Populous to glitz up Renzo Barbera Stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, March 24^th, 2026

Image: Populous

The Serie B team Palermo FC has announced the conclusion of the preliminary services conference on their home facility – the Renzo Barbera Stadium in Palermo, Italy – redevelopment project, a key technical and administrative step in the process that will lead to the modernization of the club’s stadium.

‘POPULOUS’ stated that the design of the stadium will be undertaken by the global sports and entertainment design firm, Populous, working in collaboration between its Populous Italia team and its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Headquarters. Populous has supplied the technical and design input for the feasibility study – Document of Feasibility of Project Alternatives (DOCFAP).

The Palermo Football Club is an Italian professional football club based in Palermo, Sicily (Italy) that currently plays in Serie B, the second division of Italian football. It is part of the City Football Group (CFG).

The 36,365-seat Renzo Barbera Stadium (commonly known as the La Favorita) is a football stadium in Palermo, Italy. It is currently the home stadium of the Palermo FC.

Manchester (UK)-based the City Football Group Limited (CFG) is a British-based holding company that administers the association football clubs. The group is owned by three organizations of which 81 percent is majority-owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, 18 percent by the American firm Silver Lake and one (1) percent by the Chinese firms China Media Capital and the CITIC Capital.

Populous is a global architectural and design practice with regional headquarters in Kansas City (US), London (UK) and Brisbane (Australia) specializing in the sports facilities, the arenas and the convention centers as well as in the planning and design of the major special events.

‘POPULOUS’ further stated that the conclusion of this phase confirms the technical and administrative feasibility of the work which is functional to the declaration of public interest of the project. The next phase will be the decision-making conference.

The Palermo FC continue to work with the City Council and the local stakeholders with the aim of delivering a modern, high-quality stadium to the fans and the City, one that lives up to the club’s ambitions. The common goal is also to make the Barbera Stadium one of the venues in the running to host the international competitions starting with the 2032 European Championships.

The 2032 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship, commonly referred to as the UEFA EURO 2032 or simply EURO 2032, will be the 19^th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organized by the UEFA for the senior Men’s national teams of its member associations. Italy and Turkey will host the tournament which is expected to take place between June and July 2032.

Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Russia (suspended), Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan as well as the West Asian countries of Cyprus, Armenia and Israel. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine the FIFA and the UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.

Opined Giovanni Gardini, Palermo FC head honcho, “The successful outcome of the preliminary services conference has enabled Palermo to reconfirm its commitment to contributing to the construction of a modern and functional stadium for the benefit of the entire community.”

Stated Silvia Prandelli, Senior Principal, Populous Italia, “We are proud to support the club and the Municipality in the creation of a new home for the fans and the City of Palermo. The new Renzo Barbera Stadium will be a national and international landmark, and a model for a sustainable development. It will be an icon on match days and activated every day.”

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