Aston Villa have improved significantly in the last couple of years under Unai Emery's management, including qualifying for the Champions League after finishing fourth in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
Last summer, they announced ambitious plans to increase their home stadium's capacity, Villa Park, above 50,000. However, with the club pushing significant sums of cash towards the first team squad in their bid to make the most of the opportunities that have gone their way, could they have priced themselves out of the expansion?
Here are the latest updates on the planned expansion.
Villa Park expansion latest
April 2025 – Aston Villa announce North Stand expansion
In recent months, it had become clear that Aston Villa were keen to revitalise Villa Park, with an expansion of the stadium's North Stand high on the priority list. Now, that plan appears to have become reality, with the West Midlands club announcing plans for a major renovation at Villa Park.
The project, which has now received the seal of approval from the town's Mayor, will see an additional 7,000 seats installed in the North Stand, increasing the stadium's overall capacity to an impressive 50,000.
With Villa Park selected as one of the nine Euro 2028 stadiums, the club have confirmed that they intend to have all renovations completed by the end of 2027 and will be reusing and adapting the current North Stand structure to ensure the project is carried out sustainably.
Speaking on the matter, Nassef Sawiris, Executive Chairman of Aston Villa, said: “Thanks to the Mayor’s commitment to develop Witton Station and to improve local transport links, this project will mark an important milestone in the Club’s journey to becoming a world-class sports and entertainment venue.
“A bigger, better North Stand will not only allow many more Villans to see their team in person, improving matchday experience, but will also dramatically improve the Club's ability to invest and compete in the long term.”
Villa publish huge losses
In April 2025, Aston Villa revealed that they incurred losses of more than £85m during the 2023/24 season in a statement that has left many wondering whether the planned expansion work will ever get off the ground.
Although the club insists that the losses are in line with their business plan and won't impact their PSR compliance, it is a startling revelation given how well they have been doing on the pitch.
There are concerns that the wages Aston Villa have been paying go beyond what the club can truly afford. If they were to fail to get back into the Champions League next season then financially, the club could find themselves in a huge pickle.
February 2025 – redevelopment plan unveiled
Aston Villa has recently announced plans to enhance the Villa Park experience by constructing a new fan zone and revitalising the North Grounds, with completion expected by December 2025. This initiative will also introduce ‘The Warehouse', a versatile venue designed for year-round entertainment and an enriched matchday experience.
Additionally, Aston Villa is building a new ticket office to manage the anticipated increase in bookings following the Villa Park expansion. The expansion of the club shop is also set for completion by December, indicating significant developments at Villa Park this year.
The Warehouse is set to become the largest beer hall in the Premier League, offering fans a place to relax with a pint, socialise, and discuss football before the matches. Importantly, it will feature high-quality LED flat screens for fans to enjoy at no cost while watching the games.
Most Villa supporters have taken to social media to share their enthusiasm for the forthcoming stadium improvements. With the club enjoying a strong performance in the league and recent high-profile signings, Aston Villa is steadily ascending the ranks of football excellence.
How do you feel about the Villa Park redevelopment plans for 2025?🤔💭#AVFC | #TheVillaPolls | #UTV | #AstonVilla | #VTID |
— The Villa Polls (@TheVillaPolls) December 18, 2024
December 2024 – transport links improved, and ‘Warehouse' project
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker held discussions with Aston Villa representatives regarding upgrades to Witton Station in preparation for Euro 2028, where Villa Park is set to host matches. The proposed improvements include new ramps for efficient crowd management, a pedestrian and cyclist subway, and larger platforms.
Mayor Parker stressed the significance of these enhancements as part of his election platform, emphasising the need for ongoing cooperation with Aston Villa and regional transport authorities. Witton Station plays a crucial role in the upgrades surrounding Villa Park, even though it is not directly connected to the stadium.
The Warehouse at Villa Park will provide free entry for ticketed fans on matchdays, operating as a large beer hall. For non-matchdays, it will transform into a concert and event venue with a capacity of 3,500, hosting a variety of performances and community events. The venue aims to connect the Aston and Birmingham communities, highlighting both local and international talent, and making a contribution that extends beyond the confines of Villa Park.
