OPPORTUNITY ROCKS
George Akins’ 30 years in music
NORTHERN MIGHT
Norway market report
DOWN TO EARTH Earth Agency celebrates 10 years
THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOW BUSINESS
Seasonal shows in focus
LONDON
25-28FEBRUARY2025
ILMC’S 2025 RESEARCH VOYAGE
The concert business is now so big that there’s very little space left to stage shows… on land. So in 2025, the live music business will be all at ILM-Sea as industry captains, seasoned sailors, and rising stars steer a course for the future of live music.
Safely aboard our research vessel, The 'Soled Out', ILMC 37 voyagers will explore ‘current’ affairs, plumb the depths of the business, and chart the new waves of headliners, as we navigate the ever-changing seas of the live music industry.
ILMC 37 sees a major revamp of the conference programme –with new formats, sessions, and debate styles; satellite events ILMC Futures Forum, ILMC Touring Entertainment LIVE, and the Green Events & Innovations Conference; and an expanded Soho Calling showcase – making it our biggest programme ever. With an expected crew of over 1,500 coming aboard, ticket demand for this maiden voyage is expected to be off the charts. To avoid being left on the dock, it’s advisable to book your place quickly. So grab your boarding pass and strap on that ‘live’ jacket, as we set sail on a grand three-day exploration into the future of the business.
37.ilmc.com/accommodation
YOUR BOARDING PASS INCLUDES…
Access to all ILMC panels, presentations, networking areas, and most events.
Free entry to ILMC Futures Forum (28 Feb) and ILMC Touring Entertainment LIVE (26 Feb).
Discounted entry to the Green Events & Innovations Conference (25 Feb).
An invitation list restricted to the industry’s top movers and shakers. Five-star lunches and tea & coffee breaks.
Heavily discounted accommodation rates.
Access to the ILMC Networking Scheme.
A copy of The Globetrotters Guide, which includes contact information for all delegates.
An ILMC 37 delegate bag.
Free entry to shows across London throughout ILMC.
The first-class facilities of a luxurious London hotel.
Significant prizes to be won with proceeds going to charity. More nautical puns than you shake an oar at.
VOYAGE PARTNERS
An incredible lineup of companies have stepped up to support ILMC’s 2025 voyage to chart the future of the live music business.
This year’s platinum partners are Ticketmaster and, for the 20th year running, Live Nation; whilst our gold partners are long-standing supporters CTS Eventim and ASM Global. Meanwhile, our silver partners are Tysers, BWO, AXS, Showsec, DEAG Entertainment Group, and LMP Group.
To find out more about partnering with ILMC 37: marketing@ilmc.com +44 (0) 203 743 0302
A
WHALE OF AN AGENDA
For a long time, ILMC’s conference sessions have been a similar length and format, but this year, we’re revamping the agenda. ILMC 2025 will see a mix of traditional-style panels alongside focussed roundtables, bite-size workshops, short presentations, and whole-room debates where everyone is encouraged to add their expertise.
As the live music business gets bigger, so too do the number of topics that we feel need a place on the agenda. So just as this year’s theme sees delegates set off on a huge nautical voyage, we’re setting out to deliver the biggest ILMC programme that’s ever been sea-n.
We’re expecting over 150 speakers to participate in ILMC 37, so if you have a great idea for a session or know someone who’s keen to share their insight with the rest of the industry, please get in touch with jonathan@ilmc.com.
THE ILMC BURSARY SCHEME
The Alia Dann Swift Bursary Scheme offers a complimentary conference pass and mentoring opportunities to 30 young professionals in 2025, courtesy of ASM Global. The scheme is intended to provide a route for live music’s brightest upcoming executives to participate in ILMC for the first time.
The scheme is supported by ASM Global’s corporate social responsibility platform, ASM Global Acts, whose aim is to protect the environment, invest in people, and strengthen communities around the globe.
Each bursary place winner will be twinned with a dedicated industry mentor and benefit from additional networking opportunities both during and after ILMC via the ASM Global family. The scheme is a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge and ideas and to build new contacts within the industry.
The scheme is open to international applicants and encourages applications from a diverse background. Places in the bursary scheme will be allocated in three rounds. The first round is available to apply for now, with a closing date of 22 November. Details of all successful applicants will remain strictly confidential.
37.ilmc.com/bursary
MEETING SPACE
There is plenty of networking space available aboard The Good Ship Lancaster, including the Nine Kings Foyer, The Park Restaurant, and Strangey’s Bar, which is hosted by ASM Global. Each of these areas include comfortable seating, tea & coffee, or bar service.
ILMC also has its very own pub, The Swan, which is exclusive to delegates on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 Feb.
The Good Ship Lancaster also offers a range of suites that can be booked for private meetings (available with or without catering) during ILMC. To book a suite or find out more, contact louisef@thetourcompany.co.uk.
THE ILMC NETWORKING SCHEME
The Networking Scheme allows delegates to communicate with each other in advance of the conference in order to pre-arrange meetings.
