Aston Villa FC has confirmed plans to expand and refurbish the North Stand at Villa Park in the next phase of a wider overhaul which will take capacity to more than 50,000.
The works, which will increase the stand’s capacity to more than 12,000, are being progressed to meet UEFA requirements ahead of the Euro 2028 tournament, for which Villa Park is a host venue.
The North Stand project is being designed to avoid any reduction in current capacity during construction by adapting and reusing the existing structure.
Delivery is conditional on improvements to local transport infrastructure, with Aston Villa warning that the scheme cannot proceed without confirmed upgrades to Witton station.
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker, whose election campaign pledged to rebuild the station, has committed to introducing larger passenger shelters, a new footbridge, safer queuing systems and higher-capacity trains.
These measures are expected to double station throughput to 10,000 matchday passengers.
Nassef Sawiris, executive chairman of Aston Villa, said: “Thanks to the mayor’s commitment to develop Witton station, this project will mark an important milestone in the club’s journey to becoming a world-class sports and entertainment venue.”
The club first tabled a full rebuild of the North Stand in 2022, but revised its approach following a detailed design review. Construction will now take place without displacing existing seat numbers, with a sustainable approach to adapting the current stand.
Aston Villa claimed that the expanded facility will support more than 1,700 full-time equivalent jobs and contribute £120m to the local economy annually. It estimates that the stadium will attract over 1.1 million visitors per year once complete.
The club has not confirmed a contractor or architect for the scheme.
The planned works form part of a wider investment programme by the club, including the opening of a new club shop at the Bullring, the launch of an events venue known as The Warehouse, and ongoing community schemes delivered through the Aston Villa Foundation.
Chris Heck, president of business operations at Aston Villa, said the club had worked to ensure matchday capacity would be preserved throughout the redevelopment process.
Source: Aston Villa FC press release