Category: TV
Ent; Wales
Date: 28.06.2005
Printable version
Cardiff is set to be part of the world's largest rock
concert with a free BBC screening in the city of next Saturday's
Live 8 concert.
Live BBC television coverage of the Live 8 event being
held at Hyde Park on 2 July - as well as a host of international locations
- will be broadcast to a special BBC high definition big screen for
a potential audience of thousands at Cooper's Field in Bute
Park in the city centre.
Tickets for the Hyde Park concert were over-subscribed
tenfold, with a text competition to win tickets attracting more than
1.5 million entries.
In order to enable many thousands more to join the event,
the BBC announced that it would erect big screens at 12 locations in
the UK - including Queen's Square in Wrexham - to show the concert from
London live.
Now Cardiff has been added to the list of big screen
locations, with a special bonus - the 17 foot wide Cooper's Field screen
will be the only one to carry high definition television (HDTV) pictures,
giving the highest resolution pictures possible.
It is believed this will be the first ever live public
relay of high definition images in Europe.
BBC Technology Group will take the opportunity afforded
by the relay - which is being sponsored by big screen company Shooting
Partners - to trial its delivery of HDTV via satellite.
Organisers were taken aback in March when a BBC big
screen erected in Cardiff city centre to show live BBC coverage of Wales's
Six Nations rugby triumph attracted a crowd of more than 10,000.
Cooper's Field can accommodate up to 15,000 people and
a separate standard definition big screen will also be erected to ensure
that no one misses out on being part of the experience.
The crowd will be able to watch acts such as Coldplay,
Elton John, Paul McCartney, Madonna,
Robbie Williams, REM, U2 and
Wales's Stereophonics beamed live from Hyde Park, as
well as highlights of the concerts in other cities including Paris,
Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia.
The Cardiff event will have a special connection with
the original Live Aid concert in 1985. The man who was responsible for
Radio 1's sound production at Wembley Stadium that day, Chris Lycett,
will be BBC Radio and Music Live Events project manager for Saturday's
big screen broadcast in Cooper's Field.
"The crowd will be able to enjoy not only the best music
around but also the best pictures you could see," said Chris.
"We have been working closely with Cardiff Council to
make this a very special event in which thousands can share."
Executive Member for Sport, Leisure & Culture, Councillor
Nigel Howells said: "Live 8 will be a momentous occasion that will be
experienced around the world. Cardiff Council is delighted to work with
the BBC to ensure the people of Cardiff are involved in the concert,
and especially as Cooper's Field will be the first place in Europe where
these high definition images will be seen in public."
Live BBC television coverage of the Hyde Park event
will begin at 1.00pm on Saturday and continue until approximately 9.30pm.
Notes to Editors
Admission to the big screen event in Cardiff will be
free. The event will be available to all: no tickets will be required.
