Nokia Theatre Times Square Set for September New York City Debut

Nokia Theatre Times Square Set for September New York City Debut

First Concerts Announced Including Steve Winwood, Social Distortion, Slipknot, Bauhaus, Brad Paisley & Sara Evans and Norm MacDonald

NEW YORK, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Nokia Theatre Times Square will bring entertainment's hottest performers to New York's most famous destination when the new 2100-capacity concert venue, developed and operated by AEG LIVE, officially opens this September. Tickets for many of the fall shows will go on sale beginning Friday, August 12th.

The just announced debut concert lineup features an eclectic mix of rock, pop, country and comedy performers including Social Distortion October 1 - 5, Nickel Creek on October 7, Steve Winwood on October 10, and Norm MacDonald October 20. (A full schedule of confirmed shows is contained in this release). Announcements regarding the opening events at Nokia Theatre Times Square will be released later this month.

Nokia Theatre Times Square, located at 1515 Broadway, the corner of Broadway and 44th Street in the Viacom/MTV building, will be an innovative, multi-use theater that can be transformed to accommodate a wide array of events including concerts, live television and web broadcasts, live recordings, award shows and cocktail receptions. Currently undergoing a $21 million renovation in the former Loews Astor Plaza movie theatre, the theatre will have a capacity that ranges from 1500 - 2100 depending on the event. Tickets for upcoming shows at Nokia Theatre Times Square will be available at www.nokiatheatrenyc.com, through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (212) 307-7171 beginning Friday, August 12th.

"As I consider myself a 'programmer' at heart, it's hard to get excited about any venue, however, that all changed when I stood on the new stage at Nokia Theatre Times Square," said Randy Phillips, President & CEO, AEG LIVE. "Our team of 'industry experts' has created a very special, unique, spectacular theatre and environment that the artists will clearly appreciate and fall in love with. It is truly the perfect marriage of brilliant talent, incredibly clear and balanced acoustics and unparalleled sightlines blended together in a completely consumer friendly and interactive environment at the 'World's best known address."

David Rockwell, the award winning architect and designer, and the Rockwell Group are the architects and designers of Nokia Theatre Times Square. It is a theatre that was designed to be user-friendly and give both the fans and artists an overall superior event and concert experience. The auditorium will feature two VIP mezzanines with lounge seating, a state of the art in-house lighting system and an in-house sound system by JBL. Backstage there will be luxury dressing room suites with full bathrooms including showers, flat-screen TV's and wireless Internet capabilities for band and crew. There will also be a Green room that will be able to seat 30 band, crew and VIP's, a warming pantry that will tailor to the artists specific catering and cooking needs.

The Nokia Theatre Times Square marquee is an 85 foot long LED, high definition screen, capable of displaying both live and digital video. It is one of the largest marquees on Broadway, directly connected to the MTV marquee and is manufactured by Mitsubishi. It will have interactive text messaging capabilities with the fans and live events will be able to be broadcast live from the stage directly to the marquee in real time. Distributed throughout the venue will be five media panels that will terminate at the marquee, allowing electronic media outlets to plug directly into the marquee to access live footage from inside the theatre. The theatre is also wired directly to the MTV studios.

Included in the theatre will be the Nokia Lounge which will provide a relaxing atmosphere where guests and fans will have the opportunity to charge their wireless phones, get hands-on experience with new Nokia products and services, download mobile content like games, videos and ring tones and enter promotions among other activities. In addition, Studio Red, a division of Rockwell Group, have created a three dimensional connection between great entertainment and the Nokia Mobile experience with the Nokia Lounge, Vision Wall and equalizer.

The Nokia Theatre Times Square is a further expansion of the existing relationship between Nokia and AEG. The partnership already encompasses Nokia Theatre Los Angeles, a recently announced 7,000-seat theater in an AEG - developed sports & entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, Club Nokia a 2,500 concert venue, also in the district and Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie (Texas), a 6,000 seat theatre.

About Nokia

Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com.

