DATE FORMS PART OF HIS UK & EUROPEAN STADIUM TOUR! LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/04/07 -- George Michael will be the first artist to play a concert at the new Wembley Stadium on 9 June 2007 as part of his British and European Stadium tour. The tour will kick start in Aarhus Stadium in Denmark on the 18 May and will visit Manchester, Glasgow, Plymouth and Norwich as well as France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Holland and Hungary. The brand new 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium is set to be one of the greatest entertainment venues in the world hosting some of the biggest and most exciting global events in the sports and music calendar. Wembley Stadium has always featured prominently in Michael's career. He has played many of his most memorable concerts there, including Live Aid in 1985, Wham's farewell concert with Andrew Ridgeley in 1986, the Nelson Mandela concert in 1988, the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992 and Net Aid in 1999. Michael had no hesitation when the opportunity came along to play the first music concert at the new Wembley Stadium. Alex Horne, Managing Director of Wembley Stadium, said: "It's fantastic news that George Michael is to play Wembley Stadium's opening concert. He's no stranger to this great stage having performed at the old stadium both with Wham! at Live Aid and also as a solo artist, so this is a fitting first gig in the new stadium. I'm sure this will be a very hot ticket and we are looking forward to putting the stadium back on the world map as a major music destination..." This announcement follows an extraordinary year for George Michael when in September 2006 he embarked on his sell-out '25 Live' European tour - his first in 15 years - and released his number one album, 'Twenty Five'. Having sold-out in mere minutes, '25 Live' entertained over 650,000 delighted fans over the course of a 49 date tour, in 11 different countries, receiving unprecedented praise from fans and press alike: The Sun said, "George proved he is simply one of the best vocalists this country has ever produced." The Mail on Sunday said "King George still reigns supreme" The Observer pronounced it as "a masterclass in pop genius". George Michael is one of the world's most successful male artists, selling over 85 million records globally and encompassing 11 British No.1 singles, eight British No.1 albums and six US No.1 singles. Tickets for all UK dates will go on sale on Thursday 8th March 2007 at 10am and can be purchased by calling the national ticket hotlines: 0870 380 0148, 0871 230 5463 and 0871 424 1434 or online at www.seetickets.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk Tour Details: Saturday 9 June Wembley Stadium, London Tuesday 12 June Carrow Road, Norwich Friday 15 June City Of Manchester Stadium, Manchester Sunday 17 June Hampden Park, Glasgow Tuesday 19 June Home Park, Plymouth European Tour Details: Friday 18 May NRGI Park (Athletic Stadium), Aarhus, Denmark Wednesday 23 May Nepstadion, Budapest, Hungary Friday 25 May Inter Football Stadium, Bratislava, Slovakia Monday 28 May LTU Arena, Dusseldorf Saturday 2 June Strahov Football Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic Wednesday 6 June RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland Friday 22 June Stade de France, Paris, France Saturday 23 June Werchter Open Air Park Belgium Tuesday 26 June Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Holland Friday 29 June Stockholm Stadium, Sweden Sunday 1 July Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland Tuesday 17 July Stadio Euganeo, Padova, Italy Thursday 19 July Stadio, Lucca, Italy Saturday 21 July Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy Ticket details Wembley Stadium, London Tel: 0871 230 5463, 0871 220 0260, 020 7 434 2222 Carrow Road, Norwich Tel: 0870 380 0148, 0870 534 4444, 0871 424 1434 City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester Tel: 0870 380 0148, 0870 534 4444, 0161 832 1111 Hampden Park, Glasgow Tel: 08700 13 40 60, 0870 534 4444, 0871 220 0260 Home Park, Plymouth Tel: 0870 380 0148, 0870 534 4444, TBC For further information on purchasing tickets for European dates, visit www.georgemichael.com Notes to editors: About Wembley Stadium: Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) is the company redeveloping Wembley Stadium as the world's leading sport and music venue. Offering 90,000 fans unrivalled views of the action in state-of-the-art facilities while generating an unbeatable atmosphere, WNSL will set new standards for supporters and performers alike. Wembley Stadium is a public transport destination; please leave your car behind. Wembley Stadium is situated in a mainly residential area. A resident's permit scheme operates on stadium event days. Only cars with official Wembley Stadium car park passes or residents permits will be allowed to park in the area. A subsidiary of The Football Association, profits generated by WNSL will provide an important revenue stream for The FA to reinvest in football at every level. For more information about Wembley Stadium visit www.wembleystadium.com. Contacts: Connie Filippello Publicity +44 207 229 5400 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]