FAQs
The overall vision
What is the RFU’s vision for the Allianz Stadium in the short and long term?
We know any proposal to increase activity at the stadium will raise questions locally — and rightly so. Being a good neighbour matters to us, and we understand the real impacts event days can have on people living nearby. Our plans are therefore about getting the balance right: making better use of the country’s second biggest stadium, while managing impacts carefully and delivering real benefits locally.
To do this, we are developing a longer-term masterplan for the stadium. This will look at how we can improve the fan experience, make the stadium work better for our neighbours, support local transport improvements, and ensure Allianz Stadium remains a secure source of income for rugby in England.
Parts of the stadium, including the North and West stands, have not been significantly updated since the 1990s. As a result, maintenance costs are increasing as wear and tear takes its toll. Without more comprehensive investment, those costs will continue to rise.
The stadium also underpins the financial model of rugby in England, generating around 85% of RFU revenues. That income is reinvested back into the game, from grassroots and community rugby through to the professional game and England teams. Without new and more diverse revenue streams, our ability to invest in the stadium and the game at the level required will come under increasing pressure.
Why can’t the stadium stay as it is now?
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MAJOR NON-SPORTING EVENTS
Why do you want to increase the number of non-sporting event days you can host at Allianz Stadium?
Even with a full rugby and concert calendar, the stadium would still sit empty for around 325 days a year. Making better use of the stadium during a short summer window would help us fund improvements to the venue, support the growth of the game, and deliver meaningful benefits locally.
Those benefits include additional spending in local shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels, more flexible event-day jobs for residents, a new Community Enhancement Fund, and improved access to major event tickets for local people.
This is significantly less than other major London stadia. Wembley Stadium is allowed to host up to 54 non-sporting events a year, while Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is allowed up to 30. Our proposal would therefore represent around half of what is currently allowed at Tottenham and just over a quarter of what is allowed at Wembley.
At present, Allianz Stadium can only host three concerts per year, with capacity capped at 55,000, compared to 82,000 for rugby matches. Concerts also cannot take place across consecutive days. These restrictions mean the stadium is at a significant competitive disadvantage when compared with venues of a similar scale.
Any increase would be phased and subject to review. We would not be allowed to move to 15 event days from day one. Progression would depend on demonstrating to Richmond Council, the Metropolitan Police and local transport providers that impacts are being well managed.
How many non-sporting event days do you want to host each year and how does this compare to other stadia?
What type of non-sporting events would you be looking to host?
Allianz Stadium has a long history of hosting some of the world’s biggest artists, and we want to create a new home for major live music in southwest London, complementing venues such as Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and The O2.
While the application would allow for a range of non-sporting events, these would be focused on major cultural and entertainment uses such as music concerts, comedy, outdoor cinema, television events, educational events, conferences and similar performances. Monster truck displays would be explicitly excluded.
All major non-sporting events would be subject to a 10.30pm curfew.
Is it true that football matches may be held at Allianz Stadium?
How have you decided on the number of non-sporting events you want to hold, and what stakeholders have you spoken to as part of this process?
It is also a deliberately measured proposal. Fifteen event days would still mean the stadium bowl sits empty for around 325 days a year, and the events would be concentrated into a short summer window, mainly at weekends, when there is greater capacity on the transport network.
We have developed the proposals through ongoing discussions with local communities and key partners, including Richmond Council, Hounslow Council, the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, South Western Railway and other local stakeholders.
Modern stadium tours increasingly rely on larger audiences and multiple nights in the same location to make shows viable. At present, our restrictions on capacity, the number of annual concerts and consecutive event days make it difficult to attract the world’s biggest artists.
By increasing the number of event days, allowing concerts to run over consecutive days, and increasing capacity, Allianz Stadium would be better placed to meet promoter demand and bring major live music back to Twickenham.
How do you know there is a demand for extra capacity for non-sporting events?
Would these changes to non-sporting event days be brought forward all at once?
No. The increase would be phased.
We would not be allowed to host 15 major non-sporting events at full capacity from day one. Subject to approval, we would start with a smaller number of events and would only be allowed to increase if we can demonstrate that impacts are being well managed.
The proposed phased approach is:
| Year | Event days | Event periods |
| Year 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 12 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 15 | 8 |
Progression to each stage would require checks from Richmond Council, local police services and local transport providers, including South Western Railway and Transport for London. The review framework would focus on transport performance and event management, reflecting the issues that matter most to local residents.
The masterplan
How can I have my say?
The proposals have been informed by an extensive programme of engagement over the past 18 months with local residents, businesses, community groups, Richmond Council, and transport partners. Since October 2024, more than 2,500 people have taken part in the consultation process through surveys, meetings, and events, including more than 1,500 people living within a 15-minute walk of the stadium.
Feedback received through this process has helped shape the plans, including the phased approach to events, transport management measures, and community benefits such as the proposed Community Enhancement Fund.
Once the planning application has been submitted, Richmond Council will run its statutory consultation, providing a formal opportunity to view the application and comment on the plans. Details of how to view the application and submit comments will be made available at that stage.
We know trust has to be earned, and we remain committed to open and ongoing dialogue with the local community throughout this process and beyond.
Our longer-term ambition is to create a stadium that works better for everyone, and includes:
- Enhancing the fan zone experience
- Putting Allianz Stadium at the forefront of inclusive design
- Improving the in-stadium experience
- Finessing our hospitality offering
- Ensuring a greener and more sustainable venue
What is your longer-term vision for the stadium as part of the masterplan?
