Charity gig raises €775k for Spanish flood victims
A charity concert held in Barcelona has raised €775,000 for victims of the Spanish flooding disaster.
Barcelona amb València took place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November, with tickets priced between €38-80, and attracted almost 15,000 people.
The event, which was coordinated by Barcelona-based promoter TheProject, featured acts such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Estopa, Andrea Motis, Judit Neddermann and Lucia Fumero.
The concert was co-organised by Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat with the support of ARC (Professional Association of Representatives, Promoters and Managers of Catalonia), ASACC (Association of Concert Halls of Catalonia) and APM (Association of Music Promoters). Donations can still be made here until 5 December.
The Spanish sector also united for the sold out Music from the Heart benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center (cap. 17,456) on 24 November. Performers included Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina (Natos, Waor & Recycled J), Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.
Promoter Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig on 14 December
Collaborators included Valencia-based promoter The Music Republic, as well as other Spanish event organisers, record labels, artist managers and music associations. The amount raised from the show is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig: Ainhoa Arteta and Ramón Vargas together for the DANA. The show will be held at the theatre on 14 December.
The fundraisers come in the wake of the weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which caused the deadliest flooding catastrophe to hit Europe in 50 years and led scores of events to be cancelled.
Valencia was the hardest-hit region, with the death toll exceeding 200, with fatalities also reported in the Castilla La Mancha region and Andalusia. Valencia’s live music industry reported material losses exceeding €5 million and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.
The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Promoters defended over Bernabeu postponements
Spain’s Association of Musical Promoters (APM) has rushed to the defence of event organisers over the indefinite postponement of all gigs at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The LaLiga football giants announced in September that they were pausing forthcoming concerts at the venue in response to noise complaints from neighbouring residents.
However, APM has accused stadium officials of “passing the buck” by allegedly attempting to lay the blame for the dispute at the feet of promoters.
“Music promoters have no control over the structure, fittings or soundproofing of a venue,” says the trade body. “All events held at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium have had the relevant permits and authorisations and have been managed in direct collaboration with the stadium’s management.
“The responsibility for acoustically conditioning a venue that coexists with an urban environment falls to those responsible for the venue, ensuring that the space complies with sound levels before it is used for live music concerts. Blaming promoters for noise problems is, as local residents rightly point out, ‘passing the buck’.”
APM, which represents around 100 members, is calling on the venue to assume responsibility and “adapt the stadium acoustically to the peculiarities of its surroundings, applying the necessary soundproofing measures and thus guaranteeing the well-being of residents”.
“The coexistence of live music culture and community well-being is vital for the development of our country”
“Madrid deserves to be a capital that hosts large-scale cultural events, respecting both the coexistence of neighbours and the vitality of its cultural sector so that this activity does not cease,” it says. “We express our commitment as highly qualified music promoters to continue producing quality shows in Madrid and to actively collaborate with the relevant institutions.
“The coexistence of live music culture and community well-being is vital for the development of our country. We, music promoters, will continue to work for an open and culturally active city, while waiting for the actions that unfairly effect an industry that only seeks to contribute to the development and well-being of Madrid to cease.”
The Bernabéu only reopened for music bookings last year following a five-year, €900 million renovation, and hosted the only Spanish dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2024, as well as a record four-night stint by Karol G in July and performances by Duki, Manuel Carrasco, Luis Miguel and Aitana.
However, Madrid police reported noise levels as far exceeding the permitted decibel limit, with locals alleging the shows had turned the stadium into a “torturódromo” (torture-drome). Postponed dates included headline shows by domestic artists Dellafuente, Aitana and Lola Índigo, plus K-pop’s Music Bank World Tour.
“Despite the soundproofing conditions of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and the reinforcement measures that have been undertaken, compliance with said regulations by the various organisers and promoters has been affected by the great challenge that it has meant for them to take into account all its precepts,” said a statement from Real Madrid.
