Ireland’s largest construction firm, Sisk, has announced its appointment by recently crowned Premier League champions Manchester City Football Club as construction contractor for the €350m development of the club’s best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Stadium.
The development will include several connected all-weather facilities, fully integrated into the stadium, centred around an expanded North Stand with one larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier, increasing capacity to more than 60,000.
Stadium roof walk experience
Above the upper tier there will be a sky bar with views overlooking the pitch as well as a stadium roof walk experience.
A covered City Square fan zone, with capacity for 3,000 people and a wide variety of food and drink outlets, a new club shop, museum, workspace and a 400-bed hotel will also be constructed as part of the club’s development.
Main construction works commenced on-site in November 2023 which will mean the North Stand itself will be complete and open during the 2025/26 football season. The hotel, workspace and public realm works, including City Square, will subsequently complete by late 2026.
Throughout the construction phase of the project, Sisk expects the project to support more than 890 full-time equivalent roles.
Paul Brown, CEO, Sisk said: “We are delighted to be working on such an iconic venue and look forward to creating a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination at the Etihad Stadium.
'Large complex engineering infrastructure'
"Our experience and expertise of delivering large complex engineering infrastructure in large public spaces will play a pivotal role in this project's success. Our previous stadia knowledge remains embedded within Sisk. Key Irish senior directors who spearheaded those projects in the earlier parts of their careers will now offer invaluable support to our team in Manchester."
Danny Wilson, managing director, Manchester City operations, added: “Sisk has significant experience and expertise in developing and delivering construction projects of this scale and we are delighted to be working with them.
“This development will not only enable the Club to enhance and expand its offering to fans and visitors on both match day and non-match day, but it will also create lasting long-term economic and social benefits for our local community, building on the investment we have delivered in East Manchester since 2008.”
Sisk has also delivered the redevelopments of Aviva Stadium, Croke Park, and Páirc Uí Chaoimh.