UEFA and Pepsi® Bring First-Ever Epic Live Music to UEFA Champions League Final

LONDON, and PURCHASE, N.Y., April 27, 2016 /CNW/ -- UEFA and Pepsi® are excited to announce that for the first time ever, the UEFA Champions League Final will feature a global live music headline performance as part of the opening ceremony pageantry. Taking place on May 28^th at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy, the "UEFA Champions League Final Opening Ceremony presented by Pepsi" will feature Alicia Keys as the inaugural artist to usher in a new live entertainment era for the UEFA Champions League Final. Airing in more than 220 countries, the UEFA Champions League Final is the most watched annual sporting event in the world.

"I'm extremely excited to share my new music at the UEFA Champions League Final, an event that is celebrated in every corner of the world," said Alicia Keys. "This is going to be a powerful moment in history and one that represents the spirit of all the similarities we share no matter where we live and who we are. I'm honored to be a special part of such a beloved experience." 

This year's "UEFA Champions League Final Opening Ceremony presented by Pepsi" will merge the worlds of world-class music, entertainment and sports, as well as celebrate design and fashion as a nod to the host city, Milan.

"Music, entertainment and sports have always been a vital part of the Pepsi DNA. We are the brand that invented entertainment marketing and continue to push creative boundaries," said Carla Hassan, SVP, Global Brand Management, Global Beverage Group, PepsiCo. "By creating a global stage as part of the UEFA Champions League Final for the first time, Pepsi will produce an epic, memorable moment that will draw an even broader global fan base to the pitch, elevate the excitement of the 2016 final, and establish a new tradition for one of the world's most beloved sport spectacles."

The revived opening ceremony marks an expansion of PepsiCo's existing partnership with the UEFA Champions League, bringing one of the world's most passionate musicians to a massive global audience and further heightens the excitement and grandeur of the world's most watched annual sporting event. PepsiCo initially joined forces with the UEFA Champions League in 2015, announcing a partnership with the prestigious European club football tournament where Lay's, Gatorade and Pepsi MAX / Pepsi serve as lead brands for the competition.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Marketing Director, commented, "With an iconic and storied history in music, Pepsi was the ideal partner to bring an epic music performance to the world's most watched annual sporting event for the first time, and UEFA is delighted that Alicia Keys will be performing in Milan. The UEFA Champions League Final is the ultimate stage in European football, bringing together the two best teams on the continent. With such a highly respected and truly global artist performing ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final, it heightens even further the appeal of the match and consequently will reach a broader audience demographic, which ultimately further strengthens the global status of UCL."

In addition to the "UEFA Champions League Final Opening Ceremony presented by Pepsi" performance, Keys – who recently joined Season 11 of NBC's hit show The Voice in the United States and will release her 8^th album this year – will be featured in a variety of integrated campaign elements leading up to the performance.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/uefachampionsleague.

About UEFA

UEFA – the Union of European Football Associations – is the governing body of European football. It is the umbrella organisation for 54 national football associations across Europe. Its objectives are to deal with all questions relating to European football, to promote football in a spirit of unity, solidarity, peace, understanding and fair play, without any discrimination on the part of politics, race, religion, gender or any other reason, to safeguard the values of European football, maintain relations with all stakeholders involved in European football, and support and safeguard its member associations for the overall well-being of the European game.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2015, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160425/359647 

SOURCE PepsiCo

PRESS CONTACTS: UEFA Media & Public Relations, [email protected] / [phone]; Pepsi Global Public Relations, [email protected], http://www.pepsico.com