Your guide to the key promoters and touring conditions worldwide
“We haven’t hit peak touring yet”
Arthur Fogel interview
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In an exclusive interview, Arthur Fogel, the man who invented the world tours we know today, shares his perspective on a blockbuster few years. By James Drury.
One of the defining themes of today’s international touring business is the explosive growth of stadium shows and the rise of new markets. And arguably, the person most responsible for building the planet-spanning industry we see today is Arthur Fogel, Live Nation’s chairman of global music and president of global touring.
Having started his promoting career at a Toronto club called The Edge, he joined Michael Cohl’s Concert Productions International (CPI) in 1981. Just a few short years later, he was behind The Rolling Stones’ 1989 Steel Wheels Tour , which spanned 20 countries, grossed $170m, and became the biggest tour of all time (at the time). Since then, he’s organised Madonna’s 2008-2009 Sticky & Sweet Tour , which grossed $408m and U2’s 360° Tour from 2009-2011, which reached the even dizzier heights of $750m gross. His regular clients include Beyoncé, Sting, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, and Lady Gaga, while his most recent accomplishments include another top-grossing tour: Beyoncé's Renaissance world run. He was even involved with one of the game-changing shows of recent years – U2’s residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
So, how does the former professional drummer, now someone U2 frontman Bono described as “clearly the most important person in live music in the world” see the business today?
What’s your assessment of the business right now?
If you look broadly over the period of coming out of Covid, I think what we've all seen is the development of multiple new genres and a new generation of fans, and it’s all led to a perfect storm of a very healthy business that shows no signs of slowing down. That’s great for all of us. Can it get a bit crowded at times in certain places? Yes. There's certainly a very high volume of activity, but at the end of the day, I think that certainly the top end of the business has hit a level that I don't think any of us could have imagined. It's really quite astounding. It's a testament to how our world has embraced live shows and the ease of which that can be accessed around the world.
Last year, the stadium-level activity was unprecedented. This year, there's been a bit of a decrease in terms of stadium volume, but the arena-level volume is extremely, extremely high. Looking to 2025, I think it will shift back to unprecedented levels of stadium business globally. But at the same time, I don't really see the arena business falling back particularly, so I think next year is going to be another banner year.
The stadium end of the business has certainly seen some extraordinarily huge sales and grosses. What’s that down to?
I suppose it's a number of factors. The pace at which artists climb in terms of broad popularity is pretty amazing. Also, people naturally gravitate towards the spectacle, the community; there are many different factors that I think play into it, but at the end of the day, it's an experience that people enjoy because of the type of production and excitement that comes with stadium shows. We've seen just unbelievable stadium runs for various artists – Taylor Swift is an obvious example, but Coldplay, Beyoncé – there's a pretty long list. These shows were previously the domain of only a handful of artists, but the way the business is now, the growth happens so quickly and broadly that it allows artists to go out and do stadiums and satisfy the number of fans that want to see them – and even that sometimes isn't sufficient.
We’ve all seen cases where fans have vented their frustration at not being able to get tickets recently.
Well, I am involved with Denis [Desmond – Live Nation UK chairman] and Simon [Moran – SJM CEO] on Oasis, and everyone saw what happened in the UK. The demand was unbelievable – overwhelming – it’s like if you had a million tickets but there were 10m people looking for them.
Are there more artists that can fill stadiums now?
It’s opened up dramatically because there are new generations of fans, new genres that have exploded, and the overall level of talent that exists and captivates people. It's amazing, because if you look back to 2008 or 2009, there was this undertone of, "Oh shit, all these older artists are heading towards the end, and what's going to replace them?" And the truth is, if you look at the history of our business, it goes in cycles. New artists are created or developed, and new fans follow. So, when you look back to those years, it's almost comical now to think that there was a bit of doom and gloom about the future of the business.
What is it that you look for in an artist when deciding if they’re ready for a big stadium tour?
