Newcastle United will have ambitions of hosting Sam Fender for years to come, as he kicks off his run of shows at St James’ Park.
After two successful nights at the home of Newcastle United in 2023, Sam Fender is back in 2025 to play three shows at St James’ Park. The first took place on Thursday night, with the North Shields superstar taking to the stage again on Saturday and Sunday.
Just like it is on matchday, St James’ Park will be a sea of black and white shirts, as the Geordies welcome home one of their own. Seeing a local lad playing the city’s biggest venue is incredible, while it will also be financially beneficial for Newcastle United.
Newcastle United set to make stadium decision after Sam Fender shows
Fender’s gigs at St James’ Park come at a time when Newcastle United are set to announce new stadium plans.
It is expected that Newcastle United will build a completely new stadium, with PIF set to sanction what will be a controversial move away from St James’ Park.
As the club aims to increase its revenue, a bigger stadium that is purpose-built should help take Newcastle United to the next level. And it is not just about football, as the club will have eyes on hosting even more events like the Fender shows this weekend.
Newcastle will receive a revenue boost from these concerts, while they will be aware that they can make even more money with a new stadium that is built with the intention of putting on concerts and other sporting events.
While St James’ Park is an incredible place to play football, it is not really suited for concerts. That is summed up by the stage being in the corner of the pitch, rather than directly where one of the goals would be.
When Newcastle United’s new stadium is fully designed, it will be done with visions of welcoming the biggest names in the music industry to Tyneside as well as being home to Eddie Howe’s Magpies.
PIF will hope Tottenham Hotspur’s revenue is a glimpse into Newcastle United’s future
Geordie Boot Boys have spoken to TBR Football’s finance expert Adam Williams about the impact that non-football events could have on Newcastle United’s revenue.
He has pointed towards Tottenham Hotspur as an example, who have made millions since welcoming the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Tyson Fury and the NFL to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“If you look at what has happened to Spurs’ commercial income before and after the move into the new stadium, you can see how much non-football events are worth,” he said.
“They earned £55million from those events last season – that’s more than Newcastle earned from their entire matchday income.
“It’s common knowledge in football finance now that there is no point in spending potentially billions on an asset only for it to be in use 25-30 days per year. You need to be generating revenue all year round, otherwise the costs of building the stadium aren’t justifiable.
“The Spurs comparison maybe is a little bit different given that they have the London location. I don’t think Newcastle have quite the same opportunities in the North East. But it can certainly be a big earner if the new stadium becomes the go-to venue for stadium gigs in the region, which I fully expect it to do.
“That in turn can help you boost your brand as a club. Spurs have turned down a naming rights deal for the stadium so far because they are enjoying the benefits of having the Tottenham name above the door when the NFL or Beyonce comes to town. They were looking for £20million-per-year from a naming rights deal at some point and the fact they have foregone that shows how powerful having your name associated with these acts and events can be.
“I’ve heard that Newcastle are also pitching the stadium as a catalyst for urban regeneration. In layman’s terms, that means using the stadium itself as a centrepiece for wider property development. That way, you have a huge complex that is generating money not just for the club but contributing to the Newcastle economy too.
“In terms of how this will affect the football side of the club, PIF have said they will always spend the maximum allowed under PSR, so it’s all about how you create as much headroom as possible. If you have much greater income from hosting events and operations at a big stadium complex, that means the football side of the business itself can basically be a loss leader. It’s a flywheel approach, where the areas of the business with a greater return of investment compensate for the rest.”
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
