ILMC 37: Middle East Live – States of Growth

A handful of leading Middle East-based executives broke down the region’s rapid development on the live entertainment scene and the issues impacting the nascent market in an ILMC panel.

Chaired by CAA’s Emma Banks, today’s Middle East Live: States of Growth session featured Oak View Group UAE’s Ian Campbell, Fridge Entertainment founder Shelley Frost, Platinumlist’s Cosmin Ivan, All Things Live Middle East CEO Thomas Ovesen, Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission CEO Paul Pacifico and Lance Tobin booking VP for Bahrain’s Al Dana Amphitheatre.

Cosmin presented a slideshow of Platinumlist’s statistical findings throughout 2024, which included an 800% increase in popularity for hip-hop across the region, a marked rise in attendees for Arabic and international live music concerts, and a wildly different “ticketing culture” compared to the West.

“We need to understand that the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries have a different pattern of purchase compared to Europe, which means a lot of last-minute ticket sales,” noted Cosmin. “Eighty percent of sales sometimes occur in the last three days prior to an event, which does cause some slight panic from organisers unfamiliar with the region.”

There has also been a concerted effort to combat ticketing fraud in the Gulf, with nonexistent shows and tours often being advertised on social media with the aim of taking advantage of an audience still getting accustomed to the region’s increasing prominence in the live entertainment sphere. Despite those concerns, it is a huge “sign of growth for the market” according to Tobin.

“We obviously have to strike down on these scams with the help of local government initiatives, but in a way, it shows that there’s a lot of money to be made as the show count continues to rise in the region,” he said.

“There is a real push to change the perception of the KSA as a hub of vibrancy and enthusiasm to outsiders unfamiliar with the country”

Cosmin also spoke about the boom in Saudi Arabia, where attendances for parties at beach clubs rose by over 100%.

“Seventy percent of Saudi Arabia’s population are younger than 35 years old and are more digitally aware than previous generations, so there is a real push to change the perception of the KSA as a hub of vibrancy and enthusiasm to outsiders unfamiliar with the country,” Campbell said.

The importance of developing a sustainable music grassroots ecosystem in the Middle East was also discussed.

“I read the other day that 60% of streaming numbers on [streaming platform] Anghami emanates from Arabic music, which is fascinating as music consumption leaned more towards Western music in the past,” Frost recalled, adding that international acts should make inroads in collaborating with more local talents during their tours.

“When we brought Jacob Collier over to the UAE, I remember him wanting to join a local jam session,” she added. “Tapping into the local music scene and working with grassroots organisations can only be beneficial for everyone.”

It’s a new thing for Arabic audiences to get accustomed to paying to see local talent on stage

That sentiment was echoed by Ovesen, who emphasised the importance of changing the framework in the grassroots scene.

“Historically, the top Arabic artists generate most of their revenue via their records, so there’s no incentive for them to perform live shows,” he said. “It’s a new thing for Arabic audiences to get accustomed to paying to see local talent on stage as opposed to seeing them for free playing at a wedding, for example, and one way to change this model is to have Western promoters getting their artists to showcase more domestic supporting acts.”

From funding new venues and investing into talent to initiatives designed to redefine cultural norms within the Middle East, regional governments role in supporting the ever-growing live entertainment scene across the GCC was also detailed.

“September 2025 will mark the first time that public schools in Saudi Arabia will have a music curriculum,” said Pacifico, whose role as the head of the country’s musical commission saw 9,000 teachers hired to head up this historic programme as well as advocating for all-year-round schedules in the calendar.

“Because of a shift in working culture compared to a decade ago, there are less people leaving in the summer as you’re expected to work all year, so we’re focusing on building more indoor venues and showcasing more Arabic content during the summer so that families will have something to do even during a normally quiet off-season,” Pacifico continued.

The 37th International Live Music Conference wraps up tomorrow (28 February) at the Royal Lancaster in London.

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