Nacionalni Stadion – design description

What is the design of the National Stadium of Serbia in a nutshell?

The construction of the National Stadium of Serbia was discussed for more than a decade before construction began in 2024. The facility follows the trend of large and modern national stadiums that have been built recently in Central and Eastern Europe, and is expected to feature an original façade with terraces full of greenery.

The facility will accommodate more than 52,000 spectators and will become the new home of the Serbian national football team. The stadium, which will cost close to a billion euros, is being financed by the Serbian government and is being built by a Chinese company. The facility is expected to be ready by the end of 2026.

The stadium will be built in Surčin, a western suburb of Belgrade, at the junction of the A1 and A2 highways, from where it will be close to Nikola Tesla Airport. Along with the stadium, a complex of buildings for the Expo 2027 exhibition to be held in Belgrade is also being built, and a railway will be brought to the facilities.

How did the plans to build the National Stadium of Serbia come about?

Why does Serbia need a new national stadium?

To date, the largest and most important stadium in Serbia, where the national team often plays, is the FK Crvena zvezda facility in Belgrade, the Rajko Mitić Stadium (the so-called Marakana). The stadium can accommodate more than 50,000 spectators, but it is no longer among the most modern, and due to the presence of an athletics track, the stands are far from the pitch.

At the beginning of the 21st century, large and modern national stadiums were built in Poland (the National Stadium in Warsaw) or in neighboring Romania (Arena Națională in Bucharest), and similar plans began to be drawn in Hungary as well (which later resulted in the construction of the Puskás Aréna in Budapest).

The lack of a modern football stadium with ever-increasing infrastructural requirements and examples from nearby countries also caused Serbia, which has great football traditions and ambitions, to start thinking about building a 21st century facility.

The impetus for the first concrete steps towards this objective was the intention to co-host Euro 2020, which was to be held in a number of countries across Europe.

When were the first plans to build the National Stadium of Serbia conceived?

The first concrete plans for the construction of the National Stadium of Serbia emerged in early 2013. At that time, the Serbian Football Federation (Fudbalski savez Srbije, FSS) reached an agreement with the British company Mace, with which it was intended to cooperate on the project. The new stadium was to allow the country to apply to host Euro 2020 matches.

In March 2014, FSS President Tomislav Karadžić announced that the new stadium would not be built. Instead, a modernization of either the venue of Crvena zvezda or Partizan Stadium was promised, but giving up on building a national stadium also meant giving up on applying to co-host Euro 2020 (the application deadline was April 2014).

How did Serbia's intentions to build a national stadium come to pass?

In October 2015, the topic of building a national stadium came to life again, after then Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić announced that the government would allocate €150 million for its construction. At the time, it was initially assumed that around €250 million would be needed for the investment, and that the project would be carried out through a public-private partnership.

Initially, it was still undecided whether it would be the construction of a new stadium or the reconstruction of the facility of either of Serbia's two biggest clubs (Crvena zvezda and Partizan), but the option of building a completely new facility soon prevailed. Among the locations considered, the western districts or suburbs of Belgrade, from where it is close to Nikola Tesla Airport, emerged most often.

In 2018, it was decided that the new national stadium would be built in the suburb of Surčin, a dozen kilometers west of Belgrade's center, next to a new highway interchange (A1 and A2), relatively close to the international airport.

Politicians have since begun announcing the imminent realization of the new national stadium, and the topic has become popular in the Serbian media. An ardent supporter and promoter of the stadium's construction was Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia's prime minister from 2014 to 2017 and the country's president since 2017.

The project did not move ahead as quickly as announced, and there was also the COVID-19 pandemic along the way. Nevertheless, it was slowly moving forward. In 2019, the authorities set up a working team, and in August 2020, the Ministry of Finance presented renderings of the new stadium. The well-known Spanish studio Fenwick Iribarren Architects was behind the concept, and later in July 2023, a contract was signed with them for the design documentation.

Is the National Stadium the only stadium investment being made by the Serbian government?

Under the leadership of Aleksandar Vučić, the Serbian government has launched a program to support the development of sports infrastructure. Before construction of the national stadium began, the government financed the construction of three other modern, albeit much smaller, football stadiums in Loznica, Leskovac and Zaječar (all opened in 2023). There are also plans to build or modernize several more facilities.

