A slate of new arenas and large-scale venues are due to come online in 2025, giving support to expanding touring markets around the world.

Africa
In a new year straw poll conducted by IQ, several agents nodded to Africa as the emerging market to watch in 2025.

“The influence that this market has on global recorded music and culture is already profound, so think of the impact it could have on live music!” said Jon Ollier, One Fiinix Live founder.

Lagos Arena – Nigeria
Scheduled opening date: Late 2025
Projected capacity: 12,000

The most populous nation in Africa is set to get its first purpose-built arena, Lagos Arena. Last February, ground was broken on the $100m venue, which is projected to host 200 events each year, including concerts, family entertainment, basketball games, UFC fights, boxing matches, WWE shows, and more.

The consortium delivering the project includes Live Nation, Oak View Group, Tayo Amusan (chairman of real estate company The Persianas Group), the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Yinka Folawiyo (chairman of the Yinka Folawiyo Group), Nigerian investment fund Adino Capital, and MBO Capital.

John Reid, president of Live Nation EMEA, said at the ground-breaking ceremony: “Nigeria and Africa more broadly present massive opportunities to touring artists when it comes to connecting with their global audiences.

“This brand-new, 12,000-capacity venue will open up Nigeria to international stars, and Nigerian artists will benefit hugely from having an arena to showcase their talents in front of a home audience.”

“The Dome fills a critical gap in South Africa’s live entertainment scene”

The Dome – South Africa
Scheduled opening date: January 2025
Projected capacity: 10,500

In November, Live Nation announced the launch of South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome, which is set to open in Johannesburg this month.

Live Nation’s first permanent venue in Africa, The Dome is adjacent to the FNB Stadium and will serve as a “hub for local and pan-African talent”. It will highlight genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, dance, pop, hip-hop, and R&B – with a solo headline show by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems confirmed for 20 March.

“The Dome fills a critical gap in South Africa’s live entertainment scene, creating a unique space that will support pan-African talent,” says Justin Van Wyk, CEO at Live Nation South Africa, which will promote and produce the venue’s events. “The venue will provide new opportunities to connect emerging and established artists with a new demographic of South African fans.”

The company is partnering with Stadium Management South Africa and Gearhouse South Africa on the state-of-the-art venue in the suburb of Nasrec.

Asia
New venues are popping up all across the continent, with at least four expected to crop up in Japan this year alone. With the global rise of Asian pop driving demand and new basketball rules in Japan causing a rush for new venues, there’s no shortage of projects in this part of the world.

Kai Tak Sports Park – Hong Kong
Scheduled opening date: Early 2025
Projected capacity: 50,000 + 10,000

Originally due to come online last year, Kai Tak Sports Park – which features a 50,000-capacity stadium and 10,000-capacity indoor arena with retractable seating — is preparing to open its doors.

The venue, designed by Populous architecture firm, will be operated by ASM Global and predominantly host sporting events. Coldplay will bring its record-shattering Music of the Spheres world tour for four sold-out nights in April.

The venue will be one of the largest entertainment facilities in Japan

IG Arena – Nagoya, Japan
Scheduled opening date: July 2025
Projected capacity: 17,000

Situated near the beautiful Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture, IG Arena is set to become one of the landmark arenas in Japan when it opens in July. The venue, strategically located between Tokyo and Osaka, will also boast a 30m height, making it one of the largest entertainment facilities in Japan.

It is projected to host 200 events a year, says CEO Edwin Omura, of AEG, which will operate the arena.

“The ‘hybrid oval bowl’ design which combines both an oval and horseshoe bowl will allow promoters to bring in multiple types of music, sports and family-type events,” he told IQ.

It will be the site of the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, which will be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the City of Nagoya.

Seoul Arena – South Korea
Scheduled opening date: October 2025
Projected capacity: 28,000

A further new arena is being built in South Korea, including state-of-the-art sound equipment, a seating capacity of around 19,000, and a maximum capacity of 28,000 for standing events. The arena will also feature a separate 7,000-capacity concert venue, as well as a cinema and commercial facilities. Seoul Arena is expected to attract some 1.8m visitors per year.

