Amazon Music’s performance and livestream series City Sessions is to be rolled out across Europe.

The series features big name acts performing on intimate stages in unique venues. Concerts have previously been held under the banner in the US and Latin America, starring acts such as Kings of Leon, Nelly Furtado, Omah Lay, Sofi Tukker, Mau y Ricky, Andra Day, The Black Crowes, Glass Animals and Wallows.

City Sessions will now expand to the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, kicking off in Manchester and Madrid on 15 October.

Bastille will perform at new Manchester arts, music and culture venue Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International. The one-off gig will be livestreamed on Prime Video and the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch.

Phoebe Barter, group brand & sponsorship director of UK insurance wealth and retirement business Aviva, says the series will feature “exclusive performances from some of the biggest names in music”.

“We are excited to team up with Amazon Music to bring City Sessions to Manchester and to Aviva Studios”

“We are excited to team up with Amazon Music to bring City Sessions to Manchester and to Aviva Studios,” adds Barter.

The Bastille performance will be the first of four City Sessions shows across Europe in 2024 and 2025.

Also taking place in Spain on 15 October at Madrid’s Matadero Space will be concerts by RVFV and Soge Culebra, the latter of whom was inducted into the Amazon Music Breakthrough programme for emerging talent in 2023. Their performances will be broadcast live on the Amazon Music En Vivo channel on Twitch.

Later in the autumn, the series will launch in Berlin with German singer-songwriter LEA on a date and location to be confirmed. A further spin-off: City Sessions, Italy, is also in the pipeline.

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YouTube is to livestream the 20th anniversary edition of Belgium’s Tomorrowland to a global audience.

The electronic music spectacular will take place across two weekends in Boom, Antwerp, from 19-21 and 26-28 July. Tickets to the 70,000-cap festival sold out in less than a day back in February.

The livestream for its first weekend will feature performances by the likes of Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Afrojack, Amelie Lens, Timmy Trumpet, James Hype, Swedish House Mafia, Oliver Heldens and John Newman, while sets by Solomun, Steve Aoki, Tale Of Us, Tiesto and David Guetta, among others, will be broadcast during weekend two.

As well as Tomorrowland, YouTube also previously struck a similar partnership with Coachella.

“We’re continuing our tradition of bringing the biggest music festivals to a global audience with this livestream of Tomorrowland’s 20th anniversary,” says Sam Vergauwen, head of YouTube for the Benelux region.

People will be able to experience four concurrent livestreams, starting with the Main Stage livestream which will run 24/7 between 19-28, with live performances during the festival and highlights of sets between the two weekends.

Fuji Rock Festival in Japan will also be livestreamed via a link-up with Amazon

In addition, there will be a Main Stage livestream on YouTube Shorts, while a livestream of the Freedom Stage will run 24/7 for the duration of both weekends. In addition, One World Radio studio will feature video interviews with artists at the festival and live audio sets.

To celebrate the DJ community, YouTube will run a Yoodle (an alternate logo on the YouTube main page) in the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, Japan, and Australia, which will also link to the Tomorrowland livestreams.

“The livestream will also be part of a YouTube Yoodle celebrating the DJ livestreaming community, bringing the festival’s magic to even more people than ever before to allow fans who cannot attend the festival in person to experience its electrifying performances,” adds Vergauwen. “We’re thrilled to see this partnership grow and evolve over the years.”

Upon the conclusion of the festival, Tomorrowland will upload each artist’s set on its YouTube channel as a permanent video on 29 July.

Elsewhere, this month’s Fuji Rock Festival in Japan will also be livestreamed via a link-up with Amazon. Performances from the Green Stage, White Stage, Red Marquee and Field of Heaven, as well as video interviews with the artists and footage from around the festival, will be available worldwide on Prime Video and Twitch free of charge.

The 26-28 July festival at Naeba Ski Resort will feature acts including The Killers, Kraftwerk, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Peggy Gou, Girl in Red, Turnstile and Raye.

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London’s The O2 has announced the introduction of self-serve bars, powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.

The AEG-owned arena previously deployed self-order kiosks and self-pour drink stations within the arena in a bid to speed up service and reduce queues.

The self-serve bars will roll out this summer, enabling guests to tap in with contactless payment, select their chosen drinks and snacks, and go – exiting without the need for a traditional checkout.

The O2 (cap. 20,000) says it’s planning to open additional self-serve bars powered by Just Walk Out technology in the future, with a second location set to open later this year.