The UEFA Champions League holders added they would “continue to work to ensure that the right conditions for sound production and broadcasting are met during concerts to enable concerts to be held in our stadium”.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Spanish ticket sales revenue soars 26%
Spain’s Association of Music Promoters (APM) has revealed the domestic live music sector generated more than €578 million in 2023 – the highest figure ever recorded.
Ticket sales revenue was up 26% compared to existing record of €459m, set in the previous year, thanks to successful tours by artists from at home and abroad.
In the foreword of the newly published Live Music Yearbook 2024, APM president Albert Salmeron applauds an “exceptional moment” for the business, while stressing the importance of safeguarding the country’s emerging music scene.
“In the artistic field, we can affirm that it’s been a great year,” he says. “We have enjoyed more stadium concerts than ever in our history; we have an ecosystem of festivals that is increasingly broader and diverse, and we have emerging talent that assures us a promising future.
“We also have a fabric of small and medium rooms necessary for the development of that talent that must be protected. Every time a city closes a room, we stay without a unique and irreplaceable space.”
The best-selling tours by Spanish artists were Manuel Carrasco (promoted by Riff Producciones) with 365,652 tickets sold for 28 dates, Melendi (Riff Producciones), who sold 308,258 tickets sold for 37 concerts and Joaquín Sabina (The Project, Get In, Riff, Camerino Triangular AIE, in collaboration with Berry Producciones) with 253,809 tickets sold across 31 shows.
“There has been an enormous offering of concerts and tours by national artists throughout the territory”
The top 3 international tours, meanwhile, were Coldplay (Live Nation) with 221,140 tickets sold for their four consecutive shows in Barcelona, Harry Styles (Live Nation) with 120,534 tickets sold for two concerts, and Bruce Springsteen (Doctor Music) with 115,850 tickets sold, also for two nights.
“The long-awaited performances by countless artists for their audience and the consolidation of Spain as an essential stop for major international tours have made headlines, especially in the second half of 2023,” reads a press release.
“Additionally, the vibrant health of Spanish music has also been a protagonist. As evidence of this, there has been an enormous offering of concerts and tours by national artists throughout the territory, with the audience response matching expectations.”
In the festival sector, the top 3 comprised Arenal Sound Festival (Burriana, The Music Republic) with 300,000 attendees, Primavera Sound Barcelona (Barcelona, Primavera Sound) with 243,000, and Viña Rock (Villarrobledo, The Music Republic) with 240,000.
In terms of provinces, Barcelona (Catalonia) took top spot with revenues of €132.5m – a huge 70% uptick on 2022. Madrid (Community of Madrid) came in second with €94.6m (down 8.9%), followed by Málaga (Andalusia) in third with €24.5m, an increase of 72% on the previous year.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Live music ticket sales up 48% in Spain
Ticket sales for live music events in Spain have risen by almost 50% over the past year, according to a new study.
According to the data from the IV Ticketmaster Observatory, reported by APMusicales (APM), ticket sales are up 48% on the pandemic hit 2021/22 figures, with the average expenditure per ticket increasing 37% to €80 compared to €58 last year.
The study was presented this week by Ticketmaster Spain MD Jordi Anglès, following analysis of the transactions made on the platform between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023. It also highlighted a significant increase in ticket purchases among 18 to 24-year-olds, rocketing 45% on the previous 12 months.
The average ticket-buyer was aged between 35-44, with Andalusia accounting for 19% of consumers, followed by Madrid (17%) and Catalonia (16%). The most popular genres were pop (30%), hip-hop (15%), rock (13%) and Latin (9%).
Music tourism has also rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, representing 10% of concert-goers in Spain, led by France and the UK (both 16%), the Czech Republic (11%), United States (10%) and Italy 9%. Tourists spend an average of €107 each time they buy tickets – 28% more than the Spanish public.
“Tourists demand tickets with greater added value such as VIP tickets”
“Tourists demand tickets with greater added value such as VIP tickets,” says Anglès. “Since they make the effort to travel, they are willing to invest more money to enjoy the experience.”
