Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in London, England. It is owned and operated by the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, replacing the club's previous ground, White Hart Lane. With a seating capacity of 62,850, it is the third largest football stadium in England and the largest club ground in London. It is also used for NFL International Series games. It features the world's first dividing, retractable synthetic turf pitch used for NFL games, concerts and other events.
The construction of the stadium was initiated as the centrepiece of the Northumberland Development Project, intended to be the catalyst for a 20-year regeneration plan for Tottenham. The project covers the site of the now demolished ground White Hart Lane and areas adjacent to it. It was conceived in 2007 and announced in 2008, but revised several times, and construction of the stadium, beset by disputes and delays, did not commence until 2015. The stadium opened on 3 April 2019 with a ceremony before the first Premier League game held there.
The name "Tottenham Hotspur Stadium" was meant to be temporary, the intention being to sell the naming rights to a sponsor, but it has still not been renamed. The stadium is sometimes referred to as New White Hart Lane by fans and some in the media.
Tottenham Hotspur was formed in 1882, and early matches of the club were played on public land at Tottenham Marshes. As their matches became more popular with the public and the number of spectators increased, the club decided to move to an enclosed ground allowing it to charge an entrance fee and control the crowd. In 1888, the club rented a pitch at Asplins Farm, next to the railway line at Northumberland Park. However, the ground soon became overcrowded, and in 1899 the club moved to a piece of land owned by the brewery company Charringtons to the east of Tottenham High Road behind the White Hart pub. This became the White Hart Lane ground.
The club acquired the freehold of the ground, as well as additional land at the northern (Paxton Road) end, in 1905. Starting in 1909, a new stadium with stands designed by Archibald Leitch was built over a period of two and a half decades. The stadium had a capacity of nearly 80,000 by 1934. Over the years, the stadium underwent a number of changes and seating replaced the standing areas, which reduced the capacity to about 50,000 in 1979. Significant standing areas, however, still existed, including the long stretch of raised standing terrace favoured by fans on the East Stand known as The Shelf.
Beginning in the early 1980s, the White Hart Lane ground was redeveloped, and in order to comply with the recommendation of the Taylor Report of 1989, it was turned into an all-seater stadium. The capacity of the stadium was reduced to around 36,000 by the time the refurbishment was completed in 1998. The capacity was, by then, lower than the grounds of other major English clubs, with many of these clubs also planning to expand further. As revenues from gate receipts in that period formed a substantial part of the club's income (before it became dominated by TV broadcast rights deals), Tottenham began to explore ways of increasing the stadium capacity to allow it to more effectively compete financially with rival clubs.
A number of schemes were considered over the years; these included rebuilding the East Stand as a three-tier structure, and moving to different stadiums and locations such as Picketts Lock and the Olympic Stadium at Stratford, London. None of these plans came to fruition, except for a proposal to redevelop the existing site that would become the Northumberland Development Project.
The club first announced in 2007 that redevelopment of the current site was one of the options under consideration. In April 2008, the club revealed that it was considering the acquisition of the Wingate Trading Estate immediately adjacent to the north of White Hart Lane for building the stadium. In October 2008, the Northumberland Development Project, which included the construction of a stadium, as well as a club museum, homes, shops and other facilities, was announced. The early plan was for Tottenham to move into the new stadium, while it was partially built, at the beginning of the 2012âÂÂ13 season, with the stadium completed by the end of the following season. However, the project was delayed, with the plan undergoing a number of revisions and the completion date pushed back several times. The club also did not fully commit itself to building the stadium in Tottenham until January 2012, after it had lost its bid for the Olympic Stadium to West Ham United.
The first plan of the project, with a 58,000-capacity stadium, was released in April 2009 for public consultation. In October 2009, the planning application for a 56,000-seat stadium, designed by KSS Design Group, and other buildings was then submitted. The proposal, which included the demolition of eight locally listed buildings and two nationally listed buildings, was criticised by conservation groups including English Heritage, as well as the Government's advisory body on architecture, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. In response to the objections, a revised plan, that retained some of the listed buildings, was resubmitted in May 2010. This plan was accepted by Haringey Council on 30 September 2010, and later by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as well as the government. However, only part of this plan, the construction of Lilywhite House, was implemented.
