Metallica fuel Saudi Arabia’s concert charge
Metallica are set to perform the first major heavy metal concert in Saudi Arabia in the latest evolution of the country’s burgeoning live entertainment scene.
The American band, who debuted in the Middle East at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Park in 2011, will headline the opening night of MDLBeast’s Soundstorm festival in Riyadh on 14 December.
“An amazing opportunity has just come our way to perform at a major festival that we have never played in a part of the world we rarely get to visit,” Metallica wrote on their social media channels.
The group are currently in the midst of their M72 World Tour and will join a short list of guitar-oriented acts including Imagine Dragons and OneRepublic in playing Saudi Arabia.
“When we started playing, there were so many parts of the world where the type of music that we were doing was not really accepted,” Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich previously told The National. “There were a lot of places where people didn’t know what we were doing or didn’t have enough infrastructure to support a band like us. But it’s opening up. It’s changing and the world is shrinking. It’s great to be in the front lines.”
Soundstorm 2023, which runs from 14-16 December, will also welcome acts such as Black Eyed Peas, Calvin Harris, Chris Brown, Anne-Marie, David Guetta, H.E.R., Wizkid, Swedish House Mafia, J Balvin, Swedish House Mafia and Martin Garrix. General admission day tickets start at SAR169 (€41), with three-day passes available from SAR379 (€92).
“The desire for people to go and see live events in Saudi Arabia is stronger than anything I’ve seen in 35 years in the industry”
“The desire for people to go and see live events in Saudi Arabia is stronger than anything I’ve seen in 35 years in the industry,” Iain Campbell, ASM Global EVP of the MENA region told IQ‘s Global Arena Guide earlier this year. “With all the venues planned for Saudi Arabia, and potentially three in Riyadh alone, there could be a tour circuit of this country alone.”
The country’s ongoing efforts to attract and host A-list live entertainment is documented in IQ‘s recently published Global Promoters Report 2023. There is great interest in the opening up of the once-closed country, despite the kingdom’s record of human rights abuses.
A huge number of new venues is being built by the state, including the 20,000-seat Jeddah Arena, which is due for completion in December 2025, while the 25,000-cap Al-Awwal Park was renamed Mrsool Park in 2020. Other big name acts to have performed in the kingdom include Post Malone, Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars.
Veteran promoter Thomas Ovesen joined Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) in 2019 before launching his own company TOP Entertainment. He was hired to head up European live entertainment group All Things Live’s fledgling UAE-based Middle East operation earlier this year, and sees the emergence of the Saudi scene as an international touring destination as a huge positive.
“The Saudi market is an incredible story of how the country has gone from having no entertainment at all to now featuring live entertainment and music events for almost any type of activity,” says Ovesen. “The exciting part of this development is that it is still in motion, so we are only still getting to terms with how we service, collaborate, and benefit from this new market.
“As most of the Saudi show programming and bookings are done by or for government stakeholders, it’s yet to be seen how we will eventually be able to do business there and take risks on our own events based on a conventional market scenario.”
“Of course, there are challenges, including that some artists are still hesitant to play this market”
He continues: “Of course, there are challenges, including that some artists are still hesitant to play this market; very short timelines on many entertainment projects and bookings; and the perception – sometimes with reason – of unlimited budgets driving fee expectations up on the artist side. But on balance, the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the Middle East live events and entertainment market is a great opportunity for our business.”
Ovesen says the Saudi market is “young, affluent, and very engaged, so pretty much anything will perform well right now”, adding that contemporary music, K-pop, and EDM are especially popular. And while the population is young, there’s also good business for mature audience offerings in smaller capacity venues and premium priced tickets.
Abu Dhabi-headquartered Ethara, which was formed earlier this year with the merger of UAE state-owned promoter Flash Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, is also active in the country.
“We are anticipating further interest and arrival to the region for major live events, shows, and performances following the recent successes in the UAE and Saudi,” says Ethara chief venues officer, Brint Jackson. “With this, it is important that we continue to strengthen the region’s infrastructure and capabilities to host international events, thus leading to further interest from international brands to enter the space.
“The coming years will be focused on expansion and growth, but we need to keep versatility firmly in mind with this to allow for new opportunities as well.”
