Forest Hills Stadium (ForestHillsStadium.com), the legendary sporting and entertainment venue hidden in the idyllic Queens, New York neighborhood of Forest Hills, has announced their 2015 concert season presented by Madison House Presents.
Fulfilling its promise to New York City, the historic, open-air stadium's 2015 season will offer a truly diverse slate of entertainment, with something for everyone, including performances by Van Morrison with special guest Taj Mahal on June 19, D'Angelo with very guest Gary Clark Jr on June 21, James Taylor & His All-Star Band on August 4, The New York Pops with Sutton Foster on August 6 and Alabama Shakes with very special guest Drive-By Truckers on September 19.
Today's announcement follows the previously announced opening weekend which will include two sold-out performances by Ed Sheeran on Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29 and The Who on their HITS 50! world tour on Saturday, May 30 as well as Santana on Friday, August 14. Tickets are available and additional information can be found at foresthillsstadium.com. See full concert schedule attached.
Forest Hills Stadium's 2015 concert season will include several noteworthy events as well as a new partnership. The New York Pops' performance with two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster on August 6 will serve as the first concert in a series that will see Forest Hills Stadium serve as the official summer home of The New York Pops, the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Additional performances and more information will be announced soon.
"The New York Pops is about to change the landscape of live music in New York," said Anne M. Swanson, New York Pops Executive Director. "New Yorkers have for a long time looked west to the example of the Hollywood Bowl, where the LA Philharmonic performs blockbuster concerts in the summer. For generations, The New York Pops has been searching for a summer home in the city. With our new incredible partnership with Forest Hills Stadium, we've finally gotten all the pieces of the puzzle in position to be an orchestra that performs regularly under the stars."
Other noteworthy points of interest include the June 19 performance by legendary musician Van Morrison where each ticket purchased will give fans access to his new all-star album "Duets." This show will also be North American fans' only chance to see the mercurial performer live in concert this year. The Who's May 30 performance on their HITS 50! world tour will be the final performance on the tour's first U.S. leg and will take place 45 years after the band first played the historic stadium in a now legendary rain-soaked concert in 1971. James Taylor & His All-Star Band's August 4 performance will follow the June 16 release of "Before This World," his first original album in over 13 years, which will also be made available with each concert ticket purchased. Santana's August 14 engagement will mark the band's first-ever Queens performance, despite Carlos Santana having lived in the borough for several years in the 1970's while spending time with his spiritual advisor Sri Chinmoy. Santana ended his relationship with Chinmoy when the advisor preached against champion tennis player Billie Jean King's sexual orientation. Coincidentally, Billie Jean King was the first player to win a Grand Slam event at Forest Hills Stadium with a metal racquet in 1967.
Forest Hills Stadium reopened in August 2013 with an inaugural performance by Mumford & Sons on their "Full English" tour. The concert, the first in the stadium in over 15 years, brought music fans from all over the world to Forest Hills, Queens to experience live music in a truly unique environment. The 2014 concert season featured performances by Zac Brown Band, Drake, Lil Wayne, Brand New, Modest Mouse, The Replacements and Phil Lesh. Following its reopening, the stadium underwent a restoration, including a number of renovations and improvements. These included: ticketed seating in the upper bowl, improved ADA seating options, widened aisles and handrail installation as well as a new concourse plan featuring easier access to food, beverage and other facilities. Ticketing was improved through a new, fan-friendly reserved ticketing system provided by Ticketfly.
Forest Hills Stadium events have been made possible through a partnership with the local community, with a focus on making concerts a rewarding experience for all involved. Dedicated entrance and exits have been constructed to manage audience flow and a sound mitigation project is underway which is designed to lower the overall noise levels around the stadium during concerts. The stadium is conveniently located feet from the E, M, F, R subway trains as well as the LIRR and concert-goers are strongly encouraged to utilize public transportation as there is no parking available at the stadium or in the surrounding community.
About Forest Hills Stadium - From Billie Jean King to The Beatles, Jimmy Connors to Jimi Hendrix, Chris Evert to The Rolling Stones. For decades the stadium at the West Side Tennis Club was not only host of the U.S. Open, it was also a renowned music venue, tucked into a leafy neighborhood of stately homes in Queens' Forest Hills neighborhood. However, when the U.S. Open moved to larger space in Flushing, Queens in 1977, the architecturally stunning, horseshoe-shaped Forest Hills Stadium fell into disrepair and its days as a music venue faded. In 2013, concert promoters partnered with the West Side Tennis Club to rehabilitate the stadium and bring events back to this storied venue.
FOREST HILLS STADIUM - 2015 SUMMER CONCERT SEASON:
May 29 Ed Sheeran (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED - SOLD OUT)
May 30 Ed Sheeran (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED - SOLD OUT)
May 31 The Who HITS 50! (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED)
Tickets available now via http://www.foresthillsstadium.com.
June 19 Van Morrison with special guest Taj Mahal
Ticket buyers will also receive a copy of Van Morrison's new album DUETS.
Tickets will be available to the public starting on April 25 @ 10am via www.foresthillsstadium.com.
*Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, April 21 at 10AM through Citi's Private Pass Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.
June 21 D'Angelo with very special guest Gary Clark Jr.
Tickets will be available to the public starting on April 24 @ 12pm via www.foresthillsstadium.com.
August 4 James Taylor
Ticket buyers will also receive a copy of James Taylor's new album BEFORE THIS WORLD.
Tickets will be available to the public starting on April 24 @ 10am via www.foresthillsstadium.com.
August 6 The New York Pops with Sutton Foster
Forest Hills Stadium is the new summer home of The New York Pops.
Tickets will be available to the public starting (TBD) via www.foresthillsstadium.com.
August 14 Santana (PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED)
Tickets available now via www.foresthillsstadium.com.
September 19 Alabama Shakes with very special guest Drive-By Truckers
Tickets will be available to the public starting on April 25 @ 12pm via www.foresthillsstadium.com.
*About Citi Private Pass - Citi offers Citi credit and debit cardmembers access to tickets to thousands of live events annually through Citi Private Pass, the bank's entertainment access program. In 2014, Citi offered cardmembers more than 6,000 music events. Last year alone, Citi worked with more than 1,400 artists ranging from preferred tickets and early access to concert tickets, to curated special events and VIP experiences. Live performances featured artists ranging from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Coldplay, John Legend and Robert Plant. For more information, visit www.citiprivatepass.com or @citiprivatepass on Twitter.
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