The main deterrents to fans buying tickets were listed as price (36%), lack of interest in the event (23%), lack of time (21%) and the concert being sold out (20%).
Back in March, APM (Association of Musical Promoters) revealed that revenue from ticket sales reached record levels in 2022. The organisation reported that box office takings of more than €459 million leapt 191.33% on 2021, a year restricted by the pandemic, but were also up 20% on the previous best, set in the last pre-Covid year of 2019.
Speaking in the Live Music Yearbook 2023, APM president Albert Salmeron said the figures symbolised “the recovery of a society”.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Spain’s APM reveals record ticket sales
Spain’s Association of Musical Promoters (APM) has revealed revenue from ticket sales reached record levels in 2022.
The organisation says box office takings of more than €459 million soared 191.33% on 2021, a year restricted by the pandemic, but were also up 20% on the previous best, set in the last pre-Covid year of 2019.
Speaking in the newly published Live Music Yearbook 2023, APM president Albert Salmeron says the figures symbolise “the recovery of a society”.
The biggest-selling tour was by Spanish rock band Fito & Fitipaldis, promoted by Live Nation, which moved 329,820 tickets for 27 concerts, followed by Alejandro Sanz (staged by Mow Management and GTS), who recorded 287,948 attendees for 16 live shows and Manuel Carrasco (Riff Producciones), who drew 260,809 fans to 19 dates.
American singer-songwriter and eight-time Latin Grammy winner Marc Anthony was the year’s best-selling international act, shifting 163,124 tickets for 10 Planet Events & Live Nation-presented gigs. In second place were the Red Hot Chili Peppers with 98,483 tickets sold for just two dates, followed by Morat (GTS), who pulled in a total of 97,434 people for his 10 concerts.
The top music festivals were Primavera Sound in Barcelona with a reported 500,700 attendees across the course of the event, ahead of Mad Cool in Madrid (310,000) and The Music Republic’s Arenal Sound in Burriana (300,000).
In terms of regions, the community of Madrid led the way with live music takings of €103.6m (22.55% of the national total), with Catalonia reaching €97.4m and Andalusia being responsible for €75.9m.
“Spain has become one of the main markets for global tours”
Salmeron, director of Barcelona-based Producciones Animadas, adds that the “amazing recovery” of the Spanish live music market also entailed new challenges for APM, including around the “scourge” of secondary ticketing.
“[We are] working to improve the industry on fundamental issues such as sustainability, equality of gender throughout the supply chain production… and, at the same time, fight against resale, which is certainly one of our main demons,” he says.
“The excessive and uncontrolled growth of the so-called secondary market, that has no borders, has generated ethical and economic issues for our sector and for the fan. It is a priority to fight against this with the help and complicity of all the agents involved and minimise a scourge that affects us all.”
Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was recently declared “open for business” for live music bookings as its extensive renovation nears completion.
“Maybe before, Spain was a country you could leave out of a global tour, but you wouldn’t do that now,” the venue’s head of large events and concerts Rocio Vallejo-Nágera told IQ. “I think we have become one of the main markets for global tours. And it’s not just American or British artists anymore – Latin music is growing so much and that works very well in Spain, and local acts are now filling arenas.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
European assocs predict 6–12 month recovery period
Today the UK inches closer towards a return to normality after delivering the very first Covid jab as part of the mass vaccination programme being rolled out across the nation.
A 90-year-old woman received the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be given in the coming weeks, with up to four million more are expected by the end of the month, according to the BBC.
The rollout is a light at the end of the tunnel for the domestic live industry, especially after the UK culture minister predicted that the events industry is likely to return to normality by next Easter.
However, associations in Germany, Spain and Switzerland say the rollout for vaccines in Europe is a little further behind and predict a recovery period of between 6–12 months for live.
EU member countries have jointly agreed on the purchase, approval and distribution of the vaccines and are currently awaiting approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is expected between mid-December and the end of the year.
