After weeks of speculation, organizers for the United Kingdom's annual V Festival have revealed the 2011 list of featured performers, which includes two Grammy-winning headliners from this side of the pond.
Eminem and his "Love the Way You Lie" duet partner, Rihanna, will be headlining acts for the popular summer concert event on August 20 in Weston Park. Arctic Monkeys and Plan B, meanwhile, will serve as co-headliners that day at a sister concert held simultaneously at nearby Hylands Park. On August 21, the two sets of headlining acts switch stages and hold another concurrent concert — a hallmark of the festival.
Em's involvement in the event had been rumored for weeks, but without any solid confirmation that the Detroit bad boy would appear. Rihanna's inclusion in the concerts also had been questionable, but organizers worked hard to secure the singer.
Eminem's star has been aglow of late, with the popular MC basking in the success of his seventh studio effort Recovery, which helped him snag the coveted Rap Album of the Year Grammy award for a second year in a row. Slim Shady's Grammy-winning co-star Rihanna — who is a record-setting female solo artist for sales in the U.K. — has had another successful year. The Barbadian pop artist's fifth studio release, Loud, has sold more than 1 million copies so far.
Eminem and Rihanna will be joined by a few of their stateside pals at the V Festival, along with many notable U.K. acts. Some of the other artists slated to play the festival include "Black and Yellow" star Wiz Khalifa, pop singer Bruno Mars, rock legends Duran Duran, DJ/producer Mark Ronson and grime rapper Dizzee Rascal.
The U.K. event is not the only big festival that Eminem is set to headline this year. In June, the rap star will be among the featured acts at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
