Sir Richard Branson Celebrates Grand Opening of Virgin Megastore, Hollywood, With a Rooftop Show Featuring INXS, Gang of Four and Dredg

Sir Richard Branson Celebrates Grand Opening of Virgin Megastore, Hollywood, With a Rooftop Show Featuring INXS, Gang of Four and Dredg

Sir Richard Branson to Cut Ribbon at Oct. 17 Launch of Flagship West Coast Virgin Megastore, Located at Hollywood & Highland Complex, in the Heart of Downtown Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood gave birth to entertainment. It's time entertainment gave some love back. Join Virgin Megastore in welcoming our hottest new Megastore to the hottest city. "We're thrilled to be celebrating the grand opening of our new West Coast flagship with a special guest appearance by Sir Richard Branson, and rooftop performances from INXS, Gang of Four and Dredg," says Simon Wright, Chief Executive, Virgin Entertainment Group International.

The red-carpet premiere of world's 250th Virgin Megastore, located at the landmark Hollywood & Highland complex, will be officially opened by Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group of companies. The retail giant will welcome its first customers to Hollywood Blvd in early October. Its arrival has been heralded by the appearance of a striking campaign designed by Obey Giant's renowned Shepard Fairey.

October 17 will mark the concert debut of INXS' freshly minted frontman, J.D. Fortune, who landed the coveted gig as a contestant on the hit CBS show "Rock Star: INXS."

The grand opening events will kick off around 4pm and include adventurous aggro-metal outfit Dredg, having just returned from an international tour in support of their album Catch Without Arms (Interscope); post-punk agitators Gang of Four who will take time off their current tour to play a set with original members Jon King, Andy Gill, Hugo Burnham and Dave Allen who'll be ripping through highlights of their acclaimed CD Return the Gift (v2), which updates material from the quartet's groundbreaking albums Entertainment! (1979) and Solid Gold (1981); and INXS who will show the throng crowding a closed-off section of Hollywood Blvd. just what all the fuss is about. Twenty years after breaking through to mainstream success with the album Listen Like Thieves, the band is basking in the glow of a new buzz thanks to "Rock Star: INXS" and hot new single "Pretty Vegas." INXS is currently recording new album Switch, due in stores November 29th.

Sir Richard will launch a surprise event at approximately 5:30, followed by a ribbon-cutting and press conference.

Virgin Megastore, Hollywood, will be Virgin Entertainment Group's flagship on the West Coast. The 20,000+ sq ft Megastore delivers one-stop shopping for the hottest, freshest entertainment culture products. Virgin Megastore Hollywood will carry the in depth selection of music and DVD that they have become known for. Not only that, but also discover an amazing array of pop culture apparel, portable electronics, games, books, and tons of other cool stuff.

Occupying prime real estate between the Kodak Theatre and Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Virgin Megastore, Hollywood, will enjoy sky-high brand visibility and play an active role in the ongoing rejuvenation of downtown Hollywood.

"The opening of this new Megastore puts us, literally, at the epicenter of entertainment," Wright affirms. "We want the local community to join us for our Grand Opening celebration on Oct 17. We're very excited to be able to bring our customers in Hollywood and all over the world the best of these new entertainment possibilities."

About Virgin Entertainment Group

Virgin Entertainment Group is the world's leading multi-channel music and entertainment retailer, providing customers with a range of superior entertainment experiences through a family of integrated Virgin-branded businesses. The "category killer" Virgin Megastores offer the broadest selection of music and DVDs plus a cutting edge assortment of games, books, fashion and electronics.

For more information, or to locate the Virgin retail outlet nearest you, go to www.virginmega.com.

Source: Virgin Entertainment Group

CONTACT: Krysty O'Quinn of SJ Communications, +1-818-881-3889, krysty@sjcommunications.com, for Virgin Entertainment Group

Web site: http://www.virginmega.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Media check-in for the Oct. 17 grand opening of Virgin Megastore, Hollywood, starts at 3:00 p.m. (PDT). Representatives of the media will be escorted on a special tour of the new Megastore (located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard) and are encouraged to attend the press conference with Sir Richard Branson and Simon Wright. One-on-one interviews with Branson and Wright are available by appointment. To attend the press conference and live performances, schedule an interview with Richard Branson or Simon Wright, and/or secure a satellite feed of the video news release of the Oct. 17 event, please contact Krysty O'Quinn no later than Sunday, Oct. 16.

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