By Gabriel Rom
The Forest Hills Stadium is banging on as British rock band Mumford & Sons announced this week via Twitter that it will be returning to the historic venue this summer.
The band will perform in the stadium June 16, along with soul singer Raury, organizers said.
The concert at the Forest Hills Stadium will be part of Mumford & Sons’ tour, which begins on March 4 when the group headlines the Okeechobee Festival in Florida.
“We’re thrilled to announce the return of Mumford & Sons to Forest Hills Stadium,” said Forest Hills Stadium promoter Mike Luba in a statement. “This is just the beginning. We’ve got another diverse season of entertainment to share with you soon.”
Mumford & Sons was the first group to play at the historic venue in August 2013 after it had gone through decades of disuse.
After the sold-out performance, which was seen a test case for the commercial viability of blockbuster acts at the stadium, dozens of performers have played at the venue, including rap superstars Lil’ Wayne and Drake in 2014.
Since then, tension has developed over the concert series due to disgruntled residents.
After Mumford & Sons’ performance, a group of angry Forest Hills residents launched fores
Besides traffic, neighbors had also complained about noise and encounters with intoxicated concert-goers.
In 2014, the stadium was refurbished, adding new seats, handrails and widened aisles.
The club, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, built the stadium in 1923 to house the US Open tennis tournament. When the event moved to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1978, the stadium was turned into a venue for major musical acts, including Bob Dylan and Donna Summer. But, during the 1980s, after a few too many raucous crowds disturbed the surrounding neighborhood, the concerts came to a halt and the stadium was closed, gradually falling into disrepair.
The complete 2016 line-up will be announced soon, the organizers said.
Tickets for the show will go on sale Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. All tickets will cost $70 and can be purchased at the following website:
Doors will open at 5 p.m., and the show will start at 6:30 p.m.
Reach reporter Gabriel Rom by e-mail at grom@
