New York City and producer Clive Davis are teaming up to put on a “mega-concert” in Central Park to celebrate the reopening of New York City.
According to the New York Times, mayor Bill de Blasio contacted the 89-year-old industry titan to help plan a concert with an audience of 60,000 for August. No artists are confirmed yet but Davis is aiming for eight “iconic” acts.
It’s part of “homecoming week” which will include a number of major events across the city.
“This concert is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” de Blasio said. “It’s going to be an amazing lineup. The whole week is going to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before in New York City.”
The majority of tickets will be free although there will be VIP seating. The three-hour event will also be televised. The working title is The Official NYC Homecoming Concert in Central Park.
There will reportedly be vaccinated and unvaccinated sections of the crowd but 70% of tickets will go to those who have had the vaccine. It’s estimated that around 48% of the city have now been fully vaccinated.
Davis, who grew up in Brooklyn, said he was “greatly honored” to have De Blasio ask him to be involved. Throughout his career, Davis has signed artists including Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith and Pink Floyd.
“There’s a mental attitude that I think we are all looking forward to,” Davis said. “That the future is bright and healthy for this country, for the world and for New York City.”
The news comes after state governor Andrew Cuomo hosted a press conference with James Dolan, the chief executive of Madison Square Garden Entertainment, to promise a “blockbuster summer” of events in New York City. Radio City Music Hall is re-opening this month for a Tribeca film festival event, allowing in maskless vaccinated attendees.
The city has introduced the Excelsior Pass that allows venues to see who has received the vaccine, the first so-called vaccine passport to be introduced in the US. More than a million people have now downloaded. More than 9 million New Yorker have been vaccinated.