“Our strategic investments in technology are guided by our commitment to creating seamless experiences that our guests really value,” says Adam Pearson, commercial director, The O2. “The integration of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology is a direct result of our ongoing efforts, alongside our partner Levy UK + Ireland, to listen to our guests and implement solutions that meet their expectations for convenience and efficiency at every touchpoint. As the world’s leading venue, we don’t stand still and the fan experience will always be a priority for us.”

“Our strategic investments in technology are guided by our commitment to creating seamless experiences that our guests really value”

Rak Kalidas, chief creative officer of Levy UK + Ireland, added: “Our collaboration with The O2 and Amazon is a powerful example of how we are working together to innovate and enhance the fan experience. This project underscores our dedication to leveraging technology to meet the evolving needs of today’s entertainment venues.”

Jon Jenkins, vice president of Just Walk Out technology, Amazon, said: “Bringing Just Walk Out technology to a world-class venue like The O2 is an exciting next step in our continued growth in the UK. We look forward to growing our footprint in the years to come, bringing our technology to more locations across the country with Levy UK & Ireland.”

Earlier this year, the SSE Arena in Belfast became the first indoor arena in Europe to integrate Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, enabling checkout-free shopping at its Pay & Away shop.

Just Walk Out technology has already been rolled out in US venues including TD Garden in Boston, Lumen Field in Seattle, and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

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The SSE Arena in Belfast has become the first indoor arena in Europe to integrate Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, enabling checkout-free shopping.

The technology will be used in the Pay & Away shop, located on the first floor of the 11,000-capacity arena. Once open, guests will enter the store by using their chosen contactless payment method at the entry gate, with the technology then detecting what customers take from or return to the shelves and creating a virtual shopping session.

When guests finish shopping, they can leave without waiting in line, and their chosen payment method will be charged for the items taken.

Just Walk Out technology has already been rolled out in venues including TD Garden in Boston, Lumen Field in Seattle, and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

“This checkout-free concept is a radical next step in optimising the customer journey”

“Providing the best experience every time sits at the core of everything we do at The SSE Arena, Belfast and we’re continually looking at ways to enhance our offering,” says Dermot McGinn, group head of food and beverage at The Odyssey Trust.

“We’re incredibly proud to be working alongside Amazon to bring Just Walk Out technology to our venue, and becoming the first arena in Europe to introduce this checkout-free concept is a radical next step in optimising the customer journey. Through a blend of convenience and speed, the introduction of this innovative new technology will ensure that our visitors can get back to the heart of the action as soon as possible, both during events and at Belfast Giants home games.”

Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology is made possible by artificial intelligence like computer vision and deep learning techniques, including generative AI, to help accurately determine who took what in any retail environment, according to a press release.

The e-commerce giant built synthetic datasets to “mimic millions of realistic shopping scenarios including variations in store format, lighting conditions, and even crowds of customers to ensure accuracy in any environment”.

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American pop icon Jennifer Lopez is set to embark on a 34-date arena tour across the United States and Canada this summer in support of her latest album, This is Me…Now.

The Live Nation-promoted venture corresponds with her ninth studio album of the same name and movie, This is Me…Now: A Love Story. The album and Amazon Original film, described as “Jennifer Lopez’s story in Jennifer Lopez’s words,” were released today (16 February).

J.Lo’s 30-city trek will kick off at Orlando’s Kia Center (20,000-capacity) on 26 June. The Latin icon will go on to play Austin’s Moody Center (15,000), Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena (20,000), Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena (19,800), and a hometown show in New York City’s Madison Square Garden (19,500). The tour will wrap up at Toyota Center (19,000) in Houston, Texas on 31 August.

Fan presale tickets are available beginning tomorrow, 20 February, at 9 AM local time, with additional presales being held in the week ahead. General on-sale begins next Friday, 23 February, at 10 AM local time.

The 54-year-old’s latest tour is her first since her 2019 outing, the It’s My Party tour, which grossed over US$50 million across the US and six international shows in Spain, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel.

The 13-track album is her first in nearly a decade, with songs being highlighted alongside her catalogue of chart-breaking hits across a decades-long discography during her forthcoming performances.