To take part, please tick the relevant box when registering. Once live, registered participants will be sent details of how to access the password-protected Networking Scheme area of the ILMC 37 website.
The contact details for all delegates will be listed in The Globetrotters Guide (which you will receive upon your arrival at ILMC), but the Networking Scheme is the only way to access each other’s details in advance.
It goes live in January and will be updated weekly until the conference takes place.
37.ilmc.com/networking-scheme
TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY
GREEN EVENTS & INNOVATIONS CONFERENCE
09:30–20:00
The Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI) is a world-renowned event leading discourse on sustainability for the live events sector.
With an agenda that includes presentations, case studies, and debate, GEI addresses the role and responsibility of the event and entertainment industries in tackling the challenges of our transport, food, and power systems, and design and materials usage. GEI also covers topics such as equality and inclusivity, climate justice, biodiversity, communications, and much more.
GEI takes place the day before ILMC begins and in the same venue. Entrance to GEI is separate to ILMC, but ILMC delegates can take advantage of a discounted rate.
37.ilmc.com/gei
THE ‘BON VOYAGE’ OPENING PARTY
18:00–20:00
As the o-fish-al start of ILMC, The ‘Bon Voyage’ Opening Party also acts as a major live music industry gathering.
The opening party will welcome hundreds of live music professionals to two hours of complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks. A chance to reunite with friends and colleagues, it’s a perfect way to start a three-day voyage, in the company of your fellow passengers.
ACCESS ALL AREAS
19:00–00:00
Your ILMC boarding pass gives you access to a host of shows and events happening around London throughout the week. Details of available gigs and shows will be published in early February.
WELLNESS AT ILMC
THE EARLY-BIRD RUNNING CLUB
07:30–08:30 | Wednesday & Thursday
A personal trainer will accompany any delegates fancying a run through Hyde Park – one of London’s most iconic green spaces – to start the day and get their en-dolphins going. So come on, buoys and gulls, get your boots on!
THE ‘MAKING WAVES’ SOUND BATH
07:30–08:30 | Friday
Relax, contemplate, and sooth your nervous system during this meditative experience that submerges participants in resonant sound ‘waves.’
Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.
WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
10:00–18:00
ILMC’s full agenda of panels, debates, workshops, and keynotes will be announced in the coming weeks. If you have a suggestion for a particular topic or speaker, contact jonathan@ilmc.com.
ILMC TOURING ENTERTAINMENT LIVE
10:00–18:00
The second edition of ILMC Touring Entertainment LIVE (TEL) – the event dedicated to the global business of big-brand live entertainment, exhibitions, and touring family shows.
In its new slot on Wednesday, TEL will bring together the world’s top show and exhibition producers, rights holders, venue operators, and promoters for a day focussed on this multibillion-dollar sector.
TEL takes place in a 1,000m2 ballroom in the Royal Lancaster Hotel and will feature panel discussions, keynote interviews, and presentations of shows and projects, alongside curated networking and exhibitors.
If you have a suggestion for a particular topic or speaker, contact james@ilmc.com.
37.ilmc.com/touring-entertainment-live
THE ‘SEE-FOOD’ LUNCH
12:30–14:30
With ILMC’s maiden voyage underway, navigators can enjoy a so-fish-ticated five-star lunch that is sure to be ‘swell.’
Prepared by the Royal Lancaster Hotel’s onboard five-star chefs, it’s an epic spread of mouthwatering dishes, including planet-friendly vegetarian and vegan options and sumptuous sweet treats.
THE HAPPY HOUR
18:00–19:00
Details of The Happy Hour are coming soon… but with 60 minutes of drinks and hundreds in attendance, it’s a ‘shore’ way to get the evening started.
SOHO CALLING
20:00–00:00
The third edition of London Calling – now rebranded as Soho Calling – will bring emerging artists to six stages across Soho: The 100 Club, 21Soho, The Lower Third (presented by DIY Magazine), Phoenix Arts Club, The Social, and The Forge.
ILMC delegates get free priority access to all Soho Calling shows using their ILMC wristband at the door.
The full lineup will be published in December.
37.ilmc.com/soho-calling
THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY
WOMEN IN LIVE MORNING MIXER
09:30–10:30
After a very well-attended first edition, we’ll be once again reserving an area of Strangey’s Bar for an informal networking hour for female-identifying live music execs.
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
10:00–18:00
ILMC’s full agenda of panels, debates, workshops, and keynotes will be announced in the coming weeks. If you have a suggestion for a particular topic or speaker, contact jonathan@ilmc.com.
THE LGBTIQ+ MIXER
11:00–11:45
The second edition of The LGBTIQ+ Mixer. With IQ Magazine’s annual Pride edition now one of the biggest of the year, this event brings together the queer live-biz community IRL.
