Betis stadium delays could extend La Cartuja stay to 2029

Real Betis is targeting a return to Benito Villamarín before the 2029/30 season after negotiations over the next construction phase pushed its stadium redevelopment further behind schedule.The revised outlook could keep the club at La Cartuja until summer 2029, two years beyond the project’s original completion target.Work began in summer 2025 with partial demolition of Benito Villamarín, but the timetable has since slipped from 2027 to 2028 and now potentially into 2029.President Ángel Haro presented a schedule in December 2025 that envisaged completion on May 2, 2028, a date that is no longer expected to be met.Negotiations with Acciona, which is responsible for earthworks and foundations, have been a significant factor in the delay.The contract for the second construction phase was expected to be signed in July, but an agreement has yet to be finalised. Discussions are reportedly advanced, with that phase now expected to begin in 2027.Betis maintains that La Cartuja is a temporary home and has ruled out making the move permanent, despite the commercial benefits of its larger capacity.The stadium accommodates almost 70,000 spectators, allowing the club to expand its season-ticket base from 50,741 to 57,650, an increase of almost 7,000.Additional season-ticket and match-ticket revenue has been estimated at up to €8m per season, against annual stadium rent of approximately €1m.Those figures indicate a revenue benefit from the relocation, although they do not account for every cost associated with operating at La Cartuja or the financial consequences of the redevelopment delay.The extended stay also creates a potential scheduling challenge as La Cartuja prepares for work linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup.Most of those improvements are expected to affect the surrounding area, but parts of the stadium itself are also due to be upgraded.If Betis remains through the 2028/29 campaign, the club and stadium management will need to coordinate construction with its home fixtures to avoid disruption.That adds another operational consideration to a move originally intended to provide a base while Benito Villamarín was rebuilt.The club’s return to Heliópolis will depend on concluding the contractor negotiations and delivering the next phase of construction, rather than simply reaching a fixed departure date at La Cartuja.Beginning that work in 2027 would provide a route towards reopening before the 2029/30 season, but the eventual completion date remains dependent on the agreed programme and progress on site.