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{{short description|Football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England}}
{{other uses|Villa Park (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{featured article}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Villa Park
| nickname = 
| image = Birmingham aston villa park stadium.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = 
| logo_image = Villa park logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| address = Trinity Road
| location = [[Aston]]<br>[[Birmingham]], [[England]]<br>[[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|B6 6HE]]
| broke_ground = {{start date and age|1894}}
| built = 1895{{ndash}}1897
| opened = {{start date and age|1897}}<ref name="fact"/>
| owner = [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
| operator = [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]<ref name="fact">{{cite news|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2010/05/14/villas-plan-to-rebuild-north-stand/|title=Villa's plan to rebuild North Stand|newspaper=Express & Star|date=14 May 2010|access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref>
| public_transit = {{rail-interchange|gb|Rail}} {{rws|Aston}}<br />{{rail-interchange|gb|Rail}} {{rws|Witton}}<br />7 and [[West Midlands bus route 11|11]] bus routes<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Bus Routes |url=https://nxbus.co.uk/local/west-midlands/?site%5Bsearch%5D=B6+6HE&show%5Broutes%5D=1 |website=NXBUS |access-date=14 July 2018}}</ref>
| surface = [[Desso GrassMaster]]<ref name="fact"/>
| construction_cost = [[Pound sterling|£]]16,733 (£25&nbsp;mil)<ref name=Inglis84>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.84</ref>
| capacity = 43,205
| record_attendance = 76,588 (Aston Villa vs Derby County, 2 March 1946)
| architect = 
| former_names = Aston Lower Grounds
| dimensions = {{convert|105|x|68|m|yd|1}}<ref name="cap2024">{{cite web |url=https://resources.premierleague.pulselive.com/premierleague/document/2025/07/28/379e2f04-d81f-4768-ab68-e45de43b9d4d/PL_Handbook_25-26_Digital_28.07.pdf |title=Premier League Handbook 2025/26 |page=7 |date=28 July 2025|access-date=14 August 2025}}</ref>
| tenants = [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] (1897–present)<ref name="fact"/>{{Unbulleted list|item1_style=background-color:#ccc;|'''Major sporting events hosted'''|[[1966 FIFA World Cup]]|[[UEFA Euro 1996]]|[[1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final|1999 European Cup Winners' Cup final]]|[[UEFA Euro 2028]]}}
}}
'''Villa Park''' is a [[association football|football]] stadium in [[Aston]], [[Birmingham]], with a [[seating capacity]] of 43,205.<ref name="cap2024"/> It has been the home of [[Premier League]] club [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both [[Witton railway station|Witton]] and [[Aston railway station]]s and has hosted seventeen [[England national football team|England internationals]] at senior level, the first in 1899 and the most recent in 2025. Villa Park has hosted 55 [[FA Cup]] [[FA Cup semi-finals|semi-finals]], more than any other stadium, and it is the [[List of football stadiums in England|11th largest]] in [[England]].

In 1897, Aston Villa moved into the Aston Lower Grounds, a sports ground in a [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[amusement park]] in the former grounds of [[Aston Hall]], a [[Jacobean architecture|Jacobean]] stately home. The stadium has gone through various stages of renovation and development, resulting in the current stand configuration of the Holte End, Trinity Road Stand, North Stand and Doug Ellis Stand.

Before 1914, a cycling track ran around the perimeter of the [[football pitch|pitch]] where regular cycling meetings were hosted as well as [[sport of athletics|athletic events]]. Aside from football-related uses, the stadium has seen various concerts staged along with [[multi-purpose stadium|other sporting events]] including boxing matches and international [[rugby league]] and [[rugby union]] matches. In 1999, the last final of the [[1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final|UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] took place at Villa Park. Villa Park also hosted the [[2012 FA Community Shield]], as [[Wembley Stadium]] was in use for the final of the [[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic football tournament]].<ref name="communityshield">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/9275054/Community-Shield-switched-to-Villa-Park-as-Wembley-hosts-Olympics.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/9275054/Community-Shield-switched-to-Villa-Park-as-Wembley-hosts-Olympics.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Community Shield switched to Villa Park as Wembley hosts Olympics|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=18 May 2012|access-date=1 June 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Aston Villa have plans to redevelop the North Stand: this would increase the capacity of Villa Park from 42,918 to over 50,000. Such plans also include the construction of an accompanying commercial and entertainment venue dubbed "The Warehouse".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Aston Villa Football |date=2025-04-24 |title=Aston Villa announce redevelopment of the iconic North Stand |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/april/24/aston-villa-announce-redevelopment-of-the-iconic-north-stand/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref> Initial plans were approved by [[Birmingham City Council]] in December 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Aston Villa Football |title=Aston Villa welcomes planning approval for Villa Park redevelopment |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2022/december/22/aston-villa-welcomes-planning-approval-for-villa-park-redevelopment/ |access-date=22 December 2022 |website=Aston Villa Football Club|date=22 December 2022 }}</ref> However, plans were postponed in December 2023.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Townley |first=John |date=December 19, 2023 |title=Chris Heck delivers major Villa Park update as Aston Villa development paused |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/chris-heck-delivers-major-villa-28315873 |access-date=21 February 2024 |website=Birmingham Live}}</ref> In April 2025, a revised set of plans were announced, which would reuse the existing North Stand structure. The renovations are planned to be completed by [[UEFA Euro 2028]].<ref name=":2" />

==History==
Villa Park, formerly part of Aston Lower Grounds, was not the first home of Aston Villa F.C. Their previous venue, [[Wellington Road (Perry Barr)|Wellington Road]], faced increasing problems including an uneven pitch, poor spectator facilities, a lack of access and exorbitant rents.<ref name=UD>Paul Smith & Shirley Smith (2005) ''The Ultimate Directory of English & Scottish Football League Grounds Second Edition 1888–2005'', Yore Publications, p143, {{ISBN|0-9547830-4-2}}</ref><ref name=Inglis26>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.26</ref><ref name=holt124>Holt, Frank; Bishop, Rob, p.124</ref> As a result, in 1894 Villa's committee, led by [[Frederick Rinder]] began negotiations with the owners of the Aston Lower Grounds, "the finest sports ground in the district."<ref name=Inglis26/> Situated in the former grounds of Aston Hall, a Jacobean stately home,<ref name="Inglis">Inglis, Simon (1984), pp.176–179</ref> the Lower Grounds had seen varied uses over the years.