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Norway’s largest arena inks Ticketmaster deal
Norway’s largest arena has confirmed it has renewed its partnership with Ticketmaster Norway.
The 23,000-cap Telenor Arena has hosted acts such as The Weeknd, Post Malone, Depeche Mode and Robbie Williams in the past year alone, with Olivia Rodrigo lined up to perform in 2024.
Ticketmaster Norway will serve as the venue’s official ticketing partner, offering cutting-edge technology, marketing outreach and expertise.
“We are pleased to have Ticketmaster on our side – their innovative and robust solutions, extensive marketing reach and decades of expertise are essential to our success,” says Kjetil Bell Tveit, CEO at Telenor Arena. “We look forward to continuing working together to enhance the fan experience, both inside and outside the arena.”
“Together, we’re taking live entertainment in Norway to new heights”
Since opening in 2009, the venue has welcomed the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Foo Fighters, the Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, AC/DC, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney and Jay-Z, as well as the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.
“We are honoured to partner with the Norwegian cultural hub that is Telenor Arena,” says Kristian Seljeset, MD of Ticketmaster Norway. “Together, we’re taking live entertainment in Norway to new heights. It’s all about facilitating those unforgettable moments for fans at this iconic venue, and we can’t wait to get started.”
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FKP Scorpio UK bids to host 15k-cap outdoor series
FKP Scorpio UK has applied to Bristol City Council for a premise licence to stage a series of outdoor concerts in the city.
The company is bidding to host an unspecified number of 15,000-cap live music events in Bristol’s Queen Square.
Bristol 24/7 reports that the application is for a licence up to the end of 2028, with shows to run until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10.45pm on Sundays.
The concerts would be the biggest to take place at the venue, which hosts the main stage of Bristol Harbour Festival, since Glastonbury’s Arcadia brought its fire-breathing spider to the square in 2015. Massive Attack also performed at the site in 2003.
FKP Scorpio UK has upcoming shows with the likes of Anne-Marie, Beans On Toast, The Rifles, Nick Mulvey and DMA’s
However, as Queen Square is situated near a growing residential area, the Bristol Post notes the plan could prove controversial, with the application expected to go before the licensing committee, who will make the final decision on whether to approve it.
CTS Eventim-owned FKP hired concert promoters Daniel Ealam and Scott O’Neill from DHP Family in 2020 to head up and grow its then nascent UK touring business, which originally soft-launched in 2018.
The UK office worked on Ed Sheeran’s 2022 stadium tour and has upcoming shows with the likes of Anne-Marie, Beans On Toast, The Rifles, Nick Mulvey, DMA’s, Calum Scott, Buzzcocks, Slowdive, Noah Kahan and Sundara Karma, as well as Disney100: The Exhibition.
Meanwhile, it was revealed earlier this year that Bristol’s long-delayed 19,000-cap YTL Arena will not open until late 2025 or early 2026.
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Brisbane to gain new 80,000-capacity stadium
Brisbane will gain a new 80,000-capacity stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics, set to take place in the Queensland capital.
The new AU$2.7 billion venue will replace The Gabba, Brisbane’s 50,000-capacity AFL stadium, which will be demolished after the 2025 Ashes.
The state government says the stadium, which will be part of a rebranded precinct called East Bank, will be able to host up to 50,000 for sporting events and 80,000 for concerts and events, meaning artists like Taylor Swift would no longer be inclined to skip the city from Australian tours.
The new East Bank stadium follows a wave of other developments throughout the country
The design process is expected to begin in 2024 and last until 2026, with early demolition works commencing in 2025 and construction of the new building in 2026. The East Bank precinct is set for a 2030 ready-to-use launch.
The new East Bank stadium follows a wave of other developments throughout the country, including a new 30,000-capacity music venue in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales.
The event site is a $135 million development by the Cedar Mill Group (CMG) at the old Morisset golf course. The group hopes the venue will rival Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium with its built-for-purpose staging and rigging.
CMG has also set out plans for three more venues in NSW: The Domain in Sydney’s CBD, The Crescent in Parramatta Park, and Thompsons Creek Regional Parkland in Bradfield.