I think there are two sides to that equation. One is the immediacy of an artist that’s just exploded. But the other is longevity – and longevity that comes with being great live performers. It creates that excitement and that bond with an audience that perpetuates as they move through their career. I think I've always been a proponent of the idea that 'it's not a bad thing to change it up.' In other words, those acts that have sustained their careers over a long period of time have changed how they present their shows. It could be an arena tour, followed by a stadium tour, and back to arenas. As an example, residencies have become a larger part of our business. So, when artists change it up, they tend to provide their audience with a different experience that helps perpetuate their career longevity. But live performance is its own art form, and those that work to master that, I think, ultimately reap the benefits long term.
How much more commonplace are these global deals? Are you finding more acts are seeking those agreements? Yes, they are. There's no question. Certainly, when I started working in the global touring space, maybe there were three
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Population: 9 million Language: German Currency: Euro (EUR) GDP per capita: $64,600 Internet users: 8.3 million Active smartphones: 11 million
Mountainous Austria might have been designed as the hub of Central Europe, sharing borders with Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Czechia. As a result, it draws on a far bigger market than its own 9m-strong population indicates, meaning it has plenty of shows and promoters.
This remains a muscular market with a taste for big events. Live Nation GSA and its local partner Leutgeb Entertainment Group inaugurated a new 60,000-cap concert venue at Racino, an open-air equestrian park in Ebreichsdorf, just south of Vienna, with the three-day Rolling Loud Europe – 2024’s only European edition of the hip-hop festival franchise – and Racino Rocks, a one-dayer starring Metallica and Five Finger Death Punch, among others.
Live Nation GSA CEO Marek Lieberberg has further plans for the site. “We are here to stay,” he said in May. “We are putting the metropolis of Vienna and its charisma at the centre. The visitors come from Vienna, will go back there and spend the night there.”
Live Nation is a big hitter in the Austrian market, often teaming with Leutgeb, just as it did for its Adele shows in Munich this summer. Enhanced security measures were in place for Coldplay’s four-night stand at the Ernst Happel Stadium in late August – the first concerts to take place at the venue since the Taylor Swift’s three Eras shows were cancelled when authorities foiled a terrorist plot to attack them.
Also under the Live Nation umbrella is agency and promoter Goodlive Artists, which launched in Vienna in 2021 and was acquired along with its parent group the
following year.
CTS Eventim is behind two more of Austria’s major promoters: Barracuda Music, which came on board in 2019, and Arcadia Live, which launched in 2015 with the backing of FKP Scorpio, among others.
Barracuda, a former longtime independent, was the promoter of the Taylor Swift shows, though it remains unbowed – its big shows next year including Iron Maiden and Papa Roach. It also maintains a powerful position in the festival market with events including Nova Rock and FM4 Frequency. The former drew 200,000 to Nickelsdorf over four days in June, with Green Day, Måneskin, and Bring Me The Horizon leading the line; the latter co-opted a night of Ed Sheeran’s +–=÷× Tour, adding Raye, The Offspring, Yungblud, Cro, and others over three more nights.
Arcadia Live organises a 30,000-cap open-air series, Lido Sounds, which takes place in Linz in June (Kings of Leon, Parov Stelar, Sam Smith, and others in 2024) and numerous other shows, small and large. However, its July METAStadt Open Air in Vienna hit a speedbump this year with the imposition of a 10pm curfew, which the promoter warned jeopardises the future of the series, whose headliners included Jungle, Cypress Hill, AIR, and Korn this year.
The move led to renewed concerns over Vienna’s perceived hostility to large music events. “Moving the curfew forward to 10pm will unfortunately be a reason for many big musicians to stop coming to Vienna in the summer,” said Arcadia Live in a statement.
Among Austria’s dwindling band of indies is Alex Nussbaumer of al-x, long-term promoter of Iggy Pop and The Cure, whose late-2024 shows include a three-date Austrian tour for Roachford. Another staunch independent, boutique artist agency Georg Leitner Productions, has been in operation since 1977, with an international footprint and a strong line in legends, tribute acts, exhibitions, and family entertainment.