“[BDKV] expects the industry back on track in 2022, nationally, and picking up to pre-pandemic operations in 2023”
Jens Michow, managing president of the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry (BDKV) in Germany, says he is hoping for the domestic live industry to return for good during the course of 2021 but he expects Covid-safe regulations to stay in place until the pandemic is over.
“Vaccine status development until winter 2021/22 is crucial for the industry to be able to operate through next winter without lockdowns. If that would be possible, we expect the industry back on track in 2022, nationally, and picking up to pre-pandemic operations in 2023, but only if the international partners can operate without limitations as well,” he says.
In Germany, the federal states are responsible for rolling out the vaccines to the population and are currently setting up vaccine centres, which will be ready during the course of December, ready to follow the national vaccination strategy for distribution.
Similarly, the distribution of the vaccine in Switzerland will be organised by each individual canton, though Stefan Breitenmoser from Swiss Music Promoters Association (SMPA) says not all cantons will be ready when the vaccine is launched early next year and predicts a return to live late next year at the earliest.
“Due to planning uncertainty and limited international travel, many [Swiss] artists are postponing their tours until 2022”
“Pre-sales for events, no matter when they take place, have completely collapsed again since mid-October 2020,” says Breitenmoser. “Due to planning uncertainty and limited international travel, many artists are currently postponing their tours until 2022. We do not expect normal operations before the end of 2021, although there will be some easing of the measures before then, as we need at least six months’ lead time after the end of the measures.”
According to an interview with the Swiss head of infection control at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), Virginie Masserey, Switzerland’s vaccination rollout should last six months and be completed by the summer of 2021.
Elsewhere, though the Association of Musical Promoters of Spain says it won’t speculate on a specific date for the return of live, “there is some optimism regarding summer 2021, though it will depend on progress in vaccination and the health situation”. A spokesperson says: “For now, what we do know is that many summer festivals have already begun to announce a 2021 edition that can be experienced normally.”
“There is some optimism [in Spain] regarding summer 2021, though it will depend on progress of the vaccination”
According to the association, approval for the first of the vaccines (Pfizer) will come on 29 December and the second (Moderna) on January 12 for Spain. Spanish president Pedro Sánchez says the government is “working at full capacity so that the vaccines are available as soon as possible.”
According to the minister of health, Salvador Illa, Spain’s vaccination campaign could begin in January and by May and June between 15–20 million people would already be vaccinated.
The minister has presented a vaccination plan that will be developed in three phases, distributed throughout 2021 and giving priority to risk groups.
The associations’ timelines roughly align with that of industry heads including CTS Eventim’s Klaus Peter Schulenburg and AEG Presents France’s Arnaud Meersseman, who shared predictions with IQ last month after news of the two vaccines. Read the feature here.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Capacity reductions unviable, say Spanish venues
Representatives from the Spanish live industry have said that enforcing a capacity reduction for venues following their reopening would be “unsustainable”.
A collective of associations including Spanish promoters’ association (Asociación de Promotores Musicales – APM), the national association of live music venues (Asociación Estatal de Salas de Música en Directo – Acces) and the federation of associations of performing arts companies (Federación Estatal de Asociaciones de Empresas de Teatro y Danza – Faeteda) have signed a manifesto asking for an “urgent dialogue” with the state to plan necessary measures for the reopening of cultural activities.
The organisations refer to measures put in place before the Spanish government declared a state of emergency on 14 March, that limited events to 1,000 people and under and reduced venues to a third of their full capacity.
Any reduction in capacity would “automatically make shows unsustainable and stigmatise them” say the venue representatives.
“The average capacity of Spanish venues is from 150 to 200 people,” Carmen Zapata, manager of the association of Catalan venues (Asociación de Salas de Conciertos de Cataluña – Assac) tells InfoLibre. “With those ticket sales, how are they going to pay for the work of musicians, technicians and venue staff?”
“With those ticket sales, how are they going to pay for the work of musicians, technicians and venue staff?”
