Brighton & Hove Albion is aiming to make history by building Europe’s first stadium dedicated exclusively to women’s football. The new venue next to Amex Stadium is set to solve logistical issues while setting a new benchmark for the women’s game.

A breakthrough investment on the south coast

Plans to build a new venue for the Women’s Super League players were initially approved by the local council as early as October 2023, but due to delays, the club had to wait with their final implementation. The stadium is to be located at Bennett's Field, right next to the east stand of Amex Stadium, with which it will be connected by a special bridge.

The new venue will be able to accommodate at least 10,000 spectators, and the estimated cost of the investment will range from £75m to £80m. Although the club authorities initially hoped to complete the works before the start of the 2027/28 season, the current schedule assumes that the inauguration will take place no later than the beginning of the 2030/31 season. The KSS Group, which previously also designed the club's main venue, is responsible for the design.

Built with women in mind

The new Brighton arena will be more than just a scaled-down copy of the men's stadium. The main slogan of the project is Built for Her, which in practice means creating infrastructure tailored to the requirements of female players and fans of women's football. The project includes dedicated changing rooms, recovery spaces for players, and specially adapted pitches. The club is even studying the impact of the type of turf on the risk of injury in women's sports. The audience was also taken care of – wide corridors, easy access for families with children, and social integration zones are meant to make the venue exceptionally friendly for first-time stadium visitors.

Despite the English club's revolutionary and uncompromising approach, Portuguese side SC Braga decided to snarkily remind everyone of their existence on X, trying to steal their thunder. Under Brighton's post, they left a provocative comment: Hmmmm guys, you all know we exist, right?, attaching a photo of their newly opened Estádio Amélia Morais. This reaction, however, completely backfired. Braga was actually boasting about a modest 2,500-seat venue, which in reality is located within a training complex and is shared with the men's reserve team.

Tweet SC Braga Feminino https://x.com/scbragafeminino/status/2049118780308046008

— SC Braga - Futebol Feminino (@scbragafeminino) July 24, 2026

The club's vice-chairman and chief executive, Paul Barber, points out that the existing infrastructure simply did not meet the demands of a different demographic group. We're demanding from the women's team the same level of high performance as we are from the men's team, explains Barber, adding: For me, it's logical to provide the best possible facilities to get that performance. We've done it at the training ground so we should do it with the stadium as well.

The end of logistical problems and fight for the highest goals

A dedicated stadium also solves the common problem of sharing venues in women's football. Until now, Brighton's female players played most of their home matches at the Broadfield Stadium in Crawley Town, located about 30 km away, where the average attendance was below 2,500 people. Occasional matches at the gigantic Amex Stadium, despite attracting over 4,500 spectators, did not even fill 15 percent of the stands' capacity.

The Amex is the most magnificent stadium but, unfortunately, it doesn’t work so well for women’s football, The club's owner, Tony Bloom, admitted. Having their own venue of optimal size will allow them to create the desired atmosphere of a sports celebration and avoid fixture clashes with the men's team. The development of infrastructure is also the key to attracting the greatest talents, which is supposed to help the team advance to the top four of the league and fight in European cups. Brighton's plans to build Europe's first stadium designed exclusively for women is exactly the kind of progress we have dreamed about for years stated former England international and Brighton player, Fran Kirby. Her coach, Dario Vidosic, echoes this, joking impatiently: I wish I had a machine to fast forward three years to get into it.

Brighton & Hove Albion plans to build Europe’s first dedicated women’s football stadium next to Amex Stadium, with a capacity of around 10,000.

Financing and a global trend

Chairman Tony Bloom declared that at this stage he does not intend to seek external investors, although the club is not closed to potential public funding. According to Paul Barber, the investment in the women's stadium will bring tangible benefits to the city and surrounding regions, creating new jobs in construction and offering apprenticeships.

The decision of the Brighton authorities fits into the latest global trends. On a global scale, the club is following in the footsteps of American teams from the NWSL league – Kansas City Current and Denver Summit – which were the first to decide to build separate infrastructure. Another English club, Birmingham City, has also announced plans to build a stadium for its women's section within the planned sports district.

Being the first designated stadium in the UK helps raise the profile in this country and abroad. It's a big moment, I'm proud that Brighton are at the forefront of women's football and I'm excited for the future, Tony Bloom concluded with satisfaction.