Geoff Ellis: ‘2025 is looking like a bumper year’

The increased workload of the summer season – and the fact that DF Concerts now promotes around 1,000 events per year – means that Geoff Ellis has had to take on more staff in the company HQ.

“It’s challenging, but it’s all good because it means we’ve employed more in our team,” he reports. “We’ve got some more experienced people that we brought in on the event management side of things, precisely because we have TRNSMT, we’ve got the run at Bellahouston Park, and then we’ve got the various projects in Edinburgh. So instead of having to rely on freelancers, we’ve been able to take more people on full-time– including our sustainability and accessibility teams – meaning the team is stronger year-round, which really helps from a planning point of view.

“We’ve also got a couple of new people in the sustainability team. That means that instead of paying for consultants to come in for specific projects, we can use the expertise of our own people across the board – for our own venue, our offices, as well as our festivals and all of the concerts we promote. A lot of what we do now is with a focus on sustainability, so those additions have definitely helped fortify the team, which is now the strongest it’s ever been at DF.

“We’re still working with some of the main external contractors – site managers and production managers, for example. But again, we’ve now got in-house folk that can do a lot of the advancing on the site stuff as well, which is helping to make everything we do much more efficient. And it means we can do more, while allowing us to cost things more quickly as well.”

“The new expanded DF set-up gives us another string to our bow, to handle third-party events as a one-stop-shop contractor”

That efficiency has enabled Ellis to look at other growth opportunities for DF Concerts. “We recently won the tender for the Clyde Chorus, which will celebrate 850 years of Glasgow as a city,” he reveals. “It’s going to involve lots of smaller concerts in small venues, so it’s not exactly a stretch for us to book it, given that booking artists is what we do, day-in, day-out. But that’s a great project for our younger team of promoters to get wired into that with all their emerging artists.

“We also won the event management contract, which is a relief because it would have been a nightmare booking the acts and then having to advance it with somebody else. Now though, with the way DF has evolved, we can do the whole thing internally, as we would normally with one of our own events. So the new expanded DF set-up gives us another string to our bow, to handle third-party events as a one-stop-shop contractor, which also allows organisers to take advantage of our efficiencies, too.”

Improving Venue Sector
Thanks in no small part to the hard work of Ellis and his colleagues, Scotland’s live entertainment business has gone from strength to strength during the past 40 years. From zero festivals, the country now has a plethora of summer gatherings, while the top end of the venue chain is continuing to expand with stadia like Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Hampden Park in Glasgow, an integral part of the nation’s outdoor concert season, while other football grounds including Ibrox in Glasgow and Falkirk Stadium have hosted occasional shows.

Indoor venues have prospered even more. In terms of arena space, for decades Scottish music fans had to settle for the makeshift transformation of the SEC exhibition halls in Glasgow or the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre to see their favourite acts. That changed in 2013, when the Scottish Exhibition Centre opened the £125m Hydro on its campus. That offering was augmented in 2019 when the £333m P&J Arena opened near Aberdeen, with formats that allow shows from 5,000 to 15,000 capacity.

“The Hydro has been a game changer for everybody”

And AEG is currently working on a project to construct the proposed 8,500-capacity Edinburgh Park Arena in time for opening doors in 2027, further enhancing Scotland’s ability to attract world-class talent.

“The Hydro has been a game changer for everybody,” notes Ellis. “That whole area of Finnieston has been largely transformed into a cultural hub because of the arena – it’s a real destination area in its own right. But the Hydro enables us to compete with other European cities on a bigger level, because we can have capacities of about 13,500, although for some shows it’s possible to get 14,000, sight lines permitting.

“Before Hydro opened, we were reliant on the old SEC, but we could not use it all-year round because they’d have a calendar of exhibitions and conferences to host. So, you’d have a concert window, and Scotland would typically lose out on tours if the dates did not coincide with that window.”

Ellis also praises the P&J Arena. “It’s a lovely venue, because the old AECC was not a great audience or artist experience at all. I remember when the dressing rooms were caravans, I went in to talk to Sharleen [Spiteri] from Texas, and when the support band came on, the whole bloody caravan started shaking.

“I think Edinburgh is one of only two capital cities in Europe that does not have an arena”

“But the new venue is great, and it’s huge – it’s actually bigger than Hydro, but it’s also very flexible in terms of where they can put the stage and how they can drape it down. So, just like the Hydro, it can work on 7,000 people without looking like you’ve draped off at all. In fact, [they do] a really good job where they can make it work for a couple of thousand people.”

