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It was a slower return to normalcy after Covid in Chile compared to many other markets, in a large part because restrictions on live music were not really lifted until April 2022.
That said, all the signs are that 2023 is going to be a strong year. There is a good balance between international acts (Harry Styles, Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd) and an assortment of South American acts (Fito Páez, Nathy Peluso, Alejandro Sanz), although the the country’s national stadium (Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos) is closed for the year because of the Pan American Games (taking place in late October and early November), and this has been a blow in terms of the availability of venues.
Leading independent promoter DG Medios was acquired by Live Nation in December 2019. DG’s head Carlos Geniso says the market for international acts is heavily concentrated in the capital, Santiago, but rare excursions to other cities can happen in the summer. However, he says exchange rates are proving a major obstacle this year.
“If it keeps rising or the peso has less value in dollars, then you have to increase the ticket price.”
“If it keeps rising or the peso has less value in dollars, then you have to increase the ticket price,” says Geniso. “And when you want to increase the ticket price, a person that usually goes to three, five or ten shows will go to fewer shows. It’s more important to have a sensibility around how much they want to charge in the market.”
Because international acts can realistically only play three shows a week if touring South America (due to the distances and travel times involved), pricing is a conundrum. Tickets for big shows can be as high as $200 and as low as $35-40, but the average works out around $75-80.
“Tickets for domestic acts have to be much lower,” argues Geniso. “The average ticket price has to be between $25-45. If you have a way to build that national act, you can mix them into the international shows as a special guest or opening act and then it is a different situation.”
Working in five countries in Europe and five in Latin America, La Sordera has an office in Chile. The company “works like a bridge between both continents,” says CEO Francisco Mendez. “So we’ve done Latin American artists in Europe and European artists (rappers to be specific) in South America.”
“The average ticket price has to be between $25-45. If you have a way to build that national act, you can mix them into the international shows as a special guest or opening act and then it is a different situation.”
He adds: “Because of the amazing year we had in 2022, there are more shows happening in 2023. But this time, there’s a different financial situation for fans, making them decide between a lot of different artists that they really want to see live.
“The economic situation has not only been affecting sales; producing a show is getting much more expensive.”
Nonetheless, he says rock music is growing in popularity, especially among younger audiences, while rap remains very strong.
There is a natural cap on the number of tickets that can be sold in Chile given its population of 18.5m, so promoters have to work with that in mind.
Rock, pop, and hip-hop dominate, with trap proving to have a lot of growth potential.
Rock, pop, and hip-hop dominate, with trap proving to have a lot of growth potential.
Geniso says he is still experimenting with family events on a case-by-case basis, citing Disney On Ice and David Copperfield as examples of such shows he has worked on. He feels the jury is still partly out on touring exhibitions and immersive experiences in Chile.
“There is a market for it,” he says. “But if you have an exhibition, it can last maybe ten weeks at the top. You cannot have an exhibition for one or two years like in London or New York.”
Now DG Medios has been super-charged by Live Nation, it is increasingly powerful. Other key players in the Chilean market are Lotus Producciones who run Lollapalooza Chile, Bizarro, and Street Machine who run Creamfields Chile.