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Australia’s Always Live initiative returns for ’23
An Australian initiative envisioned by the late Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski to revitalise Victoria’s live music scene has returned for a second year.
The Always Live scheme launched in March 2022 at the GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Victoria, with a concert by the Foo Fighters, who became the first major international music act to travel to Australia since the pandemic began.
The 2023 series, which features more than 60 free and ticketed events of all sizes, will run over 17 days from 24 November to 10 December. Opening weekend highlights include a show by Christina Aguilera at Flemington Racecourse (25 November) and Mushroom 50 Live (26 November) – an anniversary concert at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena celebrating 50 years of Mushroom Records.
“An event like Always Live is what makes our great city what it is,” says Always Live director and Mushroom Records CEO Matt Gudinksi, son of Michael. “The Always Live programme ensures Victoria remains the music capital of Australia and will deliver a host of unique and exclusive experiences across 17 days.”
Mushroom 50 will bring together dozens of domestic artists, including DMA’s, The Temper Trap, Amy Shark, Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, Birds of Tokyo and The Teskey Brothers, who will perform 50 songs for 50 years.
“It’s set to fill venues across Victoria, attract visitors and boost business while celebrating our state’s outstanding music and events industry”
Other Always Live-associated events will include three nights by Eric Prydz at Rod Laver Arena, Amyl and the Sniffers in Meeniyan, Ballarat, Frankston, Warrnambool, Torquay, Wodonga and Thornbury, and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett and his band The Alter Egos at Wangaratta Arts Centre. Elsewhere, Cosmic Psychos will celebrate their 40th anniversary over three nights at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal.
In addition, Jessie Ware will headline outdoor music festival Summer Camp at St Kilda Marina on 2 December, while the Tones and I-curated Music In the Park will feature the likes of The Cat Empire, The Veronicas, Budjerah, KAIIT, The Pierce Brothers at Mornington Park on 9 December.
Last year’s inaugural Always Live programme delivered more than A$80 million (€48m) to the Victorian economy, attracting thousands of visitors to the state.
It is backed by $20m in the Victorian Budget 2023/24, which also included $7.5m for the Live Music Performers Fund, which backs thousands of Victorian musicians and artists to perform 10,000 gigs at venues across the state over the next four years.
“Always Live’s 2023 programme offers something for everyone – it’s set to fill venues across Victoria, attract visitors and boost business while celebrating our state’s outstanding music and events industry,” adds Victoria premier Daniel Andrews.
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Legal action fails over Roger Waters’ Chile gigs
The Jewish community of Chile has failed in an appeal to ban Roger Waters from “using elements or issuing comments that incite hatred and anti-Semitism” at his upcoming Santiago concerts.
The 80-year-old former Pink Floyd bassist, who has repeatedly insisted he is not an antisemite, brings his This Is Not a Drill Tour to Estadio Monumental this weekend for two shows from 25-26 November.
In its appeal, the community – which alleges that Waters has a “history of incitement to anti-Semitic hatred” – also called on promoter DG Medios to carry out “all necessary actions” to prevent the musician from making any “Judeophobic” statements.
“The CJCh [Representative Committee of Jewish Entities in Chile] seeks to prohibit him from using elements or issuing comments that incite hatred and anti-Semitism in his concert,” says Jewish community leader Ariela Agosín, as per Merco Press. “It also seeks that the producer [DG Medios] performs all necessary actions to prevent the… events from occurring.
“We are not interested that he stops singing, but that his concerts are not an incitement to hatred, that he does not call for violence, that he does not use anti-Semitic elements. That’s what our actions will be.”
However, Cooperativa reports that the bid has been ruled inadmissible by Santiago’s Court of Appeals as “no facts have been mentioned that could constitute a violation of the constitutional guarantees”.
The community had followed the lead of the Delegation of Argentine Israeli Associations (DAIA), which recently attempted to prevent Waters from performing in Buenos Aires for “discrimination, advocacy of crime and incitement to collective violence”.
