Live Nation Ends Hyde Park Concerts Putting Wireless Festival & Hard Rock Calling In Doubt
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Written by Elliott Batte
A number of London-based festivals, events, and musical concerts are currently in peril - after supermassive promoter Live Nation ended their contract with Hyde Park following this year’s problems with noise restrictions, cancelled gigs, and curfew breaks.
The company, who held events such as the Wireless Festival, Hard Rock Calling Festival, Live 8, and dozens of London 2012 Olympics shows at Hyde Park, have failed to renew their contract with the venue after ten years in partnership - citing the ‘flawed’ tender process as a big factor in their decision.
The tender process is run by the Royal Parks Agency, a senior agency within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who awarded Live Nation a contract running from 2009-2012. But, rather than renew their contract - which would run from 2013-2019 - Live Nation have sent the RPA a formal letter of complaint in regards to the tender and bid process for the new deal.
The company are unhappy with the apparent failure to take into consideration the increasingly difficult coordination involved with putting an event on in Hyde Park - such as the noise complaints and curfew which saw Live Nation shutting down an epic duet between Bruce Springsteen and Sir Paul McCartney earlier this year in order to keep their license.
The letter states that ‘unrealistic revenue assumptions’, the ‘complex logistics and costs of running big events’, and crowd safety problems are also a factor in their decision to walk away from Hyde Park.
While the summertime festivals and other Hyde Park events are not doomed for good, Live Nation certainly won’t be holding the events in future - and some new promoters will have to step in and sort things out to ensure that Hyde Park continues to host great gigs in the future.
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