TWO big name music acts look set to grace the stage at the Love Luton Festival in July after councillors gave the green light for £250,000 funding to secure their names on the billing.
At a meeting on Tuesday night, Luton Borough Council’s executive committee approved the funding to secure the ‘major music artists’ for the event which takes place over three days from July 6.
The headline acts will perform on a stage at Popes Meadow on the festival’s first two nights ahead of the arrival of the Olympic flame in the town on Sunday, July 8.
Although the council hope to make a profit on the £1.17million weekend, they will need to sell 10,000 tickets for both Friday and Saturday night concerts just to break even on the £435,000 gig costs.
A report handed to the executive ahead of Tuesday’s meeting said that an external marketing company had been paid to research the two acts’ projected ticket sales.
And a council spokesman said that the authority is confident that the events will sell out.
He said: “Tickets will go on sale later this month.
“We hope to be able to name the major music artists this month, subject to contract and terms. Details of the ‘free’ Olympic Torch celebration event will be announced in the next couple of months and we expect additional major music artists for this.
“We are confident of selling the capacity at the two music concerts at Popes Meadow.”
The Herald&Post understands that the acts, one on Friday night and one on Saturday, will be for ‘distinctly different audiences’.
But councillors will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the last music event of a similar magnitude organised by the Town Hall.
The H&P reported back in 2000 how the town’s three-day Park Life event, expected to attract 20,000 plus people, died on its feet with a £6-a-head ticket price and poor weather blamed for a poor turnout of 4–5,000 people. Chart-topper Billie Piper headlined the event that year.
The same event had fared better in 1999 with Take That star Gary Barlow topping the bill and between 20,000 and 25,000 said to have turned up.
Park Life 1999, however, was free of charge for music fans.
As well as the concerts at Popes Meadow, the weekend will also feature marquees in Wardown Park featuring music and comedy, a South Asian music stage also in Wardown Park, fringe events, fireworks and Luton International Carnival procession.
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