Anfield lost out on 'global act' over gig rules

Anfield lost out on an undisclosed "global act" owing to rules around when the stadium can host major concerts, officials from Liverpool FC have claimed.

The club lodged a planning application with the city council to change when it can host gigs such as last month's Foo Fighters and My Chemical Romance shows.

Current rules mean there must be a 31-day window in July when no events – footballing or otherwise – can take place to allow residents respite.

Mark Worcester, the club's planning agent, said feedback had been received from concert promoters that there was "major demand" for venues in July.

The club asked the local authority to change the respite arrangement to allow more flexibility to secure more events.

This would allow shows to take place in July but would maintain a dedicated 31-day block when no events would be held.

It would likely affect when home matches would be played at the start of the Premier League season.

Worcester said under the current rules "a global act was unable to play at Anfield, resulting in lost revenue to the city".

He said: "Anfield is a popular choice for major global artists, some of whom do not perform at any other venue in the north of the country."

Since 2019, the Reds' stadium has played host to stars including Elton John, the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift.

On Tuesday My Chemical Romance played as part of their The Black Parade tour following two sold-out shows from American rockers The Foo Fighters.

The existing rules mean no further events will take place until 1 August at the earliest.

The club needs a licence to stage major events outside of football matches, which controls the sale of alcohol, how much noise is permitted and timings.

As a result, Liverpool City Council has granted permission for the stadium to be used no more than six times overall, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Portia Fahey, who represents the Everton North ward that borders the stadium, told the planning committee the proposed changes would reduce the respite residents get.

She said: "If you're shifting it into mid-July that would essentially widen that calendar for events to take place and it's not just the six events that may take place, it's the set up around them as well.

"It's the construction noise of building the stage and sound system, it's the full sound checks you get then taking it down and heavy HGVs taking everything away.

"The impact is not just these six days, it's a shortened respite period, it is much longer."

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