Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2026 to be hosted at new home of Everton FC

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Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2026 to be hosted at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new home of Everton FC

Stadium Experience is pleased to announce that the 19^th annual Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards will be hosted at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new home of Everton Football Club. The date is confirmed for Thursday 2^nd July 2026.

Around 500 guests from stadium venues across the UK will be welcomed to the stadium in north Liverpool, which opens for the first time at the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Guests will experience a fine dining three course menu, awards ceremony, live entertainment, and after party onsite until 3am.

Hill Dickinson Stadium is a brand-new, world-class venue that provides a 365-day-a-year destination for sport, music, leisure, community and culture. This iconic space, at Bramley-Moore Dock in Liverpool, brings together modern design and local heritage to create an unforgettable backdrop for events of all kinds. The venue boasts 14 new venue spaces, and 20 executive boxes, with the awards due to be hosted in their biggest suite, The Yard, and the after-party next door in Kendall’s, both located in the West Stand overlooking the spectacular Western Wharf, with the River Mersey as a backdrop.

Conferences, meeting and events at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton FC — Hill Dickinson Stadium, home of Everton FC

The nationally-recognised awards celebrate and reward the efforts and dedication shown by the catering, conference and events teams at UK stadium venues, including football, rugby and cricket venues.

Key Dates

The majority of categories for 2026 will open for entry in the autumn as normal, with the closing date on 1^st April 2026, allowing over 6 months for entry. The official results will be announced at the gala awards evening on Thursday 2^nd July 2026. Tickets will be available to purchase later this year.

The Categories

The 2026 categories are currently being finalised, with the confirmed categories (so far) outlined below.

Chef Team of the Year Award

Above & Beyond Recognition Award

Event Agents Choice Award

Best Retail Catering Award

Matchday Sales & Marketing Team of the Year Award

Non-Matchday Sales & Marketing Team of the Year Award

Non-Matchday Mystery Shopper Award

Stadium Event of the Year Award

Operations Team of the Year Award

Visiting Rugby Directors Award

Visiting Football Directors Award

Matchday Hospitality Awards (Awards by Small, Medium & Large Stadiums)

Overall Matchday Hospitality Award

Independent Awards Judging

Each award category is independently judged – Stadium Experience does not judge any of the awards.

To summarise;

The majority of awards categories (6) are decided by a Judging Panel, made up of a team of experts with many years of experience in their fields.
The Matchday Hospitality Awards are judged by judges with 20+ experience and part of chef industry associations such as The British Culinary Federation, Craft Guild of Chefs and more.
The Chef Team of the Year Award is organised and judged by The British Culinary Federation.
The Non-Matchday Mystery Shopper Award is judged by Sandown Effective Sales Solutions Ltd.
The Event Agents Choice Award is voted for by event agents.
The Visiting Directors Awards (Rugby & Football) are voted for by stadium directors.

Collette Salmon, Chair of Stadium Experience, said: “We are delighted that our 2026 awards is one of the very first bookings confirmed in the new home of Everton Football Club. Hill Dickinson Stadium offers premium hospitality, cutting edge technology and fabulous views of both the pitch and the River Mersey. These will be the 19^th annual awards organised by Stadium Experience, which continues to grow and evolve every year. We are developing plans for a very exciting evening, in which stadium teams will really be able to celebrate their achievements in style in Liverpool!”

View more information about The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards. Follow the latest news with #SEHA2026

Stadium Experience is also keen to explore awards sponsorship opportunities with companies who would like to get involved.