Club Brugge Receives Final Approval for New 40,000-Seat Stadium After Two-Decade Development Process.

Roger Hampel

Image: Club Brugge

Club Brugge has received the final and legally binding permit to build its long-planned new stadium, bringing to an end a development process that has lasted more than twenty years.

Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the Belgian club targeting the start of the 2028/29 season for its first competitive matches in the new venue.

The approval represents one of the most significant infrastructure milestones in Belgian football in recent years and provides Club Brugge with a platform to modernise its matchday operations, increase commercial capacity and meet the long-term requirements of European football.

A 40,116-Seat Stadium Designed for the Future Club Brugge

The new stadium will be built on the Olympia site, southwest of the current Jan Breydel Stadium, and will have a capacity of 40,116 covered seats, an increase of more than 11,000 compared to the club's current home.

Designed as a UEFA Category 4 stadium, the venue will allow Club Brugge to continue hosting European football while significantly improving supporter comfort, accessibility and commercial facilities.

Among the project's key features are:

• 40,116 covered seats

• 12,000-capacity supporters' stand

• 4,000 hospitality seats

• 40 skyboxes

• 229 wheelchair spaces

• More than 25 catering outlets

• Four large LED screens

• Extensive digital infrastructure integrated into the stadium design

  
  

The stadium has been designed exclusively for football and will not operate as a multi-purpose venue for concerts or large-scale festivals.

Infrastructure Designed Around Matchday Experience

The project places significant emphasis on supporter experience.

Compared with the current Jan Breydel Stadium, the new venue will provide wider concourses, improved accessibility, expanded hospitality areas and modern catering facilities.

Business infrastructure will also increase substantially, with approximately 4,000 VIP seats, themed hospitality restaurants, premium lounges and a Tunnel Club overlooking the players' entrance.

Olympiapark Extends the Project Beyond Football

The stadium forms part of a much broader urban regeneration project centred on the new Olympiapark.

Outside matchdays, the 21-hectare site will function as a public park featuring:

• More than 800 newly planted trees

• Running routes

• Outdoor fitness facilities

• Multi-sport courts

• Walking paths

• Recreational green spaces

• Children's play areas

  
  

The objective is to create a venue that serves both football supporters and the local community throughout the year.

Sustainability, Accessibility, and Mobility

Environmental considerations have played a central role in the project.

The stadium will incorporate modern LED lighting systems, acoustic technologies to reduce noise, a fully covered bowl to retain atmosphere while limiting sound leakage, and architectural features designed to minimise the visual impact on neighbouring residential areas.

Club Brugge has also developed a comprehensive mobility plan designed around sustainable transport.

The project includes:

• 4,400 bicycle parking spaces

• More than 100 supporter coach parking spaces

• Park-and-ride shuttle services

• Dedicated transport routes by travel mode

• Integrated matchday traffic management

  
  

Club Brugge described the permit as the culmination of more than two decades of work and confirmed construction is expected to begin later this year. The club said it hopes to play the opening match of the 2028/29 season in the new stadium, while continuing to play at Jan Breydel Stadium throughout the construction period.