News & Publications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 26, 2000
Three Major Country Festivals in the UK and Ireland
Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs, Jo Dee Messina and Brad Paisley to bring breadth and depth of today’s country music to three arenas and huge national radio audience
London-based Paul Fenn of Asgard Promotions has announced three major Country Festivals to take place in the UK and Ireland at Easter 2000.
A potential total audience of 28,000 people at London Arena (Sat April 22), Glasgow S.E.C.C. (Sun April 23) and Dublin’s The Point (Wed April 26) will see a five artist package including Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Jo Dee Messina and Brad Paisley.
Fenn says, ‘I’ve been working on this project for many months and am delighted it’s finally come together. Interest in modern Country has been growing significantly in the past few years and this festival has been devised to represent the breadth and depth of today’s country music.’
The London event - the first major multi-artist country festival in the capital for ten years – will be called The BBC Radio 2 Country Festival, and takes place at the London Arena on Easter Saturday, April 22, 2000. BBC Radio 2, the most listened to radio station in the UK, will broadcast live from the six hour show. The festival was announced this morning on Terry Wogan’s ‘Wake Up To Wogan’ show, which has six million listeners.
James Moir, Controller BBC Radio 2 says, “This promises to be not only the biggest but the best Country event that the UK has seen for many years. Country is extremely popular in the UK and Radio 2 features it in a significant way with two weekly shows, an annual Country Music Week, live broadcasts from the CMA Awards and regularly champions country singers in its daytime output. We can now look forward to bringing this live music event direct to our listeners. It will be a great night of entertainment.