LN Hits Olympic Snag

Producing what amounts to London’s public entertainment during the Olympic Games was bound to throw up a few snags, and it hasn’t taken long for Live Nation to come across one.

An Islington council authority says LN’s plan for a 10-day event in Finsbury Park Aug. 3-12 is “excessive.”

Finsbury Park is in Haringey Council’s area and it’s already lodged an official objection to Live Nation’s proposals.

The matter was to be discussed at a license hearing Dec. 12 but was postponed for a week after a councilor was taken ill.

“We’re doing it for the Jamaican sporting bodies’ official Olympic House and it will include popular cultural elements including music, food, and tourism,” said Live Nation UK chief ops officer John Probyn, explaining that the event amounts to much more than a 10-day reggae fest.

He said the number of live music nights is something that will need to be agreed to with the Haringey authorities.

Finsbury Park can hold 35,000 and the council feels that number of people would be a big test for the local transport infrastructure.

The council is also bothered that the noise and upheaval of a 10-day event could test the tolerance of the local community. Current plans would mean that a large chunk of the public park would be lost to the local community during the school summer holidays.

Vince Power is the promoter to have used the park most in the last few years, particularly in his Mean Fiddler days, although it was usually for one-day or weekend events.

Underworld has been booked to score the music for the opening ceremony for next year’s Olympics.

The act was widely thought to have been on the shortlist, as film director Danny Boyle, who has previously worked with Underworld, is overseeing the opening of the London showcase games.

Live Nation’s annual Wireless Festival, which is in London’s Hyde Park July 6-8, has added Jessie J, Calvin Harris, and Labyrinth to a final-day bill to be headlined by Rihanna.