The venue management company responsible for London Stadium has called on local authorities to permit a significant expansion of the site’s concert schedule.
London Stadium 185, which operates the facility, has submitted proposals to Newham Council seeking approval to stage additional non-sporting events as part of efforts to address ongoing financial difficulties.
According to the company, existing planning conditions create obstacles that prevent the venue from competing effectively with rival major stadiums.
The organisation has reportedly missed opportunities to secure performances by high-profile musicians including Harry Styles and Bad Bunny.
An application has been lodged requesting permission to stage 24 non-sport events annually, a substantial increase from the current limit.
The proposals include authorisation for concerts spanning four consecutive evenings, elevated attendance figures for musical events, and modifications to noise regulations.
Under existing planning conditions, the stadium is restricted to ten events per year, with attendance capped at 80,000 people and a maximum of three consecutive evenings.
Documentation accompanying the submission states these parameters have become increasingly limiting, constraining the company’s capacity to rival other major entertainment venues in the capital.
The submission indicates the venue has lost competitive bids for performances by Jay-Z, Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Bad Bunny to alternative locations including Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium.
The plans encompass raising the maximum attendance threshold to 85,000 for eight designated event days.
The company is also seeking a uniform noise limit of 75 decibels, replacing the current arrangement where six permitted events allow 75 decibels while the remaining four are limited to 65 decibels.
Capacity increases are also proposed for sporting occasions, with the venue seeking authorisation to accommodate 62,500 spectators at all sports events.
Currently, only West Ham United, the stadium’s primary tenant, benefits from this attendance level, while other sporting occasions are restricted to 60,000.
According to the company, expanding capacity is considered essential for the venue’s prospective bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
The number of sports events permitted annually would decrease from 87 to 70 under the new framework, a reduction the company states would not impact West Ham fixtures.
Additionally, the venue is seeking authorisation to incorporate boxing events among its 24 permitted non-sport occasions.
The planning statement referenced the attendance of 96,000 spectators at the Anthony Joshua versus Daniel Dubois bout held at Wembley Stadium during 2024.
In July, executives informed the Greater London Authority, which owns the stadium, that expanding the programme of major non-sporting events was necessary to offset financial deficits.
Representatives disclosed that the venue incurs annual losses of approximately £19 million because rental income from West Ham United proves insufficient to cover operational expenditure.
During an appearance before the London Assembly in July, London Stadium chair Lyn Garner confirmed that annual losses had remained at approximately £19 million for an extended period.
She additionally noted that the 2025/26 financial year had proved especially challenging for the venue, with only two summer concerts having taken place.
The planning application carries the reference number 26/01784/FUL and is available for inspection on the Newham Council planning portal.