And he’s enthusiastic about the prospects for the new Edinburgh arena. “I think Edinburgh is one of only two capital cities in Europe that does not have an arena. So, while an arena in Edinburgh won’t necessarily steal business away from Glasgow, it’ll give us the opportunity for supplementary business. It might be acts who maybe have done Hydro once and are then maybe doing a tour of secondary cities on the next tour. Or it could be people who have played at Academy-level and are not yet ready to step up to the Hydro, but they’re on an upward trajectory.”

Highlighting the incredible uptick in demand for live entertainment, Ellis says, “There’s a stat that there are on average at least seven gigs a night in Glasgow – proper gigs, not just bands playing for free in a bar. And that shows the strength of the local scene, both venue-wise and in ticket sales, because it means fans are prepared to go out on a Monday or Tuesday night to hear live music.

“In saying that, I think Scotland in general is still missing those all-standing venues of 4,000- to 5,000-cap. There’s still that gap for bands before they get to a Hydro-sized arena. But SEC is looking at the old halls in the main SEC building to see if they can be reused. And there’s also potential with the council’s Emirates Arena, which they want to make available for concerts as well as sports.”

“2025 is looking like a bumper year, and our stadium shows have done spectacular business”

Landmark Year
While celebrating 40 years in music has been a pleasing moment, Ellis is laser-focussed on making sure DF Concerts leads the way in what many professionals are claiming will be the busiest live music year on record.

Perusing a hectic 2025 schedule, Ellis is not at all phased by the congested calendar. “It’s always a good thing when availability is an issue,” he tells IQ. “If it’s an issue because there’s lots of concerts, then that’s good. But if availability is scarce because you’ve got a World Cup or European Championship or whatever, and you’re having to turn business away, that’s not so good. But 2025 is looking like a bumper year, and our stadium shows have done spectacular business – we sold out Lana Del Rey in a matter of hours. We expected it to sell out, but the speed of it was incredible. But she’s been away for a while, particularly from Scotland, and when you have an artist like Lana with that amount of depth in terms of the music, she appeals to a broad range of people.”

He continues, “The best thing I’ve witnessed recently is that despite the cost-of-living crisis that has hit fans financially, people have finally started to value live music, which for years, I don’t think was the case. People used to expect cheap ticket prices. But now, I think fans realise that a large proportion of the money goes on the costs of the artists putting on a great show, and that means they are more prepared to pay, because they know Lana Del Rey is going to put on a spectacular performance, for example, or Taylor Swift is going to be a great show. But it’s still a major part of what we do to keep ticket prices affordable by scaling them.”

However, it seems that in Scotland, the industry is getting that balance right. “We’re in a very healthy position, at the moment,” he says. “People never baulk at the prices for West End theatres, so it’s heartening to see a change in the way fans are acknowledging that prices for concert tickets are reasonable. The litmus test is ticket sales, and people are buying the tickets.”

“We sold 1.4m tickets, just in Scotland, in 2024”

Indeed, Ellis reports that across all sectors of business, DF Concerts had a record year in 2024. “We sold 1.4m tickets, just in Scotland,” he reveals. “We’re selling more tickets at club-level than ever, as there’s a rich vein of emerging artists coming through. But heritage acts are also selling well. The Charlatans, Shed Seven, and the Stranglers are great examples of bands who sell out every time. That’s encouraging to see because logically you might think the numbers would dwindle, but they’re not, so there must be new people coming to see them. The Kooks are a great example of a band that keep getting 16- to 18-year-olds coming to follow them.

“And of course, a lot of the Oasis sales were young people who have never seen the band before, so the fact they are appealing to a younger generation of people is great, because they obviously are not losing the older fans. So we’re really looking forward to those shows in August at Murrayfield.”

Professionalism
While a chunk of the credit for Scotland’s emergence as one of Europe’s most robust live music markets inevitably goes to Ellis and the DF Concerts team, other promoters in the country have also helped raise the level of the country’s stature on the international stage.

“It’s really competitive because it’s a small market with several national promoters. But a good gauge of how the business has grown is that there are now England-based promoters who do shows in Scotland as well. So you cannot low ball an offer, because there will be someone else who will step up. I don’t think anybody is constantly crossing swords, because there is plenty of business to go around. But it is competitive, and that helps the health of the overall market.”

“The newer promoters we’ve brought in, Chris Beltran, Chris Loomes, Ellen McEleney, are really motivated and hungry”

Nevertheless, it’s a friendly rivalry, as Ellis counts rival promoters Paul Cardow (PCL), Mark Mackie (Regular Music) and Donald MacLeod (Triple G Music) among his friends. What pleases Ellis the most, however, is the development of DF’s own promoting stable.

