Herzliya Municipal Stadium

The Herzliya Municipality built the stadium during 1984–1985, inaugurating it in 1986.[1] The land was designated under plan HR/1581, published in June 1982, for public use as a municipal sports center.[1] The audit found that the west and east stands formed the first construction phase, but the local planning committee's 1983 building permit covered only the west stand and the structures beneath it. The east stand was therefore among the portions for which the audit found no permit.[1]

Subsequent expansion also proceeded without the necessary permits. In 1990, the west stand was raised and partly roofed, and north and south stands were added.[1][2] A structure referred to as "the tower," housing a VIP stand, broadcast booths, and offices above the west stand, was built in 1994–1995, also without permits.[1] Operational areas were expanded again in 2016.[1] A 2014 report described a proposed general upgrade costing approximately NIS 7 million, with roughly half expected from the Toto, including new spectator seats, repairs to the stand roof, new changing rooms, and emergency exits — though these were framed as planned works rather than completed renovations at the time.[3]

At its peak, the stadium held approximately 8,000 spectators.[4] The Israel State Comptroller's 2017 audit recorded 7,820 seats total, with more than 3,400 of those built without permits.[1] The audit estimated more than 3,600 square meters of unpermitted construction in the expansion of the west stand and in the north, east, and south stands. That total excluded the tower, VIP stand, broadcast booths, and offices above the west stand, which were also built without permits.[1]

A government interministerial committee listed Herzliya among active stadiums not included in its main count of venues suitable for most Premier League teams, noting that stadiums in this broader group might fall short due to geographical location, seating capacity, or failure to meet safety or professional-league standards, without specifying which factors applied to Herzliya in particular.[5] As of 2019, municipal sources characterized the stadium as old and unsafe, and it was reportedly active for only about 30 days a year at that time.[6]

The stadium has hosted Israeli football at various levels across its history. A 2005 Jerusalem Post report listed it as the venue for a Premier League match in which Betar Jerusalem was to host Bnei Yehuda, illustrating its use for top-flight fixtures during that period.[7]

Both Hapoel Herzliya and Maccabi Herzliya have used the venue as a home ground.[4] In May 2024, only the western stand — described as holding approximately 4,000 seats — was authorized to open after the stadium met Liga Alef standards, while Maccabi Herzliya continued playing away while renovation lagged.[4] Hapoel Herzliya's last home match at the stadium before an extended displacement took place on September 21, 2023; the club subsequently played 22 nominally home matches outside Herzliya, with its remaining 2024/25 fixtures scheduled in Bat Yam, approximately 20 kilometers away.[8]

Plans to address the stadium's condition evolved considerably over several years. A 2019 report discussed demolition of the existing facility, construction of a multipurpose arena on the site, and a new football stadium at nearby Kibbutz Galil Yam, though these were presented as proposals under consideration rather than confirmed decisions.[6]

Renovation ultimately proceeded on the existing structure. In June 2025, the municipality stated that the western stand had undergone an initial renovation phase and that the stadium could serve Hapoel Herzliya in Liga Alef during the 2025/26 season, with further work on the western stand planned through 2026 to accommodate Maccabi Herzliya's National League matches.[9] By November 2025, the city council was due to consider an additional multimillion-shekel allocation for the stadium and surrounding complex. The plans called for raising stated audience capacity from 890 to 2,000, adding concessions and a press stand, and developing two additional training pitches.[10] A more extensive upgrade to an 8,000-seat Premier League venue was described as a possible future phase, with estimated costs of up to NIS 200 million, but was not an approved project.[10]

An April 2026 report described fully renovated changing rooms, renewed hospitality rooms and broadcast positions, planned repainting, and new seats ordered from abroad, with a target of meeting National League requirements and providing slightly more than 2,000 places.[11] At that time, Maccabi Herzliya was still completing its season at Miriam Stadium in Netanya.[11] In July 2026, the stadium returned to hosting National League matches for the first time in approximately a decade, with the city having invested about NIS 20 million in works that included renovating toilets, installing new concessions, upgrading benches and changing rooms, improving the playing surface and perimeter lighting, and fitting an automatic cleaning system for the penalty area.[12] The Football Association approved matches at the venue through August 16 of that year, and the stadium was designated to host Maccabi Herzliya's National League home matches in the following season.[12]

Israel's State Comptroller examined the stadium as part of a broader audit of construction violations by local authorities, publishing its findings in 2017. The audit found that while the original 1983 permit covered only the west stand and structures beneath it, the municipality had built the east, north, and south stands, raised and roofed the west stand, and constructed the tower and its associated facilities without obtaining the necessary permits.[1] A February 2017 inspection further uncovered additional unpermitted structures — some temporary, some permanent — beneath the east and south stands.[1]

The Comptroller warned that the unpermitted stands had not undergone the usual engineering and safety review, and that unauthorized construction could endanger lives, particularly in a venue where large crowds gather regularly.[2] Despite these findings, the stadium remained open at the time of the audit, continuing to host training sessions and matches using stands found to lack permits.[1]

The municipality and local planning committee responded that they were searching for any additional permits that might exist and would seek to regularize the situation if none were found, adding that the stadium would be closed if permits and required safety approvals could not be secured.[1][2] No additional permits had been submitted to the Comptroller by August 2017.[1] The audit called for immediate action to assess the safety of the structures and regulate use of the stadium under planning law.[1]