A group of consultants, including project manager RLB, architect Populous, and QS T&T Alinea, have been officially confirmed as collaborators in developing the redevelopment plan for Twickenham Stadium, the home of English rugby.

Goal: more non-sporting events

The stadium authorities hope to significantly increase the number of concerts held at the western London venue, helping fund the planned works. The Rugby Football Union (RFU), the organizer, wants to carry out a modernization of the stadium, which has been known as Allianz Stadium since last summer. Ambitious plans include improving transportation, reducing capacity to enhance fan comfort, and hosting up to 15 concerts per year—five times more than the current allowance.

The project, named Stadium Masterplan, also involves collaboration with other consultants such as transport and infrastructure specialist WSP, fire safety engineers Arup, planning consultants DP9, M&E engineers Griffiths Evans, landscape architect Planit, and feasibility consultant JDP London. Simply CDM is the lead designer.

The estimated cost of the work is £663 million, with the RFU hoping construction will begin after the 2027 Six Nations Championship. Currently, Twickenham is permitted to host three concerts annually, with a capacity of 55,000, but the aim is to increase that number to 15 concerts per year with an 82,000-seat capacity. However, this requires approval from the Richmond Borough Council. Despite its iconic status, Allianz Stadium remains underutilized, with its pitch and stands empty for 340 days of the year—this figure increases during Rugby World Cup years. This significant underuse represents a huge missed opportunity to generate revenue, which is crucial for funding necessary upgrades and supporting the growth of rugby across England, said RFU representatives.

© Instagram: @ncantelow

Decision expected this year?

In the coming days, three more consultation meetings will take place to present plans for the stadium’s future. The initial consultation, which took place last autumn, generated over 3,000 responses. Although it's too early to show how the stadium may look, these events will be an opportunity to hear from the RFU about what we want to achieve and how we’ve incorporated your feedback, said the union. According to the published timeline, Twickenham is expecting a planning decision and licensing approval to allow the increase in large non-sporting events by September this year.