In this article for Liverpool ECHO Premium subscribers, Joe Thomas explains how new pitch technology could create a larger window to host summer events at Everton’s magnificent new ground
17:26, 02 Apr 2026
The pitch is watered before Everton’s first league game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in August(Image: Tom Jenkins/ Getty Images)
Everton are exploring new pitch technology as part of work to create a larger window to host summer events at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
A fresh pitch typically takes around seven weeks to grow, massively cutting down the amount of time available for events inside the stadium arena in the off-season.
With the new Premier League starting every August that leaves a small window in June before attention has to turn to preparing the playing surface for the upcoming campaign.
Avenues being considered include the potential to start growing a pitch at a secondary site so that it can then be rolled into place closer to the beginning of the campaign, increasing the window for events such as concerts in the summer.
The move is one of a host of ideas being discussed as Everton look to make the most of the commercial opportunities presented by the state-of-the-art new stadium.
Hosting live music has always been central to the long-term plan, with the potential for performances inside the ground and on the fan plaza outside the stadium available to the club.
It is part of efforts to do what could not be done at Goodison Park and turn the stadium into a space that can host events around the year, including performances from big name artists.
Such events can provide lucrative additional revenue for the club, particularly useful as the Premier League adopts a new financial regulatory system based on the ratio between squad costs and revenue.
Essentially, clubs will only be able to spend a certain percentage of their revenue on the playing squad – meaning the greater the revenue, the more money there is that can be spent on the pitch. A similar system is already used by UEFA.
Everton are yet to hold a concert at Hill Dickinson Stadium largely because tours are typically planned at least 18 months in advance.
With the ground, which has so far cost £813m according to the accounts released by the club on Tuesday, having only opened in August of last year, the hope is the success of the venue so far will drop it onto the radar of acts and their planning operations.
While Hill Dickinson Stadium is yet to host a major live music event, the ground has quickly become a ‘go-to’ venue in the world of sport.
On Tuesday night, it hosted its first international football fixture as Scotland faced Ivory Coast.
It has already held international rugby league with England and Australia having played an Ashes test there, while England’s Lionesses will face Ukraine on the waterfront later this year.
Hill Dickinson Stadium is also set to host Rugby League’s Magic Weekend as well as matches during Euro 2028.