Magic Weekend to be held at Elland Road in 2024
Magic Weekend will come to Leeds for the first time in 2024 after Leeds United's Elland Road was chosen as the new venue
Last updated 21st Nov 2023
Magic Weekend is an annual event organised by the Rugby Football League (RFL) where an entire round of Super League matches is played over a weekend.
All 12 Betfred Super League clubs will gather in Leeds on the weekend of August 17-18 for a full round of fixtures which includes blockbuster clashes between Catalans Dragons and Hull KR, Warrington Wolves versus Leeds Rhinos and the original rugby league derby between Wigan Warriors and St Helens.
It will be the first time the Rhinos have played at Elland Road since they switched two home Super League fixtures in 2018 when Headingley was being redeveloped, attracting a crowd of 23,246 against Castleford Tigers which remains the club’s Super League record - and they also forged some lasting memories at the ground in four World Club Challenges between 2005-10.
Leeds United chief executive Angus Kinnear said: “Over recent years we have held some fantastic events at Elland Road, with some of the biggest games in rugby league including the World Cup semi-final in 2022, along with England men’s and women’s international football fixtures and Josh Warrington’s world title boxing fight.
“We are thrilled to be adding the 2024 Magic Weekend to that list, it is great for us as a club and will also bring economic benefits to the whole city of Leeds.
“Everyone knows what a special venue Elland Road is and we’re all looking forward to another great spectacle.”
Rhodri Jones, the managing director of RL Commercial, added: “Magic Weekend is going to have a different feel in 2024, as a result of the return to a date later in the summer to move away from the Betfred Challenge Cup Final in June, and the non-availability of St James’ Park which has proved such a popular venue for the last three years.
“We are delighted to have agreed a deal with Leeds United to stage Magic Weekend at Elland Road, one of the biggest and best stadia in the north of England – and with a rich rugby league history, having staged numerous big matches from the 1982 Challenge Cup Final replay to the World Cup semi-final between Australia and New Zealand last year.
“The fixtures formula we have used for Magic since 2019, which involves seeding teams into three groups of four based on their 2023 performance, has produced an intriguing line-up of matches, and with all clubs offering special pricing for Magic as part of their season tickets package, we would encourage fans to move quickly when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks”.
Magic Weekend will be Round 22 of the 2024 Betfred Super League season.