THE ‘CAPTAIN’S TABLE’ LUNCH
12:30–14:30
With ILMC’s maiden voyage continuing at a rate of knots, navigators can enjoy another oar-some five-star lunch prepared by the Royal Lancaster Hotel’s onboard chefs.
THE NIKOS FUND GRAND PRIZE DRAW
13:30 –14:00
Swap your business card and a small donation for a chance to win some huge prizes.
A ride in a hovercraft? Your very own take-home submarine? Scented body wash?! Who knows what this year’s prizes will be as we raise funds for ILMC 37’s charity, War Child.
FELD’S ‘NAUTICAL BUT N-ICE CREAM’ BREAK
13:30–14:00
Feld Entertainment will once again be dishing out ice cream and mementos to take home for the kids during their ever-popular icecream intermission.
MATCH OF THE YEAR FOOTBALL
19:30–22:00
The annual football match sees the UK pit itself against the rest of the world in a 90-minute display of epic skill. Buses ‘ferry’ players to the grounds and back again, allowing every opportunity for bragging rights afterwards. Or a quick trip to the first-aid office.
THE ‘ILM-SEA SHANTIES’ KARAOKE & ARTHURS AFTER PARTY
22:30–02:30
The Karaoke & Arthurs After Party is always the scene of a multitude of aural sins, all of them very much against music. Expect cod-awful impersonations of Shrimple Minds, Katy Perry-scope, Deck-sy’s Midnight Runners, The Krillers, Salmon & Garfunkel... It’s the event that always seems to stretch, almost unbearably, into the early hours of Friday morning.
ILMC’S SUB-AQUATIC GALA DINNER & ARTHUR AWARDS
19:00–00:00
HOST: ASM GLOBAL
The international live music business’s best-loved awards – The Arthurs – will be handed out during The ILMC Sub-Aquatic Gala Dinner.
Setting sail from The Good Ship Lancaster, 450 of the world’s top live music professionals will plummet in our yellow submarine to spend an enchanted night, literally, beneath the ILM-Sea.
With thousands of votes compiled from professionals around the world, The Arthurs sees the shining stars of the industry recognised and a handful of lucky winners take home a cherished statuette.
As if seeing the top promoter, agent, venue, festival, ticketer, and more receive recognition wasn’t enough, the event will once again be compered by our very own deep-sea diva, Captain Emma Banks. 37.ilmc.com/gala-dinner
FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
10:00–18:00
ILMC’s full agenda of panels, debates, workshops, and keynotes will be announced in the coming weeks. If you have a speaker or topic suggestion, contact jonathan@ilmc.com.
ILMC FUTURES FORUM
10:00–18:00
ILMC Futures Forum brings together the people that currently define the live music business with the emerging execs who will drive its evolution. The agenda features debates, keynotes, Q&A sessions, mentoring opportunities with senior figures from the business, and a host of great networking opportunities amongst peers.
Keynote highlights from recent years include Dua and Dugi Lipa; Team Mumford & Sons (Lucy Dickins, Ben Lovett and Adam Tudhope); Wasserman Music’s Marty Diamond; and the team behind Kilimanjaro Live.
Junior professionals can attend Futures Forum as a separate one-day ticket, while ILMC delegates are welcome, and encouraged, to attend all sessions.
If you have a suggestion for a particular topic or speaker, contact lisa@iq-mag.net.
37.ilmc.com/futures-forum
THE FRIDAY LUNCH
12:30–13:30
With ILMC’s maiden voyage almost reaching its final destination live music industry navigators can enjoy a final opportunity to break bread.
THE ‘LAND AHOY’ CLOSING DRINKS
18:00–19:00
To shell-ebrate the end of ILMC’s maiden voyage and the wrapping up of Futures Forum, delegates of both are invited to 60-minutes of networking drinks. It’s a chance to continue conversations, make a few last-minute introductions, and refind your land legs.
And whilst it’s hard not to get all em-ocean-al about the voyage coming to an end, we can a-shore you that there will be a plethora of land-based shows and events taking place around London once you disembark.
