Brighton plan to build the new stadium at Bennett's Field (left), next to the Amex Stadium

Brighton and Hove Albion have released their plans for Europe's first purpose-built women's football stadium, which will cost £75-80m.

The club say the new stadium will "provide a permanent home and identity for the women's team" in an attempt to drive long-term fan growth.

Located at Bennett's Field, a site adjacent to the Amex Stadium - the home of Brighton's Premier League side - it will hold a minimum capacity of 10,000 and will be connected to the Amex via a bridge walkway.

With work under way on a planning application, the club hope to officially open the stadium for the start of the 2030-31 season.

"The prospect of a bespoke stadium, built exclusively for women's players, staff and supporters, is incredibly exciting," said the club's managing director of women's and girls' football, Zoe Johnson.

"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."

Brighton say changing rooms, pitch standards and recovery spaces will "support elite female players", while the matchday experience will be "designed to be especially welcoming for families and first-time attendees".

There will be breastfeeding rooms, baby changing areas and 'buggy parks' for prams, as well as social spaces on the concourse to host events and underground car parking.

Johnson added the stadium will help the club "push forward our ambitions to compete consistently both domestically in the Women's Super League (WSL), and also in European club competition", while attracting "key staff and growing a passionate fanbase".

"We also hope the stadium can support academy and development fixtures, giving more of our younger players valuable experience of playing in a purpose-built stadium environment," she said.

Brighton have played at the Amex on occasion but currently host the majority of their WSL matches at Crawley Town's Broadfield Stadium, about 20 miles away.

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A look at the UK's first purpose-built women's stadium

Ten of the 12 clubs in the WSL are affiliated with a Premier League side, and many are moving into the men's team's grounds as they expand.

Chelsea Women made Stamford Bridge their permanent home this month, following moves by Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leicester City, who all play their WSL matches at the club's main stadiums.

But Brighton's new stadium will be the first purpose-built ground in the top flight of women's football in England.

While a new concept in Europe, the world's first bespoke women's football ground opened in the United States. Kansas City Current have played at the CPKC Stadium for the past two seasons. And new US franchise Denver Summit are building their own stadium, with a planned opening for the 2028 season.

"To have a stadium designed specifically for the women's team is a significant moment for the game," said Brighton manager Dario Vidosic.

"It shows real intent and it tells players across the world that we are serious about high performance and long term success."

Backed by owner Tony Bloom, the club first announced they hoped to build the new stadium by 2027-28 but they encountered setbacks in their search for land.

In 2025, chief executive Paul Barber told BBC Sport the club were exploring the safety of various surfaces as part of their stadium plans, with a view to reducing injury risk.

They undertook their own research in partnership with local universities, to ensure the surface of their new women's pitch would be suitable.

Bloom confirmed the club are not currently seeking outside investment in their new stadium.

"Environment is crucial for me, every day, and I have seen the impact of the club's multi-million-pound investment in the state-of-the-art training facilities," Vidosic added.

"When players feel valued in the spaces they train and compete in, standards rise. This creates the conditions to push the team forward and continue to compete at the highest level."

In 2021, the women's team moved into training facilities at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre - a result of an £8.5m investment.

At their disposal is a gym, medical centre, changing areas, recovery facility and swimming pools, as well as state-of-the-art training pitches.

The Amex Stadium has hosted a number of women's football matches, including the Lionesses' historic Euro 2022 quarter-final victory over Spain.

However, Brighton did not consider the Amex to be a suitable home for their women's team because of plans to expand its capacity to 33,000.

Brighton have an average crowd of just over 3,000 in the WSL this season.

"Around 10,000 is a really good capacity for what I think will be the demand for when we bring women's football home to Brighton, to be playing at our own designated stadium," said Bloom.

"The Amex is the most magnificent stadium. Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well for women's football because it will become a 33,000 capacity when we finish."

Brighton CEO Barber added: "The right size is really important for women's football at the moment. It's about being ambitious, but not overly ambitious.

"Putting top-class football matches on at stadiums that are too big can be detrimental, because it can give a sense to the crowd that's there that not everyone cares as much as they do.

"If you have the right sized stadium which is full, noisy and atmospheric, then everyone feels it's a major event they want to be at, which women's football is.

"If it explodes and we get to that lovely position where we're regularly selling out, then we have a neighbouring stadium that we might be able to switch to for bigger games if we get to that point."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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