Birmingham City have released images of their proposed 62,000-seat stadium, unveiled at a launch event on Thursday. The project is being designed by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture and is central to the Sports Quarter development led by chairman and co-owner Tom Wagner. The scheme, which will also include a women’s stadium and other entertainment venues, is estimated to cost about £1.2 billion.
The working name for the venue is ‘The Birmingham City Powerhouse’ but it will be rebranded when a naming-rights deal is agreed. A club statement says the design “draws upon the proud heritage of the West Midlands.”
An announcement video shown at the event featured former player Jude Bellingham and co-owner Tom Brady, who indicated the stadium could host NFL matches in future. Wagner said: “We could not be more excited to share this incredible design with so many people who played an important role in making it a reality.”
Wagner described the Powerhouse as “a living monument to this city’s great and historically valuable past” and “a statement of intent of what is possible in its exciting future.” He said the board and his Knighthead colleagues have “fallen in love with this city, the people, the football club,” and stressed the aim to create something “unique and distinctive” in the region.
Features announced include an interchangeable pitch and a roof that can close within 20 minutes. Wagner claimed the stadium could become a reality within the next five years and called it “a beacon of excellence for Birmingham on the global stage,” intended to attract top sporting and entertainment events. He added: “Make no mistake. This is a football first stadium that will provide our teams with a competitive advantage from day one. It will be a place that the opposition teams will not want to play.”
At 62,000 capacity the Powerhouse would be among the biggest stadiums in English football, with only Old Trafford, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and London Stadium having higher capacities in the Premier League. Wagner acknowledged the size signals ambition: “We had a little blip along the path of the club where we took a step back after buying it. We looked like complete lunatics saying we were going to build this in League One. Now we look like modest lunatics sitting in the Championship saying we’re going to do this.” He insisted the fanbase can fill the stadium and that the club is building for the future.
Wagner also referenced Bellingham’s appearance in the promo, saying he hopes the new stadium could entice the Real Madrid star back one day. Bellingham began his professional career at Birmingham, debuting at 16 before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 and later to Real Madrid; his shirt number at Birmingham was retired. Wagner called Bellingham “the greatest player on the planet today” and suggested a return would be “a great coming home story,” benefiting the player, the community and the club.