THIS IS ME…NOW THE TOUR DATES:
Wed Jun 26 | Orlando, FL | Kia Center

Fri Jun 28 | Miami, FL | Kaseya Center

Tue Jul 02 | Austin, TX | Moody Center

Wed Jul 03 | Edinburg, TX | Bert Ogden Arena*

Fri Jul 05 | San Antonio, TX | Frost Bank Center

Sat Jul 06 | Dallas, TX | American Airlines Center

Tue Jul 09 | Phoenix, AZ | Footprint Center

Thu Jul 11 | Los Angeles, CA | Kia Forum

Sat Jul 13 | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center

Tue Jul 16 | San Francisco, CA | Chase Center

Wed Jul 17 | Sacramento, CA | Golden 1 Center

Fri Jul 19 | Palm Springs, CA | Acrisure Arena

Sat Jul 20 | Las Vegas, NV | T-Mobile Arena*

Mon Jul 22 | Denver, CO | Ball Arena

Wed Jul 24 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center

Fri Jul 26 | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena

Sat Jul 27 | Indianapolis, IN | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Tue Jul 30 | Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena

Wed Jul 31 | Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena

Fri Aug 02 | Toronto, ON | Scotiabank Arena*#

Mon Aug 05 | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre*#

Wed Aug 07 | Boston, MA | TD Garden

Fri Aug 09 | Belmont Park, NY | UBS Arena

Sat Aug 10 | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center

Tue Aug 13 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center

Wed Aug 14 | Washington, DC | Capital One Arena

Fri Aug 16 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden

Tue Aug 20 | Cleveland, OH | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*

Thu Aug 22 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena

Sat Aug 24 | Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena

Sun Aug 25 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena

Tue Aug 27 | Tampa, FL | Amalie Arena

Fri Aug 30 | New Orleans, LA | Smoothie King Center

Sat Aug 31 | Houston, TX | Toyota Center*

*Verizon Up Presale Not Applicable | #Citi Presale Not Applicable

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A slate of artists including Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) are protesting Amazon’s palm-recognition tech at music venues.

The technology, which connects a concertgoer’s palm to their ticketing account, was recently implemented at a number of US venues including the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater following a deal between Amazon and AEG Worldwide (owner of ticketing site AXS).

On a new website called Amazon Doesn’t Rock, a number of artists have signed an open letter calling on Red Rocks, AXS, and AEG Worldwide to “immediately cancel all contracts with Amazon for the invasive Amazon One palm scanning technology”.

Some 32 artists including DIIV, Deerhoof and Jeff Rosenstock have signed the letter, which says “biometric surveillance tools like palm scans and facial recognition now threatens to transform [music venues] into hotspots for ICE raids, false arrests, police harassment, and stolen identities”.

“It’s simply a matter of time before we hear of cases of palm scans misidentifying people in the ways that facial recognition has – often with violent and life-altering consequences – but most concerning of all is the fact that this new technology will make the data of thousands of people vulnerable to ongoing government tracking and abuse AND malicious hackers,” reads the letter.

“It’s a matter of time before we hear of cases of palm scans misidentifying people in the ways that facial recognition has”

The letter references an earlier campaign protesting facial recognition technology at festivals, which was responded to by over 40 of the largest US music festivals, including Burning Man, Coachella, South by Southwest and Lollapalooza.

It says that introducing the palm scanning devices is a “slap in the face to fans and artists that have fought so hard to promote safety for everyone at live events”.

Amazon previously said it keeps the palm images in a secure part of its cloud and doesn’t store the information on the Amazon One device. Users can also ask for their information to be deleted at any time, the company added.

A spokesperson from Amazon responded: “The claims made by this organisation are inaccurate. Amazon One is not a facial recognition technology – it is an optional technology designed to make daily activities faster and easier for customers, and users who choose to participate must make an intentional gesture with their palm to use the service.

“We understand that how we protect customer data is important to customers—this is very important to us too, and that’s why safeguarding customer privacy is a foundational design principle for Amazon One. Amazon One devices are protected by multiple security controls, and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device. Rather, the images are encrypted and sent to a highly secure area we custom-built for Amazon One in the cloud where we create your palm signature.”

Read the full open letter here.

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Amazon is bringing its palm-recognition technology to music venues, starting with the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in the US.

According to AP, the e-commerce giant has inked a deal with AEG to bring Amazon One to the Denver venue, which sells tickets on AEG’s ticketing site, AXS.

Starting from today (14 September), concertgoers at the 9,525-capacity venue can sign up to connect their palm to a ticketing account by hovering their hand over a device.

Concertgoers only need to sign up once and then can use their palm to get into other shows and events at the venue. An Amazon account is not needed to use it.

