If the Sidemen get their wish, September 9, 2023 is a date that will go down in YouTube history. That’s when the U.K.-based septet will host their annual charity football match, which will be held this year at London Stadium. The 2012 Olympic venue holds about 62,000 people, and all those seats are expected to fill up when the Sidemen take on a squad filled with high-profile creators.
Charity matches have become an annual tradition for the Sidemen, who have built their brand into “Disney for Gen Z born from YouTube,” according to their manager Jordan Schwarzenberger. As the seven Sidemen — KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and W2S — have raised their shared profile, their football events have risen with them.
The 2022 match filled up the home stadium of professional side Charlton Athletic, and the 2023 tilt will occupy an even bigger venue. Since serving as England’s Olympic hub, London Stadium has become the home turf of Premier League outfit West Ham United.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
62,000 seats may seem like a big number to fill, but the Sidemen sold out London Stadium months before their match. “Congrats to everyone who got tickets,” KSI wrote on Twitter. “Let’s try and raise as much money for charity as possible! Can’t wait for the 9th September!”
SOLD OUT 🤯
62k tickets gone to you guys, thank you so much, this is going to be an incredible event that will go down in YouTube history.
If you didn’t manage to get a ticket you can still watch it live on the day and donate to support.
Bring on September 9th 💙 pic.twitter.com/LRdXKYoi81
— Sidemen (@Sidemen) July 3, 2023
“This is a major milestone for us,” added Zerkaa, whose real name is Joshua Bradley. “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.”
Charities supported by the 2023 Sidemen football match will include suicide prevention organization Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), youth-focused firm Teenage Cancer Trust, and wish-granting charity Rays of Sunshine.
Compared to the event’s noble mission, its actual on-field action may seem like an afterthought. But for the 62,000 in attendance and the millions more who will enjoy the festivities online, the match figures to be legendary. The full list of participants has not yet been revealed, but at least two big names have been pegged for the Sidemen’s opposition. MrBeast will join forces with iShowSpeed, who made headlines by feuding with KSI before last year’s match.
The 2022 tussle ended with a narrow Sidemen victory thanks to a hat trick by man-of-the-match Miniminter. The squad of assorted YouTubers will be out for revenge, but even if they can break the Sidemen’s streak, the real winners will be the organizations that will benefit from the charitable nature of the participants.
