Why is West Ham’s London Stadium hosting the Sidemen Charity Match this year and what will the attendance be?

YouTube group The Sidemen will descend upon West Ham’s London Stadium this afternoon for their annual charity match.

The popular British group, led by KSI, will battle a team of YouTube All-Stars in the fifth instalment of the highly anticipated event.

Sidemen FC take on the YouTube All-StarsSidemen

The original edition of the Sidemen charity match took place at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium in 2016.

The next three editions all took place at The Valley in London, home of Charlton Athletic.

But the increased interest in the charity match has seen the Sidemen move on from the 27,000-capacity Charlton ground to West Ham.

Why is West Ham’s stadium hosting the Sidemen Match?

The Sidemen opted to upgrade the venue from which their game takes place following the unprecedented demand last year.

Over 170,000 people queued online for tickets in 2022, with West Ham’s 62,000-capacity London Stadium allowing more through the gate.

This in turn will help raise more money for the array of charities, including Bright Side and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Original Sidemen member Ethan Payne, better known as Behzinga, is also an avid Hammers supporter.

Graham Gilmore, CEO of London Stadium, said: “This event goes from strength to strength, with the move to London Stadium demonstrating the success The Sidemen have built over recent years, not only in bringing so many great names together but raising money for important charities too.

“In addition, we will be delighted to welcome the huge global audience on streaming and digital channels, who will be joining the 60k plus fans in the Stadium!”

The Sidemen have sold out West Ham’s stadium during the international breakGetty

Joshua Bradley from the Sidemen, known as Zerkaa, speaking after the announcement said: “This is a major milestone for us.

“When we first set up this event back in 2016, we never thought we’d be playing in a stadium of over 62,000 people.

“Not only are we able to give back to our loyal fans, but being able to raise further funds for charities that are so close to our hearts give us a lot to be proud and thankful for.

“We can’t wait to see all of you in September.”