Newcastle United have suffered a disappointing financial and sporting setback after losing out on the chance to host next year’s Magic Weekend, an event that has long felt like a natural fit for the city.
For years, St James’ Park has been seen as the spiritual home of the rugby league showcase, and its absence in 2025 will leave a gap that goes far beyond the pitch. The city is expected to miss out on around £10 million of economic benefit, and the club will also lose an important boost to their PSR position at a time when every revenue stream matters.
The iconic stadium has staged the event more than any other venue, with eight editions taking place beneath the towering stands of St James’ Park. Fans of both rugby league and football have embraced it, turning the weekend into a celebration that spills into bars, streets and hotels around Newcastle.
Despite the event’s future once being in doubt due to the planned expansion of Super League to 14 teams, the idea of reviving Magic Weekend for 2025 gathered momentum, and Newcastle were immediately interested.
The club made it clear that they wanted to continue as hosts, building on a successful relationship with the Super League that stretches back almost a decade.
But Everton have stepped ahead in the race, securing hosting rights for the event at their brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium next July. The decision comes after the venue staged a wildly successful Ashes Test earlier in the month, where a sell-out crowd of more than 52,000 fans cemented its potential as a destination for major non-football events.
For rugby league officials, it seems the combination of a modern venue, a vibrant waterfront location and the momentum created by the Ashes Test proved too tempting to ignore.
Chronicle Live understands that the primary reason Newcastle missed out is simply timing. The dates for the event July 4th and 5th fall right in the middle of summer, a period when St James’ Park is likely to be booked for concerts and other large-scale events.
The stadium has become a sought-after location for major music acts, with Sam Fender drawing enormous crowds for three nights last June. Recently leaked information on a possible Oasis reunion tour even suggested St James’ Park could be hosting the band on July 3rd, directly clashing with the Magic Weekend dates.
That clash meant Newcastle simply could not commit, leaving the organisers to move on to the next viable venue. It is a blow made worse by the fact that last year’s edition at St James’ Park attracted more than 64,000 attendees and generated over £10 million for Newcastle’s economy.
It included the biggest Sunday crowd in the event’s history and marked the first time the second day had ever outdrawn the first. Those numbers underline how strongly the city has embraced Magic Weekend, and how much impact the event has had on local businesses.
Newcastle City Council acknowledged the disappointment but emphasised their pride in hosting the event so many times. They praised the long-term relationship built with Super League and made it clear that they would happily welcome the event back in future years.
Magic Weekend has become part of the city’s sporting identity, and the door remains open for a potential return in 2026 or beyond.
Magic Weekend first came to St James’ Park in 2015 and remained there until 2018. After the pandemic, it returned again for three consecutive years between 2021 and 2023.
Even when Elland Road hosted the event in 2024, Newcastle quickly regained hosting rights for 2025 before scheduling conflicts got in the way. The long-running relationship is one reason many believed the event was almost guaranteed to stay in the North East.
Rhodri Jones, the commercial managing director for Rugby League, expressed excitement about taking the event to its seventh different venue since Magic Weekend was introduced in 2007.
He described the Hill Dickinson Stadium as a beautiful and modern ground with excellent facilities, well-placed for summer events along Liverpool’s waterfront. The sport sees the move as an opportunity to bring a fresh atmosphere and open the doors to new fans.
For Newcastle United, the consequences go beyond prestige. The club will lose the stadium fee they typically earn from hosting the event, and they will also miss out on income generated through the surrounding club-owned facilities, including the always-busy Stack fan zone.
These earnings contribute directly toward their PSR calculations, and losing a guaranteed stream of revenue is far from ideal at a time when the club is striving to boost its commercial output.
Newcastle’s ownership group, PIF, were believed to be enthusiastic supporters of hosting Magic Weekend. Their broader sports strategy has seen them expand into football, boxing, golf and tennis, and keeping a major rugby league event at St James’ Park fit neatly into that long-term vision.
The timing of the decision is also notable because Newcastle’s top officials will soon travel to Everton’s new stadium themselves, with the Magpies set to play there for the first time this Saturday.
That visit will allow PIF executives to see the new venue up close while Newcastle continue to weigh their own options regarding stadium expansion or a potential new ground at Leazes Park.
Everton CEO Angus Kinnear expressed pride and excitement at hosting Magic Weekend so soon after the success of the Ashes Test. He described the sell-out attendance as a landmark moment for the club, reinforcing the idea that Hill Dickinson Stadium is ready to become a major multipurpose venue.
He also looked ahead to welcoming fans from across the rugby league world and showcasing the city’s ability to deliver large events in style.
For Newcastle, the setback is significant, but it will not prevent the city from targeting future opportunities. Magic Weekend has become part of Newcastle’s identity, and both the club and the city remain committed to bringing it back when schedules and circumstances allow.
