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Palembang gears up for Westlife concert
The concert, which marks the 20-year career of the Irish boyband, will be held at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Jakabaring Sports City, and feature singer Marion Jola as the opening act.
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Irish pop group Westlife perform for Queen Elizabeth II at the National Convention Centre, Dublin on May 19, 2011. (AFP/Carl de Souza)
T
he Westlife reunion concert entitled The Twenty Tour 2019 will not only be held in Jakarta, but also in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Aug. 18. The organizer recently announced that the silver (standing) tickets were almost sold out already.
The concert, which marks the 20-year career of the Irish boyband, will be held at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Jakabaring Sports City, and feature singer Marion Jola as the opening act.
"The Palembang concert is the only one that features an opening act and a stadium venue. This has received an enthusiastic response from Indonesian fans as many tickets have been sold. I estimated the silver tickets to be sold out by next week," said president director of organizer Neutron Live, Rendy, during a recent press conference in Palembang.
The tour itself is scheduled to visit four Indonesian cities, namely Jakarta (Aug. 6 and 7), Palembang (Aug. 18), Yogyakarta (Aug. 31) and Semarang (Sept. 1).
The Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium reportedly can accommodate over 30,000 people. Rendy said a 5 x 10 meter large screen would be erected on the two sides of the 24 x 12 meter stage. Shuttle buses will be prepared at several points to take concertgoers to the venue.
In comparison, the Jakarta concert will be held in an indoor space, while the Yogyakarta show at the Borobudur Temple complex is only able to accommodate 6,000 people.
Read also: Westlife to perform additional show in Indonesia
"The concert tickets in Palembang are the cheapest in Asia. Tickets to the Yogyakarta show can cost up to Rp 3.5 million [US$249], while in Palembang they start at Rp 550,000 thanks to the large venue," he added.
Regarding the flight ticket fares that are still considerably high, Rendy is optimist that Westlife fans will still come to Palembang, since concert tickets in other cities such as Semarang have started to sell out. Fans from the Philippines and Malaysia are said to have bought tickets as well.
Opening act Marion Jola said she was proud to take part in the concert.
"It's such a dream come true, and of course I will prepare myself to perform well. Of course, there will be a surprise related to my latest single," she said.
The representative of the South Sumatra Culture and Tourism Agency, Prima, said the show would be Palembang's fourth international concert. Previously the city hosted Michael Learns to Rock , Shane Filan and Boyzlife. (nic/kes)
