Brit Beat: Adele ‘Could Have Sold Several Million Tickets’ for Hyde Park Concerts; Eurovision ‘Space Man’ Sam Ryder Reaches for the Sky
variety.comMark Sutherland One guaranteed blockbuster concert series this summer is the American Express Presents British Summer Time in Hyde Park festival.
It will stage the most shows in its history between June 24 and July 10, with two concerts apiece by Adele, the Rolling Stones, and Pearl Jam, and additional gigs by Elton John, the Eagles and Duran Duran.AEG Presents CEO of European festivals Jim King tells Variety that this summer the event will set new records for its most tickets sold, highest gross, largest number of sponsors and highest sponsorship gross.“We’ve got the biggest line-up we’ve ever had, both in terms of quantity and the stature of the artists,” says King. “To have these nine shows play in the same season is pretty unprecedented.
In terms of a ticketed festival, it’s arguably the biggest in the world. It’s certainly the biggest in Europe, so 2022 has been a huge success for us.” Adele is set to play her first live shows in five years on July 1 and 2, and King says the festival “could have sold several million tickets to the shows, such is the demand for her.” The superstar pulled her Las Vegas residency at the last minute, but King says everything is proceeding smoothly for British Summer Time.“All of our conversations with her camp have been hugely positive,” he says. “They’re very professional, detailed and thorough and we’re very thankful that they allowed us to do these shows with them.”Earlier this year, there was a backlash first about Adele’s abruptly postponed Las Vegas residency, then in the British press about ticket prices for the shows, which King dismisses as “completely manufactured.”“I take great issue with it – it’s grossly unfair that she was singled out for that, when it’s not the case,” he.
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