Lugano's PSE project delivers AIL Arena as new hub for local football and fitness

The new AIL Arena opened in March this year with roughly 8,150 covered seats, giving Lugano's top football side a venue that meets current league requirements and opening the door for more residents to attend matches and training sessions in one location.

Work on the wider Sports and Events Centre began to address the shortcomings of the old ground, which had fallen short of Swiss Football League and UEFA rules for Super League sides. The city secured extensions until the project advanced, and the first sports phase is due for completion by the end of 2026. This timing matters now because the arena is already in use while the rest of the site takes shape, letting clubs and residents test the new setup before full operations begin.

The facilities sit in the Cornaredo neighbourhood, where the city is adding a 12,000 square metre park and public spaces meant for both organised sport and informal activity. Local clubs that use basketball, volleyball, badminton and martial arts will gain dedicated halls, while the athletics track and grass field south of Via Stadio will keep multiple disciplines together in one area.

Capacity and cost details from the project

City documents list the total cost of the sports hall and stadium at 186 million, with construction expected to support 375 jobs. The sports hall will seat 3,000 for competitions and convert for club use, while the same space can hold 4,000 for concerts and other events. These figures come directly from the city's project overview at lugano.ch/en/pse/.

The layout also includes separate entrances for players and officials, media areas and hospitality zones that were missing before. By bringing these functions together, the design reduces the need for clubs to travel between scattered sites, which could encourage steadier participation from younger players and weekend users who previously faced fragmented schedules.

Next steps for residents

The City Council will continue issuing semi-annual progress reports starting from November 2024, with the next update due later this year. Residents can follow those releases on the same project page to see when the PalaRaiffeisen hall and the new park open to the public. In the meantime, the existing arena already provides a single, accessible venue that can host both elite matches and community sessions once scheduling is finalised.