Campeonato Brasileiro Série A football club São Paulo has agreed a deal with Brazilian conglomerate WTorre for the expansion and redevelopment of its Estádio do Morumbi.
The contract, first reported by Folha de São Paulo, is set to raise the stadium’s matchday capacity to 85,000, while it will be able to cater to up to 100,000 people for concerts. The stadium first opened in 1960 and has a current capacity of around 66,800 for football games.
The project is intended for completion by 2030, the year in which São Paulo celebrates its centenary. WTorre will reportedly be required to present a detailed project to the club’s board within six months, while the company will also need to develop a business and financing plan.
In addition, the venture is set to incorporate the addition of an amphitheatre within the stadium’s bowl capable of hosting up to 20,000 people. Utilising seats behind one of the stadium’s goals, this will allow smaller events to be held without opening up the whole venue.
WTorre has a strong presence in Brazilian football. It is the operator of Allianz Parque, home of São Paulo’s city rival Palmeiras. In September, Santos officially fired the starting gun on the development of its new Arena Vila Belmiro through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of the stadium with WTorre.
WTorre, along with Vasco da Gama and Legends, is also one of three parties seeking to secure the long-term operator contract for Estádio do Maracanã.
The WTorre deal is the latest in what has been a busy few weeks for São Paulo. The club moved to enhance the revenue generating ability of the Morumbi by agreeing an exclusive concert deal with Live Nation, while the stadium was renamed MorumBis following a three-year naming rights contract with Mondelez International.
