According to the Brazilian website UOL, São Paulo FC is planning a major renovation project of the Estádio do Morumbi, with the aim of making it the largest stadium in Brazil. This ambitious initiative should start next year. This bold move aims to modernize the existing infrastructure to deliver a world-class stadium experience for supporters.
Building on the success of River Plate
The Morumbi renovation project is partly inspired by the successful transformation of the Monumental de Nuñez stadium by the River Plate. Plans include raising the playing field and lowering the lower part of the stands, bringing spectators closer to the field. Once completed, this transformation would allow the Morumbi to accommodate up to 80,000 supporters, thus propelling it to the rank of the largest stadium in Brazil and the second largest in South America, just behind the Monumental, which currently has 83,214 seats.
The club plans to enter into a partnership with an investment fund to finance the work. In addition, the municipality should contribute by launching projects to build retention ponds and by modifying the course of the Antonico stream, which currently passes under the stadium.
The renovation work is estimated to take around eight months to complete, thus forcing São Paulo FC to temporarily play in another stadium. Pacaembu has already signed a letter of intent to host the team, with a scheduled reopening on January 25, 2024, offering a capacity of 25,000 spectators.
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Project “Novo Morumbi”
This ambitious project, called “Novo Morumbi,” “Morumbi Monumental” or simply “Morumbi,” corresponds to the evolution of the crowds at the São Paulo stadium. Currently, only Flamengo attracts more supporters to the Maracanã than São Paulo, with an average of 54,000 spectators for Flamengo supporters and 48,000 for São Paulo supporters during the Brazilian Championship.
Another aspect of this project is to put the São Paulo stadium back on the concert map. There have already been six Coldplay shows, with more shows, such as RBD and Red Hot Chili Peppers, scheduled for November. The plan calls for pods for concerts of up to 25,000 people, with a potential capacity of 80,000 for bands such as Coldplay and Red Hot.
São Paulo FC also plans to maintain sections accessible to low-income populations, maintaining the current rates. The club currently estimates that it has 14,000 places for these segments of the population.
🏟️ Tudo pronto por aqui. Daqui a pouco tem decisão! #VamosSãoPaulo 🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/PekVu0sjrw
— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) August 31, 2023
No fixed date for the start of work
Although the project is on track, no specific date has yet been set for the start of work. Everything will also depend on the next elected president or the probable re-election of Julio Casares. The club aims to finalize this major project and implement it in 2024 to the delight of supporters.
