Some £200m has been spent on revamping Anfield over the last decade. But it appears as if the investment in Liverpool’s home has been worth it.
When club owners Fenway Sports Group acquired the Reds back in October 2010, one of the first calls that had to be made was whether the club stayed at their famous Anfield stadium or find a new home in the city.
Having looked at proposals it was decided by FSG that they would keep Liverpool at Anfield and spend money renovating the stadium in much the same way that they had done at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox team which FSG also own.
With all costs taken into account, the 2016 redevelopment of the club’s new Main Stand, which added another 8,500 seats to the total capacity to take it to 54,000, came in at a cost of around £114m.
Completed earlier this year, the Anfield Road End redevelopment cost some £80m to complete, taking the capacity to just over 61,000.
However, the redevelopment of Anfield hasn’t just focused on increasing capacity, although in a bid to try and cater to the pent-up demand for tickets that was a major factor. But so, too, was the opportunity to create a better experience for fans, something that can, in turn, help generate increased revenue streams related to the stadium.
The redevelopment has also aided the club’s bid to become one of Europe’s leading live music concert venues, with global icon Taylor Swift performing three sold-out gigs at Anfield this summer, followed by two shows from US pop royalty, Pink.
Having seen other clubs spend money on building completely new homes, most notably Tottenham Hotspur’s £1bn build of their new stadium, completed in 2019 and seen as one of European football’s most advanced, it was important for Anfield to keep pace and continue to be held in high regard by fans, and that looks to have been the case.
Event insurance specialists Protectivity, analysed Google reviews for the 20 Premier League stadiums according to the 2024/2025 season, as well as for the three teams relegated last season. They looked at which stadiums had the highest proportion of five-star Google reviews left by visitors to determine their ranking.
Anfield was crowned as the highest-rated Premier League stadium, with 86.99% of all reviews rated five stars, a huge 39,293 out of 45,171 reviews. Additionally, only 3.48% of all reviews were listed as one star for Liverpool’s home ground, which scores 4.7 out of five on Google overall.
Following in second was Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with 84.33%, or 17,441 out of 20,683 Google reviews, being five stars. Just 3.51% of reviews for the stadium were listed as one star and it scored an impressive 4.7 out of five rating overall on Google. The North London stadium hosted Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour earlier this year for several dates and also holds a long-term contract with the NFL to host some of its overseas regular-season games when they arrive on English soil.
The City Ground ranks as the third highest-rated Premier League stadium, with 80.76%, or 1,230 out of 1,523 of users leaving five-star reviews. Just 3.35% of reviews for Nottingham Forest’s home stadium rated it as one-star.
Old Trafford ranks fourth with 80.53% of visitors leaving 5-star reviews. Manchester United’s home ground had 4.27% of reviews left with a one-star rating and scores 4.6 out of five overall on Google. This year Old Trafford has hosted several big-name artists, including Green Day, Foo Fighters, and the Arctic Monkeys, with minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe spearheading the vision to build a new stadium on land adjacent to the current home, with a potential capacity of 100,000 mooted.
Rounding out the top five is Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, where 79.08% of reviews rated it five stars. In more recent years, the stadium has seen the Arctic Monkeys and The Killers perform live gigs.
Speaking on the findings, Sean Walsh, head of marketing at Protectivity, said:
“Exploring which stadiums are the highest rated by visitors is interesting as high ratings often reflect an exceptional fan experience. Visitors tend to appreciate aspects such as comfortable seating, clear sightlines, accessibility, and the overall atmosphere.
“Stadiums with high review satisfaction often excel in fan engagement, offering various activities, fan zones, and interactive experiences. They foster a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for building long-term loyalty among fans.
“Comparing stadium ratings can provide benchmarks and best practices. Stadiums with lower ratings can learn from the top-rated ones to improve their own facilities and services.”
Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road was at the other end of the scale and found to be the lowest-rated Premier League stadium, with just 62.21% of reviews being five stars. A sizeable 10.64% of reviews were found to rate Luton’s home ground just one star.