It’s the first time the Amazon One technology will be used outside some of Amazon’s stores, where shoppers can pay for groceries by swiping their palms.

Concertgoers only need to sign up once and then can use their palm to get into other shows and events at the venue

Bryan Perez, CEO of AXS, says other venues plan to add the technology in the coming months but he declined to say where or how many. AEG partners with more than 350 stadiums and theatres around the world.

“Concertgoers can get to their seats faster with their palm than holding up their phone to an attendant to scan a bar code. Those who want to scan their palms will have a separate lane to enter,” says Perez.

“You don’t have to fumble around with your phone. Your hand is always attached to your body.”

Addressing privacy concerns, Amazon said it keeps the palm images in a secure part of its cloud and doesn’t store the information on the Amazon One device.

Users can also ask for their information to be deleted at any time, the company added.

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Oak View Group (OVG) co-founder and chief executive Tim Leiweke has issued a call to arms for the live entertainment industry to take action on climate change.

“Climate change is without a doubt the fight of this generation’s lives,” he tells IQ. “At OVG, we believe that we, along with the whole live entertainment industry, have a unique opportunity to inspire others to take action on this era-defining issue,” adding that sustainability is one of OVG’s core values.

The global sports and entertainment company, along with ecommerce giant Amazon, is a few months out from opening the world’s first carbon neutral venue, Climate Pledge Arena (CPA) in Seattle.

“It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud and excited that CPA will become the world’s first certified carbon neutral arena when it opens later this year. It’s also going to lead the way with commitments to zero waste from events and using recycled rainwater to service the NHL ice-rink,” explains Leiweke.

OVG and Amazon have set their sights on the 18,100-seat arena becoming ‘the most progressive, responsible, and sustainable arena in the world’ – a commitment underpinned by four goals.

The first goal is to maintain CPA’s carbon elimination by eschewing fossil fuel consumption for daily use; generating renewable energy from onsite solar panels; reducing all carbon emission activities and offsetting those not possible – like transportation – by purchasing credible carbon offsets.

“We have a unique opportunity to inspire others to take action on this era-defining issue”

CPA will also aim to eliminate single use plastics and achieve zero waste by ‘greatly simplifying the supply chain’.

Finally, the arena, home to ice hockey team NHL Seattle, will conserve water via its ‘rain to rink’ system which will harvest water off the roof and collect into a 15,000-gallon cistern. According to OVG, the system will save 50,000 gallons annually.

Other ways the CPA will conserve water include waterless urinals and ‘ultra-efficient’ showers, significant on-site retention tanks reducing stormwater runoff and water bottle filling stations throughout the arena.

Beyond this the CPA will have an advisory committee with partners at Amazon; create transparency and public reporting on initiatives progress; host arena events that celebrate the environment and its commitment to green operations; partner with educational institutions to utilise the arena as a classroom for environmental education.

Leiweke says that OVG is taking the learnings from CPA to guide future projects: “All of our arenas in both the US and around the world, from the UBS Arena in New York to Co-op Live in Manchester, are putting sustainability at the heart of both design and operations”.

If all goes according to plan, the UBS Arena (cap. 19,000) in Belmont Park, New York, won’t be far behind CPA in achieving a carbon-neutral status.

The arena, scheduled to open in time for the 2021-2022 National Hockey League season, is projected to be 100% carbon neutral by 2024 – which will make it the first to do so on the East Coast of the US.

“Climate Pledge Arena is going to lead the way with commitments to zero waste from events”

The UBS Arena is currently being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (Leed) standards.

Elsewhere, Manchester’s Co-op Live (cap. 23,500) is leading the way for environmentally sustainable arenas in the UK, both in terms of design and future commitments.

The roof alone boasts 10,500 square-metres (1.5x a football pitch) of rooftop solar panels, air source heat pumps, high spec insulation and façade designed to reduce cooling and heating requirements.

The venue’s architecture is paired with renewable energy, low carbon technologies and intelligent building controls such as LED lighting design and smart building systems to minimise energy use).

Plus, in a bid to meet Manchester City Council’s 2038 net zero carbon goal, the venue is also using 100% electric fuel.

Taking note from CPA, Co-op Live will also use 100% rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing, bathroom use and water efficient catering, and will aim to be zero waste.

The Co-op Live development is targeting Breeam (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘excellent’ accreditation.

Other arenas OVG is currently developing include Moody Center, Austin; Coachella Valley Arena, Palm Springs; Savannah Arena; Cardiff Bay Arena; and Santa Guilia, Milan.

