Nuevo Estadio Municipal Marbella – design description

How does the Nuevo Estadio Municipal Marbella project look in brief?

Plans for a new stadium in Marbella first appeared in 2020, when the new owners of Marbella FC unveiled a futuristic design featuring a retractable roof and an adjacent building shaped like a modern yacht.

That plan, however, was never realized, and the situation became even more complicated in mid-2021, when a section of the stands at the municipal stadium collapsed during a match. The stadium was closed, and the mayor announced that a completely new venue would be built in its place.

In July 2022, an architectural competition for the new concept was resolved. The winning design was, of course, far less spectacular than the earlier vision, but it still offered Marbella the prospect of an attractive, modern stadium.

The new, football-specific venue is planned to hold 10,000 spectators. The project also includes an underground car park, a hotel, a wellness center, as well as shops and dining facilities.

At the beginning of 2023, it was announced that the construction would be financed by the club, and in June 2025 the city granted Marbella FC a 75-year concession. Work began in August 2025 with the demolition of the old stadium.

What were the first plans for a new stadium in Marbella?

In 2018, the sports agency Best of You, acting on behalf of a Chinese investor, took over the management of Marbella FC. The new owners had ambitious plans not only on the sporting side but also in terms of infrastructure development. In July 2020, a spectacular design for a new stadium in Marbella was officially presented. The arena was planned in a football-specific layout with a capacity of 18,000 spectators.

The venue was to be built on the site of the existing Estadio Antonio Lorenzo Cuevas. The stadium would have been equipped with a retractable roof over the pitch – a solution unprecedented for a facility of this scale. On the representative western side, a commercial building was planned, designed to resemble a modern yacht or ocean liner. As it later turned out, the ambitious concept remained only on paper.

The 2020 Nuevo Estadio de Marbella project can be viewed on a separate subpage

How did the new stadium project for Marbella come about?

What was the old Estadio Antonio Lorenzo Cuevas like?

The existing stadium in Marbella was inaugurated in 1975. Located close to the city center, it was a rather modest venue, with seating for 7,300 spectators and a six-lane, 375-meter tartan athletics track.

The former host of the stadium was Club Atlético Marbella, which played in the second tier between 1992 and 1996, before going bankrupt in 1997. After its dissolution, a new club, Marbella FC (known until 2013 as Unión Deportiva Marbella), took its place.

The stadium also hosted club-friendly tournaments such as the Marbella Cup. In the 1980s and 1990s, it served as a concert venue for world-famous artists including Queen, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Dire Straits.

When was Estadio Antonio Lorenzo Cuevas closed?

On May 23, 2021, in the season’s final match, Marbella FC defeated Yeclano Deportivo 3–0. However, the win was not enough to avoid relegation from the third tier, where the team had played since 2014. Due to the league’s restructuring, Marbella immediately dropped to the fifth tier (though three years later, in 2024, the team managed to return to the third division).

During that match, part of the stand collapsed, leaving two supporters with minor injuries. The incident led the local authorities to close the stadium. An expert assessment later revealed that the facility required major modernization. In August 2021, Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, announced that the stadium would be demolished and replaced with a completely new venue.

After the closure, Marbella FC played its home matches at training complexes located in the western part of the city – in the first season (2021/22) at Marbella Football Center, and from 2022 onwards at Dama de Noche.

When was the new concept for Marbella’s stadium chosen?

On February 10, 2022, the city launched a design competition for the new stadium. The specifications set the capacity at 8,000 seats, with an athletics hall and parking facilities to be built alongside the stadium. The city’s planned budget amounted to €19 million, of which €18 million was allocated for the stadium and €1 million for design work.

A total of 11 entries were submitted, with 6 advancing to the final stage. The results were announced on July 14, 2022. The winning design was by Huete Arquitectos, who were then commissioned to prepare full project documentation based on their concept.

How did the development of the new stadium project in Marbella unfold?

On January 20, 2023, it was announced that the club, through its foundation (Fundación Marbella FC), would take over the financing of the stadium construction. In February 2024, the stadium grounds were fenced off, and the city’s mayor announced that demolition would soon begin. In the meantime, new renderings have also been released, slightly different from the original version.

On April 4, 2024, more details about the new stadium were revealed. The capacity was increased from the originally planned 8,000 to 10,000 seats. The project also included an underground parking facility for 1,000 vehicles and a sports hotel with over 90 rooms, although the athletics hall was no longer part of the plan. The estimated cost of the investment also rose significantly – from €18 million to €115–130 million.

On June 16, 2025, the city signed an agreement with the club granting Marbella FC a 75-year concession for the site of the old stadium. The concession gives the club the right to use the land for the construction of the new facility and to manage it afterward.

What does the new stadium project in Marbella include?

The plan calls for the demolition of the existing Estadio Antonio Lorenzo Cuevas and the construction of a modern football stadium in its place with a capacity of 10,000. Alongside the stadium, an underground parking facility for 1,000 vehicles will be built, as well as a hotel with over 90 rooms, a wellness center, and an area with restaurants and shops.

What purposes will the new stadium in Marbella serve?

The new stadium will primarily serve Marbella FC, but it will also be suitable for hosting matches of the women’s national team and the U-21 national side, as well as prestigious friendly tournaments and major music concerts, which used to take place at the old stadium. The facility is also intended to be a potential training base during the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

How much will the construction of the new stadium in Marbella cost?

The estimated cost of the stadium is €115–130 million. The investment is to be financed by the club, which plans to secure funds with the help of private investors and bank loans.

The project will be carried out through the club’s foundation, with revenues directed towards its statutory objectives: supporting youth sports, promoting tourism, and community initiatives.

When will the new stadium in Marbella be built?

Construction work began on August 13, 2025, with the demolition of the old stadium. Earlier, it had been suggested that the new stadium could be completed in 2026, provided demolition began in 2024. Since this process was delayed by a year, it can be assumed that the opening will not take place before 2027.

A dedicated page features coverage of the construction of the Nuevo Estadio Municipal Marbella