Ellie Goulding women’s golf show showstopper

Article posted by Coliseum, April 10^th, 2023

Image: Populous

Global superstar Ellie Goulding is set to thrill fans as the headline music act in a concert performance being staged during the AIG Women’s Open at the Walton Heath Golf in England, UK, from August 9^th-13^th, 2023.

‘Populous’ stated that for the very first time, live music will feature as part of a new, enhanced fan experience that aims to attract new and diverse audiences to the championship to enjoy women’s golf at the very highest level.

The English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding has celebrated 10 platinum singles, three #1 albums, two BRIT Awards, a Grammy Award nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination. She has sold over 27 million albums and 218 million singles, and has amassed 43 billion streams worldwide. Ellie is also one of the most streamed female artistes on Spotify with over eight billion streams. With over 50 million followers combined on her social platforms, she also earned YouTube’s Diamond Award with 10 million subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 6.8 billion views globally.

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Alongside her incredible music career, Goulding is a longstanding activist and a philanthropist who uses her platform to engage young people with global issues. In 2017, Goulding was awarded the UN’s New Voices Award, and in recognition of her wider activism became a goodwill ambassador for UN Environment.

The Walton Heath Golf Club is a golf club in England, near Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, Southwest of London (UK). Founded in 1903, the club comprises two 18-hole golf courses, both of which are well known for having heather (low-growing, evergreen shrubs) covering many of the areas of rough.

Kansas City (US)-based Populous, legally Populous Holdings, Inc., is a global architectural and design practice specializing in sports facilities, arenas and convention centers, as well as the planning and design of major special events.

New York (US)-based the American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions, and other financial services to customers in approximately 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security.

First established in 1976 and now owned by The R&A, the AIG Women’s Open is one of five major championships in women’s golf. Each year, 144 players compete for the championship trophy with the low amateur, who plays 72 holes, awarded the Smyth Salver.

Future venues will include the St Andrews Golf Club in Scotland (2024) and the Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales (2025). The Championship is the showpiece for The R&A’s commitment to growing women and girls’ golf via the Women in Golf Charter. The AIG Women’s Open aims to champion the changing face of women’s golf to inspire, engage and provoke in order to challenge perceptions that will shape the future of the sport.

The R&A Group of Companies was formed in 2004 to take on The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ (Scotland) responsibilities for governing the Rules of Golf, staging The Open, golf’s original championship, and developing the sport. The World Golf Museum in St Andrews is part of The R&A Group.

Together, The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA) govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Limited, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 36 million golfers in 143 countries and with the consent of 158 organizations from amateur and professional golf. The R&A has responsibility for running a series of world class amateur events and international matches in women’s and girls’ as well as men’s and boys’ golf. The R&A is committed to investing £200 million over 10 years in developing golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities.

‘Populous’ further stated that Goulding will entertain fans on August 12^th following the close of play.

Exulted Goulding, “I’m honored to be the first music artiste to perform at the AIG Women’s Open. The elevation of women’s sport is something I’m a huge champion of, so I can’t wait to be surrounded by inspiring women in August. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there!”

Maintained Martin Slumbers, head honcho of R&A, “We and our valued partners in AIG have been clear that our ambition is to elevate the AIG Women’s Open as a world-class sporting event. We have made important strides in recent years to enhance prize money, championship venues and facilities for the benefit of the world’s best women’s golfers, but we also see the spectator experience as crucial to increasing the appeal of the Championship and encouraging more fans to attend.”

Added Slumbers, “Our research shows that fans would like to see live music and entertainment feature as part of their event experience and so we have developed an enhanced offering that aims to attract new and diverse audiences into attending the Championship and supporting women’s golf at the very highest level. We are excited by what we have to offer them and look forward to welcoming fans to Walton Heath this Summer.”

The AIG Women’s Open will showcase women in sport, business and entertainment with fans attending this year’s Championship set to enjoy world-class golf, live music entertainment and a new festival fan village designed to generate a fun, vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.

The elevation of the AIG Women’s Open fan experience and event strategy has been informed by research commissioned by The R&A into the United Kingdom golf audience which highlighted that two-thirds of fans are interested in live music and entertainment at women’s golf championships.

Along with the live music performance from Ellie Goulding, fans can expect a new-look festival village, designed in partnership with Populous – a global leader in fan experiences, featuring:

Festival village stage, managed by GQ Awards organizers Timebased Productions, featuring panel discussions with leading names from sport, business and entertainment;
Golf It! Zone which will feature fun golf activities to introduce fans to the sport;
Interactive golf experiences including virtual reality (VR) and e-sports;
Big screens to watch golf and other leading women’s sport including the FIFA Women’s World Cup™; and
A new food and beverage offering which will feature a collective of exciting, passionate and diverse street food traders.

Fans attending the AIG Women’s Open will see the world’s best women’s golfers compete for the prestigious major championship.

Tickets to the AIG Women’s Open are now on sale via aigwomensopen.com. Adult tickets are available from £20, with Saturday tickets including full day of golf action and entry to Ellie Goulding concert priced at £55.

To encourage children and young people to attend the AIG Women’s Open, The R&A will continue the successful ‘Kids go Free’ program on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, which provides children under-16-years-old free entry to the Championship when accompanied by a paying adult. Half-price youth tickets are also available on those days for 16-24-year-olds. Junior and youth tickets for Saturday’s golf action and Ellie Goulding concert are £20 and £40, respectively.

The St Andrews Golf Club, originally known as the St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club, is a private members’ golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland (UK). The club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, having been established in 1843.

The Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is a golf club in Wales in the United Kingdom, located North of Porthcawl and bordering the Bristol Channel.

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