Birmingham City have published images and details of a proposed 62,000-seat stadium unveiled at a launch event on Thursday. The scheme, designed by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture, sits at the heart of the Sports Quarter development being driven by chairman and co-owner Tom Wagner. The wider plan also includes a separate women’s stadium and additional entertainment venues, with an estimated cost of about £1.2 billion.
The working name for the new ground is ‘The Birmingham City Powerhouse’, though the club says it will be rebranded once a naming-rights partner is secured. The club statement adds that the design draws on the proud heritage of the West Midlands.
An event video shown at the launch featured former Blues player Jude Bellingham alongside co-owner Tom Brady; Brady suggested the stadium could potentially host NFL fixtures in future. Wagner said the club was thrilled to reveal the design and thanked those involved in bringing the project together.
Wagner described the Powerhouse as a living monument to the city’s history and a statement of intent about its future, saying he and his Knighthead colleagues have fallen in love with the city, its people and the football club. He stressed the aim to create something unique and distinctive for the region.
Announced features include an interchangeable pitch system and a roof capable of closing within 20 minutes. Wagner claimed the stadium could be completed within the next five years and said it is intended to attract top-level sporting and entertainment events. He emphasised the project is a ‘football-first’ stadium designed to give Birmingham City a competitive advantage from day one and to be a venue opposition teams will dread visiting.
At 62,000 capacity the Powerhouse would rank among the largest stadiums in English football, with only Old Trafford, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and London Stadium having higher capacities among Premier League venues. Wagner acknowledged the scale signals ambition, recalling earlier scepticism when the idea was floated after the club’s takeover and quipping about appearing as ‘modest lunatics’ for pursuing such plans in the Championship. He insisted the fanbase can fill the ground and that the club is building for long-term growth.
Wagner also referenced Bellingham’s appearance in the promo and said he hopes the new stadium could one day help bring the Real Madrid star back to Birmingham. Bellingham began his professional career at the club, debuting at 16 before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 and later to Real Madrid; his Birmingham shirt number was retired. Wagner hailed Bellingham as the finest player in the world today and suggested a return would make a powerful homecoming for the player, the community and the club.