| 1. LIVE NATION TO LAUNCH AUGMENTED-REALITY STREAMING AT MUSIC FESTIVALS: Live Nation has unveiled a new augmented-reality initiative, which will allow the company to live stream music festivals in AR. The company will launch the stream at the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta in September. Variety: “Live Nation announced the new initiative at the Cannes Lions festival Thursday, where it also introduced Hyundai as the sponsor underwriting the experience. Users of Live Nation’s app will be able to explore ‘a custom 3-D version of the 2020 Sonata’ in A.R., according to a media release. … The music content will still be a traditional 2-D stream, it will just be presented with a few AR bells and whistles around it. Live Nation does promise a dedicated AR V.I.P. mode that is supposed to give fans access to unique camera angles you wouldn’t get to enjoy if watching the festival in person.” 2. CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA FOUNDER DROPS OUT OF CANNES LIONS PANEL: Alexander Nix, the founder of the now-nonexistent Cambridge Analytica, dropped out of a panel at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity after protests from industry leaders and piracy activists. Advertising Age: “Nix was to have been interviewed by Financial Times editor Gillian Tett. Had it gone through, it would have been Nix’s first speaking appearance following the scandal that brought consumer privacy concerns to the fore for both consumers and government officials, festival organizers said. … Both Nix and the festival came under pressure after Guardian reporter Carole Cadwalladr, who was among several writers who broke the initial Cambridge Analytica story, began protesting on Twitter, saying it wasn’t right that Nix would be getting a platform to speak.” 3. WORLD’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS RELEASES REVAMPED, LONGER LIST: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list has unveiled a new, longer list of restaurants, increasing from 100 to 120, to celebrate the list’s 120th anniversary. The list has six women, including Clare Smyth of London restaurant Core at 66. The top 50 will be revealed in Singapore next week. Eater: “Ultimately, the extra-long long list does not tell us much about what to expect from the top 50. This year, past winners of the No. 1 slot are off the list completely; that means no Eleven Madison Park, no Osteria Francescana, no Cellar de Can Roca; no Noma. … The longer, 120-spot list does allow the organization to fete some legacy industry players despite the fact that their restaurants have mostly fallen out of favor. Among the big-name restaurants to fall past the 100 mark are Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City (Keller would be off the list entirely otherwise thanks to the new rules around number one restaurants), Fergus Henderson’s St. John in London, and Pascal Barbot’s L’Astrance in Paris.” 4. EMMYS CONSIDER HOSTLESS CEREMONY: Fox and the Television Academy are considering having a hostless Emmys for the first time since 2003. Nominations will be announced July 16, which is when the network and the Academy might make a decision. The 71st Primetime Emmys will air September 22. Variety: “With so many iconic shows ending their run (and others celebrating anniversaries), it may be a good year to shift the focus away from one host and toward the programs. The idea, of course, is also inspired by this year’s Academy Awards telecast, which earned high marks (and improved ratings) despite not having a host at its core.” 5. NEW YORK DEBUTS CITY’S LARGEST PRIDE FLAG: On Friday, New York unveiled the largest Pride flag in the city’s history at Roosevelt Island’s Four Freedoms Park. The steps at the Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial were painted to resemble the rainbow flag. The 12-foot-by-100-foot installation is accompanied by the hashtag #AscendWithPride. New York Post: “Visitors to the Four Freedom Park’s website will also be greeted with a pop-up explainer about the new installation, including the history of the Stonewall riots as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Greenwich Village uprising. … The colorful display will be open at Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island starting June 15 and will remain on display throughout the month.” | 