In August 2011, a major riot erupted in a deprived area of Tottenham. Haringey Council, keen to keep the economically important club within the community, issued planning permission for the project on 20 September 2011, and a week later removed the demand for community infrastructure payments usually required for such a project. In a joint statement with Haringey Council in January 2012, Tottenham announced that it would stay in North Tottenham and work with the council to rejuvenate the area. In this scheme, the Northumberland Development Project would serve as the catalyst for a 20-year regeneration program planned by the Haringey Council. In March 2012, Haringey Council approved of plans to hand over council-owned land in the redevelopment area, including part of Wingate Trading Estate, as well as Paxton Road and Bill Nicholson Way, to Spurs. It also agreed on a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to buy the remaining properties on Paxton Road that had yet to be sold. After a long delay, the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, confirmed the CPO on 11 July 2014. The owner of the remaining business with two plots on the development site, Archway Sheet Metal Works, then attempted but failed to have the CPO decision quashed in the High Court. On 31 March 2015, the remaining plots on Paxton Road were acquired, allowing the development to proceed.
It was first revealed in October 2013 that the club was considering a new plan for a multi-use stadium that can also host American football games. On 8 July 2015, the club announced that it had reached an agreement with the NFL to hold a minimum of two NFL games a year in a 10-year partnership from 2019. The same day a new design team was also announced, alongside a revised project plan, with Populous led by Christopher Lee responsible for the stadium design. In December 2015, Haringey Council approved the revised plans, including the demolition of locally listed buildings. The Mayor of London also gave formal approval to the plans in February 2016.
Building work on the Northumberland Development Project started in September 2012, however, construction of the stadium itself did not commence until 2015 due to the CPO dispute. The stadium was constructed in two main phases so that White Hart Lane could still be used in the 2016âÂÂ17 season while construction was still in progress. The first phase involved the building of the northern section of the stadium (including the North, West and East Stands), while the South Stand construction started in the second phase after White Hart Lane had been demolished. A large part of the land north of the existing stadium had been cleared by 2014 while the CPO dispute was ongoing. After the dispute was resolved, preliminary work on the basement began in the summer of 2015, with concrete and ground works for the foundation by Morrisroe starting in autumn 2015, based on earlier approved and amended plans.
The new plan for the project was given final approval in February 2016, which allowed the construction of the main structure of the new stadium itself to start soon after. In order to facilitate the construction of the northern section of the stadium while matches of the final season were still being played at The Lane, the northeast corner of White Hart Lane was demolished in the summer of 2016 after the 2015âÂÂ16 season had finished. From the basement to level 6, the construction of this section is in reinforced concrete. Three further levels above are constructed in steel frame. There are only six cores in reinforced concrete for vertical circulation of spectators instead of the eight expected of a stadium of this size as they needed to be constructed within the first phase of the stadium construction. The South Stand constructed in the second phase has open staircases to the concourses.
The demolition of most of the remaining White Hart Lane ground began the day after the last home match of the 2016âÂÂ17 season was played, and the demolition was completed with all visible remnants of White Hart Lane removed by early August 2017. Piling work for Phase 2 of the stadium construction started in June 2017. While the northern section constructed in the first phase is a largely concrete structure, the entire single-tier south stand has a steel frame to allow for a speedier construction. The two steel "trees" that support the South Stand were erected in December 2017. The compression ring that holds the cable net roof structure was completed in February 2018, and the roof structure raised in March 2018.
Parts of the old White Hart Lane have been incorporated into the new stadium â crushed aggregate of the concrete foundation of White Hart Lane was mixed in with new concrete to create the floor of the concourse of the new stadium, and bricks from the East Stand were used for the Shelf Bar. A number of heritage plaques are placed around the stadium marking points of the old stadium, such as its centre. The pitch was laid in early October 2018. The exterior of the stadium is finished with 35,000 decorative tiles, 4,801 perforated metal panels and 2,505 glass panels. The external cladding of the stadium was completed with the last few metal panels of the 'veil' installed in March 2019.
