The construction of Hungary’s brand new, 67,000-seat national football stadium is underway. If everything goes as planned, it is set to re-open on 25 of November 2019, also known as the Day of Hungarian Football.
Recently, the Centre of Key Government Investments (KKBK) published a video detailing the construction process:
The original Puskás Stadium, formerly known as the Népstadion (People’s Stadium), was opened in 1953 with an initial capacity of 100,000. While the expansion of the new stadium began in March 2016, the old stadium has been completely demolished despite previous plans to conserve some of its iconic features and structures. The new stadium is expected to be finished by 2020, as Budapest will be among the cities chosen to host the 2020 European Football Championship.
While most agree that Hungary needs a larger national stadium with the ability to host high-profile football games and top-level concerts, the Hungarian government’s controversial stadium-building scheme is often subject to criticism. Critics highlight also that at the beginning in 2011 the construction of the new stadium had a budget of HUF 35 billion (around EUR 112 million) and has since skyrocketed to HUF 190 billion (EUR 610 million). This increase makes it one of the most expensive stadiums in western Europe based on cost relative to capacity. As the recently closed Hungarian daily newspaper Magyar Nemzet implied, the cost of maintenance will also be high.
via Index, HVG, Mno, Nso
featured image via HVG