The groundbreaking ceremony at the Sport Club Stadium | DiePresse.com

The game is scheduled to be played in Hernals again in spring 2026; the new stadium will have space for around 5,500 spectators.

The redesign of the Vienna Sports Club’s stadium began with the official groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday. The traditional venue in Vienna-Hernals is scheduled to be fundamentally modernized by the end of 2025. Complete commissioning is targeted for the second quarter of 2026. The new stadium will have space for around 5,500 spectators for national games and around 4,500 for international games.

The renovation is aimed not only at renewing the stadium in Alszeile, but also at broader use. Thanks to the construction according to the “Uefa Category 2” standard, the venue will also be able to host games of the ÖFB women’s national team, youth national teams as well as rugby and American football matches in the future. Nothing was known about the exact costs; they are said to be between seven and ten million euros.

The actual construction started in June with the demolition of the main stand and the north stand. Since the Dornbach cemetery extends directly behind it, it operates as the cemetery stand and is the legendary home of the fans of the former first division club. The grandstand will be covered for the first time, and the roofs of the two new buildings will also be covered in greenery and equipped with photovoltaics. The stadium as a whole should quickly be made completely energy self-sufficient.

A powerful photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof of the new main stand, generating around 100,000 kWh of clean electricity. Combined with a heat pump system, the stadium covers a large part of its energy needs itself, with any excess being fed into the Vienna power grid.

The south stand (Blue Stand) will be renovated and will also shine in new splendor. Football has been played in the Alszeile since 1904 and, according to the now regional league club, it has been playing for longer than on any other sports field in Europe. The anticipation of the new home is great. Football section leader David Krapf-Günther said: “It was a teary eye watching the phases of demolition, but also great relief after a long investment of time and work to see how part of our club’s future is taking on a new shape.”