Population: 12 million Languages: Dutch, French, German
Currency: Euro (EUR) GDP per capita: $63,600
Internet users: 10.9 million Active smartphones: 11.9 million
As a result of its very distinct populations – Dutch-speaking in the north, French in the south – Belgium is two markets in one, with very different tastes in music. The Flemish half of Belgium both produces and consumes more entertainment than the French. Brussels, while French-speaking, counts as a region in its own. Overall, though, the market is strong.
“In Benelux, we can't complain,” says Pascal Van De Velde of leading indie Greenhouse Talent, which operates across the region. “We’ve had one of the strongest years ever, and the market seems to be still strong. Most stuff is really selling very well, even above expectation, so we’re pretty happy.”
As well as two busy, accessible live cities in Brussels and nearby Antwerp, Belgium has a powerhouse festival calendar with a strong international profile, including Tomorrowland, Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop, Graspop Metal Meeting, Dour, and others. As much of that list indicates, Live Nation is the local kingpin, and the promoter has made hay in 2024.
“We’ve had an incredible summer in Belgium, with sold-out festivals and headline shows,” says Live Nation promoter Sarah Schueremans. “Rock Werchter, Pukkelpop, and Graspop all went smoothly and had an amazing vibe. Both Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and AC/DC sold out instantly, as did P!nk’s first stadium show in Brussels. We’re also noticing a revival of some fan favourites from the 2000s.”
Taylor Swift may have skipped Belgium in favour of Greenhouse-promoted shows in Amsterdam, but fellow touring monsters Rammstein hit both markets for the same promoter, playing two shows at Ostend’s Park Nieuwe Koers and two at Nijmegen’s Goffertpark.
Rounding out the year for Greenhouse in Belgium are Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis, Childish Gambino at ING Arena in Brussels, and a 50th anniversary turn by local heroes Clouseau that has sold a remarkable 200,000 tickets across 13 shows, all at the Sportpaleis.
“We had strong acts this year,” says Van De Velde. “The Gent Jazz Festival broke its attendance record in the second year [since we’ve been organising it]. We’re producing our own festivals now, where before we were more into concert
distribution. It takes other skills, more creativity, different hires. That's where we want to go in the future.”
FKP Scorpio arrived in Belgium under former Live Nation man Jan Digneffe just weeks before the first lockdown. It promoted two huge Ed Sheeran shows at King Baudouin Stadium in 2022, and the same Mathematics Tour is returning next summer to Middenvijver park in Antwerp. FKP also stages its own festival, Live /s Life, which this year featured The National, Smashing Pumpkins, Editors, and Paolo Nutini.
All Things Live launched in Belgium in early 2021, through several diverse acquisitions, including domestic booking agency Busker, management organisation Musickness, and the Ostend Beach Festival. The latter, a three-day EDM and techno event, was headlined by Omdat Het Kan Soundsystem, Jamie-Lee Six & Louis XIV, and Armand Van Helden in July.
MB Presents has specialised in touring entertainment for over 30 years and recently saw success with Titanic: the Artefact Exhibition, Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo, and The Friends Experience: the One in Brussels. “Our sector is performing healthily, despite the financial crisis,” says CEO Manu Braff. “There is a lot of content and creativity taking place, lots of players, sales have been consistent for most of our projects, we’re under the impression that this is the case for the rest of the industry as well.
"We have grown from 20 to 55 shows over the last couple of years. Consolidating the team, taking risks, being creative with our marketing and production – the challenges are daily, but as I always say: choose your battles.”
Other Belgian promoters include Gracia Live, which had significant touring success with local star Camille, Bob Dylan, Andrea Bocelli, and Madeleine Peyroux this year; and Shadow to Live, an agency that specialises in unconventional events, including a DJ set by Henri PFR on top of Brussels’ iconic modernist Atomium structure.
Any discussion of promoters in Belgium also needs to mention venues, of which the smaller ones are governmentsubsidised and promote many of their own shows –consequently limiting the opportunity for smaller independent promoters at club level. In a sign of the times, Antwerp-based indie MCLX, one of the relative few, closed its doors this year.
“Rising costs and increasing competition have made it so that we could only keep the show going at a high cost to our personal lives, which in the long run, just isn't the way to go,” said founder Benjamin Beutels.
