GlaxoSmithKline plc : GSK supports Coronation Festival event at Buckingham Palace Gardens marking 60 years of innovation and excellence

Issued: Tuesday 20 November 2012, London UK

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced it will be a headline partner at the Coronation Festival, which will take place from the 11th-14th July 2013 to celebrate 60 years of British industry, innovation and excellence and commemorate the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Coronation. The Festival will be held within the gardens of Buckingham Palace. The four day event, organised by The Royal Warrant Holders Association, will showcase a broad range of over 200 companies with a Royal Warrant*.GSK's consumer healthcare brands, Lucozade and Macleans are Royal Warrant Holders. As one of only three lead sponsors, GSK will celebrate its contribution to innovation through R&D, manufacturing, vaccines, pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare over the last 60 years. A celebratory concert is planned to take place on three evenings during the Festival and will be exclusively supported by GSK on Friday the 12th July.

There will also be a dedicated area for The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, which helps financially disadvantaged experienced crafts people to further their skills through the funding of further education and training.

Sir Andrew Witty, CEO at GSK, said:  "As the UK's largest pharmaceutical company and biggest private investor in R&D, GSK is delighted to be part of this iconic celebration of 60 years of excellence from British companies. Our industry makes a significant contribution to the UK economy providing employment in manufacturing and R&D, exporting critical healthcare products, collaborating with universities on leading edge research, and inspiring the next generation of scientists."

Speaking at today's launch Richard Peck, Secretary of the RWH Association commented:  "The event will give the British public the opportunity to see the extraordinary quality and variety of skills, craftsmanship and innovation produced by companies here in Britain, presented to the world in a unique showcase."

* Royal Warrants are a mark of recognition to individuals or companies who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to the Households of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales. Warrants have always been regarded as hallmarks of quality, excellence and service.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  It has three primary areas of business: Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare.  GSK's Consumer Healthcare brands include Ribena, Horlicks, Beechams, Panadol, Sensodyne and Aquafresh, as well as Lucozade and Macleans which are Royal Warrant Holders. For further information please visit www.gsk.com

About the Festival

The Coronation Festival which is co-partnered by GSK, Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover will open its doors to members of the public from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th July 2013. A special Royal preview will take place on Thursday 11th July for invited guests, including members of the Royal Family, charities, patronages, media, armed forces, inward investors and overseas trade missions, as well as guests of the Royal Warrant Holders Association and the Royal Household. 

Tickets will be available from the 16th December 2012.  Day-time tickets will be £30 per person, and evening tickets, including the Coronation Gala, will be £90 per person. Tickets will be available to purchase through the dedicated event website: www.coronationfestival.com

Each evening Gala will be supported by one of the main partners:

• Thursday 11th July Royal Preview - Jaguar Land Rover
• Friday 12th July - GlaxoSmithKline
• Saturday 13th July - Bentley

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
Under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect GSK' s operations are described under 'Risk factors' in the 'Financial review & risk' section in the company's Annual Report 2011 included as exhibit 15.2 to the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2011.