Newcastle United to benefit from exciting stadium return as 'impressive legacy' continued

Newcastle United are set to benefit financially after confirming Sam Fender will once again return to St James' Park for two gigs as the north east outfit ponder whether to build a new stadium elsewhere.

The North Shields-born singer has confirmed two June dates in 2025, following up on his incredible 2023 double-header that saw 100,000 music fans flock to the venue across two nights and brought an estimated £15m to the local economy. Concerts have been few and far between at St James' Park in recent years but you suspect that will change as Newcastle chiefs plot how to extract extra revenue out of the 52,000-seater venue before potentially waving goodbye to it forever.

You only have to look at one of the Magpies' biggest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, to see that welcoming musicians into football grounds can mean big business. Spurs currently have permission to hold 16 non-football major events each year at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a state of the art venue that was completed in 2019.

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The north London take a cut of the merchandise sold at these events, along with a flat fee for hosting sporting events such as NFL matches and Rugby League finals. Industry estimates on how much Tottenham made from hosting the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers concerts have previously been as high as £15m but the club say the final figure, after costs, totalled around £5m.

This extra revenue helps Tottenham both compete with their football rivals financially, while steering clear of financial fair play restrictions that have plagued other top flight sides. Newcastle are hoping to follow suit by opening similar channels in the future - either at St James' Park or at a new venue, likely to be built in the city centre.

Speaking just this week, Chief Operating Officer Brad Miller admitted a new stadium could help the Magpies double their revenue. Meanwhile, discussing the benefits of the Sam Fender concerts, Chief Financial Officer Peter Silverstone said: "St James’ Park has become an iconic music venue in the North, as anyone who was here for Sam Fender’s performances in 2023 will testify.

“Those shows were unforgettable, and they exemplify the type of premium events we want to continue attracting to the stadium alongside elite football. We are so excited for packed St James’ Park crowds to experience Sam’s new People Watching Tour and are delighted to be collaborating with Sam, and his band and management team, to bring such incredible events to the city of Newcastle.

"We are building on an impressive legacy of hosting world-class events, whether it’s huge music artists, Magic Weekend, World Cup rugby across both codes, and international football – including the next Euros in 2028. Our location in the heart of the city and connectivity to the transport network are key. All fans just love coming to Newcastle, and we can’t wait to welcome them back.”