- New sustainable climate-positive Fan Zone to open for Everton home fixture
- First of many owner-led initiatives to improve fan experience at The City Ground
- Environmental responsibility to be at the heart of all new development projects
Nottingham Forest is putting the finishing touches to a new Fan Zone at The City Ground which can accommodate up to 1,000 supporters. The entertainment space boasts a suite of sustainability credentials and forms a key part of owner Evangelos Marinakis’ ambitious plans to transform the fan experience for the Club’s loyal supporters.
The new climate-positive, energy generating Fan Zone will open its doors for the first time at Forest’s home fixture against Everton on Saturday 2nd December.
With support from the club’s sustainability partner, E.ON, the site will feature a state-of-the-art flexible solar canopy roof covering the main stage, giant screen and seating area. The cutting edge solar energy solution is expected to generate and store around 12,000kWh of energy every year, comfortably delivering more power than is required to run the facility and saving an estimated 2,472 kg of CO2 each year. An on-site solar battery storage unit will also be installed to capture the sun’s energy on days the Fan Zone is not open.
Repurposed containers will house a host of local street food vendors and Carling-branded bars, delivering refreshments in ‘ONE Planet ONE Chance’ reusable cups from Event Cup Solutions, a ClimatePartner certified company.
Biodiversity planting in the Fan Zone, together with the use of recycled timber fencing and planters further bolster the green credentials of the site.
The Fan Zone will also be home to Forest’s fourth club store, open during Fan Zone hours and selling a wide range of club merchandise.
Open for an extended period of time before and after the match, the Fan Zone will be a unique hub for supporters to gather for music and refreshments, with a giant screen showing live Premier League games and entertainment from a well-known host and special guests.
Nottinghamshire-based presenter, Sam Hurst, will be the Fan Zone’s regular host for live interviews with club legends and current players, as well as family-friendly fan interaction in the build-up to kick-off, with high-profile guest presenters appearing alongside her throughout the season. Sam’s popularity as a sports presenter was cemented when she became the rising host for the Trent Rockets at Trent Bridge for The Hundred 2023.
A six-metre by three-and-a-half-metre giant screen will broadcast scenes from inside the stadium as the players warm up for the match, plus exclusive Forest TV content and live Premier League games from Sky, TNT and Amazon Prime’s broadcast schedule.
The new Fan Zone will sit on a larger footprint at the former site, just metres from the River Trent alongside The Brian Clough Stand.
Speaking of the new Fan Zone, Nottingham Forest Chairman Tom Cartledge said: “When I accepted the invitation to take the role of Chairman, Evangelos Marinakis inspired me with his total focus on delivering major improvements to the Club’s infrastructure for the benefit of our supporters, the local community, the city of Nottingham and the wider region.
“His passion for environmentally sustainable development was of paramount importance and he asked me to accelerate the programme of environmentally conscious fan-focussed projects around The City Ground.
“We share the vision of creating unique and memorable experiences for as many of our fans as possible, not just on matchdays but year-round. At the same time we want all our future developments to have environmental responsibility at their core.
“The Fan Zone development is just the first of many projects we plan to deliver over the coming months as we help realise his vision for a truly fan-focused and sustainable future for our Club."
Scott Somerville, Chief Marketing Officer at E.ON UK said: “This is such a brilliant example of how sustainable choices can further enhance the fan-first thinking already in place the club.
“In sustainability terms, small changes add up to an awful lot and we’re proud that our partnership with Forest is adding up to meaningful changes that create better experiences for Reds fans as well as make a lasting difference.”
What can you do to help?
- Switch your home to renewable electricity and green gas.
- Save money and energy by turning your thermostat by 1°C, turn your devices off at the plug and use the cold wash on your washing machine.
- Avoid single use plastics where you can – take a refillable bottle with you.
- Reduce the amount of waste you produce, and recycle what you create.
- Reduce your use of water.
- Go vegetarian for a couple of days a week – we’re increasing the vegetarian and vegan offer on match days to help.
- Travel to the City Ground using the bus or the tram, or better still walk!