Everton Celebrates Opening of New Hill Dickinson Stadium

The new stadium overcame construction challenges and relegation fears to become a reality for the club's passionate fans.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:05am

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After years of construction and challenges including the club's brush with relegation, Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium opened in 2025. The stadium's architect, Dan Meis, and lead designer, Nick Tyrer, recounted the technical difficulties of building on former industrial docklands as well as the emotional impact of seeing the long-awaited project come to fruition for the devoted Everton supporters.

Why it matters

The opening of the new stadium represents a major milestone for Everton, providing the club with a modern, state-of-the-art home ground after playing at Goodison Park for over a century. The project weathered significant obstacles, including the club's struggles to avoid relegation, a change in ownership, and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, making the eventual completion and inauguration all the more meaningful for the passionate Everton fanbase.

The details

Construction on the Hill Dickinson Stadium began in August 2021 and was completed in 2025. The project faced numerous challenges, including unexploded ordnance from World War II found on the former industrial docklands site, as well as the discovery of a dolphin that required the shutdown of construction. Additionally, Everton's on-field performance was a concern, as the team narrowly avoided relegation in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. The club also had to cut ties with Russian sponsors following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

  • Construction on the Hill Dickinson Stadium began in August 2021.
  • The stadium was completed in 2025.
  • Everton finished four points above the relegation zone in the 2021-22 season.
  • Everton finished just two points clear of the relegation zone in the 2022-23 season.
  • Everton cut ties with Russian sponsors in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.

The players

Dan Meis

The Los Angeles-based architect who designed Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Nick Tyrer

The lead designer for architecture and engineering firm BDP Pattern on the Hill Dickinson Stadium project.

David Moyes

Everton's manager, who led the team to a 2-0 victory over Brighton in the first home match at the new stadium.

Iliman Ndiaye

Everton player who scored in the 2-0 victory over Brighton in the first home match at the new stadium.

James Garner

Everton player who scored in the 2-0 victory over Brighton in the first home match at the new stadium.

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What they’re saying

“We were on the bubble for relegation more than once. We had a change of ownership and we had a war with Russia and Ukraine that affected the club.”

— Dan Meis, Architect

“The joy, but equally the challenge of them, is that they are such landmark projects that are driven by politics, by the industry, by what's going on in the world.”

— Nick Tyrer, Lead Designer

“On social media though, there was a lot of talk about how it would be the best stadium in the Championship.”

— Nick Tyrer, Lead Designer

“I still get emotional talking about it. I had grown men with tears in their eyes hugging me, telling me how important this was to them.”

— Dan Meis, Architect

“One of the most impactful things that happened to me on that first day was that I was walking from one of the club areas to the stadium and one of the female stewards opened the door for me. As I walked through, I heard her say to someone else, 'he really listened to us'. I thought, 'how great is that?'”

— Dan Meis, Architect

What’s next

Everton will look to build on the momentum of the new stadium's opening and aim to secure a top-half finish in the Premier League next season.

The takeaway

The completion of the Hill Dickinson Stadium represents a significant achievement for Everton, overcoming numerous challenges to deliver a state-of-the-art home ground that has captured the hearts and imaginations of the club's passionate supporters. The stadium's opening marks a new chapter in Everton's history and provides the team with a platform to push for greater success on the pitch.