Legendary Festival Comes to The U.S.

Legendary Festival Comes to The U.S.

First Virgin Festival by Virgin Mobile USA Comes to Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course

Sept. 23 Experience Features Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who - Tickets on Sale July 22

NEW YORK, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Festival by Virgin Mobile, inspired by the world-renowned UK-based V Festival, will take place Saturday, September 23rd at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who are headlining this day-long event.

The following line-up is confirmed:

Two Performance Stages DJ Tent
Red Hot Chili Peppers Tiesto
The Who John Digweed
The Killers Carl Cox
The Flaming Lips Rjd2
The Raconteurs 2ManyDJs
Gnarls Barkley James Holden
Scissor Sisters
Keane
Thievery Corporation
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
New Pornographers
Drive-By Truckers
Kasabian
Brazilian Girls
Wolfmother

Virgin Festival by Virgin Mobile also will include high-quality concessions, a diverse array of vendors and non-profit organizations, as well as engaging art installations and performance art. The event's premiere handset partner, Kyocera Wireless Corp., will be on-site offering interactive activities. Home of the Preakness Stakes Triple Crown horse race, the historic 140-acre Pimlico Race Course is located less than an hour from Washington, D.C., two hours from Philadelphia, and three hours from New York City.

Established in 1996, the European V Festival is the musical embodiment of Virgin's overall fan focus and edgy personality, entertaining more than 130,000 fans in picturesque outdoor venues every summer. This year's V Fest, one of the largest and most popular festivals in the UK, sold out in less than three hours. Organizers anticipate an equally strong response for this new American event.

"People expect the unexpected from Virgin," said Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin. "Our core philosophy of customer empowerment has created a real presence for Virgin in the United States. Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile will enable us to expose an even broader audience to that brand philosophy. By creating a music festival that goes beyond expectations, we strive to make the overall live experience explosive and unique."

Virgin Mobile USA is the leading wireless youth network which serves over 4 million customers united by a passion for music. "We're creating an amazing atmosphere at this major music event while providing a way for our customers to make connections and come together," said Dan Schulman, chief executive officer of Virgin Mobile USA. "Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile will offer a powerful venue for our young customers to take in a diverse array of music and art, as well as text and talk with friends about the experience as it's happening. We'll also be hosting some great pro-social organizations that make a difference in the lives of millions of homeless and at-risk kids in this country, giving attendees the chance to become aware and involved."

Frances Farrow, CEO, Virgin USA, said, "In the U.S., the Virgin brand is all about adding fun, entertainment, value and innovation to the lives of young-at-heart consumers. Our Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile is another exciting step in showing Americans how the Virgin brand can enhance their everyday lives. The experience at this festival will continue to intrigue consumers about the Virgin brand and set an expectation of many more exciting things to come."

Virgin Mobile users attending the Festival - and especially those using Virgin Mobile's new Kyocera Switch_Back messaging phone - will be able to Text2Screen, displaying their text messages to friends and all festival attendees up on the big screens to the sides of the stages.

"Given our longstanding relationship with Virgin Mobile, we jumped at the opportunity to be involved," said Tom Maguire, vice president of global marketing at Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Kyocera Wireless continues to design products with the style, features and affordability that speak to the Virgin Mobile generation."

Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile is produced by I.M.F., a new company formed by the principals of I.M.P., one of the country's leading independent concert promoters and of Washington, D.C.'s famed 9:30 Club. "With all of the great festivals here in the U.S., it was a real challenge to take a different approach," says Seth Hurwitz, I.M.P. chairman. "I wanted to create a show where every act was important - total quality versus quantity, the absolute best of what's out there as opposed to the most. When people hear this line- up, they will understand exactly what I mean."

Tickets, priced at $97.50 for the full day, go on sale Saturday, July 22 at 10 a.m. and are available through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com or 800-551-SEAT). Price includes 10% Maryland Admission & Amusement Tax and $1.50 for charity. More information about Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile can be found at www.virginfestival.com.

About Virgin Mobile USA, LLC:

Launched nationally in July of 2002, Virgin Mobile USA, LLC is the nation's first wireless network created for and defined by youth. Virgin Mobile is a joint venture between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Sprint Nextel, which operates one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless networks in the United States. The country's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Virgin Mobile's four million customers have access to a service portfolio that includes multiple voice pricing options, a full range of handsets and a broad array of messaging, music and mobile content offerings - without long-term contracts. In addition, J.D. Power and Associates has recognized Virgin Mobile for providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" under its Certified Call Center Program(SM).

Virgin Mobile phones are available at more than 25,000 stores, with Top-Up cards available at more than 80,000 locations nationwide. Virgin Mobile products can also be purchased online at www.virginmobileusa.com or by calling Virgin Mobile At Your Service (1-888-322-1122).

About Virgin USA:

Virgin USA oversees and is responsible for all expansion of the Virgin brand in North America. With a reputation as one of the most exciting brands in the world, Virgin continues to blast into markets where the customer is being underserved, offering value for money, good quality, innovation, exceptional customer service, fun and a sense of competitive challenge. Existing businesses like Virgin Atlantic, the award-winning transatlantic airline, Virgin Megastores, the iconic & groundbreaking music stores, and Virgin Mobile, the wireless network encouraging youth to live on their own terms, have already laid a powerful footprint in North America. Building upon the success of these businesses, Virgin USA continues to look for opportunities in North America where it can offer something better, fresher and more valuable to consumers.

Source: Virgin Mobile

CONTACT: Jayne Wallace of Virgin Mobile USA, +1-908-607-4014,
Jayne.wallace@virginmobileusa.com; or Alex Dudley of Dan Klores Communications
for Virgin USA, +1-212-685-4300, Alexander_Dudley@dkcnews.com; or Kathleen
Reynolds of CooperKatz & Co. for Virgin Mobile USA, +1-212-455-8062,
KReynolds@cooperkatz.com; or Kisha Shorter of I.M.P., +1-301-299-4675,
kisha@930.com; or John Chier of Kyocera Wireless Corp., +1-858-882-3543,
jchier@kyocera-wireless.com

Web site: http://www.virginfestival.com/
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/

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