Crystal Palace will travel to Istanbul next month for a European meeting with Beşiktaş, with the Eagles scheduled to play at Beşiktaş Park on Thursday, 22 October. Kick-off is set for 20:00 BST, marking Palace’s third fixture of the UEFA Europa League league phase and their first competitive encounter with the Turkish club.
The match follows Palace’s historic UEFA Conference League triumph in May, the first European trophy in the Club’s history. That success secured automatic qualification for the Europa League, whose 36-team league phase sends the top eight directly into the last 16, while teams finishing from ninth to 24th compete in the knockout phase play-offs.
Beşiktaş Park, officially named Tüpraş Stadyumu, opened in 2016 on the site of the former İnönü Stadium. The previous ground had been Beşiktaş’s home since 1947 before being demolished at the end of the 2012/13 season. Construction of its replacement lasted 1,065 days, with the first match taking place in April 2016 when Beşiktaş hosted Bursaspor.
The 42,684-capacity stadium occupies a striking position on Istanbul’s northern Bosphorus shoreline, opposite Dolmabahçe Palace. Its design was shaped by the surrounding historic skyline and the nearby waterway, resulting in a 41.5-metre-high structure featuring concrete pillars and an amphitheatre-inspired exterior. Inside, the two tiers curve close to the pitch, while the roof is designed to intensify the noise generated by the home support.
The venue has hosted prominent European occasions, including the 2019 UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea. It also staged the 2026 UEFA Europa League final between Freiburg and Aston Villa, before Palace’s visit later in the year. Beşiktaş are one of Türkiye’s best-supported and most successful clubs, and form part of Istanbul’s celebrated ‘Big Three’ alongside Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.
For travelling Palace supporters, the stadium is close to the Beşiktaş district and offers a memorable approach along the waterfront. Istanbul’s landmarks include Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar, while the city’s position on both sides of the Bosphorus adds to the setting for what promises to be a distinctive European away trip.