Originally the [[kitchen garden]] of Aston Hall's owner [[Thomas Holte|Sir Thomas Holte]], after whom the Holte End stand was named, the Lower Grounds later became a Victorian amusement park with an aquarium and a great hall. The current pitch stands on the site of the Dovehouse Pool, an ornamental pond that was drained in 1889. In place of the pool, the owners of the Lower Grounds built a [[velodrome|cycle track]] and sports ground that opened on 10 June 1889 for a combined cycling and athletics event before a crowd of 15,000.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.58</ref> Negotiations continued for two years before the Villa committee reached agreement with the site's owner, Edgar Flower, to rent the site for £300 per annum on a 21-year lease with an option to buy it at any point during the term.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.70</ref>

Much of the credit for the design of Villa Park must to go to Villa Chairman [[Frederick Rinder]], who as a trained Surveyor, is said to have laid down every 'level and line' of the ground himself before construction began.<ref>{{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Simon |year=2005 |title=Engineering Archie |page=140 |publisher=English Heritage |isbn=9781850749189}}</ref> The committee immediately engaged an architect who began preparing plans for the site, which included construction of a new {{convert|440|yd|m|abbr=off}} cement cycle track to replace the existing [[cinder track|cinder]] one. The main stand was to be built to the east on the Witton Lane side, with the track and pitch fully enclosed by banking. Construction of the final phase of the stadium began in late 1896 after negotiations with contractors over the price.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.72</ref> Several months behind schedule, the almost-complete stadium opened with a [[exhibition game|friendly]] against [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] on 17 April 1897, which ended as a 3–0 win, one week after Aston Villa had completed the [[Football League First Division|League]] and [[FA Cup]] '[[Double (association football)|Double]]'.<ref name="Inglis"/> The process of fixing issues with the building work continued for several months.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), pp.79–80</ref> As built, the stadium could house 40,000 spectators, most of whom stood in the open on the banking.<ref name="Inglis"/>

[[File:Holte Hotel.JPG|thumb|upright|The Holte Hotel behind the Holte End, part of the original Aston Lower Grounds, refurbished in 2006]]
After winning the league championship in 1899, Villa's record-breaking average crowd of 21,000<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997) p.85</ref> allowed the club to invest in a two-stage ground improvement programme. The first stage extended the terrace covering on the Trinity Road side at the cost of £887; the second cost £1,300 and involved re-laying all terracing around the track to remedy a design flaw that caused poor sightlines for the majority of the crowd. In 1911, Villa bought the freehold of the ground for £8,250, the office buildings in the old aquarium and car park area for £1,500 and the carriage drive and [[bowling green]] for £2,000.<ref name="Inglis"/> This was the first stage in plans drawn up by Villa director [[Frederick Rinder]] that saw the capacity of Villa Park increased to 104,000.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997) p.102</ref>

In June 1914, another phase of enhancements began at Villa Park to compete with improvements at other grounds around the country, including [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]'s [[Goodison Park]], where a new two-tiered stand had just been completed. The first stage of improvements saw the cycling track removed, new banking at the Holte Hotel End (Holte End), and a re-profiling of all the terracing to bring it closer to the newly squared-off pitch. Rinder turned to the renowned architect [[Archibald Leitch]] to design a new Villa Park. Their joint plans included large banked end stands at the Holte and Witton ends and the incorporation of the original Victorian Lower Grounds buildings, including the aquarium and the newly acquired bowling greens. The outbreak of the [[Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during the First World War|First World War]] severely hampered design and construction efforts.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997) p.110</ref>

[[File:Villa Park 1907.jpg|thumb|Villa Park during a match against Liverpool in 1907. The ground is yet to be squared off, and the cycle track can still be seen.]]
As a result of inflation, 1919 quotes for the implementation of the pre-war construction plans came to £66,000, compared to the 1914 quote of £27,000. By March 1922 this price had reduced to £41,775, and the directors pushed ahead with the plans for the new Trinity Road Stand.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997) pp.112–113</ref> Construction began in April 1922 with the stand partially opened in August. Construction continued throughout the 1922–1923 season, with the stand officially opened on 26 January 1924 by the then [[Duke of York]], later King [[George VI]]. He commented to Rinder that he had "no idea that a ground so finely equipped in every way—and devoted to football—existed."<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.118</ref>

On completion the Trinity Road Stand was considered one of the grandest in Britain, complete with [[stained glass]] windows, Italian mosaics, [[Dutch gable]]s in the style of Aston Hall and a sweeping staircase. The Oak Room in the Trinity Road stand was the first restaurant at a British football ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/may/14/newsstory.sport8|title=Last Rites for the Holy Trinity|work=The Guardian|date=14 May 2000|access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref> Several commentators including [[Simon Inglis]] consider it to be Leitch's masterpiece; a ''[[Sunday Times]]'' reporter described it in 1960 as the "[[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]] of football."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article382300.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604013702/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article382300.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 June 2011|title=Man who built his place in history|last=Whitehead|first=Richard|newspaper=The Times|date=18 April 2005|access-date=28 October 2007}}</ref> The final cost of the stand and associated 1922–1924 ground developments was calculated at £89,000, a sum that enraged the club's directors who ordered an investigation into cost and in 1925 forced Rinder's resignation.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), pp.119–122</ref>

[[File:Villa_Park_Proposed_Extension_1914.png|thumb|Fred Rinder's plans for Villa Park in 1914 would have extended the ground capacity to 120,000.]]
Villa Park remained in much the same state for another 30 years, with no major developments until the late 1950s. During the 1930s the earth and timber terraces with wooden crush barriers were completely replaced by concrete terracing and metal barriers, a process first begun by Rinder. In 1936 he was voted back onto the board at the age of 78 after the club were relegated to the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]. Nearly 25 years after he had created his 1914 masterplan, Rinder resurrected it and looked to carry out the third phase of his developments. He died in December 1938 (Leitch had died in April), leaving his construction business to his son, Archibald Junior.<ref name=Inglis138/>

The complete redevelopment and extension of the Holte End began in early 1939, supervised by Archibald Junior. When the [[Timeline of the United Kingdom home front during World War II|Second World War]] broke out in September 1939, all construction across the country stopped. Unusually, given the austerity measures in place at the time, Villa acquired a special permit to continue construction of the Holte End; Simon Inglis notes "How they achieved this is not recorded".<ref name=Inglis138>Inglis, Simon (1997), pp.138–139</ref> Work on the ground was completed by April 1940, and the stand was immediately mothballed as Villa Park switched to its wartime role. The Trinity Road Stand became an [[air-raid shelter]] and ammunition store while the home dressing room became the temporary home of a rifle company from the 9th Battalion, [[Royal Warwickshire Regiment]].<ref name=holt128/> [[Battle of Britain|German bombs]] caused £20,000 worth of damage to the Witton Lane Stand, which was remedied by 1954.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.144</ref>

