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Ludacris Explains Why Atlanta Artists Must Headline Official Pre-Super Bowl 53 Concert

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Super Bowl weekends are known for plenty of entertaining options outside of The Big Game. But this year, Bud Light and the League are teaming up to put on a three-day music fest that is officially a part of the weekend’s NFL festivities. And, in many ways, the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest/EA Sports Bowl will offer both travelers and locals the Atlanta-bred halftime show that many fans want and expect from a town that literally breeds musical superstars.

Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Migos will kick off day 1 of the fest on January 31, 2019, following by Aerosmith and Post Malone on day 2 and Bruno Mars and Cardi B on day 3. Luda has something special planned, he said, and fans of music from the ATL will love it.

“We are the Motown of the south and have been really dominant in music for quite some time,” says Luda, a Grammy winner who is also gearing up to start filming Fast & Furious 9, due out in 2020. “In terms of bringing it to Atlanta, people understand all the great talent that’s here. People that are from Atlanta should be involved in this process somehow. It’s one thing for the Super Bowl to not involve any Atlanta artists. It’s another thing for people to see Atlanta artists perform. It’s pretty straightforward and pretty understandable.”

While Luda doesn't think this will be Freaknik-level crazy, he does think it'll be "Freaknik-esque" in terms of the sheer numbers of people who fly into the city.  That said, true fans will be happy to see Luda perform any number of his Top 10 Billboard hits. Cardi B and Bruno Mars will no doubt perform their 1980s-esque hit “Finesse.” And who doesn’t want the chance to see Aerosmith during a 50th-anniversary year? The three-day fest caters to a nice cross-section of musical tastes, genres and age categories.

Also, given the Super Bowl’s unique advertising and marketing position in the U.S., anyone who throws a series of official concerts adjacent to the game virtually guarantees themselves a built-in, well-heeled audience. After all, who hasn’t heard a story about a person who attended Super Bowl weekend events and paid big money to see a big star at a club or a concert venue only to discover that the promoter lied about the whole thing and no refunds are available? That common situation won’t occur with this event, say promoters.

“The Super Bowl has always been kind of the cross-section of premiere entertainment and premier sports and corporate America, and there are always a million things going on,” says John Collins, the CEO of On Location Experiences, which is an official hospitality partner of the NFL and worked with the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee to develop local events surrounding Super Bowl LIII. “We just felt – and when I say we, I mean the NFL, Steven Koonin our partner at State Farm Arena and Anheuser-Buschfelt there was an opportunity to take it to another level and create three nights of incredible performers that will come together at the Super Bowl.”

Collins anticipates that a number of corporations will buy out suites for their staff, as well as gift suites and tickets to clients. It's also deliberate that day one of the event pays homage to the city that hosts the Bowl.

"In the case of that Atlanta show, this was very much a vision that was shared by Luda and Lil Jon," says Collins, adding that since tickets are available for non-corporate types, the Fest's audience might better reflect the diversity of the NFL's total audience. "For the performers, the thing that's special this year about the festival is it's not just a corporate crowd; we'll have 10,000 of their fans in that market. That just brings a whole different level of performance and excitement to the night - not just a bunch of suits standing around watching a performance."

With 53 days to go to Super Bowl LIII -- that is, 53 -- Collins hopes the hype will percolate to travelers who are finalizing their weekend plans. On Location plans to serve 15,000 fans alone, and Collins adds that many don't have tickets to the game, but plan to visit restaurants clubs and concerts while they visit the town. Collins hopes to bring the same music fest to Miami for Super Bowl LIV.

 

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