Credit: Ernst Vikne
By Connor McDonagh
Pop legend Elton John looks set to attract new fans to Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
The 68-year-old will perform at Grace Road on July 11 in front of an expected 17,000 capacity crowd.
Dan Nice, Communications Manager at Leicestershire County Cricket, said: “I expect the usual fans to attend the concert, but more importantly it will attract new people who have never attended the stadium before, which should benefit us in the long run.”
Grace Road will host Elton John’s first concert in Leicester since 1976 where he performed at De Montfort Hall.
“To have a worldwide icon such as Elton John playing at Grace Road will benefit Leicester economically and will have knock on effects for the surrounding area.
“The whole city will benefit from an event of this size. Local businesses, transportation, food outlets will all feel the positives of the occasion.”
Despite the benefits the event will bring to the city, various problems have aroused.
Local residents close to the cricket ground have raised their concerns regarding parking congestion and noise created by concertgoers, which has led to various meetings to have taken place.
The club was forced to bring in Ryan Cater, who worked on parking management plans for the Rugby World Cup last summer.
Dan said: “He was brought in to devise a strategy to deal with the residents’ concerns. Parking permit schemes, clearer motorway routes and litter removal.”
A park and ride service will be operating on the day whilst parking permits will be issued to residents living close to the cricket ground.
Limited tickets for the event are still available on sale and can be purchased online at: ticketfactor.com
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