Everton have applied for a licence to hold events at its 17,000-capacity Fan Plaza outside Hill Dickinson Stadium and it could include intriguing all-night events.
The club has officially applied for a licence to open the Fan Plaza for ‘plays, films, live music, recorded music, performance of dance, and entertainment of a similar nature’ every day of the week with opening hours available between 9am and 11pm at night.
The move would mean Everton could begin to book festival events in the Fan Plaza including music festivals and Christmas markets.
The licence has a second, more intriguing aspect. Everton plan to hold six events in the Fan Plaza that run from 11pm to 9am to cater for ‘time zone differences’.
The licence asks for: “Non-standard timings for all licensable activities: In order to cater for events in different time zones the ability on notice to operate on 6 occasions from 23:00 through to 09:00 the next day in accordance with a plan agreed with the responsible authorities.”
The licence could mean Everton hope to launch a fan park-style offering for events such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup in the USA, when many of the games will be shown at night and early in the morning. Hill Dickinson Stadium’s unique location a distance away from significant residential means it is perfect opportunity to hold outdoor fan parks a short distance from Liverpool city centre.
Everton have planned ahead for events in the Fan Plaza. The Dock Wall forms a natural barrier for events, meaning organisers will be able to spend less on fencing and security. The stadium is also capable of opening toilets on the lower level to cater for outdoor events on the Fan Plaza.
Everton have already secured Budweiser as a sponsor for the Plaza and would be able to supply catering in the form of food and drink trailers and trucks to support and events.