In the late 1950s, four projects were announced. The old Bowling Green pavilion on the Trinity Road became a medical centre, the basement of the aquarium building was converted into a gym, four large floodlight pylons were installed, and a training ground was purchased {{convert|500|yd|m|abbr=off}} from Villa Park.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.148</ref> The floodlights were first used in November 1958 for a friendly match against the Scottish side [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Heart of Midlothian]].<ref name="Inglis"/><ref name=Hayes172>Hayes, Dean, p.172</ref>

In mid-1962, £40,000 was spent on a roof for the Holte End, the first to provide cover for the ordinary terrace fans at Villa Park since 1922. The old barrel-shaped roof on the Witton Lane Stand, the only remaining feature of the 1897 Villa Park, was removed in the summer of 1963 and replaced with a plain sloping roof in the same style as the Holte End.<ref name="Inglis"/> Villa Park was chosen by [[FIFA]] to host three matches for the [[1966 World Cup]] on the condition that the Witton Lane Stand became [[all-seater stadium|all-seater]]. The players' tunnel had to be covered with a cage while the pitch was widened by {{convert|3|yd|m|abbr=off}}.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), pp.153–155</ref>

Regular ground developments and innovations began from 1969 under the direction of the new chairman, [[Doug Ellis]], who set about redeveloping Villa Park for the modern era. Much of the stadium had fallen into disrepair and was in need of modernisation; Villa's attendances and financial situation had also declined as a result of losing their First Division status in 1967 and going down to the Third Division for the first time in 1970.<ref name="Inglis 162">Inglis, Simon (1997), p.162</ref> Ellis updated the infrastructure, installed a new public address system, carried out plumbing work which included installing new toilets, resurfaced the terraces, and built a new ticket office. His tenure saw executive lounges replace the old offices in the Trinity Road Stand.<ref name="Inglis 162"/>

Redevelopment of the Witton End stand began in the summer of 1976, a year after Villa returned to the First Division after eight years away. The stand had not seen any major work since 1924, and its rear remained a mound of earth. Initial renovations saw the levelling of the earth and new concrete terraces constructed on the lower tier in preparation for the construction of an upper tier. Stage two began in February 1977 and was officially opened in late October. The stand's design and fittings were impressive for the time, including novelties such as an 'AV' logo spelled out in coloured seats and a double row of [[luxury box|executive boxes]].<ref name=Hayes172/>

As well as the new Witton End stand, renamed the Doug Ellis Stand (after the clubs chairman, Villa Park went through further renovations throughout the ground. The cost of the work was £1.3&nbsp;million. As a result, and as with the construction of the Trinity Road Stand fifty years earlier, Villa were again burdened with debt. An internal investigation found that £700,000 of the £1.3&nbsp;million worth of bills were unaccounted for.<ref name=Hayes172/> A later report by accountants [[Deloitte Haskins & Sells]] found that the bills were inflated by only 10% but that there were "serious breaches of recommended codes of practice and poor site supervision".<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.188</ref>

[[File:Facade of the Holte End stand, Villa Park.jpg|thumb|The brick facade of the Holte End, rebuilt in 1994 in the style of the adjacent Trinity Rd stand, built in 1922]]
In response to the [[Hillsborough disaster]] which resulted in 96 fatalities, the [[Taylor Report]] of January 1990 recommended that all major grounds be converted to become all-seater as a safety measure by August 1994. Within a few months of the Taylor Report being published, the first changes were made in line with the report. The North Stand saw the addition of 2,900 seats to the lower tier of the stand in place of terracing, the Holte End's roof was extended in preparation for more seats, the Trinity Road Stand had its roof replaced, and the Witton Lane Stand had more corporate boxes added. By that time, all four floodlight pylons had been removed to make way for boxes or in preparation for seating, and new floodlights were installed on new gantries on the Trinity and Witton stands.<ref name="Inglis 194-197">Inglis, Simon (1997), pp.194–197</ref>
[[File:The Doug Ellis Stand, Villa Park - geograph.org.uk - 1607161.jpg|thumb|222x222px|The Witton Lane Stand (Now named the Doug Ellis Stand) alongside the North Stand]]
In February 1992, the club's application to the council for permission to demolish the Holte Hotel was rejected. After several months of negotiations, Villa gained permission for a new stand to replace the Witton Lane Stand. The new design meant that the club had to realign Witton Lane and, as a condition of the planning permission, pay £600,000 to [[compulsory purchase]] the houses along Witton Lane and upgrade the road from a [[B roads in Great Britain|B]] to an [[A roads in Great Britain|A road]], as well as moving its utilities.<ref name="Inglis 194-197"/> The stand was fully operational by January 1994 at the cost of £5&nbsp;million with 4,686 seats, which brought Villa Park up to a capacity of 46,005.<ref name=Inglis203>Inglis, Simon (1997) p.203</ref> It was announced at the 70th birthday gala of chairman Doug Ellis that the stand was to be renamed the "Doug Ellis Stand", a move that caused some controversy among Villa fans with some still referring to it as the Witton Lane Stand. Nevertheless, during the 1993–94 season, the newly rebuilt Witton Lane Stand became the Doug Ellis Stand.<ref name=Hayes172/>

The Holte End was the only remaining stand that did not meet the Taylor Report requirements, and a structural survey revealed that putting seats onto the existing terracing would be uneconomical. Instead, the decision was taken to build a new stand consisting of two tiers, just four years after construction of the new roof.<ref name=Inglis203/> The demolition of the stand began on the last day of the [[1993-94 in English football|1993–94]] season. Its replacement began to open in August 1994 with 3,000 seats in the lower tier occupied for the first seating-only game at Villa Park. By December it was fully operational and had a capacity of 13,501 seats, bringing the Villa Park capacity to 40,310. Upon completion, the Holte was the largest single end stand in Britain.<ref name=Inglis205>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.205</ref>

