Ashdod Stadium – construction description

When were plans to build a new stadium in Ashdod conceived?

On July 9, 2018, the mayor of Ashdod, Yehiel Lasri, announced plans to build a new football stadium in the city. The facility was to be built in a park by the Lakhish River, less than a kilometer from the existing Yud-Alef Stadium. Plans at the time called for the facility to be built by 2022, with construction costing around 290 million shekels. The funds were to come from various sources, such as the city budget, the national lottery and the sale of the old stadium.

What will the new stadium in Ashdod be like?

The architectural concept of the new Ashdod Stadium can be seen on a separate subpage

According to the concept created by the well-known Israeli studio Goldschmidt, Arditty, Ben Nayim (GAB) Architects, there was to be a compact, light-coloured covered building with large expanses of transparent covering to the west and south, letting sunlight in.

The facility is to be very modern and imbued with new technologies. It will be one of the most advanced stadiums in all of Israel. Its capacity will be 20,000 spectators. The complete plan calls for the construction of an entire sports complex with an arena for 5,000 spectators, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and training pitches.

Residential development is also to be built in the area. After the new stadium is built, the old Yud-Alef Stadium is to be demolished and also used for housing projects.

The main user of the new stadium will be FC Ashkelon, which regularly plays in Israel's top flight. The final name of the venue is yet to be decided, the desired solution is to find a title sponsor.

How is the construction of the new stadium in Ashdod progressing?

The project, however, has had to wait several years since it was announced. It was only on December 5, 2022 that Mayor Yehiel Lasri announced the award of the tender for the construction of the new stadium. Worth 311 million shekels, the contract was awarded to Ken-Hator Engineering and Building LTD. The facility was to be built within 36 months.

Construction work started at the beginning of 2023. After the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, a full-scale conflict erupted in the Gaza Strip, whose northern borders are only about 30 km from Ashdod, but the construction of the stadium continues and is being carried out at a rapid pace.