Sponsored by
Free opera and pop pulls in crowds
Chris Benfield
Every ticket was taken for two free music festivals at Temple Newsam, Leeds, over the weekend.
Opera in the Park, on Saturday, drew 50,000 people to see and hear soprano Natasha Marsh and tenor Alfie Boe, with the Hall Orchestra and the Leeds Festival Chorus.
Another 80,000 turned up yesterday, for chart-toppers Dizzee Rascal, Alesha Dixon, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beverley Knight, Calvin Harris, Pixie Lott, Little Boots, JLS, N-Dubz, DJ Ironik and Booty Luv.
Both events were hit by showers but delivered their full programmes – except for a scheduled turn by the Sugababes yesterday which was cancelled because two of them were down with flu.
Leeds Council organised the events in collaboration with Magic 828 for the opera and Radio Aire for the poppier event – and now turns its attention to Big City Jazz at various venues August 21-23. See www.bigcityjazzleeds.co.uk/
John Procter, the council executive member for leisure, said: “It gives us great pride as a council to be able to put on events of this scale for everyone to enjoy for free.”
Email to a friend
Print this page- Three-inch blanket of snow heading our way today
- Barnsley’s Keith Hill invokes Fawlty Towers over link with Leeds job
- McCormack feels United search can be narrowed down
- Alan Shearer in list of favourites for Leeds and England jobs: Latest odds
- Redfearn throws down gauntlet as queue builds at Elland Road
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -8 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
