2025 Magic Weekend update as likely venue and potential dates emerge

Magic Weekend is set to return to its spiritual home of St James’ Park in Newcastle for 2025, with a reported date set around the August bank holiday weekend. 

The event has been run in Newcastle seven times since 2015, however, this year it was moved to Leeds’ Elland Road.

Despite a revamped look – to Magic WKND – and increased marketing for the two-day showpiece of rugby league, it was one of the lowest attendances in recent years with 53,103 in attendance across both days.

Magic Weekend set to return to Newcastle?

It is widely understood the RFL are looking at five potential destinations for next year’s Magic Weekend, but an official from Newcastle City Council has confirmed talks are on-going for it to return to the city.

Speaking at a scrutiny board meeting earlier this week, Jim Mawdsley, the local authority’s principal advisor on events and culture, said at a scrutiny committee meeting on Thursday: “We are in negotiations with Rugby League Super League about bringing Magic Weekend back to the city.”

He added: “The reason we didn’t have it this year was because we couldn’t find a date at St James’ Park, due to Rugby League changing its schedule; but we believe at this point that we may have found a date (in 2025) to suit all parties.”

Per reports from Chronicle Live, this is set to be around the August bank holiday weekend.

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Also commenting on the news, Newcastle City Councillor, Dan Greenhough, welcomed the return to St James’ Park after the Elland Road edition.

He said: “It was a bit of a damp squib this year in Leeds – and I say that as a Yorkshireman. I would be very proud to see it brought back to Newcastle and we know how much it brings into the local economy.”

Newcastle has previously delivered some of the biggest crowds for the Magic Weekend, including the current record of 68,276 set in 2016. The 2023 edition – the last to be held in Newcastle – drew in 63,312 people across the two days, nearly 10,000 more than this year’s event.

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