London Stadium — Attraction in London

This was my first proper trip to a football stadium. I had intended to go in September, but the game cold got canceled cause the Queen died. I really didn't like the fact that the next Chelsea away game at the stadium would be in cold February. To make matters worse, the customer service guy said, "arrive early cause of queues." Little did he know that I am the CEO and MD of early arrivers as I hate tardiness. But I guess this was my undoing yesterday cause whilst there were no queues indeed, I subjected my (non-existent) balls to frozen temperatures for 1.5 hours before the game started. Although it was nice to watch the stadium go from empty to full. Still, I will not be arriving that early ever again. I like that the stadium is at the heart of Stratford, where all the action is. Just outside is the lake where you can book boat rides and those duck boats (whatever they're called) that you can hire and ride by yourself. Next to the stadium is also Arcellormittal Orbit, where you can go on a slide down the side or do abseiling. Then you have restaurants further down before you then get to Westfield shopping center. You can literally knock yourself out with to dos and fun days out in Stratford. It's lovely. Back to the West Ham stadium. If you're ever going to go watch a match, make sure to bring along your own sandwich cause one flimsy burger that won't even fill up an ant costs £9.50. Drink costs £4.50. Water is £2.75. On top of that, you can't leave the building to go outside and get something cheaper until the game is over. I know what you're thinking. Ridiculous, right? Beer and flimsy burger deal costs £14. Burger comes on its own, no chips. I just can't. It's a rip-off. Also, whether you bring your own drink or buy it from the stadium, your bottle caps will be coming off cause of the risk of people tripping over a closed bottle. I was surprised to only find 3 toilet cubicles per toilet given the numbers of people, but the toilet was clean enough. Now that I've watched a live football match and it was great to experience the reaction of the crowd live, I don't understand why people buy the extortionate tickets to watch these matches when if you blink and miss something, that's it, you'll never see it live again, even if your seat was next to the pitch. Other than sitting next to the pitch and seeing the players up close, I don't think...

This was our first time visiting this venue. The American Punk band Green Day were starting their UK tour which should have taken place in 2020 but we all know why that didn't happen.

The stadium was of course used for the 2012 Olympics. It is now home to the West Ham football club. As a music venue the acoustics were really really. Only if the wind caught the sound did you miss out on anything. Even then it was just the higher frequencies. We were sat in the stands but had a really good view. Even when everyone stood up, the seats were banked enough that even my 5' 4" wife could still see.

Getting to the venue was extremely well organised from the Stratford train/underground station. We were automatically shepherded a certain way so the crowds were not too full on. Then at the venue we were sent to a bridge (over a canal) away from our final gate as we were in the seats at not standing in the main arena. Then we had to walk back round to gate and up to our seats. A little frustrating maybe, having to walk out of your way only to walk back to where we first approached the venue from the station. There was no huge queues but this could be the first band was already playing their set, so 1000s of fans were already in the venue.

The steps up to the seats are quite small so there is a lot of them. It is tiring on the legs. Especially if you've been walking round London like we had as we'd come in to London via Paddington. There are small hand rails all the way up so you don't have to rush up in one go.

Leaving the venue we were all shepherded a different way back to the station and passed through a couple of people barriers (stewards with stop/go signs) to control the flow of the crowd. As we neared the station we met with another huge stream of fans who equally must have been shepherded a different way out of the venue. This meant there was no pushing or shoving that we noticed anyway.

So there is a lot of walking involved. There was official merchandise stands both outside and inside the venue boundaries. I imagine it is set up the same way for all concerts and I imagine for Football and Athletic events.

Well done London Stadium I hope to see another concert there...

This is from Foo Fighters gig 2024. The venue, I’ve had to drop a star. Sound, stage etc are tip top. Amazing. Brilliant. Beers etc so so. Expensive but it is what it is. Toilets were ok. Kept clean and toilet roll!! Getting there is ok. Food and beers in Westfield. They handled the early crowds well and we were led in safely and handed yellow and silver circle bands. Apparently the Thursday gig had a bit of a crush issue. Where it loses all the points that would give it a 5 star is the exit post gig. Again you’re pushed out into the darkness. No toilets, guys and gals using bushes to relieve themselves. Poor sign posts. Very little staff or police out to help. Again corralled and stopped. People again missed trains. It’s ridiculous. The transport is diabolical. There was a huge safety risk as well that the stadium and police should have picked up on. With tens of thousands heading towards the station the entire width of road was taken up. By the station was a rent a pushbike and bike parking site and people had fallen over this in the pitch black. A massive trip hazard and one that should be moved. God forbid something had kicked off. There would have been a crush from hell. So could be five. But the exit strategy is pathetic.

This is from Foo Fighters gig 2018. First time there. Not too bad to get to from south London. 2 or 3 changes as there's not a direct line in by tube or train. Venue is good for a big gig, sound quality was awesome but they could do with putting the sound booth back or off the pitch. It blocked 75% of the stage. It only gets 3 stars as getting out is a pig. we were directed out the back and it was probably a mile detour around the outside to get back to the stations. Every 15 minutes you were kettled for 5-10 mins. To the point where it took an hour to get to the stations. By then people had missed their last train. We managed to sprint with a few other hundred, tired people for the very last train from Stratford international. This could be a premier venue, one to match and surpass the big boys. But without a clear exit strategy and transport service it's dead...