Masayoshi Takanaka to headline ‘City Pop Waves’ as part of Crystal Palace Bowl Series

Masayoshi Takanaka is the latest headliner to be announced for Palace Bowl Presents, a brand-new festival series in the iconic Crystal Palace Bowl. Takanaka will return to the UK following two O2 Academy Brixton shows – sold out in minutes – and will perform an extended 2 hour show. Support will come from legendary jazz keyboardist Himiko Kikuchi, performing her 1987 jazz fusion masterpiece Flyin Beagle in full, and Ginger Root (DJ set). City Pop Waves will be a first-of-its-kind outdoor festival celebrating Japanese music in the UK.

Palace Bowl Presents will feature an eclectic lineup of global headliners taking place from Friday 31 July to Sunday 16 August.

Masayoshi Takanaka, born in Tokyo in 1953, is a legendary Japanese guitarist, composer, and producer whose career spans over five decades. Takanaka will bring his vibrant, surf-inspired fusion sound to local audiences, marking a rare opportunity to see one of Japan’s most influential guitarists live.

Japan’s leading keyboardist, Himiko Kikuchi, made her record debut in 1980 with Don’t Be Stupid. She has performed with a wide range of artists including Takuro Yoshida and Junko Ohashi, and was also a member of renowned bands such as Nobuo Hara’s Sharps & Flats and Minoya Central Station.

Ginger Root is the project of Cameron Lew, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and visual artist from Southern California. Since his first release of “aggressive elevator soul” music and dispatch from his beloved weekly YouTube cover series as a student in 2017, Lew has captained the ship of Ginger Root, able to write, record, and mix the music while creating the art and videos from scratch.

City Pop Waves is a series of headline shows spotlighting City Pop artists. Taeko Onuki made her first-ever international appearance at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on February 7, while ANRI is set to perform at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and Brooklyn Paramount in New York this May.

Live Nation UK is proud to present City Pop Waves in a festival format, celebrating the global resurgence of City Pop and its expanding international audience.

Palace Bowl Presents will take place at the historic Crystal Palace Bowl, one of London’s most iconic open-air venues. Established in 1961, the Bowl and its famous ‘Garden Party’ events have played host to some of the most eclectic acts in British festival history, from prog to punk, rock to reggae, pop to the proms. As well as Bob Marley’s final London show, the Crystal Palace Bowl has seen concerts from artists including Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Lou Reed, Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scot Heron, Ian Dury, Vera Lynn and many more.

Local residents from postcodes SE19, SE20 and SE26 will be eligible for discounted tickets for Palace Bowl Presents.

Preferred ticket access to some of the best tickets are available to Mastercard cardholders from Friday 27 February at 10AM. Visit here for more info…