Silverstone has announced the line-up for ‘four gigantic evenings of live music and entertainment’ that will mark the start of a new era for the Formula 1 Aramco British Grand Prix.
Silverstone, which has been the permanent home of the British Grand Prix since 1987, is now looking to evolve its annual event by introducing ‘music and the arts’ to its offering.
Scottish DJ Calvin Harris will headline the inaugural event, alongside Jess Glynne and Cat Burns for the ‘best of British launch party’ on Thursday night.
The performances will continue across the weekend with Jax Jones headlining on the Friday, Black Eyed Peas on Saturday, and Tom Grennan on Sunday, with support acts still to be announced.
The new-look music offering will see Silverstone deliver at no extra cost to existing ticket holders.
The shows have been curated by Grammy nominated and Ivor Novello Award winning British songwriter and producer Jamie Scott, who was appointed Director of Music and the Arts at Silverstone last year.
As well as securing the headline acts, Scott has also recruited Library Productions, who manage the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, to create staging and an expanded music arena, which now accommodates up to 45,000 people.
Jamie Scott, commented, “I never imagined I’d get the opportunity to merge my two biggest passions in life: motorsport and music. Anyone who has visited Silverstone knows it already has the feel of a British summer festival. We want to capture that and build on it to create something truly special.
“In the past the music offering has been secondary to the action on the track, but we are changing that. We want to deliver something that matches the race action and lifts the weekend experience as a whole. I know how ambitious that sounds, but that’s exactly what we plan to do – starting with this year’s Thursday night launch party!”
The evolving Formula 1 schedule has seen questions surface over the British Grand Prix’s place in the sport. The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix takes place this year, and there have been rumours around potential London Grand Prix too. The introduction of the music offering at Silverstone seems to be a response to the growing competition in the sport.
