Wireless Festival Takes NEC Outdoors
25 February 2022Content diversification sees venue enter the festival market
The 8th – 10th July will see the NEC play host to Wireless Festival 2022, welcoming a roster of global music stars to the NEC Campus with Festival Republic, part of Live Nation.
Bringing the best in contemporary black music to Birmingham, the three-day festival will take place for over 135,000 live music fans.
The event will not use the indoor space of the UK’s largest venue. Instead, it will utilise five of the venue’s car parks which form part of a total of 446 acres of outdoor event space available on the campus.
The Ticket Factory, the official box office for the NEC, has also been appointed as a ticket agent for the event. Tickets will be on general sale from midday 28th February via www.theticketfactory.com or 0344 338 8222.
Richard Mann, New Business Director for the NEC said: “We are constantly seeking ways to maximise activity across our estate, and it's great to see the team behind Wireless using our adaptable space. This approach to hosting a festival on concrete is a tried and tested method commonly seen in the US and will no doubt improve the logistics associated with our great British weather!
“We are well accustomed to hosting large-scale live music events in both of our arenas, and to have the ability to also offer an outdoor music festival of this scale showcases the flexibility of our spaces and how we can diversify our offering for organisers and promoters. This is an exceptional win for the region, and we hope this will be the start of further festival opportunities in the coming years for our audiences.”
Ian Taylor, Managing Director for NEC Group Conventions and Exhibitions, concluded: “This is a huge cultural opportunity for the West Midlands, and we are excited to further boost Birmingham’s profile by hosting such an iconic event in 2022. Coming out of the pandemic, the NEC is diversifying its event model as we look to embrace new audiences and welcome outdoor festivals to our campus.”
Wireless Birmingham will headline with Dave, Cardi B and J. Cole. Two further events will run in London at Crystal Palace and Finsbury Park.