New Everton stadium: Design, opening date, latest developments and more | OneFootball

Everton plan to move into their new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of the 2025/26 season. Plans to build the new ground were first set in motion in 2017 and everything is now on schedule for completion, with the ground expected to open in 2025.

Talks of moving to a new stadium began as early as 1996, but with several plans suggested and eventually scrapped during the 2000s, it was the arrival of Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri as owner in 2016 that set the wheels in motion. Within a year, the Bramley-Moore Dock had been identified as the perfect location for the new stadium and the process continued from there.

Construction first broke ground in August 2021 and is estimated to have cost around £500m in total. This article contains everything you need to know about Everton's new stadium.

Timeline

Stadium design

Everton's stadium will be a bowl stadium constructed out of brick, steel and glass that straddles the River Mersey. This design was intended to take inspiration from the maritime buildings in the surrounding dock area. The brick base of the stadium incorporates a pattern that honours Goodison Park architect Archibald Leitch's iconic cross latticework which adorns the Bullens Road stand of the ground.

The stadium also boasts a dynamic roof structure made of steel and glass, giving it a modern appearance. Architect Dan Meis has stressed throughout the project how vital it is that supporters feel as close to the action as possible in the new ground. As such, the stands have been built steeply, giving the stadium as intimate a feel as possible. The South Stand has been designed to be particularly steep and will contain 13,000 seats as well as safe standing areas, in a nod to Borussia Dortmund's iconic 'Yellow Wall' at Signal Iduna Park.

The Fan Plaza will be situated to the east of the stadium and aims to be as large as Liverpool's Pier Head and will be the focus of pre-match and post-match activities and entertainment. The north and south orientation of the stadium will be optimal for crowd circulation on matchdays.

Opening date

The club officially confirmed in December 2023 that they would be officially moving into the new ground at the start of the 2025/26 season, despite the fact the stadium is scheduled to be completed in the final weeks of 2024. This decision was based on commercial and logistical reasons as well as a survey sent out to all supporters, in which almost 10,000 supporters took part in. The general feeling was that one full final season at Goodison Park would be the preferred choice.

The ground will be opened in 2025 and between the completion of construction and the beginning of the 2025/26 campaign, test events will be held at the new stadium to obtain a safety certificate, as well as allow Evertonians to adjust to their new home. Until then, the priority for Sean Dyche's side on the pitch will be ensuring Everton are still a Premier League team by the time they are playing their first competitive fixture in the new stadium.

Latest developments

Interim CEO Colin Chong confirmed in an official statement in December 2023 that the stadium project is still very much on track, in spite of all the off-the-field turmoil the club have undergone in the last few years. Owner Farhad Moshiri confirmed in September 2023 that he was selling his 94.1% stake in the club to American Investment firm 777 partners, pending clearance of the Premier League's 'fit and proper' test. In his statement, the Iranian confirmed that the club would need further investment to be able to continue financing the stadium build.

As of January 2024, 777 have provided over £160m to aid with several things, including construction costs on the new stadium. They have received the green light from the Financial Conduct Authority, but still await the Premier League's decision on their proposed takeover bid, which is expected to be made public in February 2024.

The stadium construction project continues to progress despite the upheaval within the Everton hierarchy. As of January 2024, the ground is beginning to fill with seats and the stadium bowl is close to completion while 60% of the concourse areas are now finished. As the project heads into its final 12 months, Project Director Gareth Jacques said he is keen to 'finish it in style.'

Goodison legacy

A crucial bit of information for all Evertonians, once the ball got rolling, was what would become of Goodison Park once they moved out. The club quickly addressed this question with the launch of the People's Project, which aimed to attain fan feedback regarding both the move to the new stadium and the legacy Goodison Park would leave behind.

In the summer of 2019, a survey was sent out to Evertonians and revealed the club's proposals as part of the Goodison Legacy Project. The club reiterated that they would be keeping control of the site on which Goodison currently sits and planned to transform it into a mixed-use development.

Keen to build on the already stellar work done by Everton in the Community, these proposals include a commitment to build more housing, to host up to 173 residential properties, a care home, office space and commercial space. There are also plans for a multi-purpose health centre, a youth enterprise zone and sites for financial and professional services, as well as restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments and takeaways. It is hoped that the developments will lead to the creation of up to 15,000 new jobs, attract over a million visitors each year and generate approximately £237m in societal value.

The already-existing entrance gates on the south-west of the site are intended to remain intact, as well as the commemorative and memorial plaques on the boundary walls on either side and the statue of Everton's legendary all-time greatest goalscorer, Dixie Dean. There are also plans for a green space where further tributes to the football club's achievements at the famous old ground would be built.