Mojo Left To Cheer Soccer Fans

Having delayed the closing set of both its July 9-11 festivals to screen the World Cup final, Mojo Concerts reported that the headliners managed to lift the somewhat deflated Dutch crowds.

“I’m not sure it’s a great combination, especially when you lose,” Rob Trommelen told Pollstar, after Toto managed to lift the spirits of the Bospop crowd following Holland’s 1-0 defeat to Spain.

He said his second-day sales were 5,000 down on the first day, which did 15,000, and he hadn’t sold a ticket for the second day since the Dutch people realised that Holland had a fair chance of getting to the final.

It was a similar picture in Rotterdam, as the match was screened live in North Sea Jazz’s 12,000-capacity venue. But festival chief Jan-Willem Luyken said Stevie Wonder soon had the crowd forgetting about the soccer result.

It was an unfortunate end to a weekend that had been a major success for both events. Norah Jones, Joss Stone, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall and Sonny Rollins were among the 200 acts that attracted 70,000 people to NSJ across the three days.

Trommelen has been forced to move Bospop to a new site as the old soccer ground at Weert is being leveled to make way for housing. He believes his new farmland site in the same city provides a better platform to grow the event.

“It worked well and I believe this is the place where the festival can be developed,” he said, indicating that Mojo can be more focused on it now that it has dropped the slightly heavier Arrow Rock.

Last year’s Arrow Rock was scrubbed because Mojo co-promoted the country’s inaugural Sonisphere Festival. Neither is likely to return.