Etihad Stadium – design description

When were the plans for Etihad Stadium expansion conceived?

City of Manchester Stadium or Etihad Stadium (commercial name, in force since 2011) was built between 1999 and 2002, and was inaugurated at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on July 25, 2002. After the Games, the venue was converted to football and reopened in 2003, and has served Manchester City's footballers ever since.

An upgrade of Etihad Stadium was confirmed in spring 2013. The plan was to extend the stands behind the goals, north and south. Acclaimed design studio Populous was responsible for the project, and the cost of the development was expected to be £50 million.

How is Etihad Stadium expansion being implemented?

You can see coverage of Etihad Stadium expansion on a separate subpage

When was the south stand at Etihad Stadium expanded?

The first stage was the superstructure of the third level above the South Stand, increasing the capacity by 6,250 people. In the process, the facilities in this part of the stadium were significantly increased, with new commercial areas. This phase was carried out between 2014 and 2015.

When will the north stand at Etihad Stadium undergo expansion?

An identical operation was due to be carried out at the north of the venue, although it was delayed for at least a few years. The matter only gained momentum at the end of 2022, when the club announced that it was in the process of investigating various options and aspects relating to further expansion.

Consultations with fans and the local community took place in February and March 2023, and a planning application was submitted in April. Consent from the city was obtained in July 2023. Later that summer, demolition of the club shop located in front of the north stand began.

The actual construction work is due to start in November 2023. The extended stand is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025/26 season, with the whole project to be completed by the end of 2026.

What does the plan for the north stand extension at Etihad Stadium include?

There has been a significant change to the plans prior to the North Stand expansion. In addition to the expansion of the stand itself, the project now also included the construction of new commercial and entertainment buildings connected to it, as well as a covered spectator area with a capacity of up to 3,000 people. The cost of development was estimated at £300 million.

The new buildings will include restaurants, a museum, a new club shop and a 400-bed hotel. The stand extension will increase the capacity of the stadium from 53,400 to nearly 62,000 spectators. In contrast to the south stand, where the third floor was added, the extension of the north stand will result in a significant enlargement of the second tier.

A so-called sky bar is to be built on top of the stand, and a special pathway is planned for the roof of the stand to allow for an exciting walk, similar to the one created at Tottenham's new stadium.