Duran Duran are the second act confirmed for next year's BST Hyde Park.
The band, who are currently celebrating 40 years together, were originally scheduled to be part of the cancelled 2020 series and will now headline the festival on July 11, 2021. It will be their first London show in six years.
Guests announced so far include Nile Rodgers & Chic and Grace Jones, both of whom have storied histories with the group. Rodgers produced their classic single The Reflex in 1983, followed by The Wild Boys. He also co-wrote, produced and performed on tracks on the band’s 2004 album Astronaut and 2015’s Paper Gods.
Jones, meanwhile, starred in the James Bond film A View To A Kill - for which Duran Duran recorded the theme tune - and performed on their spin-off group Arcadia’s So Red the Rose album.
We have always finished each year with a huge party and we need one now more than ever
Jim King, AEG Presents
Jim King, CEO of European Festivals at AEG Presents, said: “It's wonderful to finally talk about and look forward to next summer knowing that the light we can see at the end of the tunnel will be the sunshine at American Express presents BST Hyde Park. We have always finished each year with a huge party and we need one now more than ever. It's therefore with our enormous thanks to Duran Duran that they have made it possible to bring their incredible hit-packed live show to Hyde Park just when we all needed it most.
"We celebrate this moment with Duran Duran and the man who helped them make some of their biggest hits, Nile Rodgers and the incredible Chic. The band also have the legendary Grace Jones joining them for what will be an incredible day of quality music and a chance for us all to dance again."
Tickets go on general sale from from 10am, Friday, December 4. Fans who bought tickets to Duran Duran’s cancelled BST Hyde Park show in 2020 are guaranteed tickets if they rebook and will gain priority access to see both shows with a Two Day ticket.
Lead singer Simon Le Bon added: "We are so happy to announce the new date for our return to Hyde Park. This will be our first London show in six years and we are honoured that two of our musical heroes Nile Rodgers and Grace Jones will be joining us on the bill. Seeing as we had to postpone the 2020 show, BST Hyde Park 2021 will be extra special to us. After the year that everyone's been through, we're aiming to make next summer into the kind of party we all deserve."
Duran Duran join Pearl Jam as confirmed headliners for the returning festival. The US band will become the first artists to play two consecutive nights at the event when they take to the stage on July 9-10 next year. They will be joined by Pixies on the first night and Idles on the second. The festival has also unveiled a new payment plan so fans can pay for their ticket over several months.
The 2020 concert series was cancelled, along with all other UK festivals, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Little Mix and Kendrick Lamar had also been announced as headliners for this year.
Duran Duran are readying their next album for 2021, which is being produced by legendary DJ Erol Alkan and Blur's Graham Coxon.
