Venezia signs 40-year stadium agreement with €125m commitment
Venezia FC and the Municipality of Venice have signed a concession agreement giving the club responsibility for operating the new stadium at Bosco dello Sport, establishing a long-term home for its football and events business.
The agreement covers 40 years and includes a €125m commitment from Venezia towards completing and improving the venue, meeting routine and extraordinary maintenance costs and paying the concession fee.Venezia president Francesca Bodie described the signing as a significant milestone for the club and its community, emphasising the ambition to create an innovative, inclusive and sustainable stadium that will become its new home.The venue is scheduled to open during the second half of the 2027/28 season, with capacity for 18,500 spectators at football matches and provision for concerts, festivals and other cultural and entertainment events.Located in Tessera, in the mainland district of Mestre, the stadium forms part of the wider Bosco dello Sport development and will be operated throughout the year rather than solely on matchdays.The €125m figure represents the club’s combined obligations across the concession period, encompassing facilities and improvements alongside maintenance and contractual payments to the municipality.The agreement therefore establishes both Venezia’s operating role and its responsibility for supporting the venue over the longer term, with additional services and equipment included within the club’s commitments.Bodie highlighted the collaboration with the municipal administration that enabled the agreement, presenting the stadium as a project intended to reflect the energy of Venezia’s supporters while meeting international standards.Venice mayor Simone Venturini thanked his predecessor Luigi Brugnaro and the municipal teams involved in progressing the development, describing the agreement as the transition from decades of discussion to a concrete stadium project.Venturini also stressed the wider role envisaged for the facility, which is intended to generate opportunities for the surrounding area alongside hosting Venezia’s home fixtures.The operating plan combines football with music, cultural programming and entertainment, broadening the range of activities that can take place within the development and supporting use beyond the sporting calendar.Detailed programming for non-football events will be established as part of the club’s management of the stadium, with preparations now focused on delivering the facilities and improvements required before opening.The concession provides the contractual framework for that work and the subsequent operation of the venue, with the second half of the 2027/28 campaign remaining the target for welcoming spectators.