Brighton & Hove Albion FC has revealed ambitious plans, designed by KSS, to deliver what would become Europe’s first purpose-built football stadium dedicated to a women’s team.
The proposed £80m development would be constructed at Bennett’s Field, adjacent to the club’s existing Amex Stadium, home to its Premier League side and also a KSS design completed in 2011. The new venue is planned to have an initial capacity of 10,000 and will be linked to the Amex via an elevated walkway, creating a unified matchday environment across the site.
A full planning application is currently being prepared, with the club targeting an opening in time for the 2030–31 season. The scheme reflects a broader shift in investment towards women’s sport, with facilities tailored specifically to the needs of players and supporters.
Brighton said the stadium would include dedicated spaces to support female athletes, alongside matchday amenities designed with families in mind, such as breastfeeding rooms, baby changing areas and pram-friendly parking provision. The venue would be only the third of its kind globally, underlining its significance within the rapidly growing women’s game.
The plans have drawn strong support from prominent figures in the sport, including former England women’s national football team player Karen Carney, who highlighted the importance of infrastructure investment. “With the amazing summer we had with the women’s game last year, getting the right infrastructure is key to its future. So, it’s brilliant to see Brighton’s commitment to purpose-built facilities and a dedicated women’s stadium,” Carney said.
Nikki Doucet, chief executive of the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, said the proposals represented a defining moment for the sport. “Plans for the stadium send a ‘strong message about the commitment, belief and value that does exist in the women’s game’.
“It is a massive moment for the team, the fans, and the wider sport. Brighton are building more than a stadium, they are building a society where equitable opportunity isn’t an ambition, it’s the standard,” Doucet said.
Brighton & Hove Albion currently sit sixth in the Women’s Super League, with the proposed stadium forming part of a longer-term strategy to support the continued growth and professionalisation of the women’s game.
