Bologna, September 16, 2026 – The future of the new stadium of Bologna in the Fiera area remains dependent on the numbers. The decision is expected by the end of September and the deadline was confirmed today by the president of BolognaFiere, Gianpiero Calzolari, on the sidelines of the presentation of Cersaie at Palazzo Pepoli.
The sustainability of the new Dall’Ara
“We have to wait for the designers to give us some elements,” Calzolari explained. The work, in recent weeks, has accelerated precisely in view of the deadline, with BolognaFiere having asked the technicians to continue with the necessary in-depth studies to arrive at a sufficiently defined framework of the operation.
The goal, clarified the president of BolognaFiere, is to reach a concrete evaluation by the end of the month: “To have an order of magnitude that puts us in the position, as we said by the end of the month, to say: gate open, gate closed, we go ahead or there are no conditions.”
The metaphor used by Calzolari captures a situation in which the idea of the new facility is not yet accompanied by a definitive decision. Before taking the next step, it is necessary to verify above all the sustainability of the operation, in light of the costs and characteristics of the project.
Where the new stadium should be built
The new stadium should be built in the Fiera area between the highway and the railway and become not only the new home of Bologna, but a structure also usable for concerts, shows, fairs, and events. It is precisely the possibility of a much broader use than just matches that represents one of the central elements of the project.
A large multifunctional space
For BolognaFiere, moreover, the operation would fit into the broader development of the fair district and the northeast quadrant of the city. The structure could indeed also be used as a large multifunctional space during trade fairs, linking sports activities with congress and event activities.
The next two weeks will be decisive
But before thinking about the future, the present must be settled. And here the deadline indicated by Calzolari returns. The deadline is by the end of the month, he reiterated, explaining that by that date Bologna must send the ministry of Sport the supplementary documentation necessary as part of the process for the 2032 European Championship bid.
This is why the next two weeks will be decisive. The project must be sufficiently defined to allow understanding whether the conditions exist to proceed. At stake are not only the architectural features of the facility but above all an investment of significant size and the related financial model.
BolognaFiere’s interest in the operation
Calzolari, however, did not hide BolognaFiere’s interest in the operation. If the plan should proceed, “as we said, it is a great project that goes beyond the object as such,” Calzolari’s words. A phrase that reflects the ambition of the intervention, considered not simply as the construction of a new stadium, but as a possible piece of the transformation of an important part of the city.
For now, however, caution remains mandatory. “Until we have certainty about the object, it is useless to go forward,” Calzolari concluded. Before definitively opening the gate, therefore, the designers’ numbers are needed. Then, by the end of September, it will be time to decide whether to cross it or not.
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