Brighton & Hove Albion has announced that its new fan zone will open at the American Express Stadium in the spring, marking the completion of the first phase of a £40m (€48m/$50m) investment project.
The fan zone, which will be known as The Terrace, will provide fans with a pre- and post-match sports bar experience. It will have capacity for up to 1,000 fans in the colder months and the ability to expand outdoors and cater for up to 2,000 supporters in the warmer months.
Brighton first unveiled plans for the fan zone, which it claims will be the biggest in the Premier League, in October 2023. It had been hoped that the space would open for the start of the season but it is now set to be completed in the coming months.
Paul Barber, deputy chairman and chief executive of Brighton, said: “I know our fans are looking forward to the opening of the new fan zone and are extremely excited to see these plans come to life. It is another incredibly generous investment by our chairman Tony Bloom. The Terrace will provide a brilliant addition to the matchday experience, as a place to meet friends before and after matches, watch live sport in a modern space, and enjoy a wide variety of food and drink offerings.
“We will also be looking to utilise The Terrace for a range of different events and occasions in between matches too, providing a fantastic new venue for fans, the community and visitors to the city to enjoy. We will be sharing further details between now and the spring, such as opening times and food offerings, but we will work with the best local Sussex suppliers to provide a great range of options.”
The opening of The Terrace will complete the first phase of improvements and upgrades that has also included new signage, wayfinding and branding, which was installed at the stadium during the summer.
Phase two will include a new-look and redeveloped club store, which is undergoing its first major overhaul since the stadium opened in 2011. The new store will span across two levels.
Following Brighton’s home match against Arsenal on Saturday, the store and Dick’s Bar will close to begin the refurbishment work. A new temporary store will open on January 15.
The new store will take up space that previously housed the club museum and Dick’s Bar, and will better cater for increased demand. The museum will relocate to a permanent base in the city centre in 2026 or 2027.
The Terrace will serve as Brighton’s new pre-turnstile bar, serving general admission ticket holders. One of the bar areas on the north concourse will be renamed as Dick’s Bar when the north concourse is refurbished in the summer of 2025.
Phase three of the project will see an additional 1901 Club area added to the north stand, boosting the capacity of the stadium to 32,500. This will open in time for the 2026-27 season.
Brighton recently announced plans to install safe standing at the stadium ahead of next season, while in 2027 away fans will be relocated to the south-west corner of the ground.