Four test events were initially planned at the stadium in August and early September 2018; the first two were intended only for club staff and officials, and the following two open to the public with increasing levels of attendance necessary for the issuing of safety certificate. However, issues with the critical safety systems due to faulty electrical wiring delayed the completion of the stadium, and these two games were postponed to March 2019. A fan familiarisation event was held instead at the stadium in December 2018. The first match, an under-18s fixture between Tottenham and Southampton held on 24 March, was attended by 28,987 fans and won by Tottenham 3âÂÂ1, with the first ever goal at the stadium scored by J'Neil Bennett. The second, a Legends match against Inter Milan on 30 March, was attended by 41,244, but resulted in a 4âÂÂ5 loss to the Inter Forever team.
The opening was originally planned for the second home match against Liverpool in September 2018, but delays to the opening of the stadium forced Tottenham to extend their temporary tenancy of Wembley Stadium for the 2018âÂÂ19 season until April 2019. They also played their home game in the third round of the EFL Cup at Stadium MK. The first NFL game was due to be Oakland Raiders against Seattle Seahawks on 14 October 2018 but this too was relocated to Wembley following the stadium delay. The club shop was the first to open on 23 October 2018. The stadium opened with a ceremony on 3 April 2019 before its first competitive senior game, a Premier League match against Crystal Palace. The match was won by Tottenham 2âÂÂ0, with Son Heung-min scoring the first ever official goal at the new stadium.
The stadium is an asymmetric bowl, with a capacity of 62,850. The bowl shape of the stadium comes from the need to maximise hospitality facilities while the asymmetry is the result of the creation of a single-tier stand in the south. The stadium is around 48 m high, 250 m long on its northâÂÂsouth axis and about 200 metres wide east to west. The stadium covers an area of 43,000 m<sup>2</sup>, nearly twice the area of White Hart Lane (24,000 m<sup>2</sup>). There are 9 floors in the horseshoe-shaped northern section above the basement, and 5 floors in the south, with a gross internal area of 119,945 m<sup>2</sup>, which is around four times that of White Hart Lane.
The front of the West Stand faces the High Road and features a projecting, angled, glazed box that encases an escalator and serves as the main entrance for guests and patrons. The projecting entrance, along with the facades of other buildings of the Tottenham Experience, present a traditional linear frontage along the High Road. A 9.5-m pavement is created in front of these buildings to improve the flow of the crowd on match day on the High Road. To the east, on Worcester Avenue, is a dedicated entrance for NFL events. There are two raised podiums for fans access, one to the north and one to the south. Away fans may enter from the northeast corner of the stadium via Worcester Avenue and the north podium. A large open public square, the size of Trafalgar Square, has been created on the south podium as the main access point for home fans. The square has a number of ventilation shafts, and it may be used for sporting and community activities. The square is fronted by a single 7,000 m<sup>2</sup> curved glazed facade, behind which is a 5-storey atrium where fans can access the South Stand.
The bulk of the structure dominates the surrounding area, but the appearance of the mass of the building is modulated by different claddings of glass, metal panels and pre-cast concrete. The perforated metal panels serve as a screen but allow for natural ventilation and light for the open plant areas in the stadium, and they also act as a unifying sculptured element in the appearance of the stadium. Regions of glazing not covered by the metal screen, including the main entrances and concourses, offices, Sky Lounge, as well the extensive glazed area to the south, allow for views into and out of the stadium. The metal panels may be in an open or closed position, and they are lined with LED luminaires that glow on match nights.
The roof is a cable net structure, held in place by an elliptically shaped compression ring. The roof has a circumference of 720 metres, and it is clad in standing seam aluminium panels that end with extruded polycarbonate on the inside edge to allow light through onto the pitch but reduce the contrast of the shadow of the roof on the pitch. 810 curved aluminium eave cassettes connect the roof to the wall. The pitch is lit by 324 LED floodlights, arranged in 54 groups of six and attached to the columns of the roofing system. There are four large LED screens inside the stadium, the two on the south side are the largest of any stadium in Western Europe. There are also two facade video displays on the outside of the stadium, three tiers of LED ribbon displays inside, and nearly 1,800 video screens in and around the stadium.
