Hard Rock Calling and Wireless festivals move to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this Summer

The London Legacy Development Corporation today confirmed it has entered into a contract with music promoter Live Nation to bring a series of concerts and festivals to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this summer, ahead of its full opening in spring 2014.

The deal gives Live Nation exclusive rights to host major music concerts in the North Park and stadium in summer 2013. Events already confirmed include the Wireless Festival and Hard Rock Calling, scheduled for July. Both events will be held in the North Park. Live Nation is also planning to host a number of concerts in the stadium during the summer.  

The events will form part of a summer series on the Park to include RideLondon – a festival of cycling and road race developed by the Mayor of London and organised by The London & Surrey Cycling Partnership; and a festival of music, sport and culture for local people to celebrate the park beginning to re-open, delivered in partnership with The Barbican and CREATE.  

Details of the full programme, line-up and how to book tickets will be announced shortly.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation said:

"Our vision for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has always been as a destination for world class sport as well as for major cultural and leisure events and last summer the world saw what an amazing venue we have created with our iconic stadium, sports facilities and new parklands.

"The confidence now shown by one of the world's leading live entertainment promoters to relocate two of its biggest music festivals from the centre of the capital is a ringing endorsement of our legacy plans. Along with the other major international sports events we have already secured this latest news proves that the park has a very bright future indeed."

John Reid, President of Concerts at Live Nation Europe, said: 

“As the world’s leading provider of music festivals and outdoor events, Live Nation is delighted to have won the inaugural contract for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“In the coming weeks, we will unveil the headline acts for the first Wireless and Hard Rock festivals to be staged in London’s new flagship venue, which promise to be the UK’s blockbuster events of 2013.”

The announcement demonstrates further commercial interest in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It follows the recent deal with BT Sport to move into the International Broadcast Centre, and a contract with Taylor Wimpey and T&P to build the Park’s first 800 homes. GLL has won the contract to operate the Copper Box and Aquatics Centre when they re-open. The Legacy Corporation will go out to the market for operators for events on the South Park from 2014 and separately for the Stadium in the next few weeks.

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation said:

“This summer Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will once again host some of the greatest shows on earth.  I’m delighted that leading global companies like Live Nation are interested in the stadium and the Park. We’re thrilled to be working with them this summer.

“This deal marks an important stepping stone towards securing a long-term programme of fantastic events that will make Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park a leading destination both for Londoners and those from further afield.”

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will begin to open to the public from 27^th July, exactly one year after the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. It will open in phases – starting with the north park – and will be fully open by spring 2014. It will be a new piece of the city with new homes and schools, state of the art venues, beautiful public parklands and a year round programme of events.

The transformation of the Olympic site into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park started immediately after the Games and will take 18 months. The £292million transformation project is called ‘Clear, Connect, Complete.’ It will clear Games overlay including the removal of temporary venues, walkways and stands, connect the Park to the surrounding areas with new roads and pathways and complete the Park’s venues to their legacy designs for everyone to enjoy.

Further information is available at www.noordinarypark.co.uk where people can also sign up to receive regular updates about the Park.