The arena is designed to depict “spreading its wings to the world”

Glion Kobe Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening: Spring 2025
Projected capacity: 10,000

The Kobe Arena is a waterside venue expected to be capable of hosting 10,000 people. The aim of the arena’s exterior design is to depict “excitement” and “spreading its wings to the world,” according to the arena website. It will be the home of the Kobe Storks and plans to host concerts, sporting events, e-sports, and exhibitions. As well as the arena and a new hotel, the venue plans to develop an open space around the arena.

The venue also includes a permanent LED screen on one side, which it claims is the largest in Asia, and it will have a restaurant with an open terrace and a VIP floor.

Tokyo A-Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening: 2025
Projected capacity: 10,000

Architects are planning a highly accessible venue with facilities for disabled people at the heart of the design, plus a high-speed Wi-Fi and 5G signal. With a VIP lounge, an enormous centre screen, Sky Lounge with views over the sea, and more.

Kagawa Prefectural Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening: February 2025
Projected capacity: 10,000

Designed by SANAA, the Kagawa Prefectural Arena will be the largest arena in the Chugoku and Shikoku region, and will also include a 1,000-capacity space.

Latin America
The region shows no signs of slowing, with demand for regional and international live music stretching across the vast and populous territory. Venue operators are responding by building new arenas or undertaking major updates to existing infrastructure.

The new venue boasts a façade inspired by the area’s “colourful landscape and local materials”

Arena Guadalajara – Mexico
Scheduled opening date: February 2025
Projected capacity: 20,000

Mexico’s newest venue boasts a façade inspired by Guadalajara’s “colourful landscape and local materials, such as the Huentitán Golden Quarry and the Tequilero Blue Agave”. It will be run by Mexican live entertainment firm Zignia Live, which as well as promoting international concerts, owns ticketing company Superboletos and operates the super-busy 17,599-capacity Arena Monterrey and 22,300-cap CDMX Arena in Mexico City.

Originally slated to open in September 2024, the arena looks to be launching with a February performance from singer Carlos Rivera. Katy Perry will also stop by later this year.

Bolivar Stadium – Bolivia
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Projected capacity: 20,000

Touring venues can be hard to come by in a country with no modern indoor arena. Yet, a new stadium in the administrative capital La Paz could be part of a solution.

The football-focussed venue, which broke ground in 2022, is also intended for wider use, including concerts. It is scheduled for completion this year, and according to architects L35, is intended to stand out in the local landscape while also blending in with its surroundings.

This new arena is being built as part of a huge development project

Europe
As is true with the rest of the world, Europe is due for a few new contenders to come onto the scene.

MSG Arena – Italy
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Projected capacity: 16,000

Work has started on the Milano Santa Giulia Arena (MSG Arena), which will be one of the largest in Italy and will be run by CTS Eventim. Initially, the arena (part of the Milano Santa Giulia urban development project) will be used for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, after which, CTS will continue to operate it.

As well as the striking indoor arena, the design includes a piazza with more than 10,000m2 of space for festivals and open-air events.

The project, designed by Sir David Chipperfield and the international design firm Arup, is being positioned to “strengthen Milan’s standing as a global centre of culture, entertainment, and sporting excellence,” while raising “the bar for live entertainment venues.”

“We are completely changing the mentality”

Roig Arena – Spain
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Projected capacity: 18,600

The venue will be the home of Valencia Basket Club as well as hosting concerts and other entertainment. It is being funded by and named after Spanish entrepreneur Juan Roig, the billionaire owner of the Spanish Mercadona supermarket chain. Costing €280m, it will be the largest capacity arena in the country.

Víctor Sendra, MD of Roig Arena, tells IQ: “There is no venue like it in Spain. We are completely changing the mentality.”

It will boast a state-of-the-art design, including flexible facilities for crew to ensure load-in and load-out are as swift as possible. It will also have pioneering acoustic capabilities that are adaptable to different use cases.

Becketwell Live – UK
Scheduled opening date: Spring 2025
Capacity: 3,500

Located in the Midlands between Sheffield and Birmingham, Derby will welcome a 3,500-capacity venue this year, set to host concerts, family events, sports and conferencing. It is set to open in the spring, with tribute acts for Fleetwood Mac and ABBA on the upcoming lineup.

Becketwell Live will be managed by the ASM Global family, which also runs Manchester’s AO Arena, Leeds’ first direct arena, London’s OVO Arena Wembley, and more.

