future events in Hyde Park by Live Nation under jeopardy

Future concerts in Hyde Park by Live Nation could come to an end under controversial new restrictions proposed by Westminster Council, which if in place in the new year will effect the London Live events set to take place as part of The Olympics between Friday 27th July until Sunday 9th September 2012.

	Hyde Park

Live Nation the largest producer of live music concerts in the world, who have used the park to host live events like Party in the Park, Live 8, Picnic in the Park, Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert as well as staging numerous large music concerts, and festivals, currently have a three year agreement with Royal Parks to continue to stage events including the festivals Wireless and Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park until the end of 2011. The proposals by Westminster Council may make it unattractive for them to renew their agreement.

Live Nation are set to stage two very special Celebration Concerts in Hyde Park to coincide with two key milestones of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Opening Ceremony on Friday 27th July and the Closing Ceremony on Sunday 12th August.

However these concerts in Hyde Park may have jeapordised under new restrictions proposed by Westminster council according to the Royal Parks, who manage the park in London, if plans to cut numbers of permitted concerts and noise restrictions are brought into force next year.

The Royal Parks agency warned yesterday, according to the Evening Standard, (here) that the crackdown would also mean the end of BBC's Proms In The Park, and the annual rock concerts which are just part of up to 13 big events held a year The Royal Parks may host. In 2010 there were eleven held including - Kings Of Leon twice, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Pulp, Arcade Fire, Black Eyed Peas, the Chemical Brothers and two Proms.

Westminster council have denied the Olympic 'Live Sites' were at risk and said it was acting after residents' complaints about concert noise rose to 130 this year. In the past two years objections over noise levels have risen 50 per cent. Residents also complained about concert-goers urinating in the street and littering pavements.

Because of the complaints the Royal Parks proposed cutting the number of permitted concerts to nine from 2013. But it's thought the council want to implement a limit of six, and cut the noise limit from 75 to 73 decibels, and wanted the new rules enforced from next year. A Royal Parks spokesman said: "Amendments proposed by the council concerning noise levels will make Hyde Park an unviable venue for concerts, including the BBC Proms In The Park."

He also warned that the staging of Olympic "Live Sites" in London may have to be axed if the concert restrictions are imposed this year. However Brian Connell, Westminster's cabinet member for enterprise and volunteering, said the review of the park's events licence, due to end in the New Year would not bring the new restrictions into force before the Olympic Games, and added, "There is no threat to the Olympic Live Sites."

In response Bernard Doherty, of Hyde Park concert promoter Live Nation, confirmed to the newspaper that the reduction of future concerts at the site would put Olympic Live Sites at the park, Trafalgar Square and Victoria Park in jeopardy.

Certainly even if the restrictions come in after the Olympic Games the noise reduction is likely to reduce sound levels substantially as the decibel is a logarithmic unit and could make it unviable to hold large live music events such as Hard Rock Calling, and Wireless in the park. Live Nation separately negotiated the contract to hold the Olympic Games Concerts next year.

It has been proposed that the London Live open-air venue in the heart of the capital will offer hundreds of thousands of Londoners and visitors to the city the chance to join in with the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

As well as giant state of the art screens for crowds of all ages to watch live action from the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the park will offer a variety of entertainment including live music, outdoor arts and performance, plus opportunities to try out different sports.

Ticket prices and headline acts for these two concerts, along with details about the rest of the London Live programme, will be announced in early 2012.

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