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Venue development firm Oak View Group (OVG) has sealed a 20-year naming rights deal with Swiss bank UBS for a new US$1.5 billion arena in Belmont Park, New York.

The UBS Arena at Belmont Park is projected to open in time for the 2021-2022 National Hockey League season, and will be home to the New York Islanders.

The arena will host around 150 events a year, with a 19,000-seat capacity for concerts and 17,000 for sport. According to OVG co-founder Irving Azoff, the arena will be equipped with state-of-the-art amenities and some of the best high-end clubs and VIP spaces in live entertainment.

The redevelopment project, which OVG is working on in collaboration with the New York Islanders and Sterling Project Development, is expected to create 10,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs, generating approximately $25bn in economic activity over the term of the lease.

“UBS Arena is poised to become a global landmark entertainment and sports destination, leading us to partner with one of the world’s premier brands, UBS,” says Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group and leader of the arena project.

“UBS Arena is poised to become a global landmark entertainment and sports destination, leading us to partner with one of the world’s premier brands, UBS”

“Together we’re eager to deliver on our shared promise of helping reinvigorate the New York economy, creating jobs, supporting a sustainable future, and safely providing an unrivaled, distinctive premium experience for all.”

Ground was broken on the project on in September 2019 and halted in March 2020, as New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced a suspension of all non-essential projects due to the coronavirus pandemic. Work started back up two months later on 27 May.

“We need good news and we’ve got to make people understand we’re going to get through this (pandemic), we’re going to get back on our feet, and the city’s going to get back on its feet,” says Leiweke. “I don’t care what anyone says, when it came time to invest $1.5 billion, there’s no place we said ‘yes’ quicker than New York because it’s the most important city in the world.

“We’re excited to bring our passion and unmatched guest service commitment to life, and we look forward to welcoming fans to what will surely become a popular global destination for world-class events for many years to come.”

In addition to committing to boosting economic activity and providing jobs in the local area, the UBS Arena team is working with sustainability experts to minimise the environmental impact of the venue and become a zero-waste facility.

OVG recently signed up to the Amazon climate pledge and is working with the ecommerce giant to build the world’s first carbon neutral arena in Seattle.

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The former KeyArena in Seattle is to become the first carbon neutral venue in the world, powered exclusively by renewable energy sources.

Ecommerce giant Amazon announced it had secured the naming rights to the 18,100-seat arena yesterday (25 June). The venue, home to ice hockey team NHL Seattle, is to be known as the Climate Pledge Arena.

The online retailer has pledged to make the venue the first-ever net zero carbon certified arena when it opens in summer 2021, with zero waste production, ice made from reclaimed rain water, locally sourced food and an elimination of single use plastics by 2024.

The project, a joint collaboration between Amazon, NHL Seattle and venue operator Oak View Group (OVG) – which is funding the reconstruction of arena – has reportedly reached the $1 billion mark, partly due to the upgrades required to achieve carbon neutral status.

OVG has hired Seattle architect Jason McLennan, a specialist in sustainable design, as chief sustainability consultant for the arena.

“It’s not just about one arena. It’s the platform,” says OVG CEO Tim Leiweke, who is leading the arena development efforts.

“We must take steps to build arenas and stadiums that front-and-centre align with our zero-carbon mission statement”

“We challenge music, facilities, concert tours, and sports. It is our time to step up to face the challenge of our generation. We must take steps to build arenas and stadiums that front-and-centre align with our zero-carbon mission statement.”

“Instead of negotiating the assets, we’ve been brainstorming: What if we did this? What if we did that?” adds Tim’s brother, Tod Leiweke, president and CEO of NHL Seattle.

“Every day, we get to promote this idea of a sustainable world. It’s a beautiful vision, that we can change the course of what’s happened to our planet and dream of having a zero-carbon footprint. It’s going to require investment and policy, but it’s absolutely possible.”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says the arena’s name is to serve as “a regular reminder of the importance of fighting climate change”.

“We look forward to working together with Oak View Group, a new Climate Pledge signatory, and NHL Seattle to inspire global climate action,” says Bezos.

Amazon created its climate pledge last year with activist group Global Optimism, pushing for corporate America to achieve net zero carbon by 2040. Current signatories include Verizon, Infosys and consumer-goods giant Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB).

Earlier this week, Amazon announced the Climate Pledge Fund, a US$2 billion venture capital fund dedicated to investing in clean energy.

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