Middle East
Saudia Arabia is projected to go through a venue-building boom in the coming years. And with a population of 35 million, with a third of them aged 15-34, the market for live music has huge potential.

Jeddah Arena – Saudi Arabia
Scheduled opening date: December 2025
Projected capacity: 20,000

A state-of-the-art venue in Jeddah, set to be managed by ASM Global, will be one of the first to come on stream. It is being built as part of the Jeddah Airport City complex, which will include shops, homes, a financial district, an artisan district, and a green food yard.

“There are some very aggressive plans for new arenas in Saudi Arabia. The desire for people to see live events in Saudi Arabia is wonderful to see. When all the venues are completed, there could be potential for a touring circuit of the country itself,” says Iain Campbell, ASM Global’s EVP for the MENA region.

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As we enter what could be a historic year for international touring, the challenges faced by those in the live music industry are growing exponentially.

“The development with the greatest impact on our daily business remains the increase in costs for virtually everything we do,” states FKP Scorpio’s Stephan Thanscheidt, who contends that such constraints may be thwarting some promoters from rolling out new festival formats and touring concepts.

“Nowadays, events need to be sold out to be successful, so there is little room for experimentation and error,” he continues, stating that many other festival organisers are “suffering.”

However, noting that Scorpio’s success allows the company to push ahead with new ideas, he adds, “We are excited about the continued success of event formats such as family entertainment and exhibitions. We have numerous exciting projects in the pipeline and are eager to develop this sector across Europe.”

Looking ahead to 2025, optimism abounds, with nearly everyone that IQ spoke to for this report predicting a blockbuster 12 months.

“There’s going to be a ton of great traffic next year,” says Wasserman Music EVP and managing executive Marty Diamond, citing the growing fanbases of Raye, Tyla, Isabel LaRosa, Zach Templar, Tom Odell, and Alex Warren as some of the most exciting projects going into 2025. “In the context of the big stadium and arena tours, obviously, the success and comeback of Oasis is incredible, and I think it might ignite a resurgence of great rock music again, as there are certainly some really great rock bands emerging.”

Move Concerts’ Rodriguez concurs, “2025 is looking good for us. So far, we have a solid number of shows lined up. Those announced include Katy Perry dates – that kicked off strong – and we’re also partnering on Ado with Concerts West, who quite frankly, convinced us to take the risk with them, and sales kicked off beyond our expectations.”

“Within the traffic patterns that we’re seeing, the weak are not going to survive”

However, noting the scarcity of availabilities, given the volume of tours next year, Diamond warns, “You have to really be purposeful about who’s on the road, why are they on the road, and what vehicles of support are out there for them on the road. Because, within the traffic patterns that we’re seeing, the weak are not going to survive.”

Identifying some of the trends that the industry might want to keep an eye on in 2025 progresses, Live Nation’s John Reid says, “The growth of Latin artists across Europe is clear, with Spain acting as a gateway to the rest of the continent. Karol G’s record-breaking sold-out shows at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium is a perfect example of the appetite for Latin music.

“Country and Americana genres are also gaining in popularity across the globe, with multiple headliners selling out arenas, and I’d expect that growth to continue through 2025 and beyond.”

That rings true with Christian D’Acuña, senior programming director at The O2 in London. “One of the most exciting trends in recent years is the rise of various genres of music from all over the world, with Afropop, Latin, K-pop, and South Asian artists performing and selling out shows at The O2,” he reports. “In 2025, I expect that to continue, with the likes of Ateez, Maluma, and Ado all confirmed in our diary, with more to come.”

Reid also points to responsibility for the environment becoming more prominent. “Sustainability is a top priority for many of today’s artists and fans. Through our Green Nation initiative, we are focused on helping preserve the live music experience for generations to come – leveraging our festivals and venues to power events with renewable energy, rolling out reusable cup schemes, or working with partners to deliver environmental education and awareness programmes on site for concertgoers, to name a few.”

D’Acuña is on the same page, stressing that sustainability has become a major consideration for venue operators. “Earlier this year, we hosted the world’s first carbon-removed events with The 1975,” he recalls. “The pilot events saw the extraction and removal of 136.46 tonnes of residual carbon per show, equating to 545.9 tonnes across the four-night residency – the equivalent yearly electricity usage of 395 average homes! As a venue, we are now in a position to offer out the model to other artists, so my hope is that we get a good uptake for carbon-removed shows in 2025 and beyond.”

