Leicester confirm plans to increase King Power Stadium capacity to 40,000
Leicester City have confirmed plans to expand the King Power Stadium’s capacity to 40,000 will be revealed in August.
The arena - which opened in 2002 - currently holds 32,261 with the Foxes easily selling out the vast majority of their home games.
Adding more seats to the stadium has been discussed for some time and now the process has finally begun. As per a club statement, plans for the expansion will be released in August 2021. They will then be subject to public consultation over the summer and into the early autumn.
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “The unveiling of these plans represents a significant milestone in the long history of Leicester City Football Club, and one that we hope will continue to put our supporters and our community at the heart of its long-term future.
“Through the consultation with our fans, our local community, businesses and stakeholders, we hope to achieve something that we can all be proud of for years to come. It’s these conversations that will help us communicate our vision to the people at its heart and take onboard the views of our community to help shape it.
“While this vision is in its early stages, I know the prospect of additional capacity for more Leicester City supporters in King Power Stadium, has long been anticipated by us all, particularly after seven near sold-out Premier League seasons.
“The plans to build on the Club’s recent growth – with a stadium expansion as part of an exciting wider site development – is a wonderful demonstration of the shared ambition of both the Football Club and the city of Leicester. It is a project with the potential to generate enormous social value, starting with a substantial number of additional jobs for people in the region. We will be working with our partners and contractors to ensure this is a central consideration from construction through to long-term operation.”
#lcfc can confirm that initial plans for the expansion of King Power Stadium’s capacity to 40,000 and significant developments to the surrounding area will be shared with the public in August.
— Leicester City (@LCFC) July 28, 2021
The plans were backed by Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, but he conceded that there is a “great deal of consultation to be done”.
As well as expanding the stadium’s capacity, a new retail megastore, 220-room hotel, event area and residential tower are also part of the plans.