Projects like this are becoming more commonplace, and given the huge success the St James' Park Stack has been, it's no surprise to see more clubs add fanzones to the stadium
September 2024 – transport links causing Villa Park expansion delays
In September 2024, a former chief at Villa revealed on the Football Insider’s ‘Inside Track’ podcast that the plans were being delayed due to transport issues around the stadium. Keith Wyness, who was the CEO of the club between 2016 and 2018, said: “The plans are there for Villa to do it.
“I think the major problem they’ve got are the transportation links.
“It’s about the size of the train stations around the stadium. If you expand the stadium, you’ve got to expand the capacity of the transport.
“That’s the sticking point and the blockage.
“There are great plans in place, and I had plans when I was at the club – but there is this transport bottleneck.
“With the sustainable policies in place now, it has to be train links. I don’t suddenly see 10,000 fans turning up on bikes – that’s for sure.
“Some of the planners would love that, but it’s not going to happen.”
May 2024 update
Villa announced the sales process for 2024/25 season tickets in May 2024, which involved an update on the development plans for Villa Park.
They said: “The Club is progressing with the development of Villa Park in order to turn the stadium complex into a first-class supporter experience. That development starts this summer with the installation of a new area of licensed standing, additional seats in the stadium bowl to increase capacity for supporters, and new hospitality areas across a range of price points, all providing greater choice for fans.”
July 2023
In July 2023, Aston Villa announced that they would expand the North Stand at Villa Park and refurbish the surrounding areas of the ground for £100 million. They were first granted planning approval in December 2022 for the first phase of redevelopment, but announced the updated plans last summer.
Aston Villa can confirm the club's updated plans for the redevelopment of the North Stand and its immediate vicinity.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 19, 2023
The club revealed phase one of the project after Villa Park was shortlisted as one of the host grounds for Euro 2028 earlier in 2023.
Villa detailed the future vision of Villa Park by listing the following elements involved in phase one. They were as follows:
- “A brand-new North Stand wrapping into Trinity Stand.
- “Enhancements to the existing Trinity Stand.
- “The creation of a new multi-use space called ‘The Warehouse’ which will include a new Fan Zone destination. It will also offer a dynamic event space and community use on non-matchdays.
- “Redevelopment of the Witton Lane entrance to create over 6,500 sqm of new public space around the North Stand to improve accessibility, biodiversity, safety, and the overall experience for fans, visitors, and the local community.
- “A new, two-story club shop will be located on the northeast corner, facing Witton Lane, while the area around the new stand will feature an enlarged arrival plaza with room for street food vendors and outdoor activations.
- “In minor updates to the original plans for the New North Stand and Trinity Stand improvement, there will be enhanced facilities integrated into the northwest corner focusing on the supporter and visitor experience on match and non-match days.”
The club were also keen to emphasise the importance of improving the transport links near the stadium to allow the plans to be realised in the next few years. Witton Station needs to be upgraded to meet the increase in visitors to Villa Park, which has been a stumbling block for the commencement of the plans in recent months.
When will the new North Stand be finished?
In the July 2023 statement, Villa said that the construction was expected to take around two years. However, in December 2023, the club’s president of business operations, Chris Heck, paused the plans.
Villa would have had to close the North Stand for redevelopment in the middle of last season, reducing the capacity to around 35,000. At a time when Emery’s side were fighting for European qualification in the Premier League, this was seen as a potential disadvantage to the team on the pitch.
Heck said: “The North Stand [rebuild] is a massive project. When I came in it was right in front of me. There were extremely ambitious ideas and a lot of it was thoughtful.
“What I will say is this. Over the summer months, I became more concerned we were adding too many seats too fast. It was important that we took a step back and re-evaluate what is best for our fans.
“I mention this with the transportation, I mention this with the parking situation. What I would also mention is that we have 42,000 plus seats. It is a substantial amount. To add on 10,000 right now doesn’t seem practical to me and I will tell you why.
“Number one, we talk about Villa Park being a fortress. It is true. There is no better home advantage than at Villa Park and I think it would be a bad idea to tear down one of the stands for a two-year period while we are playing like we are. I think that going forward, everything should be about all fans and not just one particular stand.”
He also confirmed in this interview with Villa TV that ‘The Warehouse’ project was set to start, including a fan zone that can hold 3,000 supporters.
This update meant that around 900 existing season ticket holders were to be displaced in three of the four stands (North Stand, Doug Ellis Stand and Trinity Road Stand) at Villa Park.