“Culture has become a powerful driver of mass tourism, transforming cities into global cultural destinations”

While the cost of touring will continue to be a significant obstacle for many acts at the mid-tier and emerging talent level in 2025, the opportunities for AAA-list talent have never been better, with stadia operators cashing in on the many megatours confirmed for the year ahead, and new markets, such as Saudi Arabia and cities in Asia, putting together offers that further enhance the revenue streams for those at the top of the talent food chain.

Mathieu Jaton at Montreux Jazz Festival believes the industry is “at a decisive turning point, marked by an increasingly clear divide between two economic models: the traditional live music business and the big entertainment business.”

He explains, “Fans from all over the world travel to experience ‘Taylor’s experience’ or ‘Adele’s experience.’ This economic model is now more akin to major international sporting events like the World Cup, the Olympics, or Formula 1. Culture has become a powerful driver of mass tourism, transforming cities into global cultural destinations.

“In contrast, some artists, such as Massive Attack, have taken a different direction: prioritising an eco-conscious approach. They strive to drastically reduce the environmental impact of their tours, recognising that audience travel remains the heaviest ecological factor. However, this approach inevitably limits the economic returns generated, unlike the strategies adopted by artists like Taylor Swift or Adele.”

ASM Global’s Marie Lindqvist is one of many to pick up on concerts as a destination trend. “I think we will see more shows being the reason to go to a destination or a city,” she says. “We can tell from our ticketing data that the share of fans travelling in from other countries or regions to Stockholm has increased. Concert tourism is strong.”

UTA’s Obi Asika frames it in a different way.

“There’s lots of high-profile artists with stadium shows lined up for next summer. The elephant in the room –and the question the industry is asking – is how are all these tickets going to be sold? I’m fascinated to see whether the industry has got it right,” he states.

“We’re seeing a renewal in international pop, folk pop, punk rock – indie seems to be growing stronger”

Outlining some of the trends he has noticed for his Rockhal venue, whose location helps to attract fans from its native Luxembourg and neighbouring France and Germany, among others, EAA president Olivier Toth notes that there appears to be some evolution in the popularity of genres. “Hip-hop in our market is slowing down. But now we’re seeing a renewal in international pop, folk pop, punk rock – indie seems to be growing stronger.”

He also reveals that artists are returning to markets quicker than what was once the norm. “It used to be two or three years between shows, but now we’re down sometimes to just one year. And then obviously you also have an evolution in cost structure and cost volume, where ticket prices year-on-year increase, and that can make it tricky to promote the follow-up show.”

Forecasting 2025, John Giddings says he is looking forward to, “The sun shining all summer long (fingers crossed)… There are now more open-air shows than ever, and there were too many cancellations this year.”

And on a more practical note, Age Versluis at Dutch promoter Friendly Fire admits to being delighted that a proposed VAT lift (9 to 21%) no longer seems to be happening. “After Covid setbacks, staffing issues, and rising costs, we are all very happy [about that],” he tells IQ.

For his part, AEG global touring president Rich Schaefer says, “I think we’ll see shorter tours – more multiple-night runs, for sure. I also think we’ll see a slight market normalisation continue in 2025, which makes pricing and venue choices more important than ever before.”

“The largest metric for success is the box office”

Analysing ticket trends, AO Arena’s Gemma Vaughan reports, “2024 saw a reduction in [ticket] transactions but an increase in average transactional value. I think as we move into 2025, we will see more ticket ballots, fair ticketing, face value resale restrictions, and the continued rise of the experience economy across all events.”

Sales are a top priority for Kirk Sommer, global co-head of music at WME, who opines that nurturing artists who catch the public’s imagination has become a real skill. “The largest metric for success is the box office,” he says. “The rate at which some artists are making rapid ascensions at scale has required more focus on making the right strategic developmental decisions while being sure not to miss the moment.”

Sommer’s 2024 highlights included The Killers, Adele, and Billie Eilish. Next year, he says, “I am looking forward to the continued growth of Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, and Lola Young.”

UTA’s Asika concludes, “I’m just interested to see where we’re at as an industry come October 1, after festival season is over. With so many shows and so many tickets in the market, it will be fascinating to see how we did as an industry.”

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