The next development at Villa Park was the Trinity Road Stand in 2000. It had stood since 1922 and seen several renovations and additions. The demolition of the old stand began after the last game of the [[1999-2000 in English football|1999–2000]] season, an event met with an element of sadness from observers such as Simon Inglis who stated that "the landscape of English football will never be the same."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/may/14/newsstory.sport8|title=Last rites for the holy Trinity|last=Inglis|first=Simon|newspaper=The Observer|date=14 May 2000|access-date=8 November 2010}}</ref> The new stand was larger than the old one, taking Villa's capacity from 39,399 to its present 42,682. It was officially opened in November 2001 by [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]]; his grandfather George VI had opened the old stand, 77 years earlier, when he was still the Duke of York.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/1651763.stm|title=Royal football visit replayed|date=11 November 2001|website=BBC News|access-date=23 September 2007}}</ref>

In May 2025, a bronze statue of a Scottish lion rampant, by Tanya Russell was unveiled by [[Brian Little]] and [[Dennis Mortimer]], to mark Aston Villa's 150th anniversary.<ref>{{cite news |title=Statue marking 150th anniversary of Aston Villa unveiled |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvnnl9p44o |access-date=14 May 2025 |publisher=BBC News |date=13 May 2025}}</ref>

==Structure and facilities==
[[File:Villa Park stands.jpg|thumb|300px|A diagram showing the alignment of stands at Villa Park]]
Villa Park has 43,205 seats,<ref>{{cite web |title=Premier League Handbook Season 2025/26 |url=https://resources.premierleague.pulselive.com/premierleague/document/2025/07/28/379e2f04-d81f-4768-ab68-e45de43b9d4d/PL_Handbook_25-26_Digital_28.07.pdf |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |publisher=[[Premier League]]}}</ref> split between four stands.<ref name="fact"/> These four stands are the Holte End to the south, the Trinity Road Stand to the west, the Doug Ellis Stand opposite the Trinity Road Stand, and the North Stand behind the northern goal.<ref name="fact"/> All of the stands have two tiers except the Trinity Road Stand, which has three.

The Holte End is a large two-tiered stand at the south end of the stadium. Originally a large terraced banking with accommodation for more than 20,000 spectators, the current stand was constructed in 1994–1995 and consists of two tiers with no executive boxes. The two tiers are slightly curved in a parabola to provide good sightlines from all seats. Inside there are three levels of concourse and the Holte Suite, a large hospitality room for supporters.<ref name="Inglis new Holte"/> The roof is a variant of the "King Truss" system and the front third slopes slightly forward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grandstands.net/canopy_roof.htm|title=Canopy and roof variations|publisher=ReidSteel|access-date=28 October 2007|archive-date=30 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030134553/http://www.grandstands.net/canopy_roof.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Two large staircases, pediments, Dutch gables and a mosaic introduced in the 2007 season in the style of the old Trinity Road Stand make up the facade, itself inspired by Aston Hall.<ref name="Inglis new Holte">Inglis, Simon (1997), p.207</ref> The Holte End is the most renowned stand at Villa Park amongst home and away team supporters.<ref name="fact"/> Traditionally, Villa's most vocal and passionate supporters gather here, including members of Aston Villa [[football hooliganism|hooligan firms]].<ref>Brown, Brittle (2006), p.1</ref>

[[File:TheHolteEnd.jpg|thumb|The two-tiered stand, the Holte End]]
Built in 2000, the main Trinity Road Stand is the most recently completed at Villa Park and houses the dressing rooms, club offices and director's boxes. The stand is composed of three tiers with a row of executive boxes between the second and third tiers. Although much larger than the other stands, the stand has roughly the same roof level as the other three sides. The players' tunnel and the technical area where the [[manager (association football)|managers]] and substitutes sit during the match are in the middle of the stand at pitch level. The press and the directors' VIP area are situated in the centre of the middle tier. The upper tiers of the stand extend over Trinity Road, the street that cuts behind the ground. Trinity Road passes through a tunnel formed by the Trinity Road Stand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1223497251780&ssbinary=true&blobheadervalue1=attachment%3B+filename%3D65220Aston_Local_Plan.pdf|title=Aston Local Plan|publisher=Birmingham City Council|access-date=7 April 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924164420/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1223497251780&ssbinary=true&blobheadervalue1=attachment%3B+filename%3D65220Aston_Local_Plan.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=52.508186,-1.884525&spn=0.00404,0.004823&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.508221,-1.884642&panoid=pytm7inWbKewfnQdna6Idw&cbp=12,311.03,,0,-0.1|title=Trinity Road on Google Street View|publisher=Google Maps|access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Facade of Trinity Road Stand, Villa Park.jpg|thumb|The facade of the new Trinity Road Stand, built over the Trinity Road]]
The oldest stand at Villa Park is the North Stand, formerly known as the Witton End, completed in 1977. It is a two-tiered stand, with a double row of 39 executive boxes running between the two tiers. Upper-tier seats are claret with "AV" written in blue; the lower tier consists of sky blue seats. The North Stand was "the first major stand in Britain to use what is now broadly termed the 'goalpost' structure."<ref name=Inglis184>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.184–185</ref> The facade of the stand is a "textured concrete render" typical of the time.<ref name=Inglis184/>

Since the segregation of supporters in the 1970s, away fans had been situated in the lower tier of the North Stand. Former manager [[Martin O'Neill]] expressed his desire to have Villa fans seated in the North Stand to improve the atmosphere at Villa Park. For the start of the [[2007–08 in English football|2007–2008 season]] the club released cut-price season tickets for the lower tier of the stand. This meant moving the away fans to the northern end of the Doug Ellis Stand across both tiers and since then the North Stand has been fully occupied by Villa supporters with the most vocal and fervent being housed in the lower tier.<ref name="cheap seats">{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/villa-ready-open-cheap-seats-3971007 |title=Villa ready to open the cheap seats |date=13 June 2007 |last=Smith |first=Lisa |newspaper=Birmingham Post |access-date=7 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408212455/http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/villa-ready-open-cheap-seats-3971007 |archive-date=8 April 2014 }}</ref>

The Doug Ellis Stand, formerly known as the Witton Lane Stand, is a two-tiered stand with a row of executive boxes between the tiers. The roof was originally planned to be a goalpost structure, the same as the Holte End and North Stand, but the plans were changed to a simpler cantilever design. It saw slight refurbishment before the 1996 European Championships to join the corners with the lower tier of the North Stand, improve legroom and increase the curve of the terracing to improve sightlines.<ref name=Inglis184/> The main television camera viewpoint is on the half-way line in the Doug Ellis Stand.