SCHEDULE
TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY
09:30–18:00 Private Company Meetings
09:30–18:00 Private Association Meetings
09:30–20:00 Green Events & Innovations Conference
17:45–18:30 International AGF Awards
18:00–20:00 The ‘Bon Voyage’ Opening Party
19:00–00:00 Access All Areas Shows
WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY
07:30–08:30 The Early-Bird Running Club
09:00–10:00 The Bursary Scheme Breakfast
09:15–09:45 New Delegates’ Orientation
09:30–11:00 The ‘Aye, Aye, Caffeine’ Tea & Coffee Break
10:00–13:00 Conference Sessions
10:00–18:00 ILMC Touring Entertainment LIVE
12:30–14:30 The ‘See Food’ Lunch
14:00–18:00 Conference Sessions
18:00–19:00 The Happy Hour
20:00–00:00 Soho Calling
THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY
07:30–08:30 The Early-Bird Running Club
09:30–10:30 Women in Live Morning Mixer
09:30–11:00 The ‘Seas the Day’ Tea & Coffee Break
09:30–18:00 Private Association Meetings
10:00–13:00 Conference Sessions
11:00–11:45 LGBTIQ+ Morning Mixer
12:30–14:30 The ‘Captain’s Table’ Lunch
13:30–14:00 Nikos Fund Grand Prize Draw
14:00–18:00 Conference Sessions
16:00–17:00 Feld’s ‘Nautical but N-ice Cream’ Break
19:00–00:00 Access All Areas Shows
19:00–00:00 ILMC’s Sub-Aquatic Gala Dinner & Arthur Awards
19:30–22:00 Match of the Year Football
22:30–02:30 The ‘ILM-Sea Shanties’ Karaoke
FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY
07:30–08:30 The ‘Making Waves’ Sound Bath
09:00–10:00 The Friday Tea & Coffee Break
10:00–13:00 Conference Sessions
10:00–18:00 ILMC Futures Forum
12:30–13:30 The Friday Lunch
14:00–18:00 Conference Sessions
18:00–19:00 The ‘Land Ahoy’ Closing Drinks 19:00–00:00 Access All Areas Shows
THE NOT-SO-SMALL PRINT
Conference sessions must not be videoed or recorded. Children and pets are not allowed in the conference areas. Conference passes must be worn at all times. Lost conference passes will incur a replacement fee.
ILMC’s full terms and conditions can be found online
WARPED TOUR TO RETURN IN 2025
Iconic punk rock festival Warped Tour will return to the US in 2025, in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
The festival will hold two-day events in three locations: RFK Campus in Washington, DC (14–15 June), the Shoreline Waterfront in Southern California (26–27 July), and Camping World Stadium in Florida (15–16 November), with tickets starting at $150.
Founder Kevin Lyman revealed that between 70 and 100 bands will perform in each location, although lineups have yet to be unveiled.
The event, which has been sponsored by Vans since 1996, spent 24 years travelling around North America, with acts like Green Day, Incubus, AFI, and Paramore, before retiring the touring model in 2018. In 2019, it returned with three 25th anniversary editions in the US, while Europe, Japan, Canada, and Australia have all had their own editions through the decades.
SECOND SPHERE LOCATION REVEALED
The world’s second Sphere venue is to be built in Abu Dhabi, it has been revealed.
Sphere Entertainment and the Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi announced that they will work together to bring the next-generation project to life in the UAE capital.
The partners say the venue will be located in a
“prime spot” and will echo the scale of the 20,000-cap Las Vegas original, which has so far hosted residencies by U2, Phish, Dead & Company, and the Eagles’ ongoing run, as well as the Darren Aronofsky-directed immersive production Postcard from Earth
An estimated timescale for the development is yet to be released.
OLIVIA RODRIGO DELIVERS HER BIGGEST-EVER CONCERT
Olivia Rodrigo delivered the largest concert of her career on the Philippines stop of her arena outing, the Guts World Tour.
The Filipina American singer delivered a soldout show to the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena, the world’s largest indoor arena, located 30 km outside of the capital city of Manila.
The 21-year-old plans to donate all profits from the 5 October concert – her first in the country –to Jhpiego, an international nonprofit organisation providing healthcare for women and families.
MADRID’S BERNABÉU STADIUM POSTPONES ALL CONCERTS
Real Madrid CF has announced it is rescheduling all concerts at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium following noise complaints from local residents.
The stadium reopened for music bookings last year following a five-year, €900m renovation.
In 2024, it hosted the only Spanish dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, as well as a record-breaking, four-night stint by Karol G in July and performances by Duki, Manuel Carrasco, Luis Miguel, and Aitana.
However, Madrid police reported that noise levels are far exceeding the permitted decibel limit.
The football club said: “Real Madrid will continue to work to ensure that the right conditions for sound production and broadcasting are met during concerts to enable concerts to be held in our stadium.”
Affected dates include headline shows by domestic artists Dellafuente, Aitana, and Lola Índigo, plus K-pop’s Music Bank World Tour. All but the latter have been rescheduled for later this year.
LIVE NATION TO BUILD 50K-CAP OPEN-AIR STADIUM
Live Nation Canada plans to open a new open-air seasonal stadium in Toronto next summer.
At 50,000-capacity, the new Rogers Stadium on the former Downsview Airport will be the biggest purpose-built concert venue in the country.
Live Nation said it expects the stadium to host 12–15 performances a year but that it will not be home to a sports team, nor will it be open during the winter.
The stadium will have a limited life, as the site will be transformed into residential housing in the coming decades, though the developer declined to share the length of Live Nation’s multiyear lease.
Live Nation says the new development will build on the demand for stadium-level tours in Toronto, which is Canada’s most populous city and one of the biggest concert markets for major touring acts in North America.
Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture… SUBSCRIBE HERE
Olivia Rodrigo © Nick Walker
AUSTRALIA MOVES TO BAN DYNAMIC PRICING
The Australian government is moving to outlaw dynamic ticket pricing as part of a sweeping crackdown on “unfair” trading practices.