About AEG LIVE

AEG LIVE, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring for a variety of programming and multi-media production. AEG LIVE, the nation's second largest concert promotion and touring company, with five regional offices, is comprised of stand-alone affiliate divisions including: AEG LIVE Events, creators and producers of special events of all sizes; AEG-TV, devoted to creation and marketing of live events for television, DVD, pay-per-view, cinema and other electronic media and AEG RADIO, developers and packagers of national and regional radio programming. AEG LIVE Tours & Special Events and AEG LIVE Exhibitions, the company's national promotion divisions are currently producing tours and productions including Celine Dion A New Day ... Presented By Chrysler now appearing at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the recently announced "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut. Recently promoted concert tours have included artists such as Prince, Usher, Kenny Chesney, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, Dixie Chicks, and American Idols Live. Goldenvoice, the company's southern California-based regional promotion division created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. The company recently announced a joint venture with AOL and XM to create Network Live, a company dedicated to creating and distributing live entertainment programming through the Internet, satellite and other third party global media platforms such as VOD, wireless and HDTV. AEG LIVE is a partner with Queen Latifah and Usher in separate joint ventures, which include merchandise, touring, CD and long-form DVD releases. The company operates Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie (Texas) and will be opening Nokia Theatre Times Square, a 2,100-seat concert venue in Times Square in Fall 2005.

SEASON SCHEDULE FOR NOKIA THEATRE TIMES SQUARE

September 2005 Opening Events To Be Announced

October 2005

Social Distortion with MEST October 1, 2, 4 & 5 And Bullets & Octane On sale: Friday, August 12 @ 10:00 a.m.

Russell Watson October 6 On sale: Saturday, August 13 Noon

Nickel Creek October 7 On sale: Friday, August 12 @ 10:00 a.m.

Chris Tomlin with Louie Giglio & Matt Redman October 9 On sale: Friday, August 12 @ 10:00 a.m.

Steve Winwood October 10 On sale: Saturday, August 13 @ Noon

Olivia Newton-John October 11 On sale: Saturday, August 13 @ Noon

Keller Williams October 14 On sale: Friday, August 12 @ 10:00 a.m.

STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector Nine) October 15 On sale: Saturday, August 13 @ Noon

Danzig with The Agony Scene, Mortiis, Himsa, Behemoth & Chimaria October 17 On sale: TBA

Norm MacDonald October 20 On sale: Saturday, August 13 @ Noon

Les Claypool October 21 On sale: TBA

Rusted Root with Jazz Mandolin Project October 22 On sale: TBA

Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society October 26 On sale: TBA

Mike Epps with Charlie Murphy October 28, 29 On sale: TBA

Slipknot October 30, 31 & November 1 On Sale Saturday August 13 @ Noon

November 2005

Hanson November 2 On sale: TBA

Switchfoot November 3 On sale: TBA

Simple Plan November 8, 9 On sale: Friday August 12 at 10 a.m.

Bauhaus November 11, 12 On sale: Friday August 12 at 10 a.m.

Pat Green with Dierks Bentley November 14 And Cross Canadian Ragweed On sale TBA

Coheed and Cambria November 16, 17 On sale: TBA

Guster November 18, 19 On sale: TBA

The Meters November 25 On Sale Saturday August 13 @ Noon

December 2005

Donovan - The Hurdy Gurdy Tour - December 1 40th Anniversary On sale: TBA

Rick Springfield December 2 On sale: TBA

Brad Paisley with Sara Evans and Sugarland December 7 On sale: TBA

Source: AEG LIVE

CONTACT: Rachael Vollaro, +1-212-843-8046, rvollaro@rubenstein.com or Amy Jacobs, +1-212-843-8033, ajacobs@rubenstein.com, both for Rubenstein Communications of AEG Live/Nokia Theatre Times Square; Michael Roth of AEG/AEG Live, +1-213-742-7155, mroth@aeg-la.com; Media Relations of Nokia Americas, +1-972-894-4573, communication.corp@nokia.com

Web site: http://www.nokiatheatrenyc.com/ http://www.nokia.com/ http:/// www.ticketmaster.com

------- Profile: Ent