England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) has launched a public consultation as it seeks to generate more revenue streams for Allianz Stadium, with plans for up to 15 non-sporting events per year.
A dedicated website – ourstadiumconsultation.co.uk – has been launched to provide more details of the RFU’s plans. The RFU has noted that Allianz Stadium, formerly known as Twickenham, provides the governing body with 90% of its revenues but remains empty for as many as 340 days a year.
The RFU is exploring the potential of hosting more non-sporting events at the stadium, including concerts that can attract the “world’s biggest artists”. The current limit for concerts at Allianz Stadium is three per year, two of which must be on a Saturday.
Allianz Stadium gigs are also restricted to 55,000 capacity – compared to a capacity of 82,000 for rugby matches – and no single act can play across three consecutive days. The RFU has estimated that the concert limit needs to be increased to 15 per year to deliver what it feels is the required revenue.
The RFU is holding talks with councils in Richmond and Hounslow, Transport for London, South Western Railway and other stakeholders, and is also seeking feedback from locals. A survey, available for completion on the consultation website, will remain open until November 1.
The RFU said a phased approach would be taken to increase the number of non-sporting events at Allianz Stadium. Any changes would require both planning and licensing applications to be submitted to the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.
It is hoped that more clarity on the potential for more non-sporting events can be provided in the early part of next year.
Other areas of priority for the RFU include addressing “wear and tear” issues at the stadium, improving the event-day experience, and enhancing hospitality. There are no current plans to increase the overall capacity of Allianz Stadium for rugby events.
The RFU said: “Our focus is on attracting the world’s biggest international artists for concerts, although we are open to a range of different performances and events. Ultimately the more competitive we are against other stadia, the more selective we can be about who and what these are.”
The RFU announced in August that German insurance provider Allianz had acquired naming rights to Twickenham. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth around £100m (€119m/$131m) over 10 years.
In February, reports emerged that the RFU was set to pursue a major redevelopment of Twickenham after opting against approaching the Football Association (FA) about sharing Wembley.
Twickenham, or Allianz Stadium, has been the home of England’s rugby union team since 1909. Redevelopment work could begin after the 2027 Six Nations, with the new-look venue potentially being ready by 2031.
The RFU confirmed today (Monday) that work is underway on concept designs as part of a 10-year strategic plan to assess what improvement might be undertaken within the existing footprint of the stadium. These plans will be presented to the RFU board next year.
Allianz Stadium has previously hosted concerts from the likes of The Rolling Stones, U2, Eminem and Rihanna. The three non-sporting events it is permitted to host each year is significantly lower than Wembley’s 24. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is also able to host 30 non-football events per year.
