Manchester City are set to install a zip line running the length of the Etihad Stadium pitch, allowing members of the public to soar from the South Stand to the new Pep Guardiola Stand as part of the club’s vision to turn their home into an all-round entertainment venue.
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The eye-catching addition is a striking symbol of Manchester City’s determination to make the Etihad Stadium a destination in its own right, rather than a stadium that springs to life only on matchdays.
But the zip line is only the latest element of a sweeping transformation of the Etihad Campus, one that has been taking shape around the stadium for much of the modern era and is designed to keep fans and tourists coming through the gates all year round.
How does the zip line fit into Manchester City’s plans?
The centre-piece of that transformation is Medlock Square - the club’s £300 million entertainment district that is scheduled to open later this year.
Named after the River Medlock, which runs beneath the site and features on the Manchester City badge, it is built around the expansion of the North Stand - now christened the Pep Guardiola Stand in honour of the departed manager - which adds more than 7,000 seats and takes the stadium’s capacity beyond 60,000.
Alongside the zip line, the development will offer an adrenaline-fuelled roof walk and abseiling experiences, granting daredevils the chance to step out onto the very top of the stadium and take in panoramic views across the city.
A sky bar overlooking the pitch, a 3,000-capacity covered fan park, a 401-bedroom hotel with rooms peering out onto the turf, a new club shop and a museum all form part of the wider vision.
A growing trend among Europe’s elite
For Manchester City, the project represents another statement of the club's desire to be dominant off the pitch as well as on it.
It is an approach increasingly favoured by the game’s biggest clubs, with the likes of Real Madrid and Tottenham having poured vast sums into turning their home grounds into year-round leisure destinations capable of generating revenue far beyond the 19 home league games a season.
The transformation of the Etihad Stadium's off-pitch look arguably began with the unveiling of three colossal statues - of club legends Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva - almost exactly five years ago.
As Enzo Maresca sets about ushering in a new era on the grass - which began with a dramatic 2-1 win over Bournemouth - the club’s hierarchy are busy reimagining what a trip to the Etihad Stadium can offer away from it.
Suffice to say, few attractions are likely to capture the imagination quite like the prospect of flying, unharnessed nerves and all, from one end of the ground to the other.