Opening Date, Latest Developments and More

The Etihad Stadium has consistently evolved since opening back in July 2002. It was opened for the Commonwealth Games and was promptly converted to Manchester City’s home stadium a year later. It was originally called the City of Manchester Stadium, but it was renamed the Etihad Stadium back in 2011 due to sponsorship reasons.

The first redevelopment plans took place in 2013 and were completed by Populous at a construction cost of around £50 million. This extended the stands behind both ends of the ground and increased commercial areas inside the stadium. Redeveloping the North Stand will complement the work completed on the South Stand in 2015. Work began on the extension at the end of 2023 and will take a few years to be fully completed. Here is everything you need to know about City’s North Stand plans, including the construction cost and recent updates on the progress being made.

North Stand Timeline

Design of New North Stand

Manchester City announced plans last year to expand the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium. The expansion will provide an additional 7,900 seats in the upper tier, which will take the capacity of the stadium up to nearly 62,000. The redevelopment of the North Stand is similar to the work completed in the South Stand a few years ago. Back in December 2013, City received planning permission for the renovation of the South Stand. This started in April 2014, providing a third level above the existing two lower tiers, increasing the capacity by 6,250 people.

Facilities in this part of the stadium were also significantly revamped with the introduction of commercial and hospitality areas. The South Stand project was completed in time for the start of the 2015/16 season, with Laing O’Rourke operating as the main contractor. It is worth noting that the renovation of the North Stand will significantly increase the size of the second tier, whereas the South Stand will add a new third tier on top of the existing two tiers. The new facilities in the renovated North Stand will be as follows:

• Sky bar overlooking the pitch
• Stadium roof walk experience
• Fan zone (3,000 capacity)
• New club shop
• New museum
• 400-bed hotel
• Food and drink outlets.

Included in the North Stand expansion plans is the building of new hospitality and commercial facilities on the Etihad campus, such as a new fan zone, a sky bar overlooking the pitch, and a new 400-bed hotel. The hotel will be a nine-storey building which will have 391 bedrooms and an additional 10 suites. This will help to improve the fan experience at the stadium, which has been selected as one of the host venues for UEFA Euro 2028. This competition will take place in venues across the UK & Ireland.

A stadium roof-walk experience will accompany the sky bar at the top of a new eight-storey building. Populous, who won approval to redevelop the North Stand, also created a similar roof-walk experience when they were in charge of designing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019. At Tottenham’s new stadium, fans can look over the London skyline at the top of the South Stand, which is 46.8 metres above the pitch. Populous are looking to recreate a similar experience as part of the Etihad Stadium plans.

When the plans were officially announced back in August 2023, Manchester City released the following synopsis of the redevelopment (via Manchester City FC),

Populous’ redevelopment of this section of the ground is part of the wider revamp of the Etihad Campus in the surrounding areas of the football stadium. This includes the building of the Co-op Live arena on the campus, which is now hosting music and entertainment events. Construction work began on the Co-op Live arena in 2021, and was set to open in April 2024. However, it opened a month later due to various issues with the building, which caused concert and show cancellations, including Peter Kay and Olivia Rodrigo. The capacity of the new facility is 23,500, and it has 32 bars and restaurants, alongside 12 lounges inside. Populous senior principal Mike Trice said (via Dezeen):

Related

Manchester City release stunning new images for Etihad Stadium development

Manchester City release stunning new images for £300m Etihad Stadium expansion

Opening Date

In the final months of 2022, City’s plans to renovate the north stand accelerated as they announced that they were exploring various options for expansion in that part of the ground. In the first few months of 2023, conversations with the main fan groups and the local community began to take place. In July 2023, the proposals for the north stand and other fan facilities on the Etihad Campus were approved by the council. This prompted the demolition of the City Store just outside the north stand. Following this, work began on the new stand in autumn 2023 and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025/26 campaign. Meanwhile, the “hotel, workspace areas and public realm space are expected to be completed by late 2026,” according to Construction News.

City provided an update on the works at the end of May 2024. They announced that progress is continuing at pace, with Contractor Sisk pushing forward with the installation of internal enabling works ahead of the upcoming season. This includes changes to the roof structure at the Etihad, which will allow the construction of new concourses. In terms of the completion date for the expansion project, Danny Wilson, who is Operations Director at City said:

Construction Cost

Following the approval from the Manchester City Council’s planning and highways committee on July 27, 2023, the club pushed ahead with the expansion plans for the Etihad Stadium that will cost around £300 million. Replacing the club store that has now been demolished will be an eight-storey building with a new club shop and ticket office on the first floor.

On level two there will be a new museum, which will be directly linked to the new areas in the north stand. On the upper levels there will be experiences such as the sky bar and the stadium roof-walk. The £300 million project has already begun, which has led to a temporary reduction in the capacity of the north stand. Local media outlets have estimated that the investment from Manchester City will provide significant economic benefits to the Manchester community. This includes a £70 million injection into the Greater Manchester economy each year, as well as an additional 1,795 full-time jobs. This number could reach 3,000 in future years when casual shifts and part-time workers are accounted for.

Related

Man City’s Etihad Stadium expansion plans look very impressive

City’s home base is set for an exciting revamp

Changes to Etihad Campus during Redevelopment

While the construction workers continue on the North Stand expansion, there will be changes in terms of travel to the stadium and campus for supporters. This includes reduced capacity on the Orange Car Park outside the stadium, although the Metrolink service will remain the same throughout the season. Also, there is a new walking route from the northern side of the stadium while the construction work takes place. On their club website, City said (via Manchester City FC):

These restrictions were in place at the end of the 2023/24 season and are likely to remain for the upcoming campaign. City have provided regular updates on their website about the continued progress being made on the North Stand and are likely to do so if there are any future announcements concerning the Etihad campus in the coming months and years.

Related

Manchester City Quiz: 10 questions on the Etihad Stadium

Test your knowledge

Information gathered from Manchester City.