Full-sized football pitches to be built at National Bowl in Milton Keynes

Football club MK Dons has been granted planning permission to install full-sized football pitches within Milton Keynes’ National Bowl music venue.

In a statement announcing the news, MK Dons said that while there is “still some additional legal work to complete”, the club can “confirm that planning permission has been granted” for the installation of first-team pitches in the National Bowl. “This is great news for MK Dons and means we are on track to be on site by the end of 2023”, the statement added.

Included in the development is the construction of two full-sized grass football pitches and four training grids located on the plateau of the Bowl. The installation was described as “the first phase of [MK Dons’] relocation” to their new training grounds within the Bowl. Alongside the football club, the grounds will also be used by Milton Keynes Cycling Association.

MK Dons said it hopes for the grounds to be in operation towards the end of this year. Once an iconic music venue, the National Bowl first opened its doors in 1973, and would go on to host performances by the likes of Michael Jackson, Oasis, Queen and Foo Fighters until its final concert in 2015. It was also the site of one of Swedish House Mafia’s then-final UK shows during their 2012 farewell tour.

The football club confirmed that the stadium will still be available for use as live music venue. Muse is set to perform at the National Bowl in June, as part of their UK tour in support of 2022 album ‘Will Of The People’. It will mark the first live music event to be held in the venue in seven years.

In 2020, The Prodigy marked the 10-year anniversary of their performance at National Bowl by sharing a full livestream of the landmark concert. In 2001, the venue hosted that year’s edition of Ozzfest, with the likes of Papa Roach, Tool, Slipknot and Black Sabbath all taking to the stage.

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