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Live Nation to host 6m fans across UK this summer

The promoter reports it is heading for a record season, with 4m people flocking to its outdoor events and 2m attending an indoor show

By James Hanley on 13 Jun 2022

Download Festival, UK

Live Nation UK is on track for its biggest outdoor season ever, with the promoter saying it will host nearly six million fans at live shows this summer.

According to LN, four million people will attend one of its festivals or outdoor events, while close to two million will attend an indoor show.

After welcoming a total of 200,000 fans to the new Creamfields South in Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Liam Gallagher’s two-night stand at Knebworth (cap. 80,000) over the Queen’s Jubilee weekend, the company went on to attract hundreds of thousands of people to its Download and Parklife festivals this past weekend.

Staged over three days, Download saw headline sets from Kiss, Iron Maiden, Biffy Clyro at Donington Park, while Manchester’s two-day Parklife featured headliners 50 Cent, Chase & Status, Tyler, The Creator and Bicep at Heaton Park.

“This will be a summer to remember”

“It is wonderful to see fans reunited with the artists they love, and new bands forging their futures,” says Denis Desmond, chairman Live Nation UK and Ireland. “This will be a summer to remember.”

Live Nation is organising more than 100 events this summer, including tours by the likes of Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Eagles, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Billie Eilish over the next few weeks. In Scotland, meanwhile, it reports that 24% of the population will attend a DF Concerts show or festival this summer.

Although certain other UK promoters report more mixed fortunes, there have been positive signs internationally. Austria’s Nova Rock became the latest festival to report a record sell-out, while Germany’s Rock am Ring recently announced that a record 90,000 weekend tickets had sold for its 2022 edition. Elsewhere, twin festival Rock im Park shifted more than 70,000 tickets and Belgium’s Rock Werchter and Brazil’s Rock in Rio sold out in record time.

Live Nation boss Michael Rapino recently said the company’s Q1 business “greatly surpassed” expectations after delivering its best Q1 performance ever.

Its Ticketmaster division reported sales of 70 million tickets for its 2022 concerts – up 36% compared to the same point in 2019, and Rapino said all leading indicators pointed towards double-digit growth and fan attendance for LN over the course of the year.

 


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