Wembley to resonate with musical acts

Article posted by Coliseum, April 13^th, 2021

Image: MJR Group Ltd./Coliseum

The Brent Council has given the go-ahead to the Wembley Stadium (UK) to be able to stage an extra nine non-sporting events.

‘Harrow Times’ stated that the Council’s planning committee unanimously approved proposals on April 7^th that could see up to 90,000 spectators grace 46 events across the calendar.

The 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium is a football stadium in Wembley, London (UK). It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the England national football team, and the FA Cup Final.

The above development would see the number of non-sporting events, such as music concerts, increase to a maximum 24 annually, alongside the 22 sports fixtures permitted every year, excluding European Championship or World Cup football matchups where England or the United Kingdom is a host nation.

‘Harrow Times’ further stated that permission has also been granted for Wembley to put on three additional sporting events each year provided they replace two non-sporting ones.

The above decision comes amid tooth and nail opposition from those living nearby to the stadium precincts as they are concerned about the impact of an increased number of full capacity events.

Though no representations were made at the planning meeting in opposition to the proposals, a council officers’ report noted concerns related to increased “anti-social behavior, transport issues, air quality and noise” during events at Wembley.

The report admitted the “high level” of impact on the surrounding area during event days but said there would be additional “mitigation measures” put in place to help tackle this.

Chris Bryant, Head of Tournament Delivery, Wembley Stadium, explained this move would allow “greater flexibility” as the site looks to compete with other stadia in the capital such as the 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium, the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium and the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in inviting major acts to the facility.

He added it would form a key part of the area’s recovery from the COVID-19 crush as the venue looks to reopen a full program from 2022.

Though the above decision gives the stadium the opportunity to play host to 24 non-sporting events each year, Bryant suggested this would be “unlikely”.

He added that a clause would be put in place to prevent non-sporting events being staged on more than four consecutive nights.

Bryant also pointed out that each concert brings in around £3.2 million for the wider Brent economy, while they help generate job opportunities through stewarding and hospitality.

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