Thursday, February 16, 2012

Elton John To Play Gig At Angkor Wat


Sir Elton John is set to play a concert for thousands of people at the world-famous temples of Angkor Wat.

The singer/songwriter will be one of the biggest international stars ever to play in Cambodia when he performs at the ancient jungle complex outside the tourist hub of Siem Reap at the end of this year.

His tour reconnaissance team have already visited the northern city and the nearby UNESCO world heritage site to do the logistics and check out the area in preparation for the big event.

The musician will also visit projects in the country helped by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which he set up in 1992. It is understood the gig will raise money for the charity.

Sir Elton’s publicist Gary Farrow refused to give any details of the concert.

“(It’s) not been announced yet, Elton will not be doing any media at present,” he told me.

A source working for the lighting team that have been approached to put on the show said: “The only thing we’ve been told at the moment is the concert is going to be at Angkor Wat at the end of this year.

“We’ve been told it will probably be in November because Elton will already be in Asia that month for the last gig of his world tour, at the Mata Elang International Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on November 17.”

He said it is expected there will be as many as 50,000 people at the Cambodia gig.


The Sokha Angkor Resort, a luxurious hotel in Siem Reap, said Sir Elton’s staff had booked the 64-year-old into the venue for the concert - but the booking had not yet been confirmed.

A spokeswoman said: “The singer Elton John planned to stay in Sokha Angkor Resort during the concert at Angkor Temple at the end of this year.

“But until now we have not received any confirmation from him.”

In December 2008, Placebo became the first rock band to play at Angkor Wat.

The trio used their semi-acoustic show - featuring US band The Click Five and a host of other international and Cambodian stars - to speak out against human trafficking in the country.

Before that, the last international artist to perform at Angkor Wat was tenor Jose Carreras who sang for a charity gala dinner there in 2002.

Sir Elton is also due to perform at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert in the UK in the summer.


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