This coming spring will see the opening of The Terrace, the new fan zone at the American Express Stadium. This will complete the first phase of a further £40m worth of investment in a range of improvements across the site, aimed at enhancing the matchday experience for Albion supporters.
The eagerly anticipated fan zone will be a brand-new, pre and post-match sports bar experience, with capacity for up to 1000 fans in the colder months and the ability to expand outdoors and cater for up to 2000 in warmer months – makes it the biggest in the Premier League.
Deputy chairman and chief executive Paul Barber 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 this summer, as part of the ongoing enhancement and “Albionisation” of the stadium.
Phase two will see a new-look and redeveloped club store, spanning across two levels, as it undergoes its first major overhaul since the stadium opened its doors in 2011.
Following the Arsenal match on 4 January, the store and Dick’s Bar will close to begin this refurbishment work, but a new temporary store will open in Bennett’s Field, offering the full range of Albion merchandise with the same opening hours from Wednesday 15 January.
Fans will still be able to shop online and in-person at our new permanent store at Churchill Square in the city centre in the interim period, and we have extended our Christmas returns window until Saturday 25 January.
The expanded store at the Amex will take up space that previously housed the club museum and Dick’s Bar and better cater for the huge increase in demand, especially on matchdays.
The club museum will relocate to a permanent base in the city centre in 2026/27, with further details being announced in the spring of 2025.
The Terrace will become the new pre-turnstile bar, serving general admission ticket holders – one of our bar areas, servicing supporters on the north concourse, will be renamed as Dick’s Bar when the north concourse is refurbished in the summer of 2025.
A new set of steps, adjacent to the current steps down from the coach park, will be added during the same close season to manage the flow of fans before and after the match, and will open for the 2025/26 season.
Phase three will see an additional 1901 Club area added to the north stand, which will help boost capacity at the Amex to 32,500 and is due to open in time for the 2026/27 season.
The new hospitality area will offer a more pub-like vibe for home fans only. Alongside the Dugout, those will be the only 1901 Club areas that will allow fans to wear replica shirts; and the new members area will be specifically aimed at those fans who want to be at the heart of the atmosphere and show their support for the team.
As part of this work, the north stand control box will relocate to the north-east corner of the stadium, and the big screen at the north end will be repositioned.
Other works planned will include the introduction of safe standing in the North Stand, taking place in 2025, which the club recently confirmed, and in 2027 the relocation of away supporters into the south-west corner of the Amex.
This will be in the space currently occupied by the Heineken Lounge and associated seating – with the new away area including safe standing for visiting supporters.
We are notifying fans now, well in advance of the changes, and have been in touch with all affected ticket holders to advise that supporter services will liaise with them to relocate their seats during the renewal phase for the 2027/28 season; or in the case of 1901 Club members, ahead of the 2026/27 season, in line with their five-yearly renewal window. Fans in both areas should note, there is no need to take any action now.
Moving the away fans will create a new home fans area directly behind the goal at the south stand end of the stadium, and this is expected to include an additional safe standing area, subject to fan demand.
In addition to all the of the above works at the Amex, the club will also be continuing work on plans to secure a permanent site for a new, purpose-built women’s stadium back in the city.
