Brighton unveil plans for 10,000-seat women’s stadium

Brighton and Hove Albion have released designs for a new purpose-built stadium for their women’s team, a project the club says will strengthen long-term fan growth and create a dedicated matchday identity.The proposed venue would be built at Bennett’s Field, adjacent to the Amex Stadium, and connected via a bridge walkway to the men’s ground and its wider site infrastructure.Zoe Johnson, the club’s managing director of women’s and girls’ football, said: “The prospect of a bespoke stadium, built exclusively for women’s players, staff and supporters, is incredibly exciting. 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.”The club said the stadium will have a minimum capacity of 10,000 and is being designed around the needs of elite female players and a family-first fan offer.Brighton said the building plan includes upgraded changing rooms, pitch standards and recovery spaces, alongside concourse social areas intended to support events beyond matchdays.They also referenced facilities tailored to family attendance, including breastfeeding rooms, baby changing areas and buggy parks, plus underground car parking.A planning application is in development and the club said it is targeting an official opening for the start of the 2030–31 season.Dario Vidosic, Brighton’s women’s head coach, said: “To have a stadium designed specifically for the women’s team is a significant moment for the game. It shows real intent and it tells players across the world that we are serious about high performance and long term success.”Brighton’s women currently play most Women’s Super League home matches at Crawley Town’s Broadfield Stadium, around 20 miles from Brighton, with selected fixtures staged at the Amex.The club has positioned a permanent in-city home as a lever for revenue and growth, particularly around repeat attendance, local partnership activation and a more controllable matchday environment.The project also reflects a wider shift in women’s football venue strategy, with some clubs moving women’s matches into main stadia while others pursue dedicated assets that can be calibrated for demand, atmosphere and operating costs.Nikki Doucet, chief executive of the Women's Super League and Women's Championship, believes Brighton's plans represent a step change in how women's football is valued and supported, adding, "For too long, women have had to adapt to facilities that weren't designed with them in mind. "Now, players, managers, staff and fans will be able to experience a stadium designed through the lens of her and reimagine what inclusive, high-performance spaces can look like for everyone - because when we build for her, we build better for all."It sends a strong message about the commitment, belief and value that does exist in the women's game, and it is a massive moment for the team, the fans, and the wider sport. Brighton are building more than a stadium, they are building a society where equitable opportunity isn't an ambition, it's the standard."Brighton previously indicated an ambition to open a women’s stadium by 2027–28, but the club has referenced setbacks linked to land availability before settling on the current adjacent-to-Amex concept.The next steps are submission of the planning application and progression of enabling works that align with the club’s stated target of opening at the start of the 2030–31 season.