Manchester United have confirmed the location of their proposed new 100,000-seat stadium, revealing it will sit approximately 350 metres north-west of the existing Old Trafford ground.
The announcement forms part of the broader Wharfside Masterplan, a regeneration framework for the Trafford Wharfside area surrounding the club’s current home. The new stadium is its flagship project, envisioned as a year-round sports and entertainment destination supported by thousands of new homes, improved public transport connections and enhanced walking and cycling infrastructure. Visualisations of the reimagined area have been released, though the club has stressed these remain indicative and subject to change.
The club acquired most of the land required for the development just over a fortnight ago. United are expected to continue playing at Old Trafford – their home for 115 years, with a current capacity of 74,879 – throughout the construction period, which is projected to take five years. What ultimately becomes of the existing ground has not yet been decided.
Referred to internally as New Trafford, the stadium has been designed with an umbrella structure that its architects say will harvest both solar energy and rainwater. Three prominent masts will form a defining element of the skyline, visible from up to 40 kilometres away — a range the club notes would, on a clear day, extend to the outskirts of Liverpool.
At 100,000 seats, the venue would become the largest stadium in England, surpassing Wembley’s 90,000 capacity, and the second-largest in Europe, behind only Barcelona’s Camp Nou, currently being expanded to 105,000. The new Stretford End alone will accommodate 23,500 supporters across lower and upper tiers.
New images released
Below are a series of renderings released by the club depicting how New Trafford may look on completion. Images courtesy of Manchester United.
