A brand new music festival will take place at Roundhay Park in Leeds next summer, the city council has announced.
The event, named Roundhay Festival, would act as a “wonderful showcase” for the city, according to council leader James Lewis.
The park, which covers over 700 acres (280 hectares) and which is believed to be one of the biggest city parks in Europe, has previously played host to superstar artists such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson.
The festival would attract big name performers and raise the profile of Leeds both nationally and internationally, as well as “delivering an important boost to the local economy”, Lewis said.
Last month, councillors voted to allow crowds of up to 69,999 to attend events at Roundhay Park, which is three miles north of the city centre.
The last time the park hosted a concert with a similar-sized crowd was when Ed Sheeran played in 2019, when its capacity was temporarily increased to 80,000.
Roundhay Park in Leeds features a lake and large amounts of green space [Dan Bater/BBC]
The festival would be put on in collaboration with promoters AEG Presents, the organisers of London’s BST Hyde Park and All Points East festivals, the council said.
AEG said the event would see live music from some of the world’s biggest stars, with the first headliner expected to be announced as early as next week.
As well as hosting well-known artists, the festival would also feature a midweek programme of free activities, providing a platform for local talent and encouraging continuous use of the park during the summer, a spokesperson for the organisation said.
Meanwhile, a partnership with Roundhay School would offer students the chance to get involved in the live music industry and event management, providing skills and insight into opportunities in the creative industries, they added.
The festival would also engage local suppliers, employ local staff and boost spending on accommodation, food and entertainment, the spokesperson said.
Roundhay Park’s capacity was temporarily expanded to 80,000 people for Ed Sheeran’s gig there in 2019 [Sarah Jeynes/BBC]
Lewis said the festival would bring “some of the biggest names in music to Roundhay Park once again”.
“The park is a fabulous setting for concerts, as legendary artists like Madonna, U2 and the Rolling Stones will know from their own fondly-remembered appearances there,” he said.
“Roundhay Festival will act as a wonderful showcase for our city, raising its profile with national and international audiences while delivering an important boost to the local economy.
“I’m sure music fans, not just in Leeds but across the region and beyond, will agree with me when I say, ‘roll on next summer’.”
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