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The Grupo Q-promoted Luis Miguel show
Population: 47 million Language: Spanish
Currency: Argentine peso (ARS) GDP per capita: $26,500
Internet users: 39 million Active smartphones: 60.2 million
There’s nowhere quite like Argentina, where inflation continues to soar and more than half of the population are living in poverty under new right-wing president Javier Milei, but where large-scale entertainment has, in recent years, been a popular way to spend those shrinking pesos.
At any rate, it remains part of the key touring trinity of major cities, alongside São Paulo in Brazil and Santiago in Chile. Perhaps the country’s most prominent promoter is Live Nation’s DF Entertainment, which maintains a hotline to River Plate Stadium, with massive shows for Coldplay (ten nights in 2022), Taylor Swift (three nights in 2023), Paul McCartney (two nights in 2024), as well as the local edition of Lollapalooza and numerous relatively smaller concerts.
Last year, DF inked an exclusive multi-year agreement to promote concerts at the stadium, and Live Nation has been linked with a major plan to upgrade and expand Buenos Aires’ legendary Luna Park arena.
Move Concerts is Latin America’s largest independent promoter. Move Argentina MD Sebastian Carlomagno believes the economic situation in the country, while grievous, may yet prove to be an important course-correction.
“It is undeniable that Argentina needs a change,” he recently told IQ
Nonetheless, Argentina still has major promoting infrastructure and produces substantial amounts of talent.
Dale Play Live is the promoting arm of Federico Lauria’s Dale Play label that has cornered the market in Argentinian rap and trap. It is a major exporter of such artists into numerous markets, including the US.
Marcelo Figoli’s Fénix Entertainment Group is the architect, alongside Cárdenas Marketing Network, of the vast Luis Miguel tour that started with ten arena shows in Buenos Aires in 2023 and wraps in Mexico in November. Fénix’s Argentinian
shows at press time include Morat, Emilia, Eric Prydz, Aventura, Travis, Roberto Carlos, and Knotfest and Creamfields festivals.
Another significant player is PopArt Music, which has promoted Roger Waters at River Plate and collaborated with Cirque du Soleil. This November, it brings French duo AIR to the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, and it is behind next April’s edition of leading Argentinian rock festival Quilmes Rock.
EB Producciones operates across the region and exclusively oversees the LatAm career of fast-rising Spanish singer Ana Mena. CEO Eduardo Basagaña says: "The economic situation in Argentina has been challenging, with a 40% drop in ticket sales. Despite the crisis, 2024 has been remarkable for us, selling out most of our events. Fabiana Cantilo’s sold-out Luna Park performance was also a highlight. Our success stems from prioritising quality over quantity, conducting deep research, and being strategic in handling concerts amidst tough competition."
Foggia Company, run by former Fénix man Marcelo Dionisio, is also a busy local promoter, whose shows this year include the The Vaccines and The Magic Numbers, Colombia's Greeicy, and Freestyle Master Series rap tournament.
In Córdoba, José Palazzo and Marcelo Oliva’s En Vivo Producciones operates Cosquín Rock, the longest-running Argentine music festival, which focuses largely on local and regional rock talent with international headliners, including Slash and Steve Aoki. En Vivo takes Cosquín Rock to other Spanish-speaking markets and has promoted shows in Córdoba by Paul McCartney, Madonna, Metallica, and others.
Also in Córdoba, Grupo Q owns the Quality Arena, Quality Espacio, and Quality Teatro venues, as well as promoting shows across Argentina. COO Ignacio Taier says among the company’s 300 concerts in 2024 were Air Supply, Harry Potter in Concert, and stadium dates with Luis Miguel.
“Despite the crisis, Argentinians set apart a little bit of money to attend [events],” he says. “Because money is tight, they’re being more selective and we have to be cautious about ticket prices.” He adds that working with a local promoter is key to success, but that once Argentinians have taken an artist to their hearts, they’re passionate fans.
