London Gets Country Week

After five successful editions of Country to Country (C2C) in London’s O2 arena, promoters AEG Europe and SJM Concerts have decided to celebrate a week of country music in London, Oct. 2-8. 

Dubbed Country Music Week (CMW), the event will “feature live shows and unique events across select venues in central London” to “recognize and celebrate emerging artists within the broad spectrum of country music,” according to the announcement.

Amy Westney / CMA – Country 2 Country CMA Nashville
Drake White (L) is joined by CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, fellow country artist Charlie Worsham and CMA chief marketing officer Damon Whiteside at the CMA Nashville Music and Brand Forum March 10 at the Intercontinental Hotel in London as part of the Country 2 Country festival.

The event is inspired by C2C’s pop-up stages, which have been part of the country festival from its inception in 2013. What started out as a two-day event for Europe’s growing country scene expanded into a three-day festival in 2016.

In 2015, C2C expanded to the 3Arena Dublin (Ireland), the Ericsson Globe Stockholm (Sweden), and the Spektrum Oslo (Norway), with two events under the C2C banner also taking place in Glasgow’s SEC (Scotland).

C2C Sweden and Norway returned for one year, albeit with a reduced line-up compared to the other offshoots, and were scrapped this year.

Glasgow on the other hand has become a firm part of C2C’s UK editions, at least two of which sold out in 2016. London’s O2 welcomed some 50,000 visitors over three days, while 9,000 came to the SEC over the same period.

During C2C in London, the Country Music Association, which works closely with AEG and SJM on realizing the event, presented three UK-based recipients with its international award: Bob Harris won the International Country Broadcaster Award, The Shires received the Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award, and Richard Wootton took home the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award.

Dates for next year’s C2C have already been set. The sixth edition will take place March 9-11.