Brighton & Hove Albion to relocate visiting fans as part of £40m stadium upgrade

Brighton & Hove Albion will move visiting supporters as part of a £40 million stadium development project. The club also plans to expand its capacity by 800 seats, adding a new tier for home supporters, which will raise the overall capacity to 32,500. A new fan zone, named The Terrace, is slated for construction outside the American Express Stadium. Paul Barber, the deputy chairman and chief executive, described the proposals as “a brilliant addition to the matchday experience.” These developments represent the most significant renovation since the venue’s construction in 2011. The Terrace, designed to accommodate up to 1,000 fans indoors and 2,000 outdoors, is scheduled to open this spring. The club shop will undergo a two-level expansion and incorporate new signage and branding, forming part of what the club terms an “Albionisation” of the location. Albion intends to relocate its museum, presently situated within the stadium, to a city centre spot during the 2026/2027 period. The new tier for home supporters is set to open for the 2026/2027 season, and visiting fans will be relocated to the stadium’s south-west corner in 2027. Russ Wood, the club’s head of commercial, stated that the relocation of away fans has been under consideration for several years. Mr. Wood elaborated, “The players have commented, ‘do I really want to take a penalty in front of the away fans?’ and managers present and past have said it’s not ideal.” He added, “The aim will be to compete as high as we can for as many years as we can.” After the Arsenal match on 4 January, the club store and Dick’s Bar are scheduled to close for redevelopment. A new Dick’s Bar, located on the north concourse, will be renamed, and the north concourse itself is slated for refurbishment in the summer. A temporary club store will commence operations in Bennett’s Field starting 15 January. Visiting supporters will ultimately be moved into the area presently occupied by the Heineken Lounge. The club indicated that this change will establish a new section for home fans directly behind the goal at the stadium’s south stand end. The club further mentioned that an additional safe standing area would be implemented based on fan demand. The club states it will inform any season-ticket holders impacted by these alterations.