Elton John to perform at gala honouring Jay Marciano
Elton John is set to headline a fundraising gala in Los Angeles for City of Hope, the largest cancer research and treatment organisation in the US.
The 51st edition of the Spirit of Life gala will take place at the historic Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, with appearances from magician David Blaine, chef Evan Funke, and comedian Fred Armisen.
Jay Marciano, chairman and CEO of AEG Presents, will be presented with City of Hope’s prestigious Spirit of Life Award for his philanthropic and humanitarian efforts.
Under Marciano’s leadership, AEG Presents produced John’s swansong tour Farewell Yellow Brick Road among others and is currently in the midst of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
“I am honoured to be receiving The Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope and to be able to contribute to raising awareness and funds to speed its important work of eradicating cancer and improving lives for so many,” says Marciano.
“I am humbled and grateful that Elton John has agreed to lend his immeasurable talents to this event”
“I am also humbled and grateful that Elton John, a true superstar in every regard, has agreed to lend his immeasurable talents to this event with a performance that’s sure to inspire support for a cause that unfortunately touches so many lives. And if that weren’t enough, having David Blaine, Evan Funke, and Fred Armisen contribute to such an extraordinary evening is beyond my wildest dreams,” Marciano added.
John’s historic, final tour comprised 330 shows worldwide to over 6.25 million fans across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. The US leg of the tour concluded with three sell-out shows at Dodger Stadium. He later headlined Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in June 2023, the final UK show before the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour concluded in July 2023, marking the end of more than 50 years on the road.
“Jay is more than a colleague; he is a dear friend,” says John. “It is my pleasure to lend my support to him as he receives the Spirit of Life honour, especially given City of Hope’s dignity-giving supportive care for people who face cancer, along with its unmatched research for other life-threatening illnesses. Their important work has led to advancements in the field that have fortunately enabled so many people to live beautiful, long lives. Everyone should have that opportunity, and I’m honoured to play a part in City of Hope’s work towards that goal.”
The Spirit of Life gala is organised by the City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group which has raised over $150 million for its research and care programmes over 50 years.
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METHOD achieves B Corp certification
METHOD, a UK-based event production company and consultancy whose clients include Tramlines and GALA festival, has achieved B Corp certification.
In the UK, just 1,900 companies have been recognised as B Corp – a business that meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, as verified by the nonprofit, B Lab.
METHOD has been recognised for its dedication to sustainability with both its internal operations and the events it produces. The firm’s efforts include client-focused initiatives such as transitioning to 100% greener fuel sources and zero waste to landfill.
The company says it strives to minimise waste, reduce carbon emissions, and promote social responsibility at every stage of event planning and execution.
“We’ve been reinvesting significant revenue in green initiatives since day one”
“We are thrilled to be recognised as a B Corp,” says Will Holdoway, co-founder and director of METHOD. “This certification validates our investment in sustainability and social practices to date – we’ve been reinvesting significant revenue in green initiatives since day one. But more than an accolade, B Corp certification is a milestone that cements our unwavering commitment towards a positive future and commitment to maintain these values while we grow.”
James Dutton, co-founder and director of METHOD, adds: “We believe that events have the power to inspire positive change and bring communities together. B Corp demonstrates our commitment to harnessing that power for good. This certification underscores our values, and in this challenging time for the sector, it’s crucial we maintain these principles. It is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, as well as our clients and partners who share our vision for a positive future.”
The company says it will continue to review and improve internal policies while also consolidating its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Global Compact.
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New festival from Gala producers launches in UK
Kingdom, a three-day festival celebrating music, architecture, design and food, is making its debut in the UK this summer.
The festival, which is taking place from 24 to 27 July in the grounds of the Grade I-listed Belvoir Castle, is the newest project by the team behind independent electronic music festival Gala.
South London record label Rhythm Section and Turner Prize-winning architecture firm Assemble are collaborating on the design, sound and execution of one of the event’s four main music stages.
Similar creative partnerships will be announced in due course.
“Kingdom offers us a chance to push boundaries, to really think about the way in which people come together to experience music”
“Kingdom offers us a chance to push boundaries, to really think about the way in which people come together to experience music, and what we can do to heighten that experience,” comments Assemble co-founder Jo Halligan.
“I’ve known the Assemble crew for a while and we’ve often talked about building a nightclub or working on a festival together,” adds Rhythm Section founder Bradley Zero, “so it’s very exciting to be collaborating with them on Kingdom.”
Bradley Zero is among acts playing at this year’s Gala festival, alongside Gerd Janson, Horse Meat Disco and Jayda G. After selling out in record time last year, the festival has expanded to two days, taking place in Peckham Rye Park on 23 and 24 May. Tickets are available here, priced at £40 for a day ticket and £80 for a two-day pass.
