Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Jon Bon Jovi, Major League Baseball Executive Vice President Tim Brosnan and President of Bank of America Global Corporate & Investment Banking Brian Moynihan announced today that Bon Jovi will play a free ticketed concert on the Great Lawn in Central Park on Saturday, July 12th at 8 p.m. The concert, sponsored by Bank of America, will take place three days before Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic during the last year of Yankee Stadium. It joins a series of public events leading up to the game that includes DHL All-Star FanFest and the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade. NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba joined the announcement, held in the Blue Room at City Hall.

“All-Star Summer is set to hit New York City in a few weeks, and the lineup of festivities just added another future hall-of-famer in Bon Jovi,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The free concert in Central Park is going to help make this year’s All-Star Summer a celebration to remember. The 2008 All-Star Game will pay tribute to the storied history of Yankee Stadium, and Bon Jovi will help us ensure it goes out in a blaze of glory, hopefully a blaze in late October.”

“Major League Baseball wants All-Star Summer to be the ultimate celebration for baseball fans in New York City,” said Tim Brosnan of Major League Baseball. “A free concert in Central Park featuring one of the biggest rock bands in the world will reach tens of thousands of fans and put an exclamation point on the week’s many fan festivities.”

Beginning Wednesday, July 2nd, tickets will be distributed at baseball parks and events throughout New York City. The bulk of tickets distributed at the ballparks will be found at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, with others made available in Queens at Shea Stadium, in Brooklyn at the home of the Cyclones and in Staten Island at the home of the Staten Island Yankees. Tickets will also be available at MLB.com. For more information about the concert, fans can go to MLB.com.

“The All-Star Game is an electrifying celebration of Major League Baseball, and truly a unique event for the entire family,” said Brian Moynihan of Bank of America.  “As a proud sponsor of Major League Baseball and the New York Yankees, Bank of America is thrilled to be part of New York’s Midsummer Classic festivities, creating opportunities for fans to connect to the game of baseball and share in the excitement of the All-Star Game experience.”

“Live music and Central Park go together like baseball and hot dogs,” said Parks Commissioner Benepe. “This concert helps celebrate the past, present and future of Major League Baseball in New York City. Bon Jovi’s music, delivered free to the fans in an historic park setting, is an appropriate tribute to Yankee Stadium and the MLB All-Star Summer.”

Bank of America will promote the concert and offer ticket giveaways through radio promotions in the tri-state area. Additional concert supporting partners including MLB sponsors Aquafina, Sharp and Taco Bell will be distributing tickets through radio sweepstakes, promotional giveaways and in-store programs.

The free concert is one of several events open to the public during Major League Baseball All-Star Summer in New York City. DHL All-Star FanFest, an interactive baseball theme park, will be open to fans of all ages from July 11-15 at the Jacob K. Javits Center. Current All-Stars and nearly 50 Hall of Famers to be honored at a special All-Star Pre-Game Ceremony, including Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, and Willie Mays, will participate in the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade presented by Chevy on July 15 along Sixth Avenue from 40th Street to 58th Street.

Bon Jovi has set the bar for more than two decades as one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Globally, they have sold more than 120 million albums and performed more than 2,500 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 32 million fans.  The Grammy-winning band’s latest album, Lost Highway debuted at #1 around the world and the resulting Lost Highway World Tour is currently the top-selling tour around the world, according to Billboard and Pollstar.