No, really: Beyonce is causing a major headache for Tottenham's end of the season

Beyonce accepts an award at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena on 5 February, 2023 in Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Beyonce accepts an award at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards (Image credit: Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

Tottenham have landed themselves in hot water with the local authorities, after their stadium breached its licence by selling tickets to a fifth Beyonce concert this year.

The R&B icon – who scooped nine awards at last month's Grammys – was already set to play four shows at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May and June, but the extra date has put Spurs in a spot of bother.

The first date comes on May 29, one day after the end of the Premier League season, and the other gigs run until June 4.

With rock giants the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Afrobeats superstar Wizkid also lined up to perform over the summer, Spurs' ground has exceeded its permitted limit of six concerts per year.

For Beyonce to be allowed to take the stage for a fifth time, stadium bosses must submit another planning application to the council – and they'll have to hope it's accepted, because general admission tickets have already sold out...

Speaking about the situation, Councillor Dana Carlin of Haringey Council explained: "Welcoming global superstars, like Beyonce, will attract thousands of music fans and benefit our local businesses."

She added, though, that the impact on residents in the area surrounding the stadium "has to be balanced against this".

"We are disappointed that we have got to this stage," Cllr Carlin continued.

In other non-football ventures, Spurs announced last week that a karting track would be built under the stadium's South Stand as part of a 15-year deal with Formula One.

While Spurs have snuck into the Premier League top four in recent weeks, they have also been knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Sheffield United, and face an uphill struggle to progress in the Champions League after losing their second round first-leg tie to AC Milan.

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...