The news Blues fans have been waiting for. Coinciding with Birmingham City’s 150th anniversary celebrations, designs for a 62,000-capacity stadium have been unveiled today (Thursday, November 20). But it isn’t due to be completed until before the start of the 2030-31 season.
Located in Bordesley Green in East Birmingham, it will sit at the heart of the planned Sports Quarter development and host a range of different sporting and entertainment events. Knighthead Capital Management hopes it will become a “major new city landmark”.
“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,” said Tom Wagner, Knighthead Co-CEO and Birmingham City Chairman. “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.”
What will the new Birmingham City stadium be like?
Developed by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture, the new stadium will reflect “the region’s industrial heritage while embracing cutting-edge engineering.” 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 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 will not only echo the brickworks that once sat on the site, but also provide structural support and accommodate lifts and staircases and help with ventilation. One chimney will include a lift to Birmingham’s highest bar, offering citywide views and an immersive storytelling experience.
“Too often, stadiums feel like spaceships that could have landed anywhere, sterilising the surrounding area,” said Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio. “This stadium grows from Birmingham itself – from its brickworks, its thousand trades, and the craft at its core.”
The wider precinct has been designed as a year-round destination—with markets, cafés, restaurants, play areas and social spaces for all. Knighthead have commenced a period of consultation with local people, fans, political representatives and planning officers before lodging a planning application for the Sports Quarter in 2026.
The Sports Quarter is expected to include a mix of leisure, entertainment, retail and wellbeing facilities, as well as new transport links, housing and jobs in the area. Economic figures from Knighthead indicate that the Sports Quarter may add £450m annually to Birmingham’s economy by 2035.