FOLLOWING on from the massive success of Magic Weekend 2012 at Etihad Stadium, the home of Manchester City FC will again host a full round of Super League fixtures in 2013 and 2014.
The unique two-day Super League spectacular will take place over the May Spring Bank Holiday weekend with four matches on Saturday May 25 and three on Sunday May 26. All seven matches will be broadcast live by Sky Sports.
A record crowd of 63,716 attended Magic Weekend this summer and with next year’s event taking place over the Bank Holiday, another bumper attendance is assured.
“It gives me great pleasure to be able to confirm that Etihad Stadium will again host the Super League Magic Weekend in 2012,” said Super League Chief Executive Nigel Wood.
“It was clear from the feedback we received from this year’s event that the overwhelming majority of fans had a fantastic experience at the stadium and were keen to return.
“The location and lay-out of the Etihad Stadium provides the perfect setting for this unique and very special sporting event and I am sure Magic Weekend will continue to grow in stature as more fans experience the extraordinary nature of Super League.”
Steve Sayer, Operations Director for Manchester City FC said: “After the 2011-12 record breaking season for Manchester City, the success continued with highest ever attendances at the Super League’s Magic Weekend at the Etihad Stadium and we are delighted to welcome the event back to Manchester for a second and third year.
“The Etihad Stadium is firmly established as one of the leading multi-use outdoor venues in the UK, with a proud track record of non-football events at the stadium including Coldplay, Take That, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi will play The Etihad next summer.
“We are proud to add the Magic Weekend to that list and hope that members of the RFL family will continue to support the event.”
Councillor Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said, “It is fantastic news that the Super League Magic Weekend will take place at the Etihad Stadium for at least the next two years.
“The event has proved incredibly popular and the Etihad saw record breaking crowds attend the Magic Weekend last year, with over 63,000 spectators enjoying the games.
“Manchester is a city that truly loves sport and the Magic Weekend is a welcome addition to our upcoming programme of events that also includes the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, Men’s World Squash Championship, and the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup.
“Hosting competitions of this calibre shows we are a world class sporting destination with state of the art facilities and also provides economic benefits to the city.”
Details of the fixture schedule for Magic Weekend 2013 will be confirmed next Monday (November 19) when the 2013 Super League fixtures will be published.
Tickets for Magic Weekend 2013 will go on sale at the RFL and Super League club Ticket Offices from Tuesday December 4.