Longleat gig for Richie after 2021 cancellation
THEY’RE used to the sound of lions roaring at Longleat but it will be a smoother sound at the historic Wiltshire estate when superstar Lionel Richie performs there next summer.
The 71-year-old pop legend was due to stage a gig at Bristol’s harbourside as part of his Hello tour this summer but it had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
The rearranged gig will now be staged at Longleat next June, it was announced yesterday.
Tickets for the Bristol show will be valid at Longleat.
But given it is a minimum of 30 miles and an hour’s drive from Bristol many may be disappointed at the move to a venue that isn’t well-served by public transport.
Tickets for the revised gig go on general sale from May 7 at 10am, with a pre-sale 24 hours earlier.
Promoter Senbla blames “logistical reasons” for the change, saying it could not hold the performance in Bristol next year.
A spokesperson for Senbla said: “The same protocol applies to any other show that has had to be rescheduled over the past year. Existing tickets remain valid for the new dates which we urge customers to hold onto, but if they are unable to attend they should contact the ticket agent used to purchase tickets who will be best placed to help.”
Richie said of the concert: “I am really excited to be playing at Longleat. I know we’ll all have such an incredible night of partying together. It’s a venue steeped in music history. The Rolling Stones and Elton John have both headlined Longleat and I’m honoured to be joining the esteemed list.”
The safari park describes the Hello gig as the “first in a series of outdoor concerts in the grounds of the beautiful Longleat house”, suggesting more acts could be playing there next year.
Over the course of his glittering career Richie has sold more than 90 million records, making him one of the world’s best selling artists of all time.
With classic tracks including All Night Long and Hello his album Can’t Slow Down won the Grammy for album of the year in 1985.