Brighton & Hove Albion Unveils Plans for £80M “Built for Her” Women’s Team’s Stadium

English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion has revealed plans for what it says would be the UK and Europe’s first purpose-built women’s football (soccer) stadium,

If built, the club states that it would become one of only three such stadiums in the world. Elsewhere, NWSL franchise Kansas City opened its CPKC Stadium in 2024 and fellow NWSL side Denver Summit is constructing its own purpose-built women’s team stadium to open in 2028.

Specifically “built for her” as a guiding brand philosophy, the 10,000-capacity stadium will provide bespoke facilities for Brighton’s women’s team, its staff and supporters, feeding into the club’s vision to be playing in the venue by the 2030-2031 season. It will be designed around the needs of female athletes and the distinct needs and culture of the women’s game, from pitch standards to the performance environments such as changing rooms and recovery spaces.

According to a club statement, it strategically acquired a site in 2025 at Bennett’s Field, adjacent to the Amex Stadium and close to the ground’s East Stand, with work already underway on a planning application for the new stadium. The location is designed to facilitate stronger operational and fan experience links between the two venues on both men’s and women’s match days, including developing a new bridge link and providing underground parking facilities on the Bennett’s Field site.

The women’s team, sixth in the Women’s Super League, currently plays the majority of its home games at the 5,567-capacity Broadfield Stadium in Crawley, West Sussex, 20 miles away from Brighton. Its average crowds have totaled just over 3,000 to date but the club’s executives are confident that the proposed 10,000 capacity at the new venue will be a manageable increase.

The project, which is expected to cost in the region of £80 million ($108 million), remains subject to planning approvals through the neighboring authorities of Brighton and Hove City Council and Lewes District Council.

In addition to the new stadium, Brighton & Hove Albion will look to continue investing in its dedicated training and administration facilities at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre in Lancing, 20 minutes to the west of the stadium site, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the women’s and girls’ game.

“First of Its Kind in Europe”

“The prospect of a bespoke stadium, built exclusively for women’s players, staff and supporters, is incredibly exciting,” said Zoe Johnson, women’s managing director. “It is a project that is the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and one of only three in the world, and will capture the imagination of stakeholders across the women’s game, not just here but globally.

“It is something we are asked about constantly, and we have worked hard to reach this moment, so it is exciting now to share this news with the wider world. It will help us push forward our ambitions to compete consistently both domestically in the Women’s Super League, and also in European club competition, while helping us to attract key staff and grow a passionate fan base.
“We also hope the stadium can support academy and development fixtures, giving more of our younger players valuable experience of playing in a purpose-built stadium environment.”

Women’s Super League Football CEO Nikki Doucet added that the announcement would mark a “step change” in developing facilities specifically tailored for female athletes.

More images will be made available publicly as the project moves through the planning process.

Statements

“We are determined to maintain the momentum built in recent years, not just nationally but here in the city,” said Michelle Walder, chair of Brighton & Hove Albion Women. “A stadium “built for her” is an ambition of intent – it’s an exciting commitment and will establish Brighton and Hove on the global map as a genuine home for the women’s game. Delivering these plans is central to accelerating the long-term growth of our women’s team and the future of the wider game.”

“Since we announced our intention to build a stadium for the women’s team in Brighton and Hove, we have seen unprecedented interest locally, nationally and internationally,” said Brighton & Hove Albion Chairman Tony Bloom. “It is a topic I am regularly asked about by many of our fans, clearly indicating the growing level of interest and potential for women’s football.

“It is a significant further investment in our long-term vision for women’s football at Brighton & Hove Albion. A women’s stadium in the city is essential to the continued growth of the team. We strongly believe it will strengthen our ability to attract elite talent, help develop our younger players for the future, support the growth of our fan base and create a genuine sense of belonging around the women’s game.”

“Our new women’s stadium, the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and one of only three in the world, is a powerful statement of our ambitions and will be integral to driving further momentum for the growth of women’s and girls’ football, not just in the UK but across the world,” said Paul Barber, CEO and deputy chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion.

“With a capacity aligned to Women’s Super League regulations, the stadium reflects our clear belief in ‘right sizing’ the stadium to grow the fan base sustainably. A stadium “built for her” is not only a significant capital investment for the club but one which we know will also benefit the city and other areas around the stadium through the creation of local construction jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for local people, further boosting the club’s already significant contribution to the local economy and at a time when there is a great deal of economic uncertainty.”