Aston Villa has confirmed plans to refurbish and expand its North Stand of Villa Park which would see its capacity grow to more than 12,000 seats.
The Premier League club announced the regeneration plans as part of an overall refurbishment of the North Ground area, which aims to become a “world-class sports and entertainment venue”.
Aston Villa revealed that once the redevelopment of the North Stand is complete, it would see the stand’s capacity increase to 12,000, and the overall capacity of Villa Park increase to 50,000, making it 11th largest English football stadium by capacity upon completion.
The club stated that the completion of the renovation is expected to be completed in the second half of 2027. It also asserts that the current capacity of Villa Park will not be affected by construction during the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
Aston Villa also highlighted its ambitions to grow the capacity of Villa Park and the North Stand in preparation for EURO 2028, which is set to be held in the UK and Ireland.
Nassef Sawiris, Executive Chairman of Aston Villa FC, said: “Since Wes (Edens) and I became owners of this storied Club in 2018 and Atairos joined us as partners in 2024, we have shared a clear ambition: to restore Aston Villa to its rightful position competing at the highest levels of English and European football, and to transform the Club into a global brand and European powerhouse.
“Thanks to the Mayor’s commitment to develop Witton Station and to improve local transport links, this project will mark an important milestone in the Club’s journey to becoming a world-class sports and entertainment venue.
“A bigger, better North Stand will not only allow many more Villans to see their team in person, improving matchday experience, but will also dramatically improve the Club’s ability to invest and compete in the long term.”
Aston Villa first announced its plans for an expanded North Stand in 2022, when a rebuild of the North Stand was proposed, while continuing to champion improvements to the local transport network.
Additionally ,Birmingham Mayor Richard Parker has committed in his campaign manifesto to rebuild Witton Station. The local government has suggested that this could include replacing the current station passenger shelters, introducing larger and safer queuing systems, delivering a new station footbridge and introducing higher capacity trains in order to double the current passenger handling capability of the station to 10,000 passengers per matchday.
“Aston Villa is a vital part of our region’s identity and I’m proud to support the club’s ambitious plans to redevelop the North Stand,” said Parker.
“Their long-standing commitment to Aston and the wider community is clear – not just through this redevelopment, but through investment in The Warehouse, community facilities, job creation and the Aston Villa Foundation. We have been working closely with the club, Network Rail and other partners to ensure the necessary improvements at Witton Station will be made in time for the Euros in 2028.
“I am fully committed to securing upgrades including safer queuing systems, new passenger shelters, a new footbridge and higher capacity services, so we can double the station’s handling capacity and deliver a world-class experience for fans arriving at Villa Park during the tournament and beyond.”