FESTIVAL HEADS TACKLE TICKET HIKES
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to tackle dynamic pricing – where a product’s price changes during the transaction process –plus drip pricing, where fees are hidden or added throughout the stages of a purchase.
Ticket price increases for European festivals are cooling off ahead of next summer, according to IQ analysis.
The reforms under Australian consumer law will also target “tricky tactics” employed by businesses such as hotels and gyms and are aimed at “easing the cost of living and getting a fair go for consumers and suppliers.”
Prices for full festival tickets increased by an average of 5% between 2024 and 2025, compared to almost 7% from 2023 to 2024, according to analysis of a cross-section of 20 European festivals.
“We’re taking strong action to stop businesses from engaging in dodgy practices that rip consumers off,” says Albanese. “Today’s announcement puts businesses engaging in unfair trading practices on notice. Hidden fees and traps are putting even more pressure on the cost of living, and it needs to stop.”
The increase in festival ticket prices between 2023 and 2024 is perhaps best explained by the ballooning rise in costs caused by issues including post-Covid inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Promoter DreamHaus (Rock am Ring/ Rock im Park) said production costs increased in the region of 25-30% for the 2023 festival season.
and steadily increasing ticket prices.
Tamás Kádár, CEO of Sziget, says: “It is indeed a general trend that ticket prices for European festivals are rising to some extent. Unfortunately, we see rising supplier costs and the effects of global (and especially local) inflation. It is something we have to deal with when calculating ticket prices.”
prices in Holland, but if you compare it to a weekend in London, Paris, or Berlin, it’s cheap.”
The Dutch festival raised its ticket price to €325 for 2024, up from €300 in 2023 and €255 in 2022.
mally entered administration earlier that year and owed more than £22.5m at the time of its collapse.
FESTIVALS DETAIL FALLOUT FROM LYTE’S SHUTDOWN
Costs are still an ongoing concern for the sector in 2024 – as evidenced by the slate of festival cancellations referencing “financial challenges”
Details of the fallout from the sudden closure of US-based ticketing exchange firm Lyte have begun to emerge.
Lyte shut down in mid-September after ten years of operation, with CEO and founder Ant Taylor confirming that an “emergency board/ creditors effort [is] underway” to find a potential buyer to repay punters and promoters affected by the company’s sudden shutdown.
Since then, some of Lyte’s clients have spoken out and even taken legal action against the firm, which reportedly owes numerous promoters hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Organisers of Lost Paradise, an annual touring Australian festival that has been running since 2014, said that there’s now a question mark over this year’s edition.
Though organisers are wary of reaching a “red line” with ticket prices, many are keen to point out that festivals are generally good value for money.
Lowlands director Eric van Eerdenburg testifies: “I think we have one of the highest ticket
SHAKIRA SHATTERS RECORDS WITH LATAM DATES
Colombian superstar Shakira has shattered onsale records for the Latin America leg of her 2025 Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.
The star sold out 13 stadiums on the continent, with nearly 700,000 tickets sold in less than two hours, according to OCESA.
REPORTS HIGHLIGHT MUSIC TOURISM BENEFITS
More than 2m fans had registered for the Latin America leg of the tour – the 47-year-old’s first outing since 2018’s El Dorado.
Due to the demand, new dates have been added for Monterrey’s BBVA Stadium, Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium, and Mexico City’s Seguros Stadium.
EAnother Australian event, the 5,000-cap boutique festival Rabbits Eat Lettuce, has lost an estimated $30,000.
vidence of live music’s vast economic benefits has been highlighted once more in a series of reports.
Meanwhile, US festivals Lost Lands and North Coast Music Festival have launched legal action against Lyte to recover the money they have lost. They each face more than $300,000 in losses, court records show.
Lyte’s shutdown comes two years after the company acquired Festicket and Event Genius assets signaling “significant and immediate growth for Lyte.”
reappeared on secondary ticketing platforms at huge mark-ups.
“It’s a constant struggle to keep tickets affordable,” he says. “But attendees are offered so much entertainment for just €115 per day. People me every year that they’ve had the best weekend of their lives.”
A hike in the ticket price was necessary to “make a reasonable margin,” he adds, with the price of energy, production, and acts rapidly increasing.
Lawyer Amit Vyas subsequently filed a criminal complaint against BMS and others, accusing the company of colluding with resale sites to scalp tickets, while Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing reportedly questioned an executive from BMS’s parent firm Big Tree Entertainment as part of a preliminary inquiry.
BMS denies any wrongdoing, maintaining its opposition to illegal ticketing practices, and says it has lodged a formal First Information Report –a written document prepared by police when they receive information about a criminal offence.
36% annual jump in spending on shows and concerts, which contributed to a 2.7% year-on-year increase in non-essential spending, according to consumer card data compiled by Barclays.
The live music sector contributed a record £6.1bn to the UK economy last year.
