It seems like yesterday when FestPop covered the 2nd edition of Boston Calling in 2014. Today it was announced the Madison Square Garden CO., has purchased a controlling interest in Boston Calling (BCE), the entertainment production company known for successfully creating and operating Boston’s premier music festival, Boston Calling.
Since it’s inception in 2013 BCE has earned the praise of more than 250,000 fans. Brian Appel, the BCE Co-founder and CEO will continue to operate the business, which also produces Boston Calling Block Parties, an annual series of outdoor events showcasing local music, and the Copenhagen Beer Celebration, a new festival showcasing world-class brewers and musical acts that will be held for the first time this September in Boston’s City Hall Plaza.
“We have been exploring music festivals as a way to further expand and strengthen our position in the ‘live experience’ space and are very pleased to welcome Boston Calling Events to the MSG family,” said David O’Connor, President and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company.
“We are excited about joining a company that not only shares our commitment to delivering artist-and fan-friendly events, but that truly believes in the growing value of unique and exceptional live experiences,” said Mr. Appel. “Their support will be invaluable as we continue to work on delivering successful events for music fans, while exploring new opportunities in the festival space.”
Boston Calling recently announced that starting in 2017, will now take place annually on Memorial Day weekend and relocate to nearby Allston, MA at the Harvard Athletic Complex.
The Boston Calling Festival is one of the country’s only remaining independent, urban music festivals and takes place in a city where MSG has had a live entertainment presence for the last eight years thanks to a booking agreement with the Wang Theatre. Utilizing MSG’s knowledge of the market, along with its booking, sponsorship, marketing and promotional expertise and platforms, BCE will work to grow the premier event, while also exploring ways to expand its current festival offerings, including into new verticals and new geographies.
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