Market Report: Ecuador
Having played host to its biggest rock show in almost 30 years when Roger Waters chose the country’s Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa for the closing date of his global This Is Not A Drill tour last year, political unrest has shaken the Ecuador market in early 2024 – a key stop-off between Colombia and Peru with several major arenas and stadiums centred around the capital, Quito.
Uncertainty has made for a fairly static market for much of the year, but an easing of political tension has seen the live events industry revive significantly over the course of the summer and beyond.
Primary ticketing
In a relatively simple ticketing market, Passline covers festivals and a wide range of shows, but the major events also direct to a selection of key local and Latin American platforms such as FeelTheTickets, Ticketera, and TicketShow.
Secondary ticketing
Viagogo offers a platform to resell tickets for the larger shows in Ecuador.
International/domestic splits & genres
Ecuador somewhat pales in comparison to neighbouring countries such as Colombia in terms of producing world-beating names – Alex Ponce only recently became the first Ecuadorian singer to make a big splash on Spotify. But the country benefits from the ease of touring for the biggest Latin American artists. Hence, the major schedules are dominated by international tours by pop, urban, electronic, rock, and reggaeton acts, while genres such as salsa, pasillo, cumbia, and vallenato thrive at mid-level venues.
Cultural analysis
In January 2024, a state of emergency was declared in Ecuador as the government attempted to tackle a spate of growing armed violence between international drug gangs in the country. The live industry was drastically muted during this time but didn’t completely shut down.
In April, the measures were lifted, and the local industry is looking forward to shows including Juanes and Smashing Pumpkins at the Coliseo General Rumiňahui in the capital in the autumn.
Taxes & fees
Ecuador’s president temporarily raised VAT to 15% in April 2024, but the standard rate has long been 13%, and the government is attuned to the tax burden on live events as the market recovers. Their Tourism Law introduced in July gifts a 10% reduction for performers visiting Ecuador in order to encourage international tours to visit.
Country Profile: Ecuador
Sitting near the equator on South America’s western coast, Ecuador is sandwiched between larger touring markets Colombia and Peru.
Political instability is the biggest market challenge in Ecuador, which is feeling the lingering effects of a four-month national state of emergency earlier this year. Despite the challenge, things may be turning a corner.
Similar to the rest of Latin America, transnational promoters often enter the market where there is demand. CK Concerts operates all over the continent and has promoted shows here by Mr. Big, Within Temptation, Anthrax, Blind Guardian, and Laura Pausini, who sold out her show at Quito’s Coliseo General Rumiñahui with 8,000 attendees.
In Ecuador, touring revolves around two major cities: the capital city Quito and the port hub Guayaquil.
CK Concerts promotes over 100 shows across the region annually, and Christian Krämer, the company’s MD and owner, says festivals are a key stream of growth for the company as “we can offer artists a complete tour instead of only a single festival show.” The team promotes The Metal Fest in Quito, which will pause next year due to the political crisis, he says.
In Ecuador, touring revolves around two major cities: the capital city Quito and the port hub Guayaquil. Krämer says every genre has an audience in Quito, while Latin and reggaeton perform better in Guayaquil. Most touring artists are not local, he says, as the grassroots scene struggles with a lack of infrastructure and equipment.
Other notable national promoters include Top Shows, which will bring Ecuadorian group Verde 70 to Quito and Samborondon this October, and Pulso Producciones, which has Spanish singer Carlos Sadness and Argentine rapper Trueno coming to the country this year.
Arena Market: Ecuador
Not a huge market but a strategically significant one between Colombia and Peru, Ecuador has been scarred by a surge in armed gang conflict in 2024, a state of emergency declared between January and April as the government attempted to control an unruly cocktail of local and international drug traffickers.
The variable curfew nearly saw off Luis Miguel’s February date at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, though the show went ahead in the footsteps of other major concerts at the 35,258-cap stadium in recent years by platinum Latin American tourers including Romeo Santos, Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, and Ricardo Arjona.
The key arena option in Quito is the 32-year-old, 16,000-cap Coliseo General Rumiñahui, named after a 15th-century Inca military leader who was burned at the stake by Spanish conquistadors. Chile’s Mon Laferte, Spain’s Melendi, and Mexican trio Camila have played there this year.
While Quito, sitting high in the Andes on the slopes of a dormant volcano, is Ecuador’s UNESCO-listed capital, the busy Pacific port city of Guayaquil is another significant market.
Its recently remodelled, 8,000-capacity Coliseo Voltaire Paladines Polo has lately had a strong run, welcoming Camila, Sin Bandera, Rels B, Mora, Danny Ocean, and Fonseca in the past year or so, with Karol G a memorable night in June 2022.