By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
Fulham FC’s £110m Riverside Stand has already redefined what a football venue can be and has now been granted permission to host major live events, allowing performances and concerts for audiences of more than 500 people until 11pm, seven days a week.
The club has launched a public consultation outlining plans to stage up to six concerts each summer, extending the stadium’s use into the off-season months of June and July.
The six-storey, mixed-use development was designed for year-round activity rather than just match days, featuring a food hall, Michelin-starred restaurant, members’ club, event space, hotel and spa, all built above a new public riverwalk along the Thames.
The Riverside Stand has lifted Craven Cottage’s capacity to 28,800, increased premium seating from 1.5% to 10%, and ensured that over half of all venue revenue now comes from non-match-day activity.
It also reopened a 200-metre stretch of riverwalk closed for more than a century, turning the site into a new community and leisure hub under the Fulham Pier banner.
Why It Matters:
By designing for everyday operation rather than just match days, and now also layering new licensing rights, Fulham has created a multi-purpose waterfront venue capable of generating consistent, year-round income while keeping fans, residents, and local authorities engaged.
Of course, not every club sits on the banks of the Thames (Fulham’s location is uniquely advantageous to this) but it still offers a valuable case study in how clubs can compete commercially by thinking smarter about real estate and identity beyond football. You can say they’re lucky, but Fulham is leaving very little to chance when it comes to maximising its strongest asset.
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