The stadium is designed like a concert hall with good acoustics in mind so as to optimise the atmosphere on match day. The corners of the stadium are enclosed and the stands are placed close to the pitch, with fans generating a "wall of sound" that can reverberate around the ground. The design extends to the shape and material of the roof and the seating, such as aluminium soffit lining to the roof, and aims to produce cleaner and quicker reverberation times that allow fans to sing in sync thereby producing chants that are louder and last longer. The stadium is also designed to maintain the character but noisier than White Hart Lane and facilitate a sense of "home".
Although the stadium is designed as a bowl, it still has four distinct stands. The tiers of the stands are set at angles of up to 35 degrees, the maximum permissible in British stadium design, and all seats provide clear views of the pitch for the ticket holders. The South Stand is designated the 'Home End', and it has a single tier which is the largest single-tier stand in the country, with seating for 17,500 fans. It is high with a 34 degree incline, has concourses on Level 1, 2, 3 and 4 and is accessible from the south atrium. The design of the South Stand is influenced by the "Yellow Wall" of Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion and the stand is intended to be the "heart-beat" of the stadium that can generate an intense atmosphere on match day.
The high North Stand has three tiers with concourses on Level 1, 2, 4 and 5. The East and West Stands are and high respectively, and have concourses on Level 1 and 5. Both stands have four tiers each, two of which are smaller and intended for premium seating. There are around 8,000 of these premium seats as well as 70 private loges and super loges for premium members and corporate hospitality. The seats of the stadium, initially numbered 62,062 but increased in three stages to 62,850. are in navy blue, with 42,000 of these reserved for season ticket holders. The seats have a minimum width of (compared with the of the previous stadium), increasing to for premium seats, with legroom of between .
Away fans are allocated seats in the north east corner; 3,000 seats in the lower tier for Premier League games, while for domestic cups they may be allocated up to 15% of the capacity spread over three tiers. The stands include areas with 7,500 seats that can be quickly turned into safe standing areas should there be a change in the legislation that banned standing in football stadiums. It is the first Premier League stadium with areas of rail seating, and it is one of the five stadiums to trial "safe standing" in January 2022. A family area is located in the north west corner for those attending with their children. Disabled fans are catered for with 265 wheelchair bays, areas for assistance dogs as well as facilities for those with "complex care requirements". Accessible seating is available in all four stands, where the design allows for flexible seating for family groups.
The association football pitch of the stadium has a standard dimension of , same in size as the pitches at Old Trafford and Wembley Stadium, but larger than the pitch at White Hart Lane. The overall grass surface is , including the perimeter between the pitch and the stands. The distances between the stands and the pitch are minimised so as to enhance the atmosphere on match days â on the east, north and west sides from the front of the stand to the pitch, and at the south end of the pitch.
In order to keep the football pitch in optimum condition, there are two different surfaces â a GrassMaster hybrid grass pitch for football, and a synthetic turf surface underneath to be used for NFL games, as well as concerts and other events. The football pitch can be retracted in a way similar to that of the Arizona Cardinals' home stadium, but it is the first in the world to split into three sections before retracting. The pitch needed to split so as to accommodate the two columns supporting the South Stand when retracting. Each of the three sections weighs more than 3,000 tonnes, and is made up of 33 smaller trays, making a total of 99 trays, with a combined weight of 10,000 tonnes. The retracting pitch slides into the car park under the South Stand and the south podium, and the surface can be switched in 25 minutes to an hour. The NFL field is placed 1.6 metres beneath the natural turf surface, and the change in height when the surface is switched also produces ideal sightlines for the front row for both codes (NFL team personnel tend to stand along sidelines in allocated areas which would block the view of the front row if the field level is not lower in NFL games).