In the south-west corner, between the Holte End and the Trinity Road Stand, there is a three-storey pavilion-like structure, which is used for corporate hospitality. There is a [[Jumbotron|large television screen]]. On 28 November 2009, a bronze statue of former Villa chairman and [[Football League]] founder [[William McGregor (football)|William McGregor]] was unveiled outside the stadium.<ref name="stat">{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2008/04/03/william-mcgregor-statue-a-step-closer-thanks-to-aston-villa-supporters-97319-20714293/ |title=William McGregor statue a step closer thanks to Aston Villa supporters |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=3 April 2008 |access-date=16 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515211444/http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2008/04/03/william-mcgregor-statue-a-step-closer-thanks-to-aston-villa-supporters-97319-20714293/ |archive-date=15 May 2008 }}</ref><ref name="BP">{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/aston-villa-fans-approve-statue-3960996 |title=Aston Villa fans approve statue of first chairman |newspaper=Birmingham Post |date=2 April 2008 |last=Smith |first=Lisa |access-date=7 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408214336/http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/aston-villa-fans-approve-statue-3960996 |archive-date=8 April 2014 }}</ref> Behind the North Stand is the "Villa Village" made up of club and ticket offices as well as a club shop. The club bought the buildings from [[British Telecom]] in the 1990s.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.214</ref> 

{{wide image|VillaPark PanoramaFromTrinityRoadStand.jpg|1000px|A panorama of Villa Park from the Trinity Road Stand, showing from left to right the North Stand, the Doug Ellis Stand and the Holte End}}

==Future==
[[File:Facade of North Stand, Villa Park.jpg|thumb|The concrete facade of the North Stand, the oldest stand at Villa Park]]
Future redevelopment of Villa Park has been an ever-present topic, with previous owners of Aston Villa: notably [[Randy Lerner]] and [[Tony Xia]], expressing support to increase capacity.<ref name="brumgovplan">{{cite web |title=Aston Local Plan |url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=19729&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=12228&EXPAND=1636 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510105931/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=19729&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=12228&EXPAND=1636 |archive-date=10 May 2008 |access-date=3 October 2007 |publisher=Birmingham City Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wollaston |first=Steve |date=6 September 2017 |title=Aston Villa: Keith Wyness provides an exciting update on the future of Villa Park |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-keith-wyness-provides-13578338 |access-date=7 January 2018}}</ref> However, no definitive redevelopment occurred in either case.

Under the current ownership of [[Nassef Sawiris]] and [[Wes Edens]], there has been concrete support for a long-term redevelopment of Villa Park. In December 2021, CEO [[Christian Purslow]] announced that redevelopment plans were forecasted to take "two to ten years".<ref>{{cite web |first=John |last=Townley |date=4 December 2021 |title=Villa Park expansion plans outlined as Christian Purslow makes '50,000' capacity Aston Villa point |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/villa-park-expansion-plans-outlined-22350038 |work=BirminghamLive}}</ref>

Preliminary plans to construct a new North Stand were announced in March 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Preece |first=Ashley |date=7 April 2022 |title=North Stand rebuild set for summer 2023 start as Villa make key appointment |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-north-stand-purslow-23622371 |access-date=7 April 2022 |website=BirminghamLive }}</ref> Following a consultation process between June and September 2022, Aston Villa formally submitted plans to fully demolish and rebuild the North Stand, alongside developments to the Trinity Road Stand.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Preece |first1=Ashley |last2=Bayliss |first2=Jake |date=5 September 2022 |title=Villa Park redevelopment latest as North Stand plans submitted |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/villa-park-plans-aston-villa-23939007 |access-date=6 September 2022 |website=BirminghamLive }}</ref> The plans would see the construction of a new 13,074 capacity stand. Alongside minor seating adjustments to the Trinity Road Stand and Doug Ellis Stand, this would increase Villa Park's capacity to approximately 50,065.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Document List |url=http://eplanning.idox.birmingham.gov.uk/publisher/mvc/listDocuments?identifier=Planning&reference=2022/06776/PA |access-date=6 September 2022 |website=eplanning.idox.birmingham.gov.uk}}</ref> Alongside these featured plans to develop a large indoor entertainment and retail venue called "Villa Live", replacing the car park, academy building, and the current on-site retail store.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=Matt |title=Aston Villa launch consultation on Villa Park expansion plans |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/aston-villa/2022/06/28/aston-villa-launch-consultation-on-villa-park-expansion-plans/ |access-date=28 June 2022 |website=expressandstar.com |date=28 June 2022 }}</ref> This followed initial planning permission granted in 2019 to demolish the car park and academy building behind the North Stand.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Online Standard Details |url=https://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/Generic/StdDetails.aspx?PT=Planning%20Applications%20On-Line&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK.xml&PARAM0=1020257&XSLT=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/Birmingham/xslt/PL/PLDetails.xslt&FT=Planning%20Application%20Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/Birmingham/Menus/PL.xml&DAURI=PLANNING |access-date=7 April 2022 |website=eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk}}</ref> Within the aforementioned planning documents, Aston Villa alluded to potential further redevelopment via 'configuration of the stands', including the Doug Ellis Stand and the Holte End, to increase Villa Park's capacity to between 52,000 and 53,000 at a later date. In December 2022, planning permission was granted by [[Birmingham City Council]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 December 2022 |title=Villa Park expansion set to be approved |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-63986471 |access-date=22 December 2022 }}</ref> However, in December 2023, President of Football Operations Chris Heck announced that current plans to redevelop Villa Park had been paused due to concerns over temporary reduction of stadium capacity and concerns over public transportation.<ref name=":1" />

In April 2025, Aston Villa announced revised plans for the expansion to the North Stand. The new design would adapt and reuse the pre-existing North Stand as opposed to demolishing it, allowing the stadium to be redeveloped whilst retaining capacity. The plans would see Villa Park's capacity increase to "over 50,000".<ref name=":2" /> The North Stand expansion was approved by the Birmingham City Council on the 28th August 2025, with construction set to be completed in the second half of 2027. This expansion has been viewed by the club as essential in retaining its place in the [[UEFA Euro 2028]] lineup.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mashiter |first=Nick |date=28 August 2025 |title=Aston Villa: Villa Park North Stand redevelopment given green light |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clyjqzqek4qo |access-date=1 September 2025 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Other sporting uses==
===Football===
[[File:Scotland-holland euro 96.jpg|thumb|A [[UEFA Euro 1996|1996 European championship]] game between [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] and the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]]]]
Villa Park was the first English ground to stage international football in three centuries and has hosted matches in several international tournaments. Three [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]] matches were played at the ground and four matches during [[UEFA Euro 96|Euro '96]]. The ground has hosted England internationals, the first in 1899 and the most recent in 2005. Sixteen international matches have been hosted at the stadium in total.<ref name=favillaprk>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2004/11/England_vHolland_VillaPark.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20041211203124/http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2004/11/England_vHolland_VillaPark.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 December 2004|title=England international matches at Villa Park|publisher=The Football Association|access-date=26 June 2007}}</ref> In 2025, the stadium hosted its first England game in 20 years, due to [[Coldplay]] concerts at [[Wembley Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Jonty |title=Why are England playing Andorra at Villa Park? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgkny8zgdkeo |access-date=6 September 2025 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 September 2025}}</ref>

