Speaking this morning prior to this morning’s huge concert announcement, Chairman Ross Morrison said “At our last AGM, I spoke about our intention to help the football club by putting the Caledonian Stadium back on the concert circuit. Unfortunately the pandemic saw the first two planned events cancelled last when we lost the Westlife and Sir Tom Jones concerts to the lockdown. This was just another financial blow in a difficult year for everyone.
Undeterred by these setbacks, 10 months ago, Scot and I set about establishing ICT Concert Co to help us take our concert future into our own hands and with the full support of our Board of Directors, we made first contact with the management of Andrea Bocelli as we thought we should shoot for the very top.
I am so proud that we can make today’s announcement and I know how important it will be to the football club and the city of Inverness going forward. I am doubly proud that the Board has again supported our inclusion of Highland Hospice as our charity beneficiaries of the night as it is so close to the hearts of everyone at the club and the region. The concert will be fantastic and I look forward to a very special evening.”
Speaking to club media, CEO Scot Gardiner said: “Everyone at Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC is delighted to be able to welcome as world renowned and respected an artiste as Andrea Bocelli to the Caledonian Stadium next summer.
It is a huge feather in the cap of the club, the City of Inverness and indeed the Highlands of Scotland.
Andrea is truly a world star who has made the crossover from being the most loved tenor on the planet to being known to music fans the world over and we are honoured to be hosting his incredible Believe World Tour in Inverness. We hope that music fans from all over Scotland and beyond flock to see this fabulous concert and our intention to keep as much business related to the concert in the Highlands is so important following the difficulties faced by our region since March 2020.”
Speaking to the club last night, Jo de Sylva, Chair of Visit Inverness, Loch Ness expressed her delight to the club saying: “The hard work, along with the vision, foresight and ambition of ICT to bring an artist of this calibre to Inverness is incredible.
The recognition from Andrea Bocelli that the highlands are unique, is something that will resonate with everyone who lives in and visits the area.
This is such a welcome boost to Inverness and the Highlands, in what has been a difficult year for most people, and the commitment from the club to use local suppliers shows great trust in the Highland community.
We all look forward to giving Mr Bocelli a true Highland welcome.”
Andrew Leaverwood Head of Fundraising and Development of Highland Hospice was also in good fettle when speaking to the club: “Highland Hospice are delighted to be chosen as the local charity benefitting from Andrea Bocelli’s Highland capital concert. We are hugely grateful to Caley Thistle and Mr Bocelli for this support which will make such a difference to the patients and families we care for.”
Tickets go on general sale this Friday 11th June at 10am on ictcc.co.uk