The Amex

Lore & Background

The stadium was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011. The first competitive game played at the stadium was the 2010–11 season final of the Sussex Senior Cup between Brighton and Eastbourne Borough on 16 July 2011. The first league game was against Doncaster Rovers, who were also the opponents in the last game played at Brighton's former stadium, the Goldstone Ground, 14 years earlier. Falmer Stadium hosted Premier League football for the first time in August 2017, following Albion's promotion at the end of the 2016–17 season. It hosted European football for the first time on 21 September 2023 when Brighton played against AEK in the UEFA Europa League.

In Their Own Story

The air at Falmer was crisp, carrying the scent of fresh-cut grass and the distant tang of the English Channel. As the final whistle approached in a tense match against a London rival, the South Stand erupted. It wasn't just noise; it was a unified roar that seemed to vibrate through the concrete terraces, echoing the chants that had once filled the Goldstone decades prior. A young fan, clutching a scarf worn by his grandfather during the 1980s, looked up at the floodlights illuminating the pitch. In that moment, the distance between the old days and this modern fortress vanished. The club had come home, not to the past, but to a future where anything was possible.

Reader's Guide

The stadium was designed to allow hosting for other sports and events. It hosted some matches from the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the UEFA Women's Euro 2022. It also hosted some 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup fixtures. The stadium officially opened on 30 July 2011, hosting a friendly match against Tottenham Hotspur. The first competitive first team fixture was held on 6 August 2011, when Brighton beat Doncaster Rovers 2–1. The current record attendance of 31,872 against Luton Town was set on 12 August 2023.

Did You Know?

• The stadium uses hawks to scare away seagulls and pigeons.
• The stadium is set three storeys down into the ground, with 138,000 cubic metres of chalk excavated during construction.
• The stadium hosted England's under-21s international friendly against Austria's under-21s on 25 March 2013.