TOURING POWERHOUSES STOCK HIT RECORD LEVELS
Elsewhere, Kanye West’s first performance in China in 16 years was credited with providing a tourism boost for the country’s economy. West attracted around 40,000 fans to his show – billed as a “world tour listening party” – at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou in September.
The 20-date tour will kick off on 11 February at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and visit Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Colombia.
BOOKMYSHOW LODGES COMPLAINT OVER COLDPLAY RESALE IN INDIA
Adele and Coldplay were credited for prompting a record-breaking tourism spike in Munich, Germany, with their August concerts. Adele played ten nights at a bespoke 73,000-capacity pop-up stadium in Munich – the largest temporary arena ever built – while Coldplay brought their Music of the Spheres World Tour to the 70,000-cap Olympic Stadium for three dates.
Hotels and other accommodation establishments in the Bavarian capital reported 2.1m overnight stays during the month – up almost 20% year-on-year and the highest total since records began in 1912, according to the city administration.
London-headquartered Festicket, which acquired Event Genius and the associated Ticket Arena consumer website and brand in 2019, for-
Live Nation and CTS Eventim have both seen significant gains on the stock market over the past six weeks.
LN’s share price reached a 52-week high of $109.24 on 27 September, having climbed almost 12% in the month prior, to give the promoter a $24.9bn market cap.
The event contributed to an average hotel occupancy rate of more than 83% – double last year’s figure – according to data from the municipal bureau of tourism, with 95% of attendees travelling from outside the island. The concert is estimated to have generated close to CN¥373m in total tourism revenue for the city.
LN posted $6.02bn revenue in its most recent financial results covering Q2 2024 – an increase of 7% on the equivalent quarter last year.
The Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung also reported an economic boost from concerts, driven by international stars performing at the National Stadium. The city hosted 96 pop concerts between January and August this year, attracting 950,000 people and resulting in revenues of at least NT$3.2bn.
Indian ticketing giant and promoter BookMyShow (BMS) says it may cancel tickets sold on the black market for Coldplay’s upcoming Mumbai run.
In the UK, unprecedented demand for Oasis tickets bolstered a
The British band are bringing their Music of the Spheres Tour to the city’s DY Patil Sports Stadium for three sold-out nights in January 2025. However, police are investigating an alleged touting scam in relation to the shows, after tickets –priced between 2,500 and 12,000 rupees – quickly
Meanwhile, stock in German-headquartered live entertainment heavyweight CTS increased close to 7% in the same period to peak at €92.10 –representing another all-time high for the firm, which is valued at €8.8bn.
Concerts by acts such as Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars attracted overnight and same-day visitors, bringing in an estimated tourism revenue of NT$32.7bn, according to the city’s department of tourism.
CTS raised its guidance for 2024 last month in light of its “excellent” Q2 financials, which saw its quarterly revenue rise 21.2% to €793.6m. The figures included its recently acquired festival and international ticketing businesses from Vivendi for the first time, including See Tickets.
Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture…
Shakira © Jaume de Laiguana
Sziget is among many festivals battling to keep ticket prices affordable
This year’s edition, presented in association with TicketSwap, took place in Omeara and surrounding spaces, with a full schedule of agency pop-up offices, conference debate, speedmeetings, and social events. And while many agreed that 2024 had been challenging, the mood across the campus was upbeat.
“A major positive about headliners doing their own thing is that festivals now have a better opportunity to help break through emerging acts and mid-level artists,” said Primary’s Matt Bates during The Festival Season 2024, the opening conference debate.
And with the Primavera Sound team outlining ambitious plans during the IFF Keynote, Emily Anatole of United Talent Agency outlined how “experience-oriented” Gen-Z audiences are driving festival tourism and how “they’re going to festivals not just to know all the names on the lineup but to be there and see an artist first before everyone else.”
Throughout IFF, delegates were treated to showcases from top London agencies, with acts from ATC Live, ITB, One Fiinix Live, Primary Talent International, Pure Represents, Solo, and X-ray Touring all taking to the stage. Other agency partners included UTA, Earth Agency, Wasserman Music, CAA, and WME who hosted the drinks reception and opening party.
In addition to agency showcases, delegates
The tenth edition of the International Festival Forum (IFF) in London welcomed over 1,000 festivals and agents, with its South London campus transformed into a hive of meetings, showcases, and festival booking over 2.5 days.
were also treated to special sessions each evening. Wednesday saw the return of the highly anticipated International Showcase, with Spanish and Dutch emerging artists highlighted, thanks to support from The Spanish Wave and Dutch Music Export. And Thursday evening saw a quartet of European metal agencies, Doomstar,
Napalm Events, The Link Productions, and Catch 22, bring their top talent to London to sign-off IFF in style.
Alongside title partner TicketSwap, other key partners included: CTS Eventim, See Tickets, All Things Live, TVG, Tysers Live, iTicket Global, FKP Scorpio, and LMP Group.
