Feyenoord wants to add 10,000 seats to De Kuip as stadium’s new owner
Feyenoord is considering a major expansion of De Kuip that would add roughly 10,000 seats. The idea was unveiled shortly after the club completed its takeover of the stadium last week through a share acquisition. If carried out, the project would boost capacity from about 47,500 to approximately 60,000 fans, Rijnmond reported.
No final building permit has been issued, and no construction decision has been taken yet. The club’s management is currently assessing whether the expansion is technically and financially viable. Stadium director Lilian de Leeuw has confirmed that the club is in talks with three external market parties, two from the Netherlands and one from abroad, that have put forward plans for a possible redevelopment of the stadium.
Any expansion will depend on several prior conditions, including a revised zoning plan, improvements to accessibility in the area, and decisions on the wider development of the Stadionpark. While total redevelopment or demolition has not been entirely ruled out, current studies are primarily focused on renovating and retaining the existing historic stadium.
A proposal by architect Nanne de Ru is among the more serious options being considered. His previous concepts include a substantial redevelopment aimed at sharply increasing the stadium’s capacity.
In addition to plans for the major expansion, Feyenoord is preparing a series of practical upgrades to De Kuip over the next three years. One of the first changes will be the replacement of the outdated, unreliable turnstiles with modern self-scan entry gates designed to speed up access and reduce waiting times.
To improve crowd management, extra cameras will be installed at the stadium. In the near term, a new hybrid playing surface is also set to be installed at De Kuip this summer.
The modernisation of De Kuip is part of a broader transformation of Rotterdam-Zuid. The plans for the area include thousands of new housing units, a cinema, and a new Intercity railway station to be developed around the stadium over the coming years.