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Population: 3 million Language: Arabic
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) GDP per capita: $50,800 Internet users: 4.2 million Active smartphones: 6.8 million
As an affluent nation, Kuwait certainly has the financial means and the infrastructure – Tamdeen Group’s 1,200 to 5,800-cap Arena Kuwait opened in the capital’s 360 Mall two years ago – to provide a lucrative stop for international tours. Yet the political situation remains somewhat unpredictable. That being said, family entertainment does well. UAEbased All Things Live was involved in last year’s Disney Princess concert and booked Shrek the Musical into a theatre. CEO Thomas Ovesen says he’s looking forward to helping organise more shows here: “We just need to understand when and what we can do.”
Much easier to promote are local acts and Arabic music in general. “Our calendar is dominated by Arabic content,” Ken Jamieson, general manager of The Arena Kuwait told IQ recently. “With the rise and appeal of new Arabic talent growing every day, we are looking forward to welcoming a steady stream of new Arabic artists from the whole of the Middle East region on a regular basis.”
And Jamieson is optimistic about the prospects for international artists. “We have received an increased volume of enquiries for artists on regional tours, as Kuwait is now firmly on the touring map in the Gulf region. We expect to schedule a number of Western artists in 2024 and beyond.”
Alongside The Arena Kuwait and All Things Live, other active promoters include Live Nation Middle East, MAC Global, EventCom, Pacha Group Kuwait (who are putting on Amr Diab later this autumn) and Free Jabriya Productions.
Population: 5.4 million Language: Arabic Currency: Lebanese pound (LBP) GDP per capita: $12,300 Internet users: 4.9 million
At the time of writing, Lebanon remains an exceptionally challenging territory for any form of international culture. “We are in the midst of war,” says Richard Pharaon of WE Group. “So the first challenge we face is internal and external security.”
His company is one of the more prominent promoters in the territory, recently responsible for shows by Stomp, Béjart Ballet, and Jean-Michel Jarre, but they are by no means the only operator. Others include Buzz Productions, EventBox, Solicet, and Factory People, a Beirut-based group of artists and music enthusiasts. “There are new companies with significant resources and not necessarily extensive experience, along with a few older and experienced companies,” says Pharaon.
Alongside security challenges, issues remain around what Pharaon calls “all the unexpected taxes we are facing with our government. Then there’s the local public’s taste and shrinking purchasing power.” He also notes corruption and the influx of Egyptian “idol artists” who sign contracts for “unimaginable fees” as further challenges to be overcome. He adds, “It is easier to work with foreign artists. In order to work and promote young local artists, we have to embrace a blend of cultures.”
Lebanon, and Beirut specifically, are not without a significant number of music venues, even though several are located near the waterfront and were damaged in the 2020 Beirut explosion. There’s the MusicHall Waterfront, MusicHall Starco, and the Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center, which has hosted Shakira, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, and Avicii.
For now, however, it seems it may be some time before similarly high-profile international artists return. “Currently, foreign artists are cancelling their commitments with Lebanon due to the war,” says Pharaon. “In a stable security situation, tours and other activities can resume, with promoters re-establishing contacts with foreign and local artists for the more important productions.”
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ALICE IN CHAINS
BEYONCE • BOB DYLAN
COLDPLAY
ELTON JOHN
ERIC CLAPTON
GORILLAZ • KINGS OF LEON
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
LANA DEL REY • LINKIN PARK
MADONNA
MILEY CIRUS
NIRVANA • PARAMORE • PAUL MCCARTNEY • RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS • RIHANNA • ROGER WATERS • ROLLING STONES • RUFUS DU SOL • SADE • SIMPLY RED • THE KOOKS • TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB • U2 • ALICE IN CHAINS • BEYONCE • BOB DYLAN • COLDPLAY •
PEPPERS
ELTON JOHN • ERIC CLAPTON • FLORENCE + THE MACHINE • GORILLAZ • KINGS OF LEON • LANA DEL REY • LINKIN PARK • MADONNA • MILEY CIRUS • NIRVANA • PARAMORE • PAUL MCCARTNEY • RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS • RIHANNA • ROGER WATERS • ROLLING
SADE
DOOR CINEMA CLUB • U2
PAUL
