The first Barclaycard British Summer Time will take place from 28 June to 7 July. The ten-day event will take place annually until 2017, after AEG won the contract to hold events in the park, previously held by Live Nation. Wireless and Hard Rock Calling festivals, organised by Live Nation, will
James Russell, head of events for The Royal Parks, said British Summer Time would "break new ground for outdoor events, and within the event industry".
Bon Jovi will headline a concert on 5 July as part of the two weekends of music from high-profile artistes. The concerts will sandwich a mid-week programme of smaller events involving film, music, literature, sport and a family day.
AEG Live will move the main stage to a new location, after . The promoter says the move will send sound into the park, rather than towards residential areas, and expects to raise sound levels for concerts by three decibels without increasing levels recorded outside the park.
The new festival will be divided into four themed zones with bespoke installations, and the main stage will feature a digital backdrop of trees to 'blend in' to the park. Some structures will be designed as tree houses, and Jim King, event director at AEG Live, said there would be no white tents or plastic toilets at the event.
King added: "Barclaycard British Summer Time takes everything we have learned indoors at our other venues – in creating the amazing experiences at The O2 – and shares it within the world’s greatest outdoor venue, Hyde Park. We started with a blank canvas, and in Barclaycard British Summer Time have created what we believe to be the ultimate in summer events – fantastic music, great food, drinks, farmers' markets, theatre and film – and much more incredible entertainment across a full ten days."
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