According to Infoebae, while the DAIA failed to have the dates cancelled, it succeeded in gaining a ruling from the Argentine authorities that prohibited Waters from uttering anti-Jewish epithets in his concerts at Estadio River Plate on 21-22 November. The Jerusalem Post reports that Waters subsequently dropped his “antisemitic iconography” from his presentation for the Argentina shows.
“A prosecutor was present at both shows and warned the stadium and the production company that she would be attentive if Waters committed a violation of the law”
“A legal firm denounced, together with an affidavit subscribed by myself, that if he did the same show he had been doing on tour, where he dressed as a Nazi, used the Star of David on the flying pig, and compared Abu Shakleh to Anne Frank, that it would be considered a crime,” said SWC Latin America’s director Dr Ariel Gelbung.
“A prosecutor was present at both shows and warned the stadium and the production company that she would be attentive if Waters committed a violation of the law.
“At the same time, the DAIA, the political representation of the Jewish community in Argentina, managed to get a judge to let Waters know that he had to refrain from making antisemitic comments.”
The tour, which wraps up in Quito, Ecuador on 9 December, was subject to controversy earlier this year in Germany, where Frankfurt City Council and the state of Hesse attempted to block Waters performance at Frankfurt’s Festhalle, citing allegations of “persistent anti-Israel behaviour” from Waters, who it claimed was “considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world”.
Waters took legal action, branding the move “unconstitutional”, “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”. A German court subsequently ruled the gig should be allowed to go ahead, concluding that blocking it would infringe upon Waters’ free speech rights.
Almost 40,000 people, including artists Eric Clapton, Brian Eno, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel and Tom Morello, signed a petition demanding the concerts be allowed to proceed.
A cross-party group of politicians in Germany was also unsuccessful in demanding the cancellation of Waters’ gig in Cologne due to his comments on the war in Ukraine.
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Greenhouse sells 120k tickets for Clouseau shows
Greenhouse Talent has revealed it has sold 120,000 tickets in just one hour for a series of concerts marking the 40th anniversary of Belgian pop group Clouseau.
The band, who mainly perform in Dutch, have a large following across Belgium and the Netherlands, and have already sold out eight nights at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis (cap. 23,001) from 20 December 2024 to 4 January 2025.
The response has prompted them to add two extra shows for 9-10 January 2025, bringing their overall number of dates at the venue to 10. Tickets are priced €34-64.
Clouseau played their first ever show on 16 December, 1984 at the CC Sint-Genesius-Rode in Belgium.
“It is clear that no one wants to miss Clouseau’s fortieth birthday,” says a statement by Greenhouse. “No fewer than 120,000 tickets, good for eight Sports Palaces, flew out the door in barely an hour. Demand remains enormous, so Clouseau is adding two extra dates.”
Greenhouse Talent also has upcoming shows with the likes of Jason Derulo, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Rick Astley
The Ghent-based promoter and booking agency also has upcoming shows with the likes of Tony Hadley, Alexis Ffrench, Till Lindemann, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Paul Young, Air, Jason Derulo, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Rick Astley.
The company rescued Belgium’s Gent Jazz Festival from bankruptcy earlier this year after previous organiser went bankrupt. The 2023 event, held from 5-15 July, pulled in around 40,000 visitors across 74 concerts by acts including Ludovico Einaudi, Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock.
“I have a long history with the festival,” Greenhouse Talent owner Pascal Van De Velde told IQ. “We have supplied many headline acts in the past and one of the founders was my best friend, who passed away in 2011, so there was an emotional connection. There is also a geographical connection because it is in our hometown and there is, of course, a content connection because we promote so much jazz.
“We relaunched it and had a very successful edition – one of the most successful editions the festival has ever had.”
Gent Jazz Festival was recently profiled as part of IQ‘s list of ten of the best independent festivals.
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Lisbon to gain new 1,100-capacity music venue
Lisbon is set to gain a new 1,100-capacity music venue dedicated primarily to the genre of rock.
The venue, named Rock Station and located next to Estação do Oriente (one of Portugal’s main transport hubs), opens on 8 December with a concert from singer and composer José Cid.
The venue’s devotion to rock is modelled on one of Lisbon’s best-known clubs, Rock Rendez Vous, which was regarded as one of the most important music venues for rock music in Portugal during the 80s.
