Live music concerts are to return to Kenwood House next year.
The announcement made today by Kenwood guardians English Heritage and concert promoter Giles Cooper Entertainment (GCE) comes following the end of summer concerts in 2014 when former concert provider Rouge Events pulled out of a deal suffering heavy losses from poor tickets sales.
At the time English Heritage said they hoped concerts would return in 2015.
English Heritage’s general manager at Kenwood, Sam Cooper, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing back the summer concerts. People have been asking us for ages when the concerts would return and while at this stage it’s for one year only, we’re hopeful that this will become an annual event.
“I can think of no better way to spend a summer’s evening than listening to wonderful music against the spectacular backdrop of Kenwood House,” he added.
Two shows are scheduled for June next year – country music singer Kris Kristofferson will perform a birthday concert on June 22 with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra playing film score composer John Williams’s music – including tunes from Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter and Jurassic Park –the next day.
Managing director of GCE, Giles Cooper, involved in live performances for almost 30 years including variety show Sunday Night At The Palladium said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be working alongside English Heritage in resurrecting the legendary Kenwood House summer concerts.
“Having attended previous concerts for many, many years and from a very young age, I’m so excited to be bringing back everything that was so magical about Kenwood’s outdoor concerts,” he added.
Mr Cooper explained how GCE would maintain Kenwood’s ‘long tradition’ of mixing classical music with mainstream pop leading up to a ‘Last Night of the Proms’ styled finale. Further artists are to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets are due to go on sale today to English Heritage members and will be on general sale from Friday, December 1.
Concerts have run at the Hampstead Heath venue almost continuously since 1951 with artists including Tom Jones, Suede and James Blunt having headlined.
The last summer concert series was in 2013.
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