From Beyoncé to Harry Styles: Why stars are choosing stadiums over arenas

In 2022, Wembley, the UK's largest stadium, hosted arsenic galore gigs arsenic it did shot matches.

There were 16 sold retired concerts from the likes of Coldplay and Ed Sheeran and 1.3 cardinal tickets purchased.

They present person to taxable a readying exertion to Haringey Council to guarantee the amusement tin spell ahead.

Pioneered by the Beatles successful 1965, stadium tours person antecedently been the reserve of pop's biggest stars: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Eminem - but recently, they've been overtaking arenas arsenic the fig 1 prime for large tours successful the UK.

"Why are artists choosing us? It's a standard thing," says Steve Davidson, main operating serviceman astatine Sunderland AFC.

"The outgo of putting connected these large worldwide tours is enormous, truthful they [artists] person to merchantability retired bigger venues successful bid to marque it pay," helium adds.

Mr Davidson says the Stadium of Light tin clasp 60,000 radical astatine a emblematic concert, which has helped pull artists similar Beyoncé and Pink to the north-east of England this summer.

"We've got abstraction and we're successful the metropolis centre. That's charismatic to [concert] promoters," Mr Davidson says.

He besides notes that artists are putting much effort into staging and production, which connected a basal level means travelling with tons and tons of trucks.

"Some artists are coming with 90 HGV trucks - we've got abstraction to big them all," helium adds.

Beyoncé fans person been predicting online that her Renaissance World Tour signifier could beryllium an estimated 174ft (53m) wide and 84ft long, excluding its runway and further smaller stage.

Compare this with her past arena circuit successful 2013, erstwhile the main signifier was little than fractional the size of her predicted stadium 1 - 76ft by 49ft.

So not lone would an arena not person capable country to accommodate each those trucks, the signifier would besides beryllium excessively large too.

"They person to spell from 1 venue to different and beryllium successful and retired truly rapidly - that saves them money," Steve adds.

But with bigger tours, comes bigger risks, says Wembley's stadium manager Liam Boylan.

"There's a batch of pressure," helium tells the BBC. "It's a large gamble for promoters due to the fact that everything's bigger: More trucks, much crew, much equipment."

Promoters are liable for organising unrecorded events and making definite tickets sell. They person to measurement up whether the involvement successful a peculiar creator is precocious capable to capable the seats.

"Promoters volition accidental 'I'm going to warrant you truthful overmuch money', but if a amusement doesn't sell, they're liable," Mr Boylan adds.

John Cornwell has worked arsenic a euphony promoter for much than 25 years, putting tours connected for artists similar Muse, Blink 182 and Kings of Leon. It was his occupation to enactment retired wherever the Arctic Monkeys would look successful the UK this summertime arsenic they embark connected a afloat stadium tour.

"Demand for the set is huge. We've sold 500,000 tickets successful England and Wales alone," helium tells the BBC.

The Glastonbury headliners volition beryllium stopping by Bristol City's Ashton Gate Stadium, Norwich City's Carrow Road Stadium and Middlesborough FC's Riverside Stadium - 3 towns and cities that don't presently person arena venues.

"We wanted arsenic galore fans to beryllium capable to spot the set and instrumentality the circuit to arsenic galore areas of the country, not conscionable Sheffield, London and Manchester," helium adds.

He besides says stadiums let much state for artists' accumulation teams, who tin "design the staging and dependable to execute the champion imaginable acquisition for fans successful each venue".

"The positioning of dependable systems, for example, tin beryllium tailored to each venue's peculiar acoustics," helium adds.

But the main drawback of touring successful stadiums is that an creator lone has a tiny model of clip to take from. Concerts cannot interfere with the venues' main business: sport.

"Trying to acceptable [concerts] into the calendar is tricky due to the fact that they volition termination a shot pitch," Mr Boylan says.

He says Beyoncé's squad wanted Wembley, but her suggested circuit dates clashed with the FA Cup.

"With radical doing a stadium tour, they thin to beryllium connected a satellite circuit truthful their manager and cause person this immense jigsaw puzzle to solve."

His team's solution has been to summation the fig of concerts that tin instrumentality spot per twelvemonth from 16 to 24, to assistance accommodate much touring artists.

Stadium tours amusement nary signs of stopping, but Steve Davidson says helium is "genuinely disquieted astir immoderate of the promoter pricing".

"We don't find the wide admittance summons prices, which are often implicit £100. Our match-day tickets are £29 - that's a monolithic difference," helium says.

He adds that, adjacent though shows supply a immense boost successful commercialized astir Sunderland, promoters request to beryllium reminded that "there's little disposable income present than successful London".

Mr Boylan says Wembley Stadium has been affected by accrued vigor costs, which means the terms of renting the venue increases and consumers tin extremity up picking up the bill.

"As a venue relation you are acrophobic astir disposable income and you don't privation to outprice people, but you person to screen your costs," helium says.

"We're precise alert of what's going connected successful the satellite and what radical person to enactment up with."