Market Report: Paraguay

A small but prime-placed market, Paraguay’s position in the heart of the South American continent makes it a thriving region for tours travelling between Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.

Its economy is among Latin America’s strongest, too, as developments in agriculture, livestock, and hydropower are helping deliver steady growth.

Primary ticketing
Paraguay’s ticketing market being relatively small, the regional operations still rule the roost here, with RED UTS, the first player to introduce electronic ticketing, nosing ahead of the pack and Passline, Todoticket, and Eventbrite’s DIY ticketing platform Ticketea all active.

Secondary ticketing
Both Viagogo and StubHub offer resale tickets for large-scale concerts.

Value of market
Revenue in the event ticket market in Paraguay is projected to hit $7.74m in 2024, reaching around $8.1m by 2028.

International/domestic splits & genres
While many of the major Latin pop, reggaeton, and electronic touring acts will stop off in the capital of Asunción, making up the majority of the big-league offerings, and traditional styles such as guarania, merengue, zamba, and cumbria remain popular, Paraguay is also home to a strong grassroots rock and metal scene. It first emerged from beneath the yoke of president Alfredo Stroessner’s cloying dictatorship in 1989 and shakes the basements of Asuncion to this day, making the city a must-play on the current 25th anniversary Slipknot tour.

Cultural analysis
Relative economic prosperity compared to neighbouring countries has made the gig-going Paraguayan youth more affluent, ushering in a swift swing towards smartphone usage and digital ticketing. They’re also more able to travel internationally to major shows, with tour operators starting to offer special packages that include the event ticket, accommodation, and transport for the Paraguayan music lover on the move.

Taxes & fees
VAT in Paraguay is 10%.

Country Profile: Paraguay

Located in the middle of the South American continent, Paraguay is a convenient addition to the landmass’s touring circuit.

Sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, Paraguay’s music market often includes Argentina-based companies working across national lines. Plus, a unique mix of venues – most often found in the capital city of Asunción – can make routing tours through the agriculture-focused nation complicated.

G5 Pro is the most prominent local promoter, having a hand in both event promotion and venue management. It operates two of the country’s most popular venues, the outdoor horse racing track Jockey Club (70,000) and the indoor sports-focused SND Arena (4,500), both in Asunción.

Argentina-based DF Entertainment and G5 are behind the Asunciónico Festival, which has grown to be the country’s biggest festival since its launch in 2019. This year’s edition, held in March, saw blink-182, Feid, Arcade Fire, Limp Bizkit, Jungle, Diplo, and several dozen more artists take to the Parque Olímpico in Luque just east of Asunción.

There’s no shortage of promoters operating here.

Additionally, G5 and local restaurant Kilkenny Irish Pub promote KilkFest, a one-day event at Jockey Club, which will feature Keane, The Kooks, and several local acts for the 2024 edition. Spanish festival brand Primavera Sound was set to return to the nation this November before calling off all Latin America editions due to “external difficulties.”

There’s no shortage of promoters operating here. Move Concerts joined with G5 to bring Louis Tomlinson to the Jockey Club in May. Garzia Group, which has offices in both Argentina and Paraguay, promoted shows with Megadeth, Luis Miguel, and Morat this past year, along with a handful of family entertainment options.

Local promoter RPM Producciones, Argentina-based Fenix Entertainment, and Cardenas Marketing Network – which partnered with AEG Presents in May – all worked to bring Karol G to Estadio La Nueva Olla (45,000) in May.

Arena Market: Paraguay

Paraguay only has one indoor arena – the 5,500-capacity SND Arena (Secretaría Nacional de Deportes), which is in the centre of the capital city, Asunción, and is state-owned, providing a home for basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, and other sports. Having been refurbished in 2018, it is in full swing once more, with Myriam Hernández, Luciano Pereyra, Danny Ocean, and Soledad visiting in recent months.

But in a country sandwiched advantageously between Brazil and Argentina, with an economy that is growing healthily, powered by agriculture, livestock, and hydropower, there is an ambition for more. It could come in the form of the proposed Smart Arena, a 15,000-capacity, state-of-the-art venue, which hopes to be the first sustainable arena in South America.

“With [Smart Arena], we will be able to programme shows like those of other major markets that have the infrastructure in place,” local event producer Walter Ayala, the man behind the plan, said in April. “We will have more tourists and attract more artists. We haven’t had a Coldplay or a Madonna here. We have a great opportunity here to help the region economically.”

“We will have more tourists and attract more artists. We haven’t had a Coldplay or a Madonna here. We have a great opportunity here to help the region economically.”

Ayala’s hope is for construction to begin in 2025, with completion in October 2027, though the project is currently still in the design stages.

One important incentive for a sizeable new indoor space is the unpredictable weather and the bearing it can easily have on shows in outdoor venues, which are the Paraguayan norm.

Large-mass concerts are held at Espacio IDESA due to its capacity (it can accommodate more than 70,000) and its location in the northeast of Asunción. The Kilkfest and Asunciónico festivals have both made use of its surroundings, though the latter has relocated to the Parque Olímpico in Luque for recent editions. The former was last seen in 2022 at another staple outdoor venue, the Jockey Club in central Asunción, where touring workhorse Louis Tomlinson was also to be found in May, and Colombian band Morat are coming in September.

The José Asunción Flores Amphitheatre in rural San Bernardino, to the east of Asunción, has space for 20,000 or so, under the stars, and concerts have included Fito Páez in February and the annual Reciclarte festival. Last December, the amphitheatre nearly took delivery of leading local promoter G4Pro’s Primavera Sound Asunción with The Cure, Argentinian rockers El Mató a un Policía Motorizado, Slowdive, and others, before police security recommendations sent the event back to its originally intended outdoor venue at the Parque Olímpico.