Club Brugge wins final approval for 40,116-seat stadium after 20-year planning battle
The Flemish Council for Planning Appeals rejected the final appeal against Club Brugge's new 40,116-seat stadium, clearing the way for construction to begin this year.
The decision
On 9 July 2026, the Flemish Council for Planning Appeals (Raad voor Vergunningsbetwistingen) dismissed an appeal by twenty local residents against the environmental permit for Club Brugge's planned stadium at the Olympia site in Sint-Andries, Bruges. The council ruled that the residents had not demonstrated the mobility plan was unworkable, ineffective or unenforceable. Objections concerning visual impact, noise and shadow effects were also rejected, with the judges finding those impacts had been adequately studied. The argument that the stadium would harm protected nature in the area was likewise not upheld.
A two-decade saga
Plans to replace the ageing Jan Breydel Stadium date back to the start of the millennium. The current proposal was unveiled in early 2020, envisioning a modern 40,116-capacity ground south-west of the existing venue. A first environmental permit was granted in 2021 but was annulled by the same council in February 2023, partly because Bruges' parking standards had not been correctly applied. After dossier adjustments, the Flemish government issued a new permit in early June 2026. The twenty residents then lodged the appeal that has now been rejected. In a separate procedure concerning the park layout, the Council of State had already dismissed a similar residents' appeal.
- Current stadium plan unveiled
- First environmental permit granted
- Permit annulled by Council for Planning Appeals
- Flemish government issues new environmental permit
- Final residents' appeal rejected
- Construction expected to begin
- New stadium opens for 2028–2029 season
What the new stadium brings
The current Jan Breydel Stadium holds 29,062 spectators and suffers from concrete rot, outdated facilities and accessibility shortcomings. The new stadium, set within Olympia Park, will seat 40,116 fans. On non-match days the park will serve as a neighbourhood green space for the Sint-Andries district; on match days it will become a safe gathering point for the Blue Army, as Club Brugge supporters are known.
Club reaction
Club Brugge is extremely happy that after more than twenty years, a definitive and enforceable permit has been obtained for the construction of its new stadium. It is expected that construction will start this year and that we can kick off the 2028/2029 season in the new stadium. Until then, football will be played at Jan Breydel.
Next steps
The club expects to begin building before the end of 2026. The target is to play the 2028–2029 season in the new stadium, ending a wait that has stretched across two decades.
