TamU and TPV Move to Kauppi, Leaving Ilves Sole Tenant at Tammela

Ilves is the only club still playing home matches at Tammela Stadium this season. Lower-division sides TamU and TPV have relocated to Kauppi Sports Park, saying match-day economics at the larger venue were unprofitable, YLE reports.

Club leaders blame Tammela’s commercial operating model and the operator arrangements for making lower-tier match days loss-making. TPV chair Jouni Kaikuranta estimates the club earned €28,000 less at Tammela in 2024 than it would have at Kauppi. Tampere United chair Antti Niemistö says the difference amounts to thousands of euros per game, because Kauppi lets clubs retain all sales revenue.

The city selected Ilves Edustus Oy as Tammela’s operator in 2023, under a five-year contract running to early 2029 with an option to extend. City sports director Jukka Etu-Seppälä defends the model as necessary to run an 8,000-seat venue that hosts hundreds of commercial events a year. Ilves Stadion CEO Risto Niklas-Salminen says the company has tried to accommodate other clubs, but Ilves matches typically become profitable only after about 3,000–3,500 paid tickets.

TamU and TPV now play at Kauppi, where a roughly 1,000-seat ground better matches their average attendances and the atmosphere those crowds produce.