Twickenham Stadium Eyes Concert Boom for £660m Upgrade

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is proposing a significant increase in non-sporting events at Twickenham Stadium, aiming to host 15 concerts annually instead of the current three. This initiative is crucial for generating funds needed to finance a £660m stadium overhaul. Previously, Richmond council imposed a limit of three concerts per year due to resident concerns regarding transport and anti-social behaviour.

To counter these objections, the RFU plans to reveal new proposals, including a revamp of Twickenham rail station to improve passenger capacity and the deployment of undercover police and stewards to tackle unruly conduct. These measures are intended to address the council's significant concerns over transport links and behavioural issues, which had previously halted the RFU's expansion plans.

The union intends to resubmit licensing and planning applications after local elections in May. RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney emphasized the necessity of these additional events for reinvestment in the stadium, highlighting its contribution to the local and greater London economies. He expressed confidence in overcoming previous hurdles and securing support for the expansion, noting that venues like Wembley host more events.

Past issues have included significant revenue loss due to engineering works and an overreliance on the Twickenham rail station, causing lengthy road closures post-match. The RFU hopes to increase public transport usage via better education and signage. The proposed increase in events aims to prevent restrictions that have previously led to lost revenue, such as missing opportunities for multi-night concerts by major artists.