To celebrate the hard work of the numerous independent operators that make the live entertainment industry such a vibrant – and growing – business worldwide, IQ is publishing its inaugural Indie Champions list. Our shortlist of 20 companies were chosen by the IQ readership and have headquarters across 11 different nations but service live events the world over, thanks to their various satellite offices and the artists and partners they work with.
The Indie Champions will become an annual staple of IQ, so if your company did not make it onto this year’s debut list, fear not, as you have a full ten months to prove your credentials to friends, colleagues, and business partners ahead of next year’s nomination process.
A big thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate their favourite independent companies this year – and congratulations to our founding Indie Champions!
Gordon Masson | Editor
ALTER
Alter Art is the largest independent promoter of festivals and concerts in Poland, with a history that dates back over 25 years when it was launched by Mikołaj Ziółkowski. Emerging from the world of alternative and punk music, Ziółkowski has helped shape today’s live music business in Poland, driven by his profound passion and love for music, coupled with a desire to foster new phenomena.
Alter Art promotes a swathe of international and local acts across a portfolio of events from small clubs to stadium shows, while it also runs some of the biggest festivals in Poland, including Orange Warsaw (40,000) and its flagship event, Open’er, which in 2024 attracted more than 130,000 festivalgoers. This year’s highlights include co-promoting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which became the first tour to play three consecutive nights at PGE Narodowy Stadium, and arena shows for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Cigarettes After Sex, and Jacob Collier.
The company also has a family entertainment division, Alter Art Show, which hosts events including Cirque du Soleil, Disney On Ice, and PAW Patrol Live!
With a workforce that comprises 58% women, Alter Art champions equality and diversity.
In 2024, the company organised around 50 concerts in Poland, entertaining hundreds of thousands of music fans.
BIRD ON THE WIRE
(UK)
Bird On The Wire was conceived by Clémence Godard and Tim Palmer in 2009, who met at a concert at the now closed Bardens Boudoir in London. “We had the opportunity to book some shows into the same venue. We met… and to our surprise, we managed to break even and have a great time. That led us to book one more show, then another, and it just built organically from there,” says Palmer.” Among the first acts to benefit from Godard and Palmer’s enthusiasm were The Tallest Man On Earth, and The War On Drugs, who both remain on the roster to this day. Also on the company’s promoting roster are Big Thief, Mac DeMarco, Moses Sumney, Weyes Blood, Nils Frahm, and Black Country, New Road, to name a handful.
“It was only in 2012 that we realised we could make this our actual jobs and founded the company,” says Palmer, noting that the payroll has now expanded to seven people.
Bird On The Wire strives to nurture artists from early on in their career, and despite primarily focusing on booking/producing concerts in London, more recently they have promoted national tours for Bikini Kill and Le Tigre.
2024 has been another busy year, with close to 150 shows, most of them sold out long in advance, and the second edition of 10,000-capacity RALLY festival in Southwark, where the likes of Mount Kimbie, Nilüfer Yanya, Two Shell, and ML Buch performed to an already dedicated audience.
CAP-CAP PRODUCCIONS (ES)
Xavi Manresa established Cap-Cap Produccions in 1988, driven by his passion for bringing punk, hardcore, and alternative music to the forefront of the Iberian peninsula’s live music scene. “At the time, there was a significant lack of representation for these genres, and we aimed to fill that gap by offering a platform for both emerging and legendary bands alike,” he tells IQ, noting that early tours included the likes of Green Day, The Offspring, and Fugazi, playing 300-800-capacity clubs.
Nearly four decades later, Cap-Cap’s core team of five staff specialise in organising tours across all capacity venues and festivals, while Manresa also books international acts for a number of festivals, as well as providing advice on production and business development.
Harking back to Cap-Cap’s inception, Manresa says working in Spain when there was very littleinfrastructure and corporate promoters did not yet exist were the most memorable days of his career. As a result, he this year launched an operation in Tbilisi, Georgia – where the current scene reminds him of 1980s Spain.
“We want to export our knowledge and experience to help develop the live music industry in this country,” he says. “The potential of Georgia for club, auditorium, arena shows, and new festivals, it is extraordinary, and we already booked our first show, the fantastic band Tinariwen, this past September, while we have major projects coming for 2025 in Georgia in the main cities, Tbilisi and Batumi.”
CROSSTOWN CONCERTS (UK)
When Metropolis Music was acquired by Live Nation in January 2017, self-confessed “anti-corporate” promoters Conal Dodds and Paul Hutton decided to start afresh. They partnered with businessman Fraser Duffin to launch their own firm, Crosstown Concerts.
“Principally, we are concert promoters, but we now also promote book tours, spoken word tours, are dabbling in comedy, have launched a new student club-night series (Choker), and have interests in a management company and PR,” says Dodds of the expanding empire.
With 19 full-time staff across Bristol, London, Cardiff, and Oxford, and dozens of freelancers, Crosstown has organised around 600 shows this year, including tours with Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Pixies, The Vaccines, Richard Hawley, Slowdive, The Cat Empire, Patti Smith, and Barenaked Ladies.