The stadium features the world's first integrated grow lighting system over the pitch. Grow lights are suspended on six 70-metre trusses to encourage the growth of the grass in the shaded areas of the stadium, and they can be folded away under the North Stand when not in use. The grass can also be maintained for up to 5 days with artificial lighting, air ventilation, dehumidification and irrigation systems when the pitch is retracted under the south podium.
The stadium provides separate facilities for football and NFL players; these include changing rooms, medical facilities, restaurants, hydrotherapy pools, warm-up areas, pre-match players' lounge, as well as lounges and creches for their families. It also caters for the different requirements of football and NFL media. There are a number of bars for fans on match day. In the South Stand is the Goal Line Bar, which at is the longest in Europe. The White Hart and The Shelf are bars in the East Stand, while The Dispensary is found in the West Stand. The stadium offers a wide range of food and drinks outlets (65 at the club opening); in the South Stand is the 'Market Place' with a range of food and drink outlets, and a selection of food outlets are also available in other stands. Other features include an in-house bakery and the world's first microbrewery in a football stadium, which can produce 1 million pints of craft beer a year and deliver up to 10,000 pints a minute. The stadium is the first cashless stadium in the country, it also offers stadium-wide connectivity for all the fans with more Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth beacons as well as greater bandwidth than any other stadium. Some car parking spaces, but not for general admission fans, are provided underneath the stand and in the basement. A range of hospitality facilities in the East and West Stands are provided for those with premium memberships. These include two Sky Lounges on the top floor of the East and West Stands, with views over London and the pitch, the Sky Bridge, which is the world's first bridge to be suspended from the roof of a stadium, 65 suites of private loges and super loges, Michelin star level dining, and the Tunnel Club that allows its members to observe the players as they walk from the dressing room to the pitch through a glass-walled tunnel.
The stadium is intended to be active all year round as a sports and entertainment destination with conference and banqueting facilities. It offers visitor attractions such as a 'Dare Skywalk' opened on 31 August 2020; visitors may walk up the side of the stadium to the roof, then over a glass walkway around the golden cockerel above the South Stand where they may view the goal line from the roof, or abseil down to the south podium from a viewing deck. The East Stand includes a double-height banquet hall that may be used for conference events. To the south of the stadium, the raised podium forms a large open public square that may be used for a range of sporting and community activities. The Tottenham Experience, which includes a club shop, club archive and museum on Tottenham High Road, serves as the arrivals hub for visitors, where they may collect tickets and start a tour of the stadium. The museum is located in the Grade II listed Warmington House, and the new club shop is the largest in Europe, featuring a 100-seat auditorium area that may be used for pre-match experiences. On the northwest corner is M cafe, a media room that may be open to the public and used as a cafe on non-match days. On 23 July 2021, the OOF art gallery opened. The gallery occupies the Grade II listed Warmington House within the stadium and is accessed through the club shop. Other facilities may be offered in ancillary buildings surrounding the stadium, including a ticket office, and a planned extreme sports building as well as a community health centre.
A 4.5-m-tall and near-double-sized fibreglass replica of the spurs cockerel, originally created in 1909 to sit atop the west stand at White Hart Lane, was placed on the roof structure above the South Stand on 6 November 2018. It is a faithful replica of the original, including dents caused by Paul Gascoigne when he shot at it with an air rifle.
The main gates to the White Hart Lane stadium became known as the Bill Nicholson Gates after a photograph by Peter Robinson was published in the 1970s and featured Nicholson standing between the wrought iron gates. These were removed for safe-keeping in 2015 before the construction of the new stadium but were reinstated at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in July 2025, at the PAXTON17 area between the Ticket Office and the buildings at the north of the stadium. With an image of Nicholson on a hoarding behind the gates, there is a photo opportunity for fans as well as a lasting tribute to the former Tottenham Hotspur manager.
The stadium's overarching use is as the home venue of Tottenham Hotspur, who play all their Premier League and cup home matches at the ground. However, the stadium is also used for other football events; in its first year, it was used for a live screening of the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, select Under-23s games, as well as the first North London derby in the FA Women's Super League between Tottenham and Arsenal held on 17 November 2019. The stadium has since hosted a number of home games for Tottenham's women's team.
