AC/DC Move Düsseldorf Date To Stadium, Open Air Park Opening Postponed
AC/DC’s July 8 performance, originally scheduled to inaugurate Düsseldorf, Germany’s new Open Air Park, is being moved into the city’s Merkur-Spiel Arena.
The news comes somewhat as a surprise, as plans to open the new 80,000-capacity Open Air Park are reportedly going ahead, with the municipal planning committee voicing its approval for the project on Tuesday, May 6, according to local news outlet NRZ, which states that “the members of the committee approved the development plan with a clear majority.”
A final decision from city council is expected on May 28, with no one expecting the Open Air Park to suffer a setback, as Pollstar was told by knowledgeable sources.
Drawing parallels to 2018, when Ed Sheeran was forced to relocate his scheduled performance in Düsseldorf because of a municipal decision, which some media reports have been doing, is therefore unfunded.
The NRZ report cites sources claiming ticket sales for the AC/DC have been falling short of expectations. 40,000 tickets had been reportedly sold at the time of writing, half the capacity of Open Air Park Düsseldorf.
Thankfully, the adjacent Merkur-Spiel Arena, home to the city’s major soccer team Fortuna Düsseldorf, is available on the scheduled July 8 date, allowing the concert to remain in the city. It has a concert capacity of around 55,000, depending on the stage configuration.
Pollstar understands plans for the Open Air Park Düsseldorf to still be fully underway, though the grand opening will only happen in 2026.
Michael Brill, CEO of D.Live, which operates several Düsseldorf venues on behalf of the city, including Merkur-Spiel Arena and the Open Air Park, commented:
“Fortunately, we can react very flexibly to changing requirements here in Düsseldorf and move shows to one of our other venues. Of course, we think it’s a shame that we won’t be celebrating the premiere of Open Air Park Düsseldorf with AC/DC this year and will be postponing it until 2026. At the same time, however, we are happy that the concert with the world stars is taking place in Düsseldorf. The postponement of the event is in no way connected to the planning procedure for the Open Air Park.”
And he continued, “Düsseldorf’s choice of location for the AC/DC concert also reflects the strategic importance of the upcoming Open Air Park Düsseldorf. Although the event has now been relocated, it would not have come to Düsseldorf if this opportunity had not existed. D.LIVE’s portfolio strategy consolidates Düsseldorf as a top location for live entertainment.”
AC/DC are currently playing North American stadiums, and continue to do so through May. From the current leg, the box office report for AC/DC’s April 10 concert at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, is already in, showing 46,176 tickets sold at a $6,524,900 gross.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of the story referred to the Düsseldorf show as taking place in June. The concert is scheduled July 8.
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