Villa Park has been the venue for several Cup competitions. It has hosted 55 [[FA Cup semi-finals]], more than any other stadium. The club hosted the [[1981 Football League Cup Final|League Cup Final]] in 1980–1981 when Liverpool beat West Ham 2–1 in a replay. In [[1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final|1999]], the stadium hosted the last final of the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]] in which [[S.S. Lazio|Lazio]] beat [[RCD Mallorca|Real Mallorca]] 2–1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind=1/newsid=400482.html |publisher=UEFA |title=1998/99: Nedvěd seals final triumph for Lazio |access-date=27 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417103307/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/news/kind%3D1/newsid%3D400482.html |archive-date=17 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the construction of the new [[Wembley Stadium]] between 2001 and 2005, the [[FA Trophy]] Final was held at Villa Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFATrophy/History/Postings/2002/05/10116.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050426084017/http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFATrophy/History/Postings/2002/05/10116.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 April 2005|title=FA Trophy History|publisher=The Football Association|access-date=5 July 2007}}</ref> The [[2012 FA Community Shield|2012 Community Shield]] was held at Villa Park instead of Wembley due to [[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] at the stadium.<ref name="communityshield"/> Villa Park was originally listed as one of the six stadiums that would hold Olympic football matches that summer,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/3241188.stm|title=London's 2012 Olympic venues|website=BBC Sport|date=6 July 2005|access-date=12 September 2007}}</ref> but in 2009 the [[London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|organising committee]] for the games and Aston Villa ruled it out due to uncertainty around expansion plans.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympic_games/8193075.stm|title=Villa Park pulled out of Olympics|website=BBC Sport|date=10 August 2009|access-date=10 August 2009}}</ref>

==== UEFA Euro 2028 ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" width="100%"
|-
!Date
!Time ([[British Summer Time|BST]])
!Team #1
!Result
!Team #2
!Round
!Spectators
|-
| 11 June 2028||{{center|--:--}}||C3||style="text-align:center;"| – ||C4||{{center|[[UEFA Euro 2028 Group C|Group C]]}}|| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| 15 June 2028||{{center|--:--}}||B2||style="text-align:center;"| – ||B4||{{center|[[UEFA Euro 2028 Group B|Group B]]}}|| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| 20 June 2028||{{center|--:--}}||D4||style="text-align:center;"| – ||D1||{{center|[[UEFA Euro 2028 Group D|Group D]]}}|| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| 27 June 2028||{{center|--:--}}||Winner Group D||style="text-align:center;"| – ||Runner-up Group F||{{center|[[UEFA Euro 2028 knockout stage#Round of 16|Round of 16]]}}|| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|}

===Rugby===
Great Britain secured the first ever [[rugby league]] test series at the ground when they defeated the touring [[Australian Kangaroos]] side 6–5 on 14 February 1909 in front of a crowd of 9,000. A second rugby league game followed three years later on New Year's Day 1912 when 4,000 people turned up to see Australia beat Great Britain 33–8. The stadium has seen several international [[rugby union]] tour matches. On 8 October 1924, a [[North Midlands Rugby Football Union|North Midlands]] XV lost 40–3 to the [[The Invincibles (rugby union)|New Zealand side]] touring Europe and Canada at the time. The second game took place on 30 December 1953 when Midlands Counties played another New Zealand side on their [[1953-54 New Zealand rugby union tour of the British Isles, France and North America|1953–1954 tour of United Kingdom, Ireland, France and North America]]. The Midlands side lost 18–3.<ref name=Inglis195/>

Villa Park was chosen as the venue for two pool matches in the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/10032812/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-full-match-schedule.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502191733/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/10032812/Rugby-World-Cup-2015-full-match-schedule.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 May 2013|title=Rugby World Cup 2015: full match schedule|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=2 May 2013|access-date=2 May 2013}}</ref> The first was a [[2015 Rugby World Cup Pool B|Pool B]] match between [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] and [[Samoa national rugby union team|Samoa]] on 26 September 2015 with South Africa winning 46–6 with 39,526 in attendance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pool B, Villa Park, Birmingham|url=http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/match/14197#latest|access-date=8 October 2015|work=Rugby World Cup|date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008040937/http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/match/14197#latest|archive-date=8 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The second was a [[2015 Rugby World Cup Pool A|Pool A]] match between [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]] and [[Uruguay national rugby union team|Uruguay]] the next day with Australia winning 65–3 in front of 39,605 spectators.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pool A, Villa Park, Birmingham|url=http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/match/14188#latest|access-date=8 October 2015|work=Rugby World Cup|date=27 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006234943/http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/match/14188#latest|archive-date=6 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Birmingham hosted the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]]. Though Villa Park was originally chosen to host the [[Rugby sevens at the Commonwealth Games|Rugby Sevens]] competition,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blackcountrylep.co.uk/news/villa-park-will-host-spectacular-rugby-7s-tournament/|title=Villa Park will host spectacular Rugby 7s tournament|date=8 August 2017|website=Black Country LEP|access-date=19 October 2019}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> the event was moved to the [[Coventry Building Society Arena]] in [[Coventry]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/commonwealth-games/news/35796/11801525/villa-park-will-no-longer-host-the-rugby-sevens-at-the-2022-commonwealth-games|title=Villa Park will no longer host the rugby sevens at the 2022 Commonwealth Games|last=Nagioff|first=Jonathan|date=3 September 2019|website=Sky Sports|access-date=19 October 2019}}</ref> This was because the Premier League began in July while the games were on, in order to accommodate the [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] in Qatar at the end of the year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/49563621|title=Birmingham 2022: Villa Park no longer a Commonwealth Games host venue|last=Roan|first=Dan|date=3 March 2019|access-date=19 October 2019}}</ref>