“Our open-air series, Bristol Sounds, has expanded to seven shows, and we had the likes of Placebo, Annie Mac, Busted, and James Arthur appear this year,” says Dodds.
Next year is looking strong, too. “We already have dates on sale with the likes of Snow Patrol, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Franz Ferdinand, Jack Savoretti, and we’ve just announced a fournight series at the Royal Albert Hall with Sigur Rós,” adds Dodds. “2025 is going to be a big year for us!”
Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture… SUBSCRIBE HERE
Produced by Feld, globally, Disney On Ice is a perennial favourite for host venues and ticket buying families alike
With the winter season nearly upon us in the northern hemisphere, Derek Robertson takes a look at the evergrowing family show sector, as arenas and theatres prepare themselves for festive fun.
There’s a special kind of magic that descends upon arenas and theatres during the festive season – and no, we’re not talking about C-list celebrities indulging in slapstick humour and cheeky one-liners in the same pantos year after year. We’re referring to the thrill of family entertainment and best-selling shows like Disney on Ice, The Snowman, and more contemporary fare such as The Fairytale of New York.
Such shows don’t just pack out seats – they bring in the next generation of eventgoers, making kids’ eyes light up and turning once-a-year visitors into lifelong fans. For arena execs and producers, these performances are golden –they’re the moments where memories are made, loyalty is forged, and footfall skyrockets in the most joyful way possible.
But how do these shows keep things fresh, enticing families to return season after season? The business behind the curtain is a well-oiled machine, balancing nostalgia with novelty and seasonal blockbusters with strategic programming throughout the year. From the meticulous planning of show content – jokes for all ages, multigenerational appeal – to the latest tech upgrades and irresistible merch, producers are constantly evolving. Throw in marketing strategies that target both parents and kids, and it’s clear that family entertainment is far more than just a show; it’s a well-timed, carefully orchestrated experience designed to shape audiences for life.
According to Jon Conway of World’s Biggest Productions Ltd, a gap in the market existed because many typical tours wind down in mid-December, leaving theatres and arenas with empty calendar days. “Only Disney were touring family product in a few venues over Christmas,” he says; 30 years of experience meant he understood the market more than most, leading him to start his company – responsible for Elf the Musical – in 2015.
And he wasn’t the only one. “Prestige Productions realised there was a gap for additional Christmas shows that weren’t panto,” says the company’s Ross Mills. That led to them developing, among others, The Fairytale of New York, So This Is Christmas, and The Overtones Good Times Tour. And, in short order, such shows have become key revenue generators on both the arena/theatre side and the production/promotion side.
“These shows sell tens of thousands of tickets for us,” says Mills, the co-producer and executive director of The Fairytale of New York. “Fairytale
sold nearly 150,00 tickets alone in 2023.”
“Our The Snowman tour is generally our biggest and longest output of work each year,” comments Rachel Whibley, managing director of Carrot Productions. “It would be hard to imagine the company being financially viable without it.”
Of course, there is more than one aspect to ‘success’ here. Partly, it’s the simple economics of selling enough tickets to make such shows profitable enough; as Richard Perry of Credwch Limited, responsible for the Cardiff Christmas Festival, puts it, “Our events require big investments in event infrastructure, which always puts a strain on commercial returns.”
But it’s also an opportunity to develop some brand loyalty, either to a particular venue or type of show, and as these are family events, to enchant the next generation of event-going fans so that they’ll return every year, well into adulthood.
“Certain shows become traditions for people to come to, and it’s so wonderful to see audiences coming back year after year as part of their seasonal celebrations,” says Ollie Rosenblatt, CEO of Senbla, the company behind the live-in-concert version of Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol
“With our Hey Duggee and Bluey productions, we’ve been fortunate enough to be many children’s first experience of live theatre,” says Cuffe & Taylor’s Benjamin Hatton. “There’s something magical about live performance that can’t be replicated by watching a screen,” adds Martin McInulty, GM of first direct arena in Leeds, noting that such experiences don’t simply develop a love for live events. “Who knows what exposure to such events may lead to – some may take inspiration and pursue a career within the industry.”
“Every kid remembers their parent/s or grandparent/s taking them to their first show – that creates magical moments, and in turn drives them to bring their own children,” says Denis Sullivan, VP of international tours for Feld Entertainment. “We are an audience feeder system for the entire live events industry.”
Perhaps the best example of this is to be found at London’s O2 Arena. “Since first coming to The O2 back in 2007, Young Voices have performed at the venue over 80 times and introduced over 650,000 children to the venue,” says the European vice president of venue programming, Emma Bownes. “Not only do many of those children return as live music fans in future years, but a recent Nielsen report found that 43% of parents attending Young Voices go on to research future O2
Thousands of professionals read IQ every day. Make sure you get the whole picture… SUBSCRIBE HERE
