Santos Get City Approval to Build New 30,000-Seat Vila Belmiro Stadium

Santos FC have received official approval from the city to build a new Vila Belmiro stadium on the site of their current home, ge.globo reported. The long-awaited project, cleared after two and a half years of discussions with local authorities, envisions a modern 30,000-seat arena with four levels of stands, suites, and seating.

The announcement was made during a ceremony at City Hall attended by club president Marcelo Teixeira, Santos mayor Rogério Santos, federal deputy Paulo Alexandre Barbosa, and representatives from construction partner WTorre. Teixeira hailed the milestone as a “historic moment,” noting the venue will serve cultural, social, and tourism purposes in addition to football.

The project carries a 700 million reais budget, covering both construction and compensatory works in the surrounding area, such as road upgrades and traffic signal improvements. Club officials now have up to one year to request a building permit, extendable by another year. Construction is projected to take 40 months, though no start date for funding or works has been set.

While the stadium is under construction, Santos plan to play most home matches at the Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu. Teixeira also mentioned potential games at Portuguesa Santista or Jabaquara stadiums, possibly using temporary structures to expand capacity, as well as fixtures in other São Paulo venues or outside the state.