Entertainment

Springsteen, Simon and Hudson to headline Covid comeback concert in New York

The event will come 30 years after Paul Simon’s memorable August 15 1991 concert which was also held in Central Park.
The event will come 30 years after Paul Simon’s memorable August 15 1991 concert which was also held in Central Park. The event will come 30 years after Paul Simon’s memorable August 15 1991 concert which was also held in Central Park.

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson will headline an August concert in Central Park, marking the city’s comeback from the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced.

“It is going to be a great moment for the city, marking our rebirth, marking our comeback, and it’s going to be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history,” the mayor said at a virtual news briefing.

Mr de Blasio announced last month that producer Clive Davis would recruit an all-star line-up for a Central Park concert in August. No exact date has been announced.

Simon and Garfunkel Concert
Simon and Garfunkel Concert Paul Simon performs in Hyde Park (Myung Jung Kim/PA)

More performers will be announced in the coming weeks, Mr de Blasio said.

The concert will come 30 years after Simon’s memorable August 15 1991 Central Park concert, which was recorded and released as a live album and concert film.

Springsteen’s return to Broadway last weekend was itself a step in the city’s recovery from the pandemic.

“He is beloved in New York City in an extraordinary way even though he happens to come from New Jersey — no one’s perfect,” Mr de Blasio said.

Cats Photocall – London
Cats Photocall – London Jennifer Hudson will be among the performers (Matt Crossick/PA)

The mayor said Hudson, an Oscar and Grammy winner, is “someone who captures the grit and determination that we’re all feeling as we fight through this crisis”.