The stadium is intended to be used for a number of purposes aside from association football, serving as the venue for NFL games and other events. It can host up to 16 non-association football events a year, at least two of which will be NFL games. This was later proposed to be increased to 30 after Beyoncé's fifth show during her Renaissance World Tour caused the stadium to breach their licensing agreement and Haringey Council approved the move in 2024.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the first and only stadium to be designed specially for NFL games outside of North America and is officially the home of the NFL in the UK. The first game at the stadium took place on 6 October 2019 when the Chicago Bears played against the Oakland Raiders. A record crowd of 60,463 watched the Raiders win a close game 24âÂÂ21. The following week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Carolina Panthers on 13 October.
The first touchdown at the stadium was scored by Josh Jacobs. A number of NFL events were held at the stadium before the first game, including the trials for the first intake of the NFL Academy was launched at the stadium on 2 July 2019.
The NFL returned in after the games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New York Jets on 10 October 2021, and the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Miami Dolphins the following week on 17 October, with Atlanta and Jacksonville winning. Prior to cancellation of the games in 2020 both Miami and Atlanta were due to host games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Jacksonville were scheduled to host two games at Wembley Stadium.
The venue hosted two regular season games in October 2022. The New Orleans Saints hosted the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers hosted the New York Giants. This was the first time the Green Bay Packers played a game abroad.
The NFL returned to the Stadium for two regular season games in October 2023. The Buffalo Bills hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars who played at Wembley Stadium against the Atlanta Falcons the week before, making this the first time an NFL team has played back to back in London. The Tennessee Titans would then host the Baltimore Ravens the week after.
The first UK regional flag football championships for schoolchildren aged 8âÂÂ11 were held 3 July 2019. Twelve schools, 180 young athletes, playing their part in the stadium's first ever competitive NFL games. Houghton Primary School from Godmanchester beat Ysgol Gwynedd School from Flintshire 32âÂÂ31.
The stadium is one of the stadiums chosen to stage the matches of UEFA Euro 2028 to be held in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it will host four group stage matches and one round of 16 match.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was selected to host a match of the 2020 Kangaroo tour between and , however the tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first rugby league game at the stadium came two years later with the 2022 RFL 1895 Cup Final played on 28 May 2022 between Leigh Centurions and Featherstone Rovers, the competition is for professional clubs below the Super League and is played as a curtain raiser to the Challenge Cup Final. The 2022 Challenge Cup Final between Huddersfield Giants and Wigan Warriors was played following Leigh's victory in the 1895 Cup. Both played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium instead of their traditional home of Wembley Stadium due to Wembley holding the EFL play-offs, with the move to May a result of a BBC broadcasting conflict in the usual month of the final in August. Wigan won the cup final 16âÂÂ14 in front of 51,628 fans.
The Premiership Rugby club Saracens agreed to play their annual showpiece game at the stadium for five years, starting in 2020. However, the first match originally scheduled for 28 March 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saracens eventually played their first match at the stadium on 26 March 2022, when they defeated Bristol Bears. Saracens' showdown against Harlequins drew a crowd of 61,214 in March 2024.
In May 2024, the stadium hosted both the European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup finals. With Toulouse defeating Leinster in front of 61,531 fans and Sharks defeating Gloucester in front of 34,761 fans.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was proposed as one of four venues for a joint bid for the 2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup.
The stadium was originally permitted to hold up to six music concerts a year but the limit was lifted in 2023 and the stadium can now host concerts within the maximum of 30 major non-football events. The football pitch is retracted with the artificial pitch used for concerts.
The first artists scheduled to perform at the stadium were Guns N' Roses, originally to be in 2020 as part of the European leg of their Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour but delayed until 1âÂÂ2 July 2022 due to Covid. Other artists who have performed at the stadium include Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, whose five shows as part of her Renaissance Tour in 2023 produced an aggregate attendance of 240,330. Beyoncé returned for a six-night mini-residency in 2025, as part of her Cowboy Carter Tour bringing another 275,399 attendees, a record audience at the stadium.