' Seats, located on the south side of Mercari Stadium, are more than just "seats to watch a game." They are a special place symbolizing Kashima Antlers, embodying an overwhelming passion and a culture of support that has been passed down through generations and built with your continuous dedication over 30 years since the club's establishment.
The club's victories and titles have been achieved thanks to the overwhelming energy that envelops the entire stadium and the strong home advantage. This area, the source of that passion, is truly the "driving force behind our victories."
Positioning of Home Supporters' Seats
The club positions the Home Supporters' Seats as a special place where fans "participate" alongside the players and lead them to victory. Your enthusiasm, standing for 90 minutes, encouraging the players with your voices and claps, creates a powerful home advantage that envelops the entire stadium. We hope to continue this unwavering stance of fighting alongside the players and aiming for victory, together with our supporters.
Current Issues and the Background to Transition to Reserved Seating
In the 2025 season, the total annual attendance for league home games reached 520,615, with an average of 27,401 per game, setting a new club record. Even limiting it to games held at Mercari Stadium, we had an average of 25,613 attendees per game. Furthermore, in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, after 7 home games, we have an average of 27,082 attendees per game, indicating a large number of visitors.
However, with the increase in attendees, various issues have emerged in match operations, where we must ensure the safety and security of our customers. While we have implemented various countermeasures, two fundamental issues, particularly regarding the Home Supporters' Seats, are difficult to resolve with the current system:
■ Issue 1: Waiting lines before stadium entry
As the number of attendees and season ticket holders has significantly increased, so has the number of people waiting in long lines before entry, making prolonged queues a common sight. This not only increases the risk of crowd accidents due to the congestion of waiting areas but also raises health and safety concerns, especially in summer, where we have seen customers suffer from heatstroke. These are major issues that need to be resolved to ensure safe and secure match operations.
■ Issue 2: Excessive seat claiming in unreserved seating
In unreserved seating areas, it has become common for excessive seat claiming to occur as fans secure seats in order of entry. With the increase in attendance, we have also observed situations where seats are already taken even when season ticket holders, who have priority entry, arrive. The club has implemented various measures, such as announcements prohibiting seat claiming and staff interventions, but we continue to receive many comments on this issue.
To fundamentally address these issues, we have determined that "converting Home Supporters' Seats to reserved seating" is the optimal solution among various options and have decided to implement it starting from the 2026/27 season.
Main Changes in Ticket Operations due to Conversion to Reserved Home Supporters' Seats
Due to the conversion of Home Supporters' Seats to reserved seating, there will be changes to the season ticket plans and ticket sales schedule.
■ Change 1: Season Ticket Plan
Previously: Purchase annual entry rights and enter with an IC card (no need to purchase tickets for each match)
2026/27 Season: Purchase tickets for each match at a special price via a dedicated page and enter with a QR ticket
Click here for Season Ticket Details
■ Change 2: Ticket Sales Schedule
Tickets will be sold according to the following schedule. "Season Ticket Holders" will have the earliest opportunity to purchase Home Supporters' Reserved Seats.
*About securing seats for leading support groups
With the transition to reserved seating, a portion of the Home Supporters' Reserved Seats (lower tier) will be preferentially secured for supporter groups that lead the cheering. As mentioned above, the cheering culture in the Home Supporters' Seats has been passed down through generations and built over 30 years since the club's establishment. Even after converting to fully reserved seating, we will ensure an environment where core supporters can gather and lead the team to maintain the sense of unity that creates a wave of cheering.
To Create the Best Home Together
We believe that it is necessary to fundamentally resolve the current issues at the time of the J.League season transition, aiming to achieve a safer and more comfortable viewing environment while preserving the culture of the Supporters' Seats, which are the "driving force for victory," and passing on the torch of enthusiasm to the next generation.
Through the major changes in ticket and seating operations, our goal is to evolve into a space that generates even greater and more open enthusiasm, while maintaining the bonds of the community we have built over 30 years. With the passion of the supporters who have led the cheering at its core, young supporters who have newly fallen in love with Antlers, and people from diverse and expanding communities will naturally mingle, jump together, and share their joys and sorrows. And children captivated by the excitement behind the goal will eventually find their way to the center of it all. We aim for such a place where a "chain reaction and expansion of enthusiasm" occurs.
The passionate cheering that engulfs the entire stadium is not created overnight. It only comes to fruition when each and every one of you takes pride in "leading the team with your voice and actions as the most passionate in the stadium" and unites as comrades with the same aspirations.
For Kashima Antlers to continue to win and claim titles, the strength of everyone gathered at the stadium is essential. With our proud tradition in our hearts, let's continue to create the best goal area in Japan, surpassing all others, together.
We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation as we work to build a new cheering environment.