Live Nation Backs Away From Hyde Park

LONDON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Live Nation has taken the Royal Parks Agency to task, accusing the government organization of imposing unrealistic revenue expectations that are driving up the price of concert tickets at events staged at London's Hyde Park.

"It looks like they want people to get out the big cheque book, but I’m not prepared to put on concerts that are loss-leaders,” John Probyn, COO of Live Nation Music UK, told the Evening Standard. “It’s no shock that the Royal Parks Agency needs an awful lot of money."

Although Live Nation and its predecessors have been staging events at the park for the past 15 years, Probyn said that the company would be pulling out of bidding for events in the park for the next four years. Past events included the Live 8 concert and most recently, 25 days of live music during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

According to The Guardian, Live Nation sent a formal letter of complaint to the Royal Parks Agency in which they were critical of the tender and bid process, as well as other key issues such as noise. In July, microphones were switched off in mid-set during a duet by Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen to avoid a curfew violation. Other issues reportedly addressed by the letter included crowd safety conditions and the aforementioned unrealistic revenue expectations.

Live Nation was awarded a contract by the RPA in 2009 to produce events at the park until 2012 with bidding for a new four year term about to start. Rival promoter AEG is said to be considering a bid. – CelebrityaAccess Staff Writers