“The newer promoters we’ve brought in, Chris Beltran, Chris Loomes, Ellen McEleney, are really motivated and hungry; they’re bringing a freshness not just within the company but to the industry as a whole, and it’s gratifying to know we have a generation that is developing a whole swathe of new acts.

“It’s also good for the old guard like me, Dave Corbet, Dave McGeachan, and Craig Johnston (although I shouldn’t call Craig old), because we can help guide those people in our team while also benefitting from the fresh ideas they bring to the table.

“It’s definitely brought a vitality to DF in the last two or three years, and to see people like Chris Loomes doing his first Academy show; Ellen doing her first Barrowlands and Academy shows; and Chris Beltran having his first Hydro show with Fontaines D.C. and then The Snuts in the same week… it’s really positive for the future of DF and the future for Scotland’s music scene.”

He continues, “That’s now one of the things I really want to concentrate on – guiding these younger people to help develop their careers, teaching them the ethics of the business and impart what us older people have learned over the years. But I think because most of the staff have grown with the company, from doing King Tut’s bands and local bands, their own roster of acts is growing. I see that with Craig Johnston, who promotes Lewis Capaldi and Sam Fender, who can now do stadiums. It’s great to see the acts grow, but it’s equally as pleasing for me to see the people in our team grow as well.”

“I think this business is about always trying to stay ahead of the game”

The Future
After four decades in the business, Ellis is reticent to look back at past triumphs. Rather, he is focussed on the future of DF Concerts and ensuring the newest members of staff can also enjoy lengthy careers.

“I think this business is about always trying to stay ahead of the game,” he states. “You’re trying to make sure that you’re bringing through new artists all the time – that’s the key. It would be easy to say, ‘We’ve got a load of big artists now, so we can rest on our laurels.’ But that’s a very short-term view, and certainly myself and the senior staff at DF want to develop younger promoters and make sure there are new promoters joining us, too. Otherwise, us old folk would not be able to feed that pipeline of bringing new acts in development.”

Elsewhere, he says the company mulls over adding extra days to existing events like TRNSMT or using existing festival sites to do stan- dalone headline shows, using the same production infrastructure. “We just need to make sure we’ve got the right content to make that work. But with the solid team we now have in place, we’re able to constantly look for those new opportunities while realising that we cannot add dates to the calendar just for the sake of doing it – there needs to be a gap in the market and a need for it.

“So, the future, for me, will revolve heavily around investing in our teams to keep them young, fresh, and relevant, particularly in areas like marketing, where you have to keep on top of where things are going, be that TikTok or other relevant channels, depending on the show and the talent involved. And we’re lucky enough to have a pool of experienced people who can mentor people.

When you see the crowd really enjoying a show you organised, it gives you a great buzz”

“Bottom line is that we are trying to enhance what we already do well and service the artists much better. More than ever, we need to get in early and nurture the talent – finding out who is the next Last Dinner Party, the next Wet Leg? And making sure you’re supporting those acts early on. That’s where it’s good to be part of the Live Nation family, because that’s brought a lot of benefits to us; a lot of support, especially with US artists where we can deliver the Scottish leg of a global tour.”

On a personal level, Ellis says highlights so far in his career have included working with acts like Paul Simon and Stevie Nicks. “When you see the crowd really enjoying a show you organised, it gives you a great buzz. I just always want to be enjoying doing what I do and that hasn’t changed. It’s a privilege to work with the colleagues and the team that we have at DF Concerts – and our wider colleagues in Live Nation: Phil Bowdery, Stuart Douglas, Lynn Lavelle, Scott [Barton] at Cream, Sam Kandel, Melvin [Benn], Denis Desmond, John Reid, and everybody else.”

He adds that he and wife Fiona are watching what children Joe and Evie might do career-wise, with both perhaps following different routes into music and carrying the Ellis name forward. “Bottom line, of course, is that we just want them to be happy. But they’ve both helped out at festivals and are not afraid to get their hands dirty,” he says. “My daughter is very passionate about sustainability but is also really into artists – she’s tipped me off about a lot of great acts.

“My son, is writing a lot of songs and looks like a rock star, so I can definitely see him going down that songwriter route. Whether he ties in performance with it, we’ll see. But I would not be surprised if at some point we’re putting together a proposal to get him to do a show. And maybe my daughter is running that show…”

Read part one of Geoff Ellis:40 years in music here.

Geoff Ellis will appear at next week’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) on The Open Forum: Setting The Course.

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