Today, Live Nation Urban and TCG Entertainment had big news for Prince fans, announcing a new agreement with The Prince Estate for the first and only Estate-approved Prince symphony. Celebrating the music of The Purple One, 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince will present beloved Prince cuts with a full symphony orchestra paired with a full live band featuring world-class musicians and vocalists.
As highlighted in a press release, 4U “will draw from Prince’s singular and extensive music catalog, highlighting many of his hits that captivated generations of fans, alongside lesser known gems.” Questlove, drummer and joint frontman for The Roots as well as an avid and vocal Prince lover, worked on the creation of 4U, helping curate the music and orchestral arrangements for the show.
As noted in a press release, the 4U tour will start officially on September 8th, kicking off at Washington D.C.’s Wolf Trap with the Wolf Trap Orchestra, though the tour dates listed include one show before that at New Brunswick, New Jersey’s State Theatre on September 6th. From there, the massive Prince tribute symphony will embark on a massive cross-country tour spanning through to October 21st.
Notes Troy Carter of The Prince Estate in a press release, “We’re looking forward to working with Live Nation Urban and TCG Entertainment on this production and giving fans a unique experience.”
Shawn Gee, President of Live Nation Urban, added,
It’s such a blessing to be able to pay homage to and celebrate the music of a creative genius like Prince. One of the goals of Live Nation Urban is to create unique live platforms and to redefine what the norms of the live experience are. We are beyond excited to be working alongside the Estate in creating what we hope to be a long-standing artistic celebration of an artist who inspired so many.
As a follow-up, Stephen Cook, President of TCG Entertainment, echoed these sentiments, offering,
TCG Entertainment is honored to be working with The Prince Estate and Live Nation Urban to create 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince. 4U will entertain audiences globally and we are humbled to work on a show based on Prince and his music given how important he is to people around the world.
You can check out the full list of 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince tour dates below, with more dates expected to be added in Europe and more. Head to the project’s website here for more information.