May 27, 2016 – Boston, MA – Boston Calling Music Festival confirms today it will move its location in May 2017 to Allston to the fields at Harvard University’s Athletics Complex (65 North Harvard Street, Boston) under a rental agreement from the Harvard Department of Athletics. May 2016 will be the final installment of the popular festival on Boston’s City Hall Plaza, and there will be no September edition in 2016, as the festival will now take place once a year on Memorial Day weekend.
This exciting move in venue for Boston Calling enables the festival to expand its programming – featuring a combination of music, film, comedy, and visual art. Boston Calling will build upon its diverse lineup of music with Aaron Dessner continuing as music curator, expand its comedic programming, introduce a new film festival segment curated by Academy Award-winning actress, producer and director Natalie Portman, and add visual art.
Brian Appel, Co-Founder and CEO of Crash Line Productions and Boston Calling, said, “Since 2013, we have enjoyed three successful years and six festivals at City Hall Plaza. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to call City Hall the festival’s home. This change of location will allow us to expand and enrich Boston Calling while still keeping it proudly located in Boston. Before we move, however, we plan to host a fantastic festival on the Plaza this weekend, and look to continue to produce a range of other events on the plaza for years to come, beginning with Copenhagen Beer Celebration this September.”
Boston’s Mayor Martin J. Walsh said, “Boston Calling has generated an incredible level of excitement as our city’s premier music festival; one that brings tens of thousands of people together to experience some of the best musicians in the world. The festival has been a pioneer in live music in New England and has truly contributed to the identity of our city. To see it grow and remain in the city is a win for everyone.”
Tim Williamson, Associate Director of Athletics at Harvard added, “We are pleased to provide a venue that allows Boston Calling to expand its creative programming while remaining in the City of Boston.”
Aaron Dessner, the Founding Curator of Boston Calling’s lineup since its inception, and multi-instrumentalist for rock band The National, will build upon and grow the festival’s wide range of music genres. “This relocation will allow us to expand the capacity, range and diversity of the festival’s programming, adding additional performance spaces and cultivating a unique multi-disciplinary profile for the festival. I am particularly excited about being able to include more underground and eclectic music and about our new partnership with Natalie Portman to develop a unique film component for the festival. We can’t wait to unveil the expanded festival next year,” he said.
Natalie Portman, an Academy Award-winning actress, producer and director is thrilled to be developing the film festival at Boston Calling. “I’m excited for Boston Calling to take place at Harvard for the first time. I’m proud to be curating a new film section for the festival, and feel lucky to celebrate the art form I love in a place that means so much to me,” she said.
More details about Boston Calling’s new location will be released shortly. Stay tuned for its May 2017 lineup, as well as details on a “Superfan Presale” to be announced after this May’s Boston Calling.