Live Nation surprised fans at Cannes Lions with a secret concert featuring Eddie Vedder at the Villa Alang Alang mansion Wednesday (June 21).
Vedder performed before a celebrity-filled audience that included Nick Jonas and One Republic’s Ryan Tedder, capping off a series of music-oriented activations by the world's largest concert promoter. A Live Nation spokesperson tells Billboard that Vedder was flown into France in secret for the performance, continuing a tradition that began last year with Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl. The Live Nation x Citi villa party was hosted by Russell Wallach, global president of Live Nation’s media and sponsorship division and Jennifer Breithaupt,
Global Consumer Chief Marketing Officer for Citi and included 200 senior leaders from the world's biggest brands and agencies, creating the most sought after ticket at the festival.
The Live Nation activation comes as the live music ecosystem becomes an integral part of the summer showcase of cinema and the creative arts. This year Live Nation hosted a seaside chat with Jonas, Fast Company editor Bob Safian and Live Nation's official Wi-Fi partner Cisco, focusing on how technology is driving transformation in the music industry. Tedder took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by Dominic Sandifer, who interviewed him along with Jim Fraenkel (Spotify) and Mark Weinstein (Hilton) to highlight Live Nation's Music Happens Here program, which focuses on creating one of a kind music experiences for fans.
