George Michael to open new Wembley Stadium

NEWS RELEASE

CONNIE FILIPPELLO PUBLICITY

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George Michael to play first concert at the new Wembley Stadium

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - George Michael will be the first artist to play a concert at the new Wembley Stadium on June 9 as part of his British and European Stadium tour.

The tour will kick start in Aarhus Stadium in Denmark on the 18 May and will visit Manchester, Glasgow, Plymouth and Norwich as well as France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Holland and Hungary.

The brand new 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium is set to be one of the greatest entertainment venues in the world hosting some of the biggest and most exciting global events in the sports and music calendar.

Wembley Stadium has always featured prominently in Michael's career.

He has played many of his most memorable concerts there, including Live Aid in 1985, Wham's farewell concert with Andrew Ridgeley in 1986, the Nelson Mandela concert in 1988, the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992 and Net Aid in 1999.

Michael had no hesitation when the opportunity came along to play the first music concert at the new Wembley Stadium.

Alex Horne, managing director of Wembley Stadium, said: "It's fantastic news that George Michael is to play Wembley Stadium's opening concert."

"He's no stranger to this great stage having performed at the old stadium both with Wham! at Live Aid and also as a solo artist, so this is a fitting first gig in the new stadium," said Horne

"I'm sure this will be a very hot ticket and we are looking forward to putting the stadium back on the world map as a major music destination..." he said.

This announcement follows an extraordinary year for George Michael when in September 2006 he embarked on his sell-out '25 Live' European tour - his first in 15 years - and released his number one album, 'Twenty Five'.

Having sold-out in mere minutes, '25 Live' entertained over 650,000 delighted fans over the course of a 49 date tour, in 11 different countries, receiving unprecedented praise from fans and press alike:

The Sun said, "George proved he is simply one of the best vocalists this country has ever produced."

The Mail on Sunday said "King George still reigns supreme"

The Observer pronounced it as "a masterclass in pop genius".

George Michael is one of the world's most successful male artists, selling over 85 million records globally and encompassing 11 British number one singles, eight British number one albums and six US number one singles.

Tickets for all UK dates will go on sale on Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased by calling the national ticket hotlines: 0870 380 0148, 0871 230 5463 and 0871 424 1434 or online by clicking here and here.

Tour details

Saturday 9 June
Wembley Stadium
London

Tuesday 12 June
Carrow Road
Norwich

Friday 15 June
City Of Manchester Stadium
Manchester

Sunday 17 June
Hampden Park
Glasgow

Tuesday 19 June
Home Park
Plymouth

European tour details

Friday 18 May
NRGI Park (Athletic Stadium)
Aarhus, Denmark

Wednesday 23 May
Nepstadion
Budapest, Hungary

Friday 25 May
Inter Football Stadium
Bratislava, Slovakia

Monday 28 May
LTU Arena
Dusseldorf

Saturday 2 June
Strahov Football Stadium
Prague, Czech Republic

Wednesday 6 June
RDS Arena
Dublin, Ireland

Friday 22 June
Stade de France
Paris, France

Saturday 23 June
Werchter Open Air Park
Belgium

Tuesday 26 June
Amsterdam Arena
Amsterdam, Holland

Friday 29 June
Stockholm Stadium
Sweden

Sunday 1 July
Olympic Stadium
Helsinki, Finland

Tuesday 17 July
Stadio Euganeo
Padova, Italy

Thursday 19 July
Stadio
Lucca, Italy

Saturday 21 July
Stadio Olimpico
Rome, Italy

About Wembley Stadium

Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) is the company redeveloping Wembley Stadium as the world's leading sport and music venue.

Offering 90,000 fans unrivalled views of the action in state-of-the-art facilities while generating an unbeatable atmosphere, WNSL will set new standards for supporters and performers alike.

Wembley Stadium is a public transport destination; please leave your car behind.

Wembley Stadium is situated in a mainly residential area.

A resident's permit scheme operates on stadium event days.

Only cars with official Wembley Stadium car park passes or residents permits will be allowed to park in the area.

A subsidiary of The Football Association, profits generated by WNSL will provide an important revenue stream for The FA to reinvest in football [soccer] at every level.

For more information about Wembley Stadium visit WembleyStadium.com.

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