Rock Station’s founder, João Santos, a former sound technician and programming coordinator at Rock Rendez Vous, says he is aiming to make the new space “the great rock club in Lisbon”.
“It will be exactly like 35 years ago: when the band ends, people can stay inside until 4 am dancing to good rock music”
“It will have the same type of programming that we had at Rock Rendez Vous,” Santos told Expresso. “The idea is to include everyone who attended the old [Rock Rendez Vous] and introduce new bands as well.
“It will be exactly like 35 years ago: when the band ends, people can stay inside until 4 am dancing to good rock music,” adds Santos.
On Fridays and Saturdays, Rock Station will host performances from rock bands and during the week, external promoters can hire the space for concerts of any genre. Santos
The venue – which has “a generous stage with an area of more of 800 m2 assisted by a team of resident professional technicians” – will host domestic and international artists.
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Avicii Arena launches unique merch store offer
A new store is opening inside Sweden’s Avicii Arena with the twist that customers can only pay for merchandise with their emotions.
The Break The Silence campaign has been launched today by the naming right partners behind the Stockholm venue to raise awareness around young people’s mental health.
Avicii Arena was established in May 2021 through a collaboration between the Tim Bergling Foundation, Trygg-Hansa, BAUHAUS, and ASM Global. Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, died by suicide in 2018 aged just 28. The Tim Bergling Foundation was set up by the Swedish DJ’s family following his death to raise money for mental health-related issues and suicide prevention.
The new store, which will be accessible to visitors during event nights, will sell exclusive items such as a limited-edition cap designed by artist ANJI. To buy the cap, customers can scan a QR code and answer a few questions focused around their emotional state in that moment. A digital receipt will then be sent and the item can be collected. During the opening of the store in Avicii Arena, licensed psychologists and counsellors will be on-site for those seeking assistance.
“This in-venue-store is truly the first of its kind, and we hope it contributes to breaking the stigma around discussing emotions”
“This in-venue-store is truly the first of its kind, and we hope it contributes to breaking the stigma around discussing emotions,” says Alexandra Björnsson, project manager at the Tim Bergling Foundation. “Simultaneously, it’s crucial to focus 100% on the young here and be willing to really listen and support. Through this initiative, we aim to create an inclusive atmosphere where discussing emotions and mental health is natural, offering young people the tools they need to thrive.”
The store opening marks the beginning of a string of activity from Break The Silence, focusing on openness and breaking the stigma around discussing emotions, to prevent young people from experiencing mental health issues and ensuring they receive the necessary support.
“Learning to express and manage emotions helps children and young people feel better,” adds Björnsson. “Research indicates that the ability to communicate feelings, coupled with positive relationships with adults, is among the most critical protective factors in life against issues like depression and suicide. If you early on learn to articulate emotions it can provide a solid shield for the future.”
A second Avicii tribute concert, Together For a Better Day, will be held at the 15,000-cap arena (formerly the Ericsson Globe) on 6 December.
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Brian Jonestown Massacre axe tour after brawl
The Brian Jonestown Massacre have cancelled the remainder of their Australian tour following an onstage scuffle between two band members at a show in Melbourne.
The US group were performing at Forum Melbourne on Tuesday (21 November) when a fight broke out between frontman Anton Newcombe and guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt.
Footage from shared on social media shows Newcombe saying, “Cut off this guy’s mic, put down my guitar, party’s over captain,” to Van Kriedt, adding: “We actually don’t need you. Go. Put my guitar down on the stage and think about what’s happening.”
Van Kriedt then responded: “You better think about this one, man. Because this is forever!”
The band’s ANZ tour began in Auckland, New Zealand on 9 November
NME reports that Van Kriedt then appeared to leave the stage before the pair began to brawl and were separated by security.
The ANZ tour, which began in Auckland, New Zealand on 9 November, was promoted by Melbourne-based Principal Entertainment. It was due to wrap up this week with dates at Theatre Royal, Castlemaine and Northcote Theatre in Victoria, and Uni Bar Wollongong University in Gwynnville, NSW.
The band is yet to offer any comment on the cancellations, while the Castlemaine venue says the scheduled 22 November gig was axed “on medical grounds”.
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