Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters will headline a three-day concert in California later this year that will also feature Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Who, organizers confirmed Tuesday.
The event, Desert Trip, will take place October 7, 8 and 9 in Indio, a southern California desert city near Palm Springs that has hosted the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival since 1999. Ticket prices start at $199 per day and go on sale beginning May 9.
All six acts have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the event will mark the first time ever that the artists have shared the same stage.
Speculation surrounding a rumored “megaconcert” first surfaced last month, and Roger Daltrey of The Who later told interviewers that the legendary British rock group’s surviving members would likely perform.
“It’s a fantastic idea for a festival,” the 72-year-old singer told Toronto Sun in late April. “It’s the greatest remains of our era. I’m glad we made it.”
“We have to face it, we are [at] the end of an era,” Mr. Daltrey said in a separate interview with BBC. “We’re the last of our generation.”
Elliot Roberts, a manager for Mr. Young, described the concert as a once-in-a-lifetime event to the Los Angeles Times last month as rumors swelled.
“It’s so special in so many ways, because you won’t get a chance to see a bill like this, perhaps ever again,” he said. “It’s a show I look forward to more than any show in a long time.”
Mr. McCartney, 73, has outlived half of The Beatles, while The Rolling Stones and The Who’s current line-up consist of only two original members apiece. With regards to all six headliners, the average age of the rock stars scheduled to perform at Desert Trip is 72 years old.
Desert Trip will kick off on Friday, Oct. 7 with a performance by Mr. Dylan and his band to be followed by a set from the Rolling Stones. Mr. Young will open up Saturday’s show before a performance by Mr. McCartney, and The Who will play on Sunday before Pink Floyd co-founder Mr. Waters closes down the concert.
Promise of the Real, a California rock group fronted by Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelson’s son, will back up Mr. Young during Saturday’s show.
“I don’t think any of us cares who goes on first,” Mr. Daltrey said last month amid speculation. “We’ve never worried about that. The music is all so different, that’s not going to matter at all.”
Individuals wanting to catch all of the acts will be able to purchase three-day general admission passes for $399 apiece, but concertgoers interested in being near the action will have to shell out $1,599 in order to get closest to the stage.
Desert Trip is being put on by Goldenvoice, the same production company responsible for the highly successful Coachella festival. Coachella raked in $84 million in ticket sales in 2015 and had a daily attendance of 99,000, trade publication Pollstar reported previously.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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