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Always want to make the trip out to Coachella but just can't get it together? Want to see your favorite bands but can't afford the flight, lodging and "party supplies?" Jealous of the palm trees and 100-plus-degree temps with zero humidity?? Well, you're in luck (at least regarding the first two things) because AEG Live is plotting a "Coachella East" of sorts in NYC, possibly as soon as this summer. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park—the former site of the 1964–65 World's Fair—is being eyed as the spot for the new fest, reportedly called Panorama.
This will be the massive concert and festival promoters' second foray into local territory after the short-lived All Points West in Jersey City five years ago, when the festival landscape was much less hospitable. AEG also seems to have their sights set on toppling one of the few festivals that actually has hung on through the tough times, the independently run Governor's Ball, by planning the new festival for just two weeks later, using their Coachella clout to play a game of cross-country music festival Monopoly. Tom Russell, part of the Gov Ball team, painted a grim David-and-Goliath picture to the Daily News, saying “The timing of this corporate-run festival would threaten our ability as a small business to continue putting on the kind of event that has showcased the best artists, created hundreds of local jobs and put millions of dollars back into the city’s economy."
Allegedly, artists are already being booked. If true, this would be the largest event at this location since the World's Fair 50 years ago and may help to rehabilitate the deteriorating surrounding park.
RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to Panorama Music Festival