Market Report: Colombia
A diverse and blossoming live events market – despite inflation hitting hard – Colombia has increasingly become a key stop for international tours, particularly since the 13,000-cap Movistar Arena opened in Bogotá in 2019, becoming the most successful venue in the country with around 130 shows a year.
“We are growing a lot, and it is a market that hasn’t reached its maturity yet,” says Gabriel García, CEO of leading promoter Páramo Presenta, “so we are having a boom moment, and I think that is going to get better in the coming years.”
Primary ticketing
With multinationals eye up the territory, regional ticketing companies rule the roost. Tuboleta is the biggest, helped by its partnership with Movistar Arena and promoter TBL-Breakfast Live.
Hot on their heels are Primera Fila and Taquillalive, a Vivaticket-supported company under the CMN umbrella, which also owns Bogotá’s 20,000-cap Coliseo Medplus. Passline also operates, and TicketShop still has a presence despite being hobbled by a fraud scandal in 2018. Páramo recently merged with OCESA, dropping its Yellow Tickets platform in favour of OCESA’s Eticket.
Distribution of sales
Though no precise percentages are available, physical sales are still available. Most distribution occurs online, however, with some platforms offering e-tickets.
Secondary ticketing
Viagogo operate but secondary ticketing is very low-key.
“Consumers are also seeking new ways to experience music, such as through virtual concerts and augmented reality experiences”
International/domestic splits
Though Colombia has a fine history of giving the world major stars, its broad and varied national offerings in urban, rock, pop, reggaeton, and Caribbean vallenato – and Bogota’s world-renowned techno scene – are increasingly matched by large international tours. Iron Maiden, Eric Prydz, NCT Dream, and Marc Anthony are among the global stars playing in 2024.
Cultural analysis
“There is a trend towards live music and festivals, with events like the Bogotá Music Festival and Estéreo Picnic Festival drawing large crowds,” says Taquillalive’s Johanna Rodríguez. “However, there is also a lack of support for national artists, with some live events being canceled or postponed due to lack of interest.”
Rodríguez also notes a growing trend towards online event consumption. “Consumers are also seeking new ways to experience music, such as through virtual concerts and augmented reality experiences.”
Taxes & charges
Taxes and fees depend on the location and event.
Commonly, VAT (19%) or a local tax (10% on tickets over $35) will be levied on ticket sales. Service fees are between 10% and 17%. Other transactional fees and taxes may apply.
Country Profile: Colombia
“Colombia is a major talent incubator, as the whole world has seen with phenomena like Feid, Karol G, Shakira, Carlos Vives, and J Balvin,” says Páramo Presenta’s CEO Gabriel García.
Páramo, which expects to sell over 1m tickets this year, joined the Live Nation network via OCESA last July and has a major year lined up: six stadiums and 180,000 tickets with Feid; a co-promoted Paul McCartney show at Bogotá’s El Campín Stadium (39,000) with Move Concerts; and a national tour from acclaimed singer Andrés Cepeda.
“OCESA/Live Nation have placed full trust in the way we handle things,” García says. “They’ve provided invaluable support in refining some details in operations and security and have allowed us to take some risks that, on our own, we might have hesitated to take.”
“OCESA/Live Nation have placed full trust in the way we handle things”
The company also backs the four-day Festival Estéreo Picnic (40,000), which shares 2025 headliners Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shawn Mendes with Lollapalooza Argentina/Brazil/Chile, along with two-day Latin event Festival Cordillera (35,000) and two-day electronic event BAUM Festival (20,000).
Instead of expanding across the continent, García says they’ve focused on national growth, organising more gigs in Medellín and Cali alongside capital city Bogotá. To meet new audiences, Páramo launched a new 50-person content creator programme in May, which has reached over 4m accounts since launch.
Despite being a hotspot for talent and performance, Colombia is not without its challenges. Currency devaluation has impacted the cost of touring and the ability of consumers to purchase tickets, along with difficulties in transporting shows across the country, says Move Concerts’ promoter Juan Arbelaez.
“People are decreasing their energy and budget, and there is also a saturation of events in the country”
“People are decreasing their energy and budget, and there is also a saturation of events in the country,” adds the company’s country manager Alfredo Villaveces.
Nonetheless, transnational promoter Move sold 100,000 tickets for this year’s shows, which included Roger Waters, Mexican crooner Luis Miguel, and American progressive heavy metal band Mastodon.
Lots of major promoters are based here including Diomar García Eventos, which had shows with national stars Silvestre Dangond and Blessd; ticketing service Tuboleta’s offshoot TBL Live; and CKConcerts, which brought Australian rock duo Air Supply to the country this year.
Arena Market: Colombia
In Bogotá, capital of South America’s fourth-biggest economy, consumer sentiment has turned a little cautious this year, but this key touring stop still has plenty of momentum – as well as providing an object lesson in the power of a good arena.
The 13,000-capacity Movistar Arena, operated by Colombiana de Escenarios – a joint venture between Movistar Arena Chile owner HLR Group and Colombian ticketing market leader Tuboleta – anticipated the ever-expanding South American arena circuit and continues to reap the benefits.
“Right now, we are the number-one venue in Colombia,” says Movistar Arena Colombia general manager Luis Guillermo Quintero. “We set quite a high standard in terms of putting Colombia on the touring map, so whenever an act wants to tour South America, they come to Bogotá, and they come to the Movistar Arena.”
Renovated in 2018 (and formerly known as Coliseo Cubierto El Campín), the venue will bring in 130 shows this year, alongside a further 40 to 50 private and corporate events, and while Quintero notes ticket sales are a little softer than before, he is clear that the market remains strong.
“Inflation here in Colombia is hitting pretty hard, but the big names are selling out, both in stadiums and in arenas,” he says, noting big-selling shows for Karol G and Iron Maiden later this year at Movistar Arena, “but for smaller names or local names, it’s harder.”
“Inflation here in Colombia is hitting pretty hard, but the big names are selling out, both in stadiums and in arenas”
The Movistar is expecting Niall Horan, Juanes (two nights), and André Rieu (five) at the time of writing, among numerous others, and continues to push a sustainable agenda, presenting an orchid, Colombia’s national flower, to every visiting artist and planting 3,000 trees and counting in their name.
The new player in Bogotá is Medplus Coliseum, the baby of Colombian-born US promoter Henry Cardenas, which launched in 2022 with a 20,000-capacity+ main room, more than 750m2 of LED screens, ten loading and unloading docks, and a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. Roger Waters, Imagine Dragons, and two nights of Luis Miguel were among last year’s highlights, with Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel, Feid, and Twenty One Pilots all coming later this year.
The second city of Medellín is fast rising, too, and is set to gain a 16,000-capacity multipurpose arena, costing more than
$50.6m, by 2026. Built by CLK Group, the company behind Tuboleta and promoter TBL Live, Arena Primavera is projected to host 600,000 spectators across 75 events each year.
“We are convinced of the potential of the entertainment market in Medellín and [the administrative department of] Antioquia, which has become a musical and cultural reference for the country, a must-stop for national and international artists,” says Hernando Sánchez, CLK general manager. “Therefore, a venue is needed to place the department as a leader in the global arena circuit.”