In July 2025, it was announced that Villa Park would host [[Premiership Rugby]] on 28 March 2026. The game will be between [[Gloucester Rugby|Gloucester]] and [[Leicester Tigers]] and will form part of the league 'Big Game' weekend, the two teams will also play for the [[Slater Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gloucester Rugby to host Slater Cup at Villa Park |url=https://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/content/gloucester-rugby-to-host-slater-cup-at-villa-park |website=Gloucester Rugby |access-date=23 July 2025 |date=23 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Villa Park to host Gallagher PREM Rugby |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/july/23/villa-park-to-host-gallagher-prem-rugby/ |website=Aston Villa Football Club |access-date=23 July 2025 |date=23 July 2025}}</ref>

===Other sports===
The venue has also hosted two [[first-class cricket]] matches.<ref>{{cite web|title=First-class cricket matches played at Aston Lower Grounds|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/319_f.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=2 April 2018|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404035743/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/319_f.html|archive-date=4 April 2016}}</ref> The first was the [[United North of England Eleven]]'s final first-class match against a London United Eleven in June 1879.<ref>{{cite web|title=First-class cricket matches played by United North of England Eleven|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/1/1328/First-Class_Matches.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=2 April 2018|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The second was a tour match played between the [[Australia national cricket team|Australians]] and an [[Non-international England cricket teams|England XI]] side in [[Australian cricket team in England in 1884|May 1884]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Australia in England 1884 – England XI v Australians|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2804.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=2 April 2018|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709105818/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2804.html|archive-date=9 July 2017}}</ref> The ground also hosted a [[1897 Minor Counties Championship]] match between [[Staffordshire County Cricket Club|Staffordshire]] and [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Minor Counties Championship matches played at Aston Lower Grounds|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/319_minc.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=2 April 2018|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101150028/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/319_minc.html|archive-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> and was the home ground for [[Aston Unity]] in the [[Birmingham and District Premier League]] from 1889 to 1954.<ref>{{cite web|title=Other matches played at Aston Lower Grounds|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/319_misc.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=2 April 2018|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404035832/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/319_misc.html|archive-date=4 April 2016}}</ref>

Many athletics and cycle events took place at the ground before the First World War,<ref name=Inglis141>Inglis, Simon (1997) p.141</ref> and [[boxing]] has been hosted on several occasions. On 28 June 1948, [[Dick Turpin (boxer)|Dick Turpin]], brother of [[Randolph Turpin]], became the first non-white boxer to win a British title in a fight against [[Vince Hawkins]] in front of 40,000 spectators after the [[British Boxing Board of Control]] lifted their ban on non-whites challenging for titles.<ref>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.138</ref> On 21 June 1972 [[Danny McAlinden]] defeated [[Jack Bodell]] in a British and Empire Heavyweight title fight.<ref name=Inglis195>Inglis, Simon (1997), p.195</ref>

On 26 August 1985, it played host to the first ever [[American football]] "Summerbowl," intended to be the English equivalent to the [[Super Bowl]]. The game was played between the [[London Ravens]] and the [[Streatham Olympians]], and the low attendance of 8,000 meant that the Summerbowl was not repeated in subsequent years.<ref name=Inglis195/>

==Non-sporting uses==
[[File:Back to the Beginning 2025 4.jpg|thumb|right|[[Back to the Beginning]], 5 July 2025]]

The American evangelist [[Billy Graham]] attracted 257,181 people to a series of prayer meetings held at the stadium in mid-1984. Archbishop [[Desmond Tutu]] held a religious gathering at the stadium in 1989.<ref name=Inglis195/>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it was announced that midwives from [[Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust]] would host maternity clinics at the ground, for expectant parents anxious about going into hospitals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-52424551|title=Coronavirus: Aston Villa ground to be used for maternity care|website=[[BBC News Online]]|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=25 April 2020|access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref> From February 2021, Villa Park was used as a regional COVID-19 vaccination centre by the NHS.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aston Villa is extremely proud to announce that Villa Park will be used as a regional COVID vaccination centre by the NHS|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/Villa-Park-to-be-NHS-vaccination-centre/|access-date=11 March 2021|publisher=Aston Villa FC|date=2 February 2021 }}</ref> The vaccination centre was set up in the [[Holte End]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Villa and Palace stadiums boosting COVID-19 vaccinations|url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/2014608|access-date=11 March 2021|website=premierleague.com |date=4 February 2021 }}</ref>

Villa Park has hosted many rock concerts, including [[Bruce Springsteen]] who played two concerts in June 1988 as part of his [[Tunnel of Love (album)|Tunnel of Love]] Tour, and again in June 2023 as part of his [[Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour|E Street Band 2023]] Tour, [[Bon Jovi]] in 2013 as part of the [[Because We Can: The Tour]], and [[Pink (singer)|Pink]] in June 2023 during her [[Summer Carnival (tour)|Summer Carnival]] Tour. [[Duran Duran]] held a [[Duran Duran's charity concert at Villa Park 1983|charity concert in 1983]] to raise money for [[MENCAP]]. Other singers who have played at the ground include [[Belinda Carlisle]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[Robert Palmer (singer)|Robert Palmer]], [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Chris Brown]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Aston Villa Football |title=Chris Brown - Breezy Bowl at Villa Park |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/concerts/chris-brown-breezy-bowl-xx |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref> [[Kendrick Lamar]] and [[SZA]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Aston Villa Football |title=Grand National Tour: Kendrick Lamar and SZA |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/concerts/kendrick-and-sza |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref>

On 5 July 2025, the stadium hosted [[Ozzy Osbourne]]'s and [[Black Sabbath]]'s final concert, [[Back to the Beginning]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-06 |title=Original Black Sabbath lineup to play for 1st time in 20 years as part of Ozzy Osbourne's last show |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/music/final-black-sabbath-show-back-to-the-beginning-rcna190956 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Aston Villa Football |title=Black Sabbath: BACK TO THE BEGINNING |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/concerts/back-to-the-beginning |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref> 17 days after the concert, Osbourne died at the age of 76.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Hilary |date=22 July 2025 |title=Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath singer and godfather of heavy metal, dead at 76 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/22/entertainment/ozzy-osbourne-death |access-date=24 July 2025 |website=[[CNN]] |language=}}</ref> His funeral procession on 30 July began from Villa Park.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Thomas |date=30 July 2025 |title=Ozzy Osbourne Receives Rocking Send Off With Public Funeral Procession in Birmingham |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ozzy-osbourne-funeral-procession-birmingham-1236033150/ |access-date=30 July 2025 |website=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Denman |first=Amy |date=30 July 2025 |title=Ozzy Osbourne's coffin carries star on final trip through Birmingham |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-ozzy-osbournes-coffin-adorned-35642297 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250803031156/https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-ozzy-osbournes-coffin-adorned-35642297 |archive-date=3 August 2025 |access-date=3 August 2025 |website=[[Daily Mirror]] |language=}}</ref>

