Stadium Industry Updates 12 September 2023
Real Madrid debuts new roof at Bernabéu
Real Madrid debuted the new retractable roof at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday as the LaLiga club marked its first home match of the season with a 2-1 win over Getafe.
Real Madrid had to play the first three LaLiga matches of the season away from home as work on the Bernabéu was carried out. The stadium is undergoing a major renovation project, with the work set to be wrapped up in the coming months and a grand reopening event scheduled for just before Christmas. The roof installation has already been completed, and it was called into action on Saturday amid heavy rainfall in the Spanish capital. The weather led to Atlético Madrid’s home match against Sevilla being called off.
France has ‘learned lessons’ from Champions League final ahead of Rugby World Cup
Ahead of the start of the Rugby World Cup in France, the country’s Sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra insisted that lessons have been learnt following the scenes at the 2022 UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris. Last year’s Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool was marred by chaotic scenes ahead of kick-off, which was delayed by more than half an hour as thousands of fans remained outside of the Stade de France. Some fans queued outside for more than two hours, while videos circulated on social media showed police using pepper spray and tear gas as supporters tried to scan their tickets at the turnstiles. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of work to learn the lessons from what happened at the Stade de France,” Oudéa-Castéra said, according to BBC Sport.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/66708595
Udinese debuts new sky boxes
Italian Serie A football club Udinese has unveiled revamped sky boxes at its home stadium.
Eighteen new suites overlooking the pitch were unveiled on Saturday as part of a project designed by architects at Studio Architetture Sordina & Torno Partners in Milan. Furnishings were provided by Friulian furniture company Midj.
As well as the sky boxes, Udinese’s hospitality offering includes the President Club, Manager Club, Ca’di Rajo VIP Club and Executive Club. The suites feature over 600 guests at every home match.
The interior design of the new suites features nods to the club’s heritage and renowned names in Italian cuisine. On non-match days, the suites also serve as venues for corporate and private events.
Read more at: https://www.midj.com/news/midj-official-furniture-partner-of-the-udinese-calcio-sky-box
San Fernando set to remodel stadium
Spanish football club San Fernando has revealed plans to redevelop its Estadio Bahía Sur home ground into a multi-purpose venue. According to local reports, designs are being finalised and the proposals have already received the backing of the local authority, with final approval possibly set to be given this month. The plans for the €6m development have been drawn up by local architect Manuel Díaz Periñan, who is also a member of the club. Periñan held a meeting earlier with Mayor Patricia Cavada to run through the designs. The total project will span an area of 25,500 square metres, of which some 10,500 square metres will be dedicated to transport infrastructure, parking and green space.
Read more at: https://www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2023/09/06/san-fernando-set-to-remodel-stadium/
Stadio Flaminio still on Lazio owner’s radar
SS Lazio president and owner Claudio Lotito has confirmed that acquiring the Stadio Flaminio remains one of the options being considered by the Italian Serie A football club.
Lazio has long been linked with a possible move to the Flaminio, with the club first submitting a “serious proposal” in June 2021. Last October, the Municipality of Rome gave Lazio until the end of 2022 to present a fresh proposal to utilise a redeveloped Flaminio as its potential new home. However, in stressing the need for the club to own its own stadium – away from its current home, the Stadio Olimpico, which is shared with city rival AS Roma – Lotito suggested that progress is being made.
Read more at: https://www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2023/09/06/stadio-flaminio-still-on-lazio-owners-radar/
Metropolitano capacity increase unveiled
Spanish LaLiga football club Atlético de Madrid has announced that the capacity of its Cívitas Metropolitano stadium has increased by nearly 2,000 seats for the 2023-24 season.
The club said that 1,846 new seats had been added to increase the venue’s overall capacity to 70,460, of which 6,020 spots are reserved for premium-paying spectators.
The seats have been slotted into existing areas in an effort to satisfy the “ever-increasing demand for season tickets,” Atlético added. The additional seats have been made available to prospective season ticket-holders.
Read more at:https://en.atleticodemadrid.com/noticias/the-capacity-of-the-civitas-metropolitano-has-grown-to-70-460-spectators
Liverpool appoints new Anfield Road Stand contractor
Liverpool has confirmed the appointment of Rayner Rowen Construction to deliver the final stages of building work for the Anfield Road Stand redevelopment project at the English Premier League football club’s stadium. The appointment was announced after Buckingham Group Contracting, the developer responsible for leading the redevelopment of Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, officially entered administration earlier this week. Last month, Buckingham filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators due to losses on venue projects.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cv21jdrpj9zo
Movember to deliver poignant message at English stadiums
Empty season ticket seats at two English football stadiums are being used to raise awareness about suicide prevention after Rotherham United and Darlington FC teamed up with men’s health charity Movember. The seats at Rotherham’s AESSEAL New York Stadium and Darlington’s Blackwell Meadows home will carry the message ‘Where’s My Mate?’ as part of Movember’s ‘Sport the Signs’ campaign. The initiative, launched ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day 2023 this Sunday, aims to educate men on how to spot initial signs that a friend is struggling – including when a committed fan misses a game.
Glasgow Rangers introduce self-ordering units
Scottish Premiership football club Rangers has secured a first for stadia in the country by introducing self-ordering technology for food and beverage at Ibrox Stadium.
Rangers has worked on the venture in collaboration with catering partner Levy UK + Ireland, the sports and entertainment division of Compass Group UK & Ireland. Rangers entered into a wide-ranging partnership with Levy back in June 2022. Rangers fans will be able to order food and drink using 16 self-order units in the Copland Road Stand, paying with contactless technology before picking up their items from two collection points.
Read more at: https://scottishbusinessnews.net/new-self-ordering-technology-for-rangers-f-c/
Edgbaston goes green for England-New Zealand match
The T20 match between England and New Zealand at Edgbaston has been dubbed the first sustainable cricket game of its kind in the UK, as a number of green-focused initiatives were put in place. The match, which New Zealand won by 74 runs, was earmarked as the ‘Go Green Game’ and was designed to raise sustainability awareness among fans and the wider community. Over the past 12 months, Edgbaston has reduced waste by a third, operated kitchens on 80% locally sourced produce, rolled out a low-energy LED light project, and continued the use of e-cups. For the match, further initiatives were introduced to lower the carbon footprint of the stadim. Edgbaston’s waste management partner, Suez, delivered a buzz challenge, while Net Zero Now provided attendees with information around carbon, reducing emissions and saving money at home.