Is the Bowl set to host big name concerts again in Milton Keynes?

Residents on surrounding estates have been getting a free mini concert over the past couple of days as part of the mysterious goings-on at MK Bowl.

The official line is that the venue is being used for six weeks for a band to rehearse stage-building and sound checks.

And, whoever the band is, they will not actually be playing at MK Bowl, the Citizen understands people have been told.

But the Citizen has now received information that concerts ARE in fact likely to return in the future.

It is thought the man behind it will be Pete Winkelman, the MK Dons chairman with a successful earlier career in music production.

MK Dons has already reached an agreement with Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) and MK Council that will allow the football club to develop a new state-of-the-art training facility at the Bowl.

They are due to submit a planning application shortly. But, the Citizen can reveal, those plans are likely to include measures to use the venue once again for crowd-pulling concerts.

“There are no details of who will be playing and when it will be. But it seems it’s going to happen. And it’s great news for Milton Keynes,” a source told the MK Citizen.

MK Bowl, then called the National Bowl, was developed in 1979 as an amphitheatre capable of holding up to 60,000 concertgoers. Over the years it hosted world renowned artists including David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Oasis, The Prodigy, Status Quo, Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and Eminem.

Yesterday (Wednesday) residents reported a day of sound checks with heavy bass music.

“If I'm honest, it's making me nostalgic,” said one resident on the MK Moan Facebook page.

“I’m laid here in bed quite happy to be having a free concert... I miss the bowl. Oasis was amazing.”

Another householder was not so impressed: “Does anyone know what is happening at the Bowl today? They are making such a racket. When I find out I may go and ask for requests,” they wrote.

Last year, Citizen sports editor Toby Lock interviewed Pete Winkelman about his plans for MK Bowl. The chairman emphasised that the training ground plan would not impact on the Bowl’s ability to hold concerts – even though MK Stadium – the home of the Dons - is now an established national concert venue in itself.

He said: “I don’t want to give the false impression that there will suddenly be loads of concerts there but, if there is the opportunity to do a concert there, we’ll be there to do it.”

The Dons’ planning application for the 49-acre site will see the Bowl used 365 days a year by footballers and the community.

The MK Stadium website states the plans will “also ensure that the MK Bowl will be available as an enhanced hub for cycling and as a music venue for artists from around the world.”

Charles Macdonald, chief executive of MKDP, said: “I’m delighted we’ve found a solution that provides the Dons with a fantastic new training ground and also means MK Bowl can host a mix of sustainable uses for years to come.”