Demolition of the three tiers of the Preferencia stand at the Benito Villamarín in Seville is moving fast – only the main support beams remain. Real Betis is sorting the debris with an eye on recycling and reuse, and the club plans to start construction of the new stadium in January 2025.

Twenty years in the making

Club president Ángel Haro stressed that approval for the project had been delayed for two decades, saying it’s not normal that a city like Seville should need 20 years to pass this plan. Betis now faces a major challenge: by the end of the month the club expects bids from construction firms, with the timeline for the works being a key point. The initial plan was for two years, but companies have warned that may be unrealistic, meaning the project could take two and a half seasons. In the next two weeks we should know more, Haro told ABC.

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A new stand and a multi-use complex

The revamped Benito Villamarín will keep its 60,000-seat limit. Haro explained that while in the right conditions Betis could probably fill 70,000 seats, keeping the current capacity makes season tickets a scarce commodity. It’s a sensible number – if one day we need to add more seats, great, he said.

Work will rebuild the Preferencia stand from the ground up. On the adjacent plot a square and a 34-metre-high building will go up. Inside: a 150-room hotel, a sports clinic, a fitness–spa & wellness centre and a retail and services area for sports fashion, shopping, leisure and food. A public car park accessible to Seville residents will also be included.

Around 33% of the lower floors will be dedicated to sports fashion, entertainment, dining and retail for fans. The first three floors plus the ninth will house these activities. The hotel will take up 25% of the total space (floors five to eight), while the fourth floor will be split between the sports clinic (20%) and the fitness–wellness zone (22%).

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