Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Grace Jones For BST Hyde Park 2021
The long-running British favorites were due to play at this year’s multi-date British Summer Time extravaganza before its cancellation.
It‘s announced today that Duran Duran will play a headline show on July 11 at American Express presents BST Hyde Park. One of the fixtures of the London festival scene before this year is returning in the summer of 2021, with two shows already confirmed by Pearl Jam. Duran be joined by two of their longtime collaborators and friends, Nile Rodgers & Chic and Grace Jones.
The longtime British favorites were due to play at this year’s multi-date British Summer Time extravaganza before its cancellation during the pandemic. Next summer’s event will take place across two weekends, with many free activities in between as part of Open House, including open-air cinema nights, live sport showings, street food, pop up bars and the Chickenshed Children’s theatre.
“We are so happy to announce the new date for our return to Hyde Park,” says Simon Le Bon, frontman with the storied hitmakers. “This will be our first London show in six years and we are honored that two of our musical heroes Nile Rodgers and Grace Jones will be joining us on the bill. Seeing as we had to postpone the 2020 show, BST Hyde Park 2021 will be extra special to us. After the year that everyone’s been through, we’re aiming to make next summer into the kind of party we all deserve.”
Thousands of fans who bought tickets to the group’s 2020 BST Hyde Park show are guaranteed tickets if they rebook. Fans can also split the cost of their ticket with a special payment plan.
Photo: American Express presents BST Hyde Park
Duran last played in London at the O2 Arena as part of the three-year, global arena tour that followed the release of 2015’s Paper Gods, their highest-charting release in the UK for 22 years. Rodgers and Chic last played at the Hyde Park event in 2015, inviting audience members on stage; Jones was also on the stellar bill that year, climbing onto a bouncer’s shoulders during her show and riding through the crowd.
“It’s wonderful to finally talk about and look forward to next summer knowing that the light we can see at the end of the tunnel will be the sunshine at American Express presents BST Hyde Park,” says Jim King, CEO of European festivals at AEG Presents. “We have always finished each year with a huge party and we need one now more than ever.
Photo: Andrea Klarin
“It’s therefore with our enormous thanks to Duran Duran that they have made it possible to bring their incredible hit-packed live show to Hyde Park just when we all needed it most. We celebrate this moment with Duran Duran and the man who helped them make some of their biggest hits, Nile Rodgers and the incredible CHIC. The band also have the legendary Grace Jones joining them for what will be an incredible day of quality music and a chance for us all to dance again.”
Presale tickets are available to American Express members from today (30), then members of Duran Duran’s official fan club can purchase them in a presale from 9am GMT on Thursday (December 3). A priority 24-hour window before this is held for fan club members who bought tickets for the original 2020 date. Members will be contacted directly, or can visit www.duranduranmusic.com for more information. Tickets are on general sale from Friday (4), and start at £65 + booking fee.
The July 11 spectacular adds to the already-announced two nights at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2021 by Pearl Jam, joined by guests Pixies (July 9) and Idles (10).