Do you have any longer-term aspirations to increase the overall capacity of the stadium, or rebuild parts of it?
As we think about the long-term future of Allianz Stadium, our focus is on improving the experience for fans, visitors and neighbours. This includes better facilities, improved accessibility, enhanced concourses, a stronger fan zone offer, improved hospitality and a more sustainable stadium.
Some of these improvements will depend on generating new revenue through major non-sporting events, which would require approval from Richmond Council.
Improving the match day experience
How are you seeking to improve the match day experience for fans?
We want to enhance the fan zone experience with more vibrant spaces, high-quality entertainment and a wider food and drink offer. We also want Allianz Stadium to be at the forefront of inclusive design, with improved seating, clearer wayfinding, better step-free movement and assistive technologies.
Inside the stadium, we want to improve concourses, toilets, fan facilities and overall comfort. We are also exploring opportunities to improve hospitality through new suites, lounges and more flexible spaces that can serve a wider range of audiences.
Our goal is simple: to be the best neighbour we can be.
We know event days can have real impacts on nearby residents, particularly in relation to road closures, crowd movement, noise, antisocial behaviour, litter and communication. That is why we have undertaken a residents’ audit and are introducing new measures in response to local feedback.
These include working to reopen roads more quickly, increasing stewarding in areas residents have identified as a concern, strengthening coordination with the Metropolitan Police, TfL and Richmond Council, reducing opportunities for antisocial behaviour, improving resident communications, and reviewing the use and location of megaphones.
We already have a range of measures in place on major event days, including traffic management, crowd management, litter picking, additional bins, jet washing, restricted access on residential roads where needed, and a dedicated matchday community helpline.
What can you do to respond to the concerns of residents around match days?
How are you proposing to improve local transport services?
We are also working with Richmond Council, South Western Railway, Transport for London and other partners to make better use of capacity across the wider local transport network.
This includes:
- Better promotion of alternative local transport options through digital communications, apps and the stadium website.
- Improved wayfinding and signage between the stadium and local stations.
- Improvements to Whitton Road.
- Better management of private hire vehicles, including taxis and Ubers.
- Additional cycle parking provision.
- Optimised event management arrangements and improved stewarding.
- Continued work to maximise the efficiency of Twickenham Station.
No approval for more major non-sporting events would be given without the support of South Western Railway and Transport for London.
Hosting more major non-sporting events at Allianz Stadium would deliver meaningful benefits for Twickenham, Richmond, Hounslow and the wider local community.
For local residents, the proposals include 1,000 tickets reserved for local residents, with priority pre-sale access to some of the world’s biggest events. We are also proposing at least 30 free bookings of stadium spaces every year for local community groups.
A new Facility Fee, generated through a £1 ticket levy, would raise up to £1 million a year to be invested directly into event-day operations and local improvements. This could support community projects, local infrastructure improvements, operational enhancements around the stadium and other community or social initiatives.
The proposals would also increase spending locally by £28.5 million, helping support shops, bars, restaurants and hotels across Richmond and Hounslow, while creating over 400 new full-time equivalent job opportunities for residents in both boroughs.
More major events would also support improvements to transport and event-day management, including new train services and wider transport measures, while helping to strengthen Richmond’s position as a destination for culture.
What local benefits would more concerts deliver?
How would the Facility Fee work?
At least £1 of every Facility Fee collected will be allocated into the Community Enhancement Fund, generating up to £1m a year, to be ringfenced and reinvested locally in two ways so that the benefits of hosting concerts are felt throughout the year outside of the stadium.
These two ways the money will be spent include:
- Enhancing event day operations. This includes measures to minimise disruption for residents, ensuring that events are managed safely, efficiently, and with the community in mind.
- The creation of an infrastructure fund focused on both event day needs and wider improvements that benefit residents, local businesses and visitors. Potential projects include upgrades to paving, signage, bike racks, lighting and community projects guided by what local people identify as most important.
This means that at a sold-out concert of 75,000 people, we would raise around £75k per event – up to £1m on a year with a full event calendar.
We will administer the fund by creating a panel comprising local community and business organisation representatives, Richmond and Hounslow councillors and officers, and members of the RFU to help decide how the money is spent.
Around 85% of RFU revenues are generated by the stadium, and those revenues are reinvested back into the game — from grassroots clubs, schools and community rugby through to the professional game and England teams.
The RFU is a not-for-profit organisation, meaning the money we make is reinvested into rugby. Additional income from major non-sporting events would help us grow participation, strengthen the community game, support the men’s and women’s national teams, and make rugby more inclusive and accessible.
We want to create 50,000 new rugby players and 500,000 new fans by 2030. To achieve that, we need to invest significantly in the future of the game.
How would more concerts support rugby?
The planning and engagement process
What is the process for approving any changes to the number of major non-sporting events you can host?
The planning application will seek permission to increase the number and capacity of major non-sporting events. The licensing process will ensure the appropriate operational measures are in place, including those relating to safety, security, sound management, traffic management, crowd movement and ongoing community engagement.
Richmond Council will determine the applications, with input from statutory bodies including the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and South Western Railway.
Any increase would be phased and subject to review. If impacts are not managed effectively, further increases would not go ahead.