The collective proposes the exploration of possible sanitary and hygiene measures that “would guarantee the safety of staff and the public, counting on the cooperation of the health authorities and the state”.
Such temporary measures include the use of face masks and gloves, deep cleaning technical equipment, taking temperatures on entry and making card payments obligatory.
The live events sector also asks for the launch of a communications campaign to “regain consumer confidence in attending cultural events, dissipate fear and allow the economic activity of this important sector to resume again”.
Earlier this week, the Madrid’s councillor for culture, tourism and sport, Andrea Levy, asked Spanish culture minister José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes to reduce the value-added tax (VAT) for tickets to live events from 10% to 4%.
“This seems to be a very reasonable measure that would undoubtedly be a great boost for the sector […] that is helping us all get through this terrible pandemic,” says Levy.
Photo: Fermín Rodríguez Fajardo/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) (cropped)
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Let us offer credit for cancelled shows, say assocs
As the coronavirus crisis continues to exert financial pressure on the live sector, industry associations and businesses in Europe, Asia and North America are asking for changes in the way refunds are issued for cancelled events.
In Europe, research shows digital footfall to event ticket sales sites has collapsed in recent months, with only travel agencies harder hit by concerns over the virus. According to Comscore, visits to ticketing sites fell by 47% in France, 12% in Germany, 52% in Italy, 55% in Spain and 26% in the UK between 17–23 February and 9–5 March.
The figures come as associations in the the UK warn of a cashflow “crisis” amid widespread concert cancellations – with British artists and managers alone expected to lose more than £60 million should a ban on mass gatherings last for the next six months – and other sectors, including cinema and aviation, similarly grapple with an unprecedented drop-off in ticket sales.
In countries including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, the UK, Russia and Kazakhstan, associations representing cash-strapped local operators are pushing for an extended refund grace period (up to 365 days), to be permitted to give vouchers in lieu of cash refunds, or a combination of the two.
“If you can afford it, you should consider whether it is really necessary to return your ticket for a refund,” reads a blog from Ticketmaster Germany, which is supporting the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC)’s #keepyourticket campaign. “Every ticket that is not returned helps organisers, venues and [sports] clubs, even after the coronavirus has passed, and enables them to be able to organise great events in future.”
The EVVC, which represents arenas and conference centres in central and southern Europe, is inviting its members to support the campaign by sharing text and visual materials calling for solidarity with promoters and venues. “For organisers, suppliers and cultural professionals, the corona pandemic is a threat to their existence,” says the association.
“If you can afford it, you should consider whether it is necessary to return your ticket for a refund”
Promoters’ association BDKV – which estimates its ~450 members will lose a combined €1.25 billion from March to May as a result of Germany’s event ban – is asking the German government to extend temporarily, to 365 days, the time within which a refund must be paid, as well as offer credit for tickets instead of cash refunds (a solution it says would especially benefit members sitting on large ticket inventories, such as theatres).
The former request (a grace period for refunds) is also believed to be the option preferred by Britain’s UK Music and Colisium, which represents promoters in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
In Spain, newly launched umbrella body Esmúsica (which includes the Association of Music Promoters) is also asking for a grace period, lasting until 31 December, for cancelled events. For postponed events, however, “given the exceptional situation”, the organisation says promoters must not be obliged to offer a refund, instead offering only a new ticket for rescheduled date(s).
“Several organisations and municipalities are cancelling events on a daily basis. Shows on sale for the end of the year and early 2021 are not selling. We have to work together on a reimbursement policy for postponed and cancelled shows that helps to minimise catastrophic losses,” says Portugal’s APEFE, which backs Esmúsica’s position on no refunds for postponed shows, suggesting that “purchased tickets must be valid for postponed shows without mandatory reimbursement”.
Both Esmúsica and APEFE (Association of Promoters of Shows, Festivals and Events) are also calling for a temporary reduction in VAT charged on tickets, among other relief measures.
