Birmingham City wow fans as they reveal a first look of their new stadium with the hope of completing in time for the 2029–30 season.
It was first talked about publicly by Knighthead in early 2024, but finally we will now find out get to see what their vision is.
Initial mentions of a ‘Sports Quarter’ development soon saw Knighthead purchase 60 acres in East Birmingham, including the former Birmingham Wheels site, to build the Sports Quarter.
In June 2025, the government pledged funding for a tram line linking the city center to the proposed Sports Quarter, then in October, Knighthead named Heatherwick Studio and MANICA as architects for the new stadium, with it to have a capacity of around 62,000.
What does it look like? Time to find out…
The Birmingham City Powerhouse.
A stadium that draws upon the proud heritage of the West Midlands – a heritage of industry, ingenuity and growth. pic.twitter.com/P0cnmZ0TJM
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) November 20, 2025
BIRMINGHAM STATEMENT:
Knighthead Capital Management has today unveiled the new stadium design for Birmingham City Football Club, developed by world-renowned Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture.
The 62,000-capacity stadium will host a range of different sporting and entertainment events. Located in Bordesley Green in East Birmingham, it will become a major new city landmark that reflects the region’s industrial heritage while embracing cutting-edge engineering. It will sit at the heart of the planned Sports Quarter development, transforming the area into a vibrant sporting and cultural destination.
Heatherwick Studio secured the design commission in collaboration with MANICA Architecture, a global leader in sports and entertainment venues, and Steven Knight – acclaimed writer, filmmaker, and lifelong Blues supporter. The first images of the proposed design were unveiled today at Digbeth Loc Film Studios in Birmingham, coinciding with the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
Tom Wagner, Knighthead Co-CEO and Birmingham City Chairman said: “This is a huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our ambition to compete at the highest level. More than that, the iconic design is a statement of intent for the City of Birmingham and the West Midlands, testament to a region that is on the rise.
“The stadium draws upon the proud heritage of the West Midlands – a heritage of industry, ingenuity and growth. I believe those same qualities can create a new era of success on and off the field and prosperity for local communities that have been starved of opportunities for too long.”
The designs feature a retractable roof and moveable pitch, enabling year-round flexibility for major sporting events, international music concerts and large-scale cultural experiences.
The steep bowl is designed to create the most intense matchday moments. The design pulls the stands as close and as steep to the pitch as can be allowed to create a 360-degree wall of fans. The stadium’s high-performing acoustics will amplify the sound of the crowd, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for home supporters.
The twelve chimney-form towers echo the brickworks that once sat on the site. They will provide structural support for the roof while accommodating lifts and staircases and helping with ventilation. One chimney will include a lift to Birmingham’s highest bar, offering citywide views and an immersive storytelling experience.
The wider precinct has been designed as a year-round destination – with markets, cafés, restaurants, play areas and social spaces for all.
Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, said: “Too often, stadiums feel like spaceships that could have landed anywhere, sterilising the surrounding area. This stadium grows from Birmingham itself – from its brickworks, its thousand trades, and the craft at its core.
“It’s also a wholehearted place for the community. The stadium will truly come alive where it meets the ground; a place for play, gathering, and everyday life. The goal is to capture the spirit of the city and give it back to Birmingham.”
David Manica, president and owner of MANICA Architecture, said: “Birmingham is a resilient and passionate community, so the design of this new stadium needed to embody the grit and passion of its people. The Powerhouse’s design is both intentional and meticulous, paying homage to a passionate fanbase while laying the foundation for the Bluenoses of tomorrow.”
Knighthead and the club have commenced a period of engagement and consultation with local people, fans, political representatives and planning officers before lodging a planning application for the Sports Quarter in 2026. The ambition is for the new stadium to be completed in time for the start of the 2030-31 season.
The new stadium will anchor the Birmingham Sports Quarter in East Birmingham, a once in a generation opportunity to catalyse growth and transform the lives and livelihoods of people across East Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
The Sports Quarter will provide transformative investment into the area, driving new economic growth in East Birmingham and across the region. It will include a mix of new facilities – from leisure and entertainment to retail and wellbeing – as well as dedicated spaces for the community. It will also bring better transport links, new housing and jobs at every level.
Wagner recently said: “I position the club as a great underdog, a long-time sleeping giant, overlooked for an awfully long time.
“It’s been incomprehensible to me from the beginning that the name team in England’s second city isn’t one of the top teams in English football.
“I recognise it’s a long way to go from where we are to get to there. But without great vision and objectives, it’s very difficult to do great things. So why not shoot for the very best?”
Wagner on suggestions he was looking to run before the club had learned to walk: “You’re suggesting we don’t have enough fans to fill 62,000?
“We sold 50,000 seats at Wembley last year for our Vertu Trophy final. We had 22,000 people live on the phone waiting to buy tickets when the last ticket was sold.
“So the demand is there. We don’t need to sell 62,000 every single game in year one.
“But I bet we will every Saturday, and we’d do it in the Championship.
“I’ve said it 1,000 times and I’ll say it 1,000 times more. We want success in Birmingham.
“We don’t want to shoot for mediocrity, we want to shoot for excellence. And of course we’re shooting to recreate one of the great derbies in UK football.
“Of course there’s great joy in the misery of your crosstown rivals. I respect that, and that’s what makes it great.
“But if I were to root against Villa or Wolves, then I’m lessening the quality of Birmingham football writ large.
“Why are [Manchester] United and [Manchester] City so big? Because they’re two great clubs in the same city.
“Why are the various clubs in London so powerful and have such great brand appeal? Because there are so many great derbies across the city.
“And why wouldn’t we want something like that to exist in Birmingham as well? The more attention that’s brought to those rivalries, the more investment that will flow.
“So for me, the dream scenario would be a Champions League final against Villa.”
As mentioned, Birmingham City wow fans as they reveal the first look of their new stadium…
@YouBearsssssss: Thinking of all the Blues fans who are no longer with us that endured all the tough times over the last decade… this is for YOU 💙 #BCFC
@SimonBCFC: Absolutely unreal stadium, different, unique and a load of character, thank god its not a flat packed IKEA stadium we see time and time again. I love it. What a time to be a Blues fan #UTB #KRO #BCFC
@lennonkian_: Wow. Goosebumps. It still feels like I’m dreaming. The fact that we’ll be able to witness this in our lifetime is incredible #bcfc
@Thisismkt: Wembley has the arches we’ve got the chimneys #bcfc
@lou1875: I’ll admit it that unveil made me 😭. It’s what it means! This is my club, my club! #BCFC #KRO
@TomEd_1999: I really like the nod to our heritage in the industrial revolution. It is unique and I love it. #bcfc
@ToweringZigic: It’s absolutely stunning, unlike any stadium on the planet. It’s beyond anything I imagined, and I think those chimneys are going to become iconic. Proud. #BCFC
@BcfcMichael: Wow 🤩 Actually speechless and still can’t believe this is happening 😍 #bcfc
@YouBearsssssss: This club was on its knees a couple of years ago and now just look at us😳Wow Just WOW😍💙 #BCFC
@SHarrison94: Bonus point, when we hire new managers we can send smoke up the chimneys like the pope #bcfc #KRO
@BritInUSofA: Unique design, odd and different of course but I love that they aren’t just doing a boring bowl shape like every other club
@BornToBeBlues25: OH MY DAYS 😍😍 This new stadium looks incredible and nothing like I thought it would. The rich history of not only the club but the city. Welcome to The Powerhouse Stadium #BCFC #KRO
