Live Nation Switzerland acquires Openair Frauenfeld

Live Nation has acquired a majority stake in Openair Frauenfeld, Europe’s largest hip-hop festival.

It is Live Nation’s seventh buy-out or equivalent this year, and follows the acquisition of a controlling stake in Isle of Wight Festival in the UK in March.

Held annually in the Allmend park in Frauenfeld, Thurgau (Thurgovia), since 2004, Openair Frauenfeld began life as rock/pop festival Out in the Green, hosting big-name headliners including The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and REM. It last week hosted its 14th event as Openair Frauenfeld, welcoming 170,000 attendees and headliners The Weeknd and Usher and The Roots.

Rene Götz, managing director of Frauenfeld-based First Event, will continue to produce the festival for Live Nation Switzerland.

“We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Openair Frauenfeld, which sees us add one of the world’s finest festival brands to our portfolio”

“We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Openair Frauenfeld, which sees us add one of the world’s finest festival brands to our portfolio,” comments Andre Lieberberg, president of Live Nation GSA (Germany, Switzerland and Austria). “The partnership will give media and our brand partners a unique platform for the Swiss and German-speaking markets. We look forward to working with First Event AG to build and grow this unique festival brand, offering an unparallelled festival experience to thousands of fans.”

Wolfgang Sahli, the festival’s founder and chairman of First Event, adds: “We believe joining forces with the world’s leading live entertainment company, Live Nation, has given us a strong and innovative partner with which to continue to grow and evolve Openair Frauenfeld.

“We are truly looking forward to our partnership.”

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