Bournemouth set out revised timeline for Vitality Stadium redevelopment

AFC Bournemouth have confirmed major redevelopment work at the Vitality Stadium will begin this summer, with the project phased to deliver an initial capacity lift for 2026/27 before a larger expansion later in the programme.Bournemouth confirm summer start for Vitality Stadium redevelopment as timelines shiftAFC Bournemouth have set out revised phasing for the redevelopment of the Vitality Stadium, with demolition and construction work scheduled to begin after the end of the 2025/26 season and further stages running through the 2026/27 campaign.The club expect the stadium to gain around 1,500 seats in the first phase, subject to planning approval, with the current South Stand due to be replaced by a new lower tier. The South East and North West corners are also scheduled to be infilled as part of the early works, with construction continuing through the 2026/27 season to complete the remainder of the South Stand.Further works – including additional corner infills and extensions to other stands – are planned for a later close season, as the club works towards a significantly larger final capacity than the current Vitality Stadium footprint.Jim Frevola, AFC Bournemouth’s President of Business Operations, said the revised schedule reflects the complexity of stadium delivery and multiple stakeholder requirements. He said: “Redeveloping a stadium, it’s got a lot of stakeholders involved. "It’s not just the football club, it’s not just the supporters, it’s not just the council, it’s the residents, it’s UEFA, it’s the Premier League, it’s our contractors and our architects and designers.”Frevola also pointed to changes in the delivery approach, including compliance considerations linked to UEFA regulations, and said planning and site processes have taken longer than originally targeted. He said: “Getting through planning has been a longer process … we’ve had certain hurdles along the way.” He added that the club’s groundworks programme includes checks for potential unexploded World War II ordnance on the land behind the South Stand.Supporter-facing operations will also be affected during the phased build. Frevola said the club intend to provide a roof solution for the partially completed South Stand for the start of the 2026/27 season, although he acknowledged the roof programme is likely to be one of the later elements of that phase. The club have also indicated the planned move towards a membership model will be pushed back by a year to align with a more complete stadium.The redevelopment is a major infrastructure step for Bournemouth as they look to modernise facilities and increase matchday capacity, with the works designed to deliver incremental capacity and experience improvements during construction, rather than requiring a full multi-season relocation.