Fans can register for the pre-sale of the inaugural Kingdom festival here.
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The sound of south London: Giles Napier Q&A
London’s electronic music scene has grown in recent years, as large capacity, high production value festivals and events have popped up all around the capital. IQ speaks to one festival director competing with such events, while maintaining the ethos that an “intimate party vibe” is best.
Giles Napier is the director of GALA, an independent day festival taking place in south London with a focus on classic house and disco music, as well as local craft food and drink.
Launched in 2016, GALA’s first home was in Brockwell Park but has since moved to its new location in Peckham Rye Park. The event aims to retain its small, independent nature, competing with many bigger festivals with ample corporate backing.
As London’s festival scene continues to grow, IQ speaks to Napier about the inspirations behind GALA, why the festival won’t increase its capacity, and how to carve a space in London’s competitive music scene.
How did GALA originate?
I met my business partner and co-founder of GALA, Jonny Edwards, around eight years ago whilst at University in Newcastle [UK]. Jonny gave me a job flyering for a big electronic music night called Zap at [1,400-cap. nightclub] Digital and I very quickly became intoxicated with the club scene up there.
After a year or so, Jonny handed me the keys to Zap while he focused on other projects and I haven’t really looked back since. Once we’d both made the move down to London in 2015, it wasn’t really a question of if we were going to continue throwing parties together, but when.
Thankfully Lambeth Council were very receptive when we approached them about doing a festival in Brockwell Park and after several months of knocking our heads together and forming some strong partnerships with various friends within the south London music and food scenes, GALA was born.
“We want all our guests to have a more rounded experience where lasting memories are made throughout, not just from the bigger dance-floor moments”
How would you describe the essence of GALA and the type of fan the festival is aiming to attract?
GALA is an independent, music-led day festival that also celebrates some of south London’s best-loved breweries, chefs and restaurants, as well as record labels and parties. Our music policy is driven by a love of classic house and disco and a fascination with iconic clubbing institutions from the ’70s and ’80s, such as New York’s Paradise Garage and Chicago’s The Warehouse. I think that’s probably one of the main reasons we’re recognised for being such an open and inclusive event with a particularly well-spirited crowd.
In terms of the type of fan we attract – open-minded people is all we’re after. Obviously it helps if you appreciate good food and drink, and our specific music taste, but there really isn’t a particular demographic that we’re marketing to.
What I would say is that all our guests are encouraged to come early – have a nice lunch in the park, enjoy some locally brewed beer, explore the site and make a full day of it! It’s not an all-out party from start to finish, we want all our guests to have a more rounded experience where lasting memories are made throughout, not just from the bigger dance-floor moments.
How does GALA compete in the increasingly saturated urban festival scene?
What I really hope people take away from the GALA experience is the attention to detail in everything we do – from bespoke stage design, to the sound, to the countless number of hay bales transported by tractors all the way down from Essex!
You won’t find any big top tents in Peckham Rye Park – we really want everything to feel as honest and natural as possible. We pump most of the budget into the festival’s production elements across all areas rather than top-end artist fees, ensuring people come back more for the quality of experience as opposed to just seeing a particular ‘big name’ act.
“The intimate nature of GALA is something we will always protect, even though financially it might make much more sense to increase the number of guests”
How is the festival suited to its home in Peckham Rye Park?
I often find it hard not to romanticise about Peckham Rye Park! It has a huge amount of natural beauty and a cosy feel that is almost unheard of in other London parks, and it therefore fits in perfect harmony with the intimate party vibe we always wanted to achieve with GALA.
In terms of the area, Peckham has a tight-knit passionate music community which we’re proud to be contributing to and a brilliant independent food and drink scene, so it really does work brilliantly for us on every level.
What does the future hold in store for GALA and, more broadly, London’s electronic music scene in general?
We would love to add a second day to GALA somewhere down the line, but we have no ambition or intention of increasing the current capacity or footprint of the festival. The intimate nature of GALA is something we treasure and will always protect, even though financially it might make much more sense to increase the number of guests.
In terms of the future of London’s scene… I’ll try and keep this as concise as possible! The electronic music landscape in the city seems to be continually shifting towards larger-scale, big production-value events and somewhat away from the traditional clubbing scene.
The answer as to why is as contentious as it is complex. However, I think the power and prevalence of social media, as well as healthier living amongst the younger generations and the well-documented lack of protection from London authorities for nightlife in the city, are perhaps the biggest reasons for the change.
Hopefully, this will balance itself out over time and both can thrive alongside one another. We have some of the finest nightclubs in the world, but the festival industry has so much corporate backing at the moment it’s becoming a lot harder to operate venues in the city.
GALA takes places on Sunday 26 May in Peckham Rye Park. Information regarding tickets and line-up can be found here.
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