However, the national stadium project is the most important one the government is undertaking, incomparable in scale and cost to other investments in sports facilities.

What does the Expo 2027 exhibition have to do with Serbia's National Stadium?

As Belgrade was planning to apply to host Expo 2027, plans began to chalk out plans to build facilities for the world exhibition. It was assumed that the new exhibition complex would be built right next to the planned national stadium. A study with a preliminary concept of the complex was created in June 2022.

On June 21, 2023, the hosting of Expo 2027 was awarded exactly to Belgrade, which meant that ambitious plans to build an exhibition complex next to the stadium would be implemented.

Shortly thereafter, it was also announced that an additional 18-kilometer stretch of railway line would be built to provide rail access to Belgrade airport, as well as to the new national stadium and Expo 2027 facilities.

How is the construction of Serbia's National Stadium progressing?

An account of the construction of the National Stadium of Serbia can be seen on a separate subpage

In the summer of 2023, shortly after Belgrade was awarded the hosting of Expo 2027, preliminary work began to prepare the site and infrastructure for the construction of the Expo buildings and the national stadium. The first proper construction work on the site did not begin until February 2024 with piling for the construction of the first of the halls of the exhibition complex.

When did the construction of Serbia's National Stadium begin?

The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the National Stadium of Serbia took place on Labor Day, May 1, 2024. The ceremony was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Finance Minister Siniša Mali, FSS President Dragan Džajić, President of the Republic of Serbia Milorad Dodik, Chinese Ambassador Li Ming and many other high-level officials.

When will Serbia's National Stadium be built?

The main contractor for the work is the Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina). According to the schedule, construction should be completed in December 2026.

How much will it cost to build the National Stadium of Serbia?

Initially, the construction of the national stadium was expected to cost around €250 million. When construction work began, the cost was already much higher at 112.4 billion Serbian dinars (€960 million).

What obstacles does the construction of Serbia's National Stadium face?

The construction of the stadium has its critics, largely due to the very high cost. Objections are also related to whether it will be possible to fill the stands of the future facility on a regular basis and ensure its profitability. In addition, after work began, doubts were raised about the ownership of the land on which the stadium and Expo facilities are to stand.

What will the National Stadium of Serbia be like?

The stadium will be built on a circular plan, and the building will have a diameter of 292 meters and a height of 54 meters. The stands will be divided into two tiers along with a narrow balcony between them, and their upper edge will be heavily corrugated. The auditorium will be covered by a flat white membrane roof. The venue's capacity will be 52,241 spectators.

The façade will be an openwork steel structure with three terraces. Shrubs and trees will be provided on each of them, making the facility a “stadium-garden”. In addition, the stadium will feature a rather generous use of wood as a secondary structural element. From the outside, the facility will be surrounded by parking lots.

The green gardens and wooden elements in the facade rightly evoke associations with the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, while by its circular shape the facility may bring to mind Brazil's National Stadium. Despite some similarities with other venues, however, the new stadium on the outskirts of Belgrade will look quite unique and original.

Where will the National Stadium of Serbia be built?

The stadium will be built in the suburb of Surčin, several kilometers west of the center of Belgrade. The facility will be built in an undeveloped land, near the junction of the A1 (Belgrade's highway bypass) and A2 (Miloš Veliki highway) roads, relatively close to Serbia's largest airport, the Nikola Tesla Airport.

Along with the stadium, the Expo 2027 exhibition buildings will also be built on the site, along with 1,500 apartments. A railway line will be brought to the stadium and the Expo facilities.

How will the National Stadium of Serbia be used?

The stadium is to become the country's main, most prestigious football arena. The facility is expected to regularly host matches of the Serbian national team. Although it will most likely not have a permanent host, it is quite possible that it will occasionally be used by local clubs, for example in European competitions or during the famous derby between Crvena zvezda and Partizan, or when one of the club's stadiums is being rebuilt.

With a stadium of this class, Serbia will be able to apply to host major international events. Aleksandar Vučić has already announced that the stadium will host the 2028 Europa League final, and it is possible that the Serbian Cup finals will also be played there. In addition, the facility will host a variety of cultural events and activities, including concerts.

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