Posted: May 30 2009

Homes from Holmes - Renowned DJ and producer David Holmes will be among those producing live music and entertainment on ''Arthur''s Day'' on 24th September.








Guinness has announced global celebrations to mark its 250th Anniversary. The 24th September - ‘Arthur’s Day’ - will honour Arthur Guinness’s signing of the 9,000-year lease on St James’s Gate in 1759.

Celebrations will take place in Dublin, the home of Guinness and around the world in cities such as New York, Lagos, Yaoundé and Kuala Lumpur. Live music and entertainment will come from some of the world’s biggest names in music including the Black-Eyed Peas and renowned DJ and producer David Holmes, with rising stars such as Estelle, Kasabian, The Wombats and The Enemy as well as legendary acts such as Soul II Soul and The Undertones.

The highlight will see artists and consumers around the world raise a Guinness to Arthur at 17.59 local time to start a truly remarkable global toast. Celebrities including Sir Bob Geldof, Guy Ritchie, Carson Daly, Jerry Hall and Sophie Dahl will raise a Guinness to Arthur and join in the celebrations.

The Arthur’s Day celebration will commence in Dublin with internationally-renowned music acts and local talent performing in locations around the city, from pubs, bars and music venues to the St James’s Gate brewery itself. Thousands of people will be coming together to experience the events live, with others likely to tune-in to watch across the world. One of the most historic buildings in the brewery, Hop Store 13, will be converted into a live music studio for Arthur’s Day where over 2,000 special guests from around the world will enjoy performances from global artists.

Simultaneously, events will occur across Africa and then onto New York at 17.59 local time, wrapping up 24 hours after they began The Guinness toast not only recognises the philanthropic achievements of Arthur Guinness and his family but is a gesture to mark the next philanthropic step from the Guinness Company. Arthur Guinness and his family were responsible for some of the most well-known acts of philanthropy in Ireland and to honour and continue this legacy, the Arthur Guinness Fund has been established. The aim of the Fund is to enable and empower individuals with skills and opportunities to deliver a measured benefit to their communities. The Guinness Company will donate €6 million to the Arthur Guinness Fund to be used in several markets around the world. €2.5 million will be used to create opportunities for communities throughout Ireland as part of the Guinness signature campaign recently launched here. The Arthur Guinness Fund will be active from September.

And a massive Guinness global consumer promotion launching next month will give consumers a chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences with Guinness in remarkable locations. Details on this programme will be announced at a future date.

Celebrations in Dublin will include:

• Event at The Guinness Storehouse and Hop Store 13
• Musical performances and special guests in four studio pubs in Dublin: Whelan’s, The Academy, Tripod and Vicar Street
  
• Musical performances of more than 50 acts including 28 Dublin pubs