According to the Mirror newspaper, (here) Live Nation have made a multi-million pound offer for David Bowie to play East London's Olympic Park.
The paper reports the two biggest promoters Live Nation and AEG have embarked in a bidding battle to persuade the 'Ziggy Stardust' singer to make a return to the live stage after an eight year hiatus.
Live Nation who also have close links with John Giddings (who runs music agency Solo and the boss of the Isle Of Wight Festival) who the newspaper say is Bowie’s tour agent. This year Live Nation took over the next Olympic Park venue and hosted Hard Rock Calling and Wireless as well as one of the Mumford & Sons stopover shows.
The newspaper also reports that AEG are also expected to lodge an offer shortly, possibly to play Hyde Park - the home of their new Bristish Summer Time event.
His guitarist Earl Slick recently said, "There’ll definitely be no shows this year, I can tell you that. As for next year, who knows?.
“If he goes out on the road and I get the call, then all well and good. “
Last month Armel Campagna director for Live Nation's French festival Main Square was asked about the chances of Bowie appearing at the French event in an interview about headlners for 2014, (here) and replied that Glastonbury Festival was also a possibility saying, "If David Bowie is at a festival next summer it will be Glastonbury and probably only that one."
Any live dates next year would tie in with the singer's 50th anniversary of his first single 'Liza Jane' released under the name Davie Jones with the King Bees when he was just 17. This year the 66 year old icon released his first new album in a decade 'The Next Day' sparking hopes of live dates although Bowie has not toured since a heart attack on stage in Germany in 2004.
Earlier this year The Rolling Stones rounded off their 50th anniversary celebrations headlining Glastonbury Festival and two concerts in London's Hyde Park. This news speculates that perhaps a similar plan is being put in place for next year with David Bowie being made a multi-million pound offer to play either Hyde Park or the Olympic Stadium, we'll have to wait and see if any firm deal is made. Whilst the promoters may have made offers it doesn't mean Bowie will take any of them.