Christopher BarrettLive Nation-owned Cuffe and Taylor has signed a seven-year contract to promote outdoor live music series Forest Live with Forestry England.
The promoter said it will programme, present and provide the framework for outdoor shows at up to seven forest venues across England from summer 2024. Cuffe and Taylor said it was awarded the contract following a competitive tender process.
Forestry England manages 1,500 of the nation’s woods and forests. Its land has been used to stage the Forest Live gig series for the past 22 years, during which 2 million people have attended the shows. The series was previously produced by David Barrow’s DB Event Services, and involved shows at nationwide forest locations including Westonbirt Arboretum, Thetford Forest, Dalby Forest and Mansfield Sherwood Pines Forest Park.
Live Nation said it plans to present up to 32 concerts a year to a combined audience of more than 250,000 people at sites in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Suffolk, Gloucestershire, Kent, North Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
It said the project will involves a series of sustainability initiatives and will be delivered in line with Forestry England’s net zero ambitions and the promoter’s Green Nation charter.
Cuffe and Taylor founder Peter Taylor said, “For more than 10 years we have presented live concerts and shows to millions of people across the UK – with the vast majority of those in an outdoor setting. Leveraging our wealth of experience we now look forward to working in some of the most beautiful locations across England to build on and potentially expand the brilliant Forest Live concerts.”
Forestry England head of events and commercial visitor programmes Dan Bell said, “We are delighted to have selected Cuffe and Taylor as our chosen co-promoters and are excited to work with them as we build on the success of Forest Live in this exciting new chapter.
“We want to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to David Barrow, who has been our principal contractor and booker over that period. What David and his team, alongside all our loyal contractors and suppliers, has helped Forest Live achieve has been truly incredible.”