The future of Allianz Stadium
Allianz Stadium has been the home of England Rugby for over a century, becoming a cornerstone of the sport and a highlight for fans each year.
As the governing body for rugby union in England, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) reinvests all profits into the game to support its growth at every level. Like all businesses though, we face financial challenges, which ultimately impact our ability to sustain rugby’s growth. With Allianz Stadium generating around 85% of our revenue, maximising and investing in this key asset is essential.
To address this, we’ve developed a vision to enhance the stadium as a world-class venue for sport and entertainment, and in turn generate more income all while becoming a valued local asset.
As a first step in achieving our ambitions, we have now submitted an application for a new premises licence to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. This follows wide reaching consultation over the past eight months.
WHY RUGBY MATTERS
All profit the RFU makes is reinvested into the game of rugby – with 85% of revenue coming from Allianz Stadium events
The RFU invests £30 million a year into the community game
We contribute £181 million annually in Gross Value Added to the UK economy and £91 million of that directly benefits the boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow
Rugby adds over £2 billion a year in social value to the UK:
£823.5 million – to improve physical and mental health
£707 million – to enhance social and community benefits
£502 million – to boost the economy
The challenges we face
We are currently limited to 3 major non-sporting events per year, with a capacity of 55,000 attendees each.
By comparison Tottenham can have 30 events per year and Wembley can host 32 events per year with higher attendance
This means the stadium and bowl remain empty for as many as 340 days a year
The stadium also requires significant and costly ongoing investment and upgrades
A vision for the future
In developing a plan for the future, we have established five core principles that will drive everything we do:
Ensuring the stadium remains a secure source of income
Delivering a world-class fan experience
Improving local transport services
Being sustainable now and in the future
Making the stadium work better for local communities
We have applied for a maximum of 15 event days per year by 2028, with these mostly happening in weekends over the summer season, at an attendance of 75,000.
The 15 events days would be grouped into smaller numbers of show/concert runs
The rise in events would be incremental over three years and subject to Council approval
All events planned to end by 10:30pm
Our commitments
To support the events, we would improve transport services, including looking at how people arrive and leave the stadium by improving connectivity and crowd management
We will also expand the residents ticket access by increasing locals’ allocation from 250 to 1,000 for non-sporting events with a 24-hour advance ticket window
In addition will introduce of a fee on all concert ticket sales to introduce a Community Enhancement Fund – money ringfenced to fund projects within the local community
Next Steps
Following submission of our licensing application to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, you can now comment on the proposals.
You can view the application by visiting the Council’s licensing applications page, under the reference number WK/202497933.
To make a comment, please email licensing@merton.gov.uk quoting the application reference number. Your email must also include the grounds for the representation, whether supporting or objecting, and your full name and postal address.
Please note the @merton.gov.uk email is correct – Richmond shares its licensing services with Merton through a joint service, so your message will reach the right team.
For further guidance on how to comment, please visit the Council’s licensing application guidance page.
Key documents
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