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Creamfields invests £2m in festival site

The team behind electronic music event Creamfields has announced a £2 million overhaul of the brand’s flagship festival in Cheshire, north England.

Creamfields, which began as a one-day dance music event in 1998, is now a 70,000-capacity, four-day camping festival that takes place every August bank holiday weekend.

The overhaul comes as the festival prepares to celebrate its 15th year at its site in Cheshire, which has been its home since 2006.

The improvements will usher in a “new era for Creamfields”, say organisers, and will include increased camping space, additional security and staffing, the installation of a new water supply and more water points, better signage, improved shower and toilet facilities, more welfare staff, 24-hour manned information hubs and a minimisation of environmental impact on site.

The improvements will usher in a “new era for Creamfields”

Part of Live Nation’s Cream brand and promoted by Scott Barton-led Electronic Nation, Creamfields has become one of the world’s largest electronic music events, with spin-off festivals in Chile, UAE, Spain, Malta, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The Creamfields team is also responsible for Steel Yard, a 15,000-capacity dance arena structure, which hosts shows by the likes of Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Eric Prydz, Faithless and Carl Cox in London and Liverpool.

The sold-out 2019 event saw performances from Calvin Harris, the Chemical Brothers, Bicep, Deadmau5, Matin Garrix, Tiesto, Camelphat and Fatboy Slim.

Creamfields returns to Daresbury in Cheshire from 27 to 30 August 2020. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. (BST) on Friday 27 September. Fans can sign up for pre-sale here. A full line-up will be announced soon.

 


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LN launches Rolling Loud in Hong Kong

Live Nation Electronic Asia is launching Rolling Loud in Hong Kong, the first two-day hip-hop festival to take place in the city.

Founded in 2015 by Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, the Miami-based Rolling Loud has grown to become a three-day, 60,000-capacity event. The festival now also takes place in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York. This year, an inaugural Sydney edition sold all 20,000 tickets in 38 minutes.

Past performers include J Cole, Lil Wayne, Asap Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Cardi B.

In 2019, Chinese hip-hop artists Bridge, K Eleven and Josh, from the Chongqing-based rap and hip-hop label Gosh, performed at Rolling Loud Miami. Chinese ‘hip-hop poet’ Jony J also appeared on the line-up.

“Hip-hop has extended itself across the world and taken over local youth culture everywhere, particularly in Asia”

“Hip-hop has extended itself across the world and taken over local youth culture everywhere, particularly in Asia,” says Live Nation Electronic Asia managing director Jim Wong.

“We are now ready to bring Rolling Loud to my beloved city, Hong Kong, and take the Asia hip-hop music scene to the next level.”

Live Nation Electronic Asia was formed in 2017 to respond to “the region’s rising demand for electronic dance music”. Live Nation recently launched a similar division, Electronic Nation, in the UK, headed up by Cream managing director Scott Barton.

Rolling Loud Hong Kong will take place at the Art Park in the West Kowloon cultural district from 19 to 20 October. The full line-up and ticket details will be announced soon.

 


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Scott Barton to lead LN UK’s Electronic Nation

Live Nation has launched Electronic Nation, a new electronic music-focused division, in the UK.

Led by Scott Barton, managing director of Live Nation’s Cream brand, Electronic Nation will be based in London and will be responsible all electronic music activities at Live Nation UK, including the Creamfields festival, touring, shows and clubs.

Creamfields (70,000-cap.), launched in 1998, is one of the biggest electronic music events in the world, and has spawned spin-offs Chile, Abu Dhabi, Ibiza, Malta, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Australia and Hong Kong. Taking place in Cheshire over the last weekend in August, 2019 performers include Swedish House Mafia, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Skrillex, the Chemical Brothers and the Chainsmokers.

The Creamfields also birthed Steel Yard, a 15,000-capacity arena structure which hosts shows by the biggest names in dance music in London and Liverpool.

“This new division is a major advance for Live Nation and for artists and acts in this genre”

“With Scott’s outstanding record managing global brands Cream and Creamfields, this new division is a major advance for Live Nation and for artists and acts in this genre,” comments Denis Desmond, chairman of Live Nation UK and Ireland.

Barton – whose older brother James, co-founder of Cream, now leads fast-expanding European festival operator Superstruct – says he hopes to drive Live Nation’s  “continued expansion into the electronic arena, with the aim of connecting big-name dance acts to more fans across the UK through tours and festivals”.

“Electronic music has always been at the heart of what we do,” he says. “We have a dedicated team who work hard to connect fans to electronic music events across the UK. As the scene continues to grow, the knowledge and experience we have is key to our success.”

Live Nation formed a similar division in east Asia, Live Nation Electronic Asia, in August 2017.

 


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