In the Netherlands, meanwhile, the associations’ counterpart there, VVEM (Association of Event Producers), appears to be making headway with its campaign for ticket vouchers, with the Dutch cabinet discussing the issue this week.
“It is currently impossible for us to offer immediate cash refunds to all buyers”
Dutch culture minister Ingrid van Engelshoven has previously asked ticketholders not to request cash refunds, while VVEM has also reportedly found a sympathetic ear in the form of economy minister Eric Wiebes, who has said the government will provide further “strong help” for the sector (though it remains to be seen in what form).
While European associations focus on lobbying their respective governments, US secondary ticketing giant StubHub has taken the matter into its own hands, announcing that – where legal – it will no longer provide refunds for cancelled events to its American and Canadian customers. Instead, ticketholders will receive a voucher worth 120% of the original value of the ticket.
The change in policy comes as StubHub, which is in the process of being acquired by European rival Viagogo, lays off as much as two thirds of its workforce, in what it calls a “difficult but sensible decision”.
Explaining the shift in its refund terms, a StubHub spokesperson says: “In normal times, we’ve made the decision to refund buyers before collecting money from the seller to offer buyers more convenience. And under normal circumstances, this works well, even with StubHub taking the risk of timing delays and some losses when we are unable to collect from the seller. With the coronavirus impacting 28,000+ events and the associated magnitude of challenge in recouping monies owed by sellers over the coming months, it is currently impossible for us to offer immediate cash refunds to all buyers.
“When the volume of cancellations accelerated a few weeks ago, we were the first in our industry to offer a coupon worth 120% of the ticket value. This will now be our default option in Canada and in the US. Outside of the US and Canada, fans are defaulted to a refund.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Spanish live industry reports another record year
The Spanish live music business generated a record €382 million (£333m) in 2019, representing its seventh consecutive year of growth.
According to the Live Music Yearbook, which is compiled by Spanish promoters’ association APM, turnover in 2019 exceeded the previous year’s record revenue by 14.6%.
Despite the positive results, the past year saw a deceleration of year-on-year growth, which had hit 20% and 24% in 2017 and 2018 respectively, following a cut in cultural tax in 2017 from 21% to 10%.
October, December, May, July and September proved to be the most profitable months of 2019, with more than €40m (£35m) generated in each.
The Spanish live music business generated a record €382 million in 2019
National tours by Manuel Carrasco, Marea and Alejandro Sanz attracted over 600,000 fans between them, with Carrasco alone selling 351,994 tickets.
In terms of international touring artists, Metallica and Ed Sheeran performed the best, drawing 122,000 and 108,386 fans respectively for just two shows each.
Morat, Muse, Mark Knopfler, Bon Jovi, Hans Zimmer, Bryan Adams, Bob Dylan and Rammstein were among other acts to visit Spain in 2019.
Formed in 2001, APM now has 78 members that together make up 80% of the Spanish live industry’s economic activity.
Last year, the association launched a festival arm, APM Festivals, as well as joining new Spanish music federation, Esmúsica.
Photo: Cristina Ruiz/Unnika (CC BY-SA 4.0) (cropped)
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Spain’s APM launches new festival arm
Spain’s Association of Music Promoters (APM) is launching APM Festivals, a new division consisting of 80 festival from across Spain.
The association will present its new division today (22 January) at Madrid’s International Tourism Trade Fair (Fitur), which is taking place at exhibition centre Ifema, at 4 p.m. local time.
APM spokesperson Carol Rodriguez, who is responsible for the festival division, will announce the objectives and demands of the new division, and name the participating festivals.
The Spanish live music industry has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with APM recording five consecutive years of growth since 2014.
Major Spanish festivals include Primavera Sound, which reported record ticket sales for its 2020 edition; Live Nation’s Mad Cool festival; Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, which was last year acquired by the Music Republic, promoter of festivals Arenal Sound and Viña Rock; Bilbao BBK Live and Superstruct-backed Sónar Festival.
Photo: (CC BY 2.0)
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.