Whether it be a fan zone, museum, sky walk or hotel, stadiums across the UK and around the world are seeking new ways to generate revenues and become 365-day-per-year destinations.
Old venues are being adapted to accommodate such activities, while newbuilds are being designed with non-match day events in mind. At high-capacity stadiums in particular, it is no longer an option to accept that visitors will simply turn up just before the start – and return home straight after the end – of a handful of games every year.
The state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is often held up as the ultimate example of a year-round destination. As well as Premier League football matches, the stadium has hosted NFL American football games, Premiership Rugby fixtures, boxing, and concerts from the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Guns N’ Roses.
Other attractions include an F1-branded karting experience and The Dare Skywalk, which offers a sweeping bird’s eye view of both the stadium and London. There is something for everyone.
The topic of stadiums as year-round leisure and entertainment facilities was discussed by a panel of experts at TheStadiumBusiness Design & Development Summit 2024 at Emirates Old Trafford a few weeks ago.
The panel was chaired by Keith Thomas, chief executive of leisure business consultancy Petersham Group, and also included Steve Davies, chief operating officer of Chester Race Company; Guy Monkley, head of sales at Architen Landrell; and Andy Broad, managing director, founder and owner of Wire & Sky.
Immersive, interactive experiences
Thomas introduced the session by offering an overview of how museums can appeal to the modern fan.
“I think most stadiums now are looking to make the most of the heritage that they have, either through stadium tours or museums,” he said. “That goes right across the board here. Whether it’s Liverpool or Melbourne Cricket Ground, they’re very much appealing to fans; the people who’ve already bought into the brand.
“Museums now are not fusty, dusty places with glass cabinets with memorabilia in them. They are amazing, interactive, immersive venues which are seeking not only to tell great stories but also communicate the ideals of the brand or whatever they’re representing. They are a really useful and important tool in terms of widening the appeal of the venue to the visitor. Some are turning into very substantial projects in their own right.”
The discussion then turned to attractions that appeal more to thrill-seeking fans.
Broad shared details of the many attractions offered by Wire & Sky, which specialises in rooftop experiences at venues. Its clients include The O2, Wembley Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
The aim of these attractions is to appeal to the everyday visitor, rather than hardcore fans of a specific club or national team. Broad cited the roofwalk climb at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as the ultimate “city-centre experience”.
Located just a short distance from the train station, Principality Stadium is ideally placed for casual visitors or tourists. The Wire & Sky attraction only opened earlier this year, but it is already rated number one on TripAdvisor for outdoor activities to do in Cardiff.
“The aim for this market is mass appeal,” said Broad. “It’s not necessarily the fan of Welsh rugby, it’s also for the family coming to visit Cardiff for the day, looking for something memorable to do that they can take away as a family and think, ‘That was a great activity that we shared together’.
“We’re basically looking to use unused roof space, areas that are sitting there not doing a lot for you, effectively. They’re spaces that you need as part of your build but they’re obviously an opportunity that you can create another new additional revenue stream from.”
‘Stay another day’
Venues that are unable to offer the high-octane experience of a roofwalk are seeking other ways to diversify their offering. Chester Racecourse – which only hosts 15 race days per year – is one such venue, having built a hotel and hosted regular conferences and other events.
Davies joined Chester Race Company in 2022 having previously spent time at Emirates Old Trafford. Prior to that, he worked in visitor attractions and spent time as general manager of Madame Tussauds in London.
Some 3.9 million people would visit Madame Tussauds a year, compared to the 150,000 people attending Chester Racecourse. “The drop-off is remarkable, but if you can get them to just stay an extra day, we’ve got 300,000 coming,” said Davies.
“If you can put a hotel in place, it’s that sense of destination, that question of ‘why would I stay another day?’
“Whether that be the examples we’ve seen about bowling or darts, or getting onto a roof. Whatever that is, just get that person to stay another day. That ‘one place for all’ venue is probably where everything is going.”
Davies added: “If you go back to the theme park world, what they did really well over time was they added Halloween, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Easter and all these events that everybody in the world celebrates.
“I think sports stadiums could do more of that. We’re blessed with big open spaces; we’re generally blessed with big open rooms that are fairly blank, and you can just convert them quite a bit.”
Open space is key
Another attraction that is becoming more commonplace at stadiums is the fan zone.
Manchester City is building an open ‘City Square’ space as part of its Etihad Stadium expansion, while similar experiences are in the works at fellow Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leicester City.
Monkley discussed the potential of fan zones for clubs and noted the vast open space available at Everton’s new stadium. Architen Landrell specialises in tensile architecture, enabling venues to maintain covered, open spaces.
“I think we’re starting to see more and more fan zones,” Monkley said. “It’s really interesting at Manchester City with the City Square they are developing. It’s essentially a great space for a fan zone on a match day, but it’s also what they’re building around that.
“It’s got a canopy to cover the space and what they can do within that space on non-match days is unlimited really with the commercial buildings that they’ve got, the shops, and the staging, They can put on events throughout the year, separately and as a total aside from the football, although it is intricate and key to the match day itself.”
Davies added: “It’s interesting because, in the UK especially, the retail park has become a destination, which is essentially just a giant car park. So, if that can do it then absolutely a sports stadium can become a destination!”
