Palermo FC has submitted to the Sicilian Region the documentation required as part of the administrative process for the redevelopment project of the Renzo Barbera Stadium. This represents further confirmation of the Club’s commitment — financial and otherwise — already announced, while awaiting the concrete implementation of the contributions that the Italian State and the Sicilian Region have also indicated their intention to provide alongside the Club and the Municipality.
While awaiting the opening of the decision-making Conference and the assessments of the relevant authorities and stakeholders, the Rosanero Club wishes to share with the city, the fans and all stakeholders its vision for the Barbera of the future, developed together with the architecture firm Populous: not simply a renovated sports facility, but a new urban infrastructure — sustainable, modern and open. A place capable of respecting the history and identity of its context, while at the same time supporting Palermo’s ambition to play an increasingly international role.
This vision is built around five fundamental principles that guide the idea of the new Barbera.
1.A stadium integrated with the city and its community
The new Barbera will not be an isolated infrastructure, but a place connected to the city and open to the community, capable of triggering a process of urban regeneration for the neighbourhood and for Palermo as a whole. The vision is to overcome the physical and symbolic barriers between the street and the stadium, creating new social spaces that can be enjoyed every day, all year round, as well as new opportunities and services for families, citizens, fans and local communities. It will be a new living area of the city: a reference point capable of generating social interaction, entertainment, employment and a completely renewed relationship between the stadium and the surrounding urban context.
2.The fan at the centre of the experience
The vision for the new Barbera is built around the fan experience. Full roof coverage, stands closer to the pitch and free of barriers, benches integrated into the stand in direct contact with the crowd, new fan and hospitality areas in close proximity to the team, new spaces for people with disabilities, more food & beverage areas across all sectors and new environments designed to host special events: every element of the project is conceived to improve the quality of time spent at the stadium. The new Barbera will deliver higher standards of safety, visibility, accessibility, comfort and engagement for all spectators. It will be a place designed for those who experience it every week: fans, families, children, the Rosanero community and new generations. A space capable of enhancing Palermo’s passion, making the stadium experience closer, more emotional and more inclusive.
3.Respect for history and local identity
Almost one hundred years of history of the stadium and its surrounding environment have helped shape the collective memory of generations of Palermitans. This historical, cultural and identity-based heritage is the starting point of the project. The redevelopment of the Barbera is rooted in respect for the relationship between the stadium and its context, for the value of the Favorita Park and for the iconic view of Monte Pellegrino, an integral part of the area’s landscape identity. The ambition is to create a modern stadium that combines hospitality with spectacular panoramic views, while remaining fully consistent with the history of the place and with the urban and natural heritage in which it is set.
4.The stadium Palermo deserves
The new Barbera will be a multifunctional hub: an infrastructure capable of hosting top-level football, starting with UEFA EURO 2032, as well as UEFA competitions, international matches, major concerts, cultural events and large-scale shows. It will not only be a modern home for Palermo FC, but also a platform capable of attracting national and international events, generating positive impact for the city and the wider territory. Italy’s fifth-largest city deserves a stadium worthy of its scale, identity and ambition: a driver of development, a new element of urban competitiveness and an infrastructure capable of strengthening Palermo’s attractiveness and positioning on the national and international stage.
5.A new idea of urban sustainability
The new Barbera will be an infrastructure designed for the future: sustainable, efficient, accessible and multifunctional. A stadium capable of reducing its environmental impact, optimising the use of resources and improving its overall efficiency. The project includes photovoltaic solutions, high-performance systems, technologies aimed at reducing consumption, and the recovery and reuse of rainwater, with the objective of progressively bringing the stadium closer to a model of energy self-sufficiency. Alongside a tree-lined car park with permeable paving, the project will also encourage lighter and lower-impact forms of mobility, promoting electric vehicles, bicycles, pedestrian routes, public transport and micromobility.
Next to the stadium, the project also envisages a completely new structure that will become Palermo’s “home”: a modern headquarters including a museum, offices, reception areas and dedicated functions for fans, guests and premium experiences.
The administrative process will follow the timelines, assessments and procedures set out by the relevant authorities. Palermo FC will continue to work with all institutions involved with responsibility, transparency and respect for the process, with the aim of keeping the City’s candidacy alive as a host venue for UEFA EURO 2032 — and, of course, of providing the Club and the team with a stadium and facilities worthy of the ambitions we all want to see fulfilled, and which require expertise and investment.
The Club’s vision is clear: not just a new stadium, but a new place for Palermo. An infrastructure capable of preserving memory, welcoming the present and building the future. Palermo FC is here — thanks also to the concrete support of national and local institutions, each ready to play its part in a project destined to change the future of the city forever.