Adam and Stephen discuss high-profile concerts, investment by a former Manchester United star, and the Riverside Sunderland project.
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00:00High-profile concerts, investment by a former Manchester United star and the Riverside Sunderland project featuring today's business briefing.
00:12I'm Stephen Fowler. And I'm Adam Beach.
00:14The big news of last week of course was the reunion of Oasis and the various concerts they've got coming up shortly. I believe you've got some news on that for us?
00:23Yeah, you're an Oasis fan?
00:24Yeah, I don't mind Oasis, yeah.
00:27Obviously it was big news for many people and the tickets came out at the weekend so there's many excited or disappointed people this morning.
00:36But it's already providing a huge boost to the economy, the announcement.
00:41And that's been proven through a boost in sales at national retailer HMV.
00:46Now according to HMV, sales of the Oasis back catalogue have actually surged by 526% compared to the previous week.
00:57Now that's such a significant increase but retail is not the only beneficiary of the announcement.
01:03The live shows, I think there's 17 dates, are expected to provide a surge in spending across local economies and provide a boost to several industries, particularly hospitality as we get closer to the day and people start booking their hotels.
01:19Well, sticking with music, some of you may be familiar with Peace Hall in Halifax, the historic venue up there.
01:26They have been hosting a series of concerts over the summer, 34 I believe in total, welcoming about 180,000 people.
01:34Among them were our colleagues Ian Leitch and Lawrence Kilgannon who both had to see Pixies.
01:40Some of the other acts, you had Blondie, Cheryl Crow, Norm Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Fatboy Slim, a whole range of…
01:47Big names.
01:48Yeah, big names. So, yeah, really, really good series of events there.
01:52The organisers have said that outside of London and the South Coast, more gig goers attended those events than any other outdoor shows in England over the summer.
02:02So, increasingly, it's a high point of the music calendar, especially up here in the North.
02:09The organisers have now spoken a bit about their plans for next year.
02:13It was a record-breaking year for them in terms of box office revenues in 2024, so they're obviously keen to top that again next year.
02:21They've not given too much away about the new acts yet, keeping that close to the chest for now, but they have said that the headliners will be revealed shortly.
02:28So, yeah, keep an eye out, because by the sounds of it, you're bound to see someone you'd love to see.
02:33Yeah, and that's great for Halifax.
02:34It is, yeah. I mean, it's a lovely venue up there, the Peace Hall. Really, really good one to visit if you're in the area.
02:39Definitely. One from me that actually mixes the worlds of tech and sport, former Manchester United and Ireland footballer John O'Shea has invested in an employee engagement platform, GoChallenge.
02:54It offers a range of interactive challenges and activities, which is designed to motivate employees to stay healthy and also build stronger relationships.
03:03And you can see why, as a former sportsman, John O'Shea would be attracted to that investment.
03:09Now, the company will certainly be eyeing further growth with its exciting new backer.
03:14I believe you have an exciting development?
03:17Yeah, so up in the northeast, you've got news of the Riverside Sunderland project.
03:21Sunderland City Council and Place First have exchanged contracts to bring forward a 165-home development.
03:27That would feature 167 houses and 98 apartments, so a big chunk of development there.
03:33The wider master plan is looking to bring forward 1,000 homes and workspace for 8,000 people.
03:40Planning application for the newest element, the Place First element, would be submitted in the autumn this year, with the aim of starting work on site next summer.
03:50So, yeah, big development there, really transformative for Sunderland.
03:54Yeah, I will certainly be taking a look at that story this morning.
03:57And you can also, by visiting insidermedia.com, where you can also subscribe to our newsletters and learn about upcoming events.
04:05Goodbye.
04:10.