Jamaica to Break Ground on World-Class National Stadium by August 2025
July 16, 2025 | Jamaica Live News Desk
The Honourable Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, has officially announced that ground will be broken for the redevelopment of Jamaica’s National Stadium no later than August 2025.
In her contribution to the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate on June 25 in the House of Representatives, Minister Grange revealed that the National Stadium will be transformed into a world-class sporting facility under a newly signed Framework for Cooperation between the Governments of Jamaica and the United Kingdom.
The redevelopment forms part of a bilateral agreement aimed at facilitating development projects in Jamaica through UK exports and financing, with the UK Export Finance agency acting on behalf of the British Government. The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service signed on Jamaica’s behalf.
“Among the priority projects listed to be addressed in this Framework is the re-development of the National Stadium,” Minister Grange stated. “Through this Framework, a team of architects and project managers from the UK held discussions with my team at the Ministry and sent us a proposal for the renovation and re-development of facilities at Independence Park, particularly the National Stadium.”
The proposal envisions not just fixing existing deficiencies but also unleashing the stadium’s full potential — reimagining it as a hub for international tournaments, athlete training, entertainment, and tourism.
“This is about building a stadium worthy of our world-class athletes and entertainers,” Minister Grange declared. “We are deliberately establishing a world-class stadium, and we’re targeting to break ground no later than August 2025.”
The plan also includes the development of a national sports museum, celebrating Jamaica’s rich sporting legacy. The Ministry of Culture has already advised the Ministry of Finance of its approval of the proposal, with financing arrangements and the first phase — an assessment and feasibility study — to commence shortly.
In addition, the Government has requested $75 million in emergency funding to undertake urgent lighting repairs at the current stadium. The repairs must be completed by September 2024 to meet FIFA requirements for hosting international football matches at the venue, affectionately known as ‘The Office’.
This long-anticipated redevelopment signals a new chapter in Jamaica’s sports infrastructure and cultural prestige.
Stay tuned to Jamaica Live for more updates on this historic transformation.