Bournemouth South Stand plans: Latest updates

Back in 2016, AFC Bournemouth went public with their plans to build a new South Stand at one end of the Vitality Stadium (currently called the Ted MacDougall Stand), hoping to increase the capacity at the ground by more than 3,000 seats to 14,259.

For nine years, those plans saw little traction, but the club made big strides in the summer of 2025 and are now closer than ever to making an expansion a reality, only now the Cherries intend to raise the ground's capacity to 20,000.

Here, Football Ground Guide details the latest updates on the ambitious project.

Bournemouth South Stand latest updates

In April 2025, Bournemouth bought the stadium back from Structadene, a property company that purchased it off the club in 2005 when the Cherries were facing financial difficulties.

Shortly after buying the ground back, the club announced that they were set to push forward with plans to renovate the South Stand. The plans involve demolishing the entire South Stand and building a new grandstand in its place, with a capacity of 7,000.

However, unlike previous plans, the expansion project doesn't end there, as the club also plans to fill in the stadium corners with 1,440 seats, while the North and East stands will also be expanded by a combined 2,900 seats.

If all goes to plan, then the Vitality Stadium will be expanded from 11,286 to 20,200 in time for the beginning of the 2027-28 season.

Should planning permission be granted by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, then the Cherries hope to begin by building a new perimeter fence and turnstiles, as well as a new ticket office.

This preliminary work – which Bournemouth hope to complete by March 2026 – would also feature a minor extension of the West Stand, as well as refurbishment of the West and East Stands.

From there, the club aim to have the new South Stand built by August 2026, though the development of the ground will only be finished when the North and East Stands are expanded, with work on those planned to commence in the summer of 2027.

Bournemouth's original South Stand plans

According to the original plans, the new stand was to be single-tiered with a capacity of 2,209, while the corners on either side of the new stand were also set to be ‘filled in' with another 856 seats. The new stand was meant to replace the current temporary stand that still exists at the ground to this day.

The news was a long time coming, especially given how well Bournemouth have fared since first being promoted to the Premier League in 2015. Despite their on-field success, their stadium has remained the smallest in the league with the exception of Kenilworth Road, when Luton played in the top flight in 2023-24.

Why do Bournemouth need a new South Stand?

Having one of the smallest stadiums in the Premier League puts Bournemouth under financial constraints, and they will undoubtedly benefit from increasing ticket revenue, something that many clubs in England are striving for at the moment given the number of stadium building and redevelopment projects that have cropped up in recent years.

This off-field expansion could also feed into the Cherries' European dream. In recent times, Bournemouth have been pushing for UEFA competition under Andoni Iraola, and the club believe that the Vitality Stadium's development is necessary in order to fulfil their hopes of qualifying for continental football by 2030.

Bournemouth have also previously embarked on redeveloping their training ground in line with their modernisation ambitions.

Some stunning progress being made on the new training ground ? pic.twitter.com/cSEeOUcGbM

— AFC Bournemouth ? (@afcbournemouth) January 24, 2024

More seats at Vitality Stadium and upgraded training facilities should qualify the club to host European competitions in the future.

Could the Vitality Stadium be a UEFA stadium soon?

The Cherries came close yet ultimately missed out on European football in 2024-25, but they will be hoping that this year can be the one that finally sees them bring UEFA action to Bournemouth.

Questions will no doubt be raised about the suitability of the stadium for UEFA competition, but given that Bodo/Glimt – a team with a stadium smaller than the Vitality – made it to the Europa League semi-finals last season, Bournemouth shouldn't have too much to worry about.

In the long term, European football could provide the club with the extra money needed to take the plunge and commit to moving away from their current home. If they do, then a much bigger stadium to meet growing ticket demands, which will only increase if they stay on their current trajectory, could be on the horizon.