==Average league attendances==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center width=60%"
|-
!style="width:20%"|Season
!style="width:20%"|League
!style="width:20%"|Capacity
!style="width:20%"|Attendance
!style="width:20%"|% Full
|-
|[[2000–01 Aston Villa F.C. season|2000–01]]
|[[Premier League]]
|39,399
|31,470
|80%
|-
|[[2001–02 Aston Villa F.C. season|2001–02]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|35,016
|82%
|-
|[[2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season|2002–03]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|34,975
|82%
|-
|[[2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season|2003–04]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|36,622
|86%
|-
|[[2004–05 Aston Villa F.C. season|2004–05]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|37,354
|87%
|-
|[[2005–06 Aston Villa F.C. season|2005–06]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|34,112
|80%
|-
|[[2006–07 Aston Villa F.C. season|2006–07]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|36,214
|85%
|-
|[[2007–08 Aston Villa F.C. season|2007–08]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|40,396
|94%
|-
|[[2008–09 Aston Villa F.C. season|2008–09]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|39,812
|93%
|-
|[[2009–10 Aston Villa F.C. season|2009–10]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|38,573
|90%
|-
|[[2010–11 Aston Villa F.C. season|2010–11]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|37,194
|87%
|-
|[[2011–12 Aston Villa F.C. season|2011–12]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|33,883
|79%
|-
|[[2012–13 Aston Villa F.C. season|2012–13]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|35,060
|82%
|-
|[[2013–14 Aston Villa F.C. season|2013–14]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|36,081
|84%
|-
|[[2014–15 Aston Villa F.C. season|2014–15]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|34,133
|80%
|-
|[[2015–16 Aston Villa F.C. season|2015–16]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|33,690
|79%
|-
|[[2016–17 Aston Villa F.C. season|2016–17]]
|[[Football League Championship|Championship]] 
|42,682
|32,107
|75%
|-
|[[2017–18 Aston Villa F.C. season|2017–18]]
|[[Football League Championship|Championship]] 
|42,785
|32,235
|75%
|-
|[[2018–19 Aston Villa F.C. season|2018–19]]
|[[Football League Championship|Championship]] 
|42,682
|35,379
|83%
|-
|[[2019–20 Aston Villa F.C. season|2019–20]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|41,661
|98%
|-
|[[2020–21 Aston Villa F.C. season|2020–21]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|0
|0%
|-
|[[2021–22 Aston Villa F.C. season|2021–22]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,682
|41,849
|98%
|-
|[[2022–23 Aston Villa F.C. season|2022–23]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,657
|41,679
|98%
|-
|[[2023–24 Aston Villa F.C. season|2023–24]]
|[[Premier League]]
|42,640
|41,384
|97%
|}

==Records==
[[File:Villa attendance since 1947.png|thumb|300px|A chart showing the average attendance at Villa Park from 1947 to 2008]]
The highest attendance recorded at Villa Park was 76,588, on 2 March 1946 in an FA Cup 6th round tie against [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]].<ref name="holt128">Holt, Frank; Bishop, Rob, p.128</ref> The highest attendance as an all seater stadium was 42,888, for a Premier League  game against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] on 6 December 2025.<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/crl9dj14jjjt</ref> The overall record league attendance was 69,492 in a First Division match against [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] on 27 December 1949.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Lerwill's Aston Villa History |url=https://www.lerwill-life.org.uk/astonvilla/a_villa_vp.htm |access-date=17 June 2023 |website=lerwill-life.org.uk |archive-date=17 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617154823/https://www.lerwill-life.org.uk/astonvilla/a_villa_vp.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref><!--The lowest attendance recorded at Villa Park was 2,900, on 13 February 1915, in a [[Football League Division One|Division One]] game against [[Bradford City F.C.|Bradford City]]. DISPUTED by Holt and Bishop, they state attendance was 5,000 at that game--> The highest average post-Second World War attendance at Villa Park was 47,168 in the [[1948–49 in English football|1948–1949 season]];<ref name="holt128" /> the lowest average post-war attendance was 15,237 in the [[1985–86 in English football|1985–1986 season]].<ref>Holt, Frank; Bishop, Rob, p.102</ref>

==Transport==
Villa Park is within a short distance of two mainline railway stations. [[Witton railway station]] is approximately {{convert|500|m|mi|1|abbr=off}} from Villa Park, and [[Aston railway station]] is approximately {{convert|1.5|km|mi|1|abbr=off}}. Under former owner [[Randy Lerner]], there have been discussions on changing the name of Witton Station to Villa Park as is the case with [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]]'s local railway station, [[The Hawthorns station|The Hawthorns]]. Aston Villa's former CEO, Bruce Langham, has said that the [[West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive]] (Centro) are amenable to the idea as long as it is done at the expense of the club. No action has yet been taken.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://images.villatrust.org.uk/images/files/man4chge.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929154409/http://images.villatrust.org.uk/images/files/man4chge.pdf|archive-date=29 September 2007|title=Minutes of meeting|publisher=Aston Villa Supporters Trust|access-date=5 July 2007}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Development of stadiums in English football]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last1=Brittle |first1=Paul |last2=Brown |first2=Danny |title=Villains |publisher=Milo Books |location=Preston |year=2006 |isbn=1-903854-59-8}}
*{{cite book |last=Hayes |first=Dean |title=The Villa Park Encyclopedia: A-Z of Aston Villa |publisher=Mainstream Publishing |location=Edinburgh |year=1997 |isbn=1-85158-959-7}}
*{{cite book |last1=Holt |first1=Frank Lee |first2=Rob |last2=Bishop |title=Aston Villa: The Complete Record |publisher=Derby Books Publishing |location=Derby |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-85983-805-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Simon |title=The football grounds of England and Wales |publisher=Willow |location=Beverley |year=1983 |isbn=0-00-218024-3}}
*{{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Simon |title=Villa Park: 100 Years |publisher=Sports Projects Ltd |location=Birmingham |year=1997 |isbn=0-946866-43-0}}

==External links==
{{WikidataCoord}}
{{Commons category|Villa Park}}
*[https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Villa+Park&m=text Images tagged Villa Park] at [[Flickr]]
*[http://www.stadiumguide.com/villapark.htm Stadium Guide Article]
*[https://ticket-compare.com/stadiums/villa-park/seating-plan/ Villa Park Seating Plan]
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