Jeff Lynne, Electric Light Orchestra to Play London’s Hyde Park

LONDON—Jeff Lynne‘s iconic band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is to return to live performance with the band at a festival for the first time since 1986.

Lynne, one of ELO’s founding members and chief songwriter, was also a co-founder and member of The Travelling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

Lynne’s ELO will headline this year’s BBC Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park on Sept. 14, the public broadcaster’s annual concert.

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The crowds at Hyde Park will be see ELO’s hits accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Lynne said: “I haven’t performed live in quite some time, and I know the fans have asked for it a lot over the years. It’s very exciting to come to Hyde Park with Radio 2 and do something this big, and I’m very much looking forward to playing my ELO songs for everyone.”

BBC Radio 2 DJ and TV presenter Chris Evans, who announced Lynne’s return on his breakfast show, described ELO as his generation’s Beatles.

“I cannot believe we’ve got the main man playing our Festival In A Day event,  not to mention what was already a stellar line-up before today’s announcement of this year’s headline act,” Evans said.

Lynne’s ELO is the latest addition to a line-up boasting Blondie, lead singer of The Pretenders Chrissie Hynde, Billy Ocean, Paloma Faith, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist/songwriter Gregory Porter, eleven-piece contemporary folk band Bellowhead and 2014 Academy of Country Music Album of the Year Award winner Kacey Musgraves.

Jeff Smith, head of music Radio 2 and 6 Music, said: “It’s our privilege that Jeff has chosen Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park to bring back ELO to the live stage. To hear these songs live and in the atmospheric surroundings of Hyde Park will be a unique moment for all of us. ELO and our already impressive line-up promises to deliver a glorious day of late summer entertainment.”

ELO’s hits include “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Livin’ Thing” and “Evil Woman.”

Now in its seventh year, Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park is the live highlight of the Radio 2 musical calendar.