David Bowie today announced plans for a return to the concert stage next year when he curates the first HIGH LINE FESTIVAL, a new annual arts and music event for NYC, established by David Bowie himself, David Binder and Josh Wood.

THE HIGH LINE FESTIVAL will be shaped each year by a different visionary curator, and as first curator David will be the creative voice behind the festival in May 2007, choosing a diverse collection of artists and musicians who inspire him and capture his point of view.

The 10-day marathon event will take place at street level and at neighbouring venues alongside the High Line, New York’s biggest and most prestigious public works project in over 50 years – a public park is being created from the abandoned elevated train tracks on New York City’s West Side.

THE HIGH LINE FESTIVAL will include music, nightlife, visual art, performance and film – featuring superstars and emerging talent – all of which celebrate the spirit of David Bowie’s creative vision, and it will culminate in an enormous outdoor David Bowie concert, his first full show in New York City since the Reality Tour hit Madison Square Garden on December 15, 2003, see picture above.

His live performance will be enjoyed by tens of thousands of spectators at the festival itself, while millions more will experience the concert online and on satellite radio.

As co-founder of THE HIGH LINE FESTIVAL, David Bowie will help choose future iconic curators from the diverse world of music, film and the performing arts. The curators and performances they chose will be as diverse as New York City itself.

DB is clearly very keen to get on with the task ahead of him, and his enthusiasm was obvious when he spoke of the festival earlier today: "As David, Josh and I have been formulating our plans, I’ve been particularly excited about seeking out emerging artists and giving them a place in a Festival that will also feature some very well-known names. That will be an ongoing mission of The High Line Festival – to offer performances and exhibitions that are unique and original to New York. I am proud and honoured to be The High Line Festival’s first curator and I am eager to start building the line-up for Spring 2007."

David Binder, one of Bowie's two co-founders, had this to say about our man and THE HIGH LINE FESTIVAL: "Throughout his legendary career David Bowie has always been at the forefront of music and art – so he is the perfect artist to shape the inaugural Festival. His eye for talent and his passion for emerging artists is nothing short of spectacular. One of the most exciting things about the Festival for me is how different curators will actually change the complete flavour of the event each year – curators can be filmmakers, musicians, painters, someone with passion and vision."

The other co-founder, Josh Wood, was equally excited about the event: "David Bowie has been our inspiration. He knows a lot about a lot of different things. He’s also the consummate New Yorker. We’re interested in producing a Festival that is as wonderfully wild, intelligent and eclectic as David Bowie’s legendary career. It’s so right that he’ll be calling the creative shots for the first Festival, and we’re looking forward to working with him for years to come. All three of us are also excited about placing the Festival along New York City’s High Line – it will be the coolest stretch on the New York calendar along the coolest stretch of the City."

Stay tuned to BowieNet for a full schedule of programming for THE HIGH LINE FESTIVAL over the coming months.

1. I'm SO there.

2. Looks like Arcade Fire and Secret Machines have at least ONE gig lined up for next year.

Any word on a new album to support it?

probably his umpteen millionth greatest hits album.

Moonbeam said:

probably his umpteen millionth greatest hits album.

my first year finals will be the first week of may. if this is after that, i'm SO there!