Indie Champs 2024: Mercury Concerts, Move Concerts & more
To celebrate the hard work of the numerous independent operators that make the live entertainment industry such a vibrant – and growing – business worldwide, IQ is publishing its inaugural Indie Champions list.
Our shortlist of 20 companies were chosen by the IQ readership and have headquarters across 11 different nations but service live events the world over, thanks to their various satellite offices and the artists and partners they work with.
The Indie Champions will become an annual staple of IQ, so if your company did not make it onto this year’s debut list, fear not, as you have a full ten months to prove your credentials to friends, colleagues, and business partners ahead of next year’s nomination process.
IQ will continue to publish entries across all categories over the coming days, and you can find the whole cohort in the latest edition of IQ here. Find part one here and part two here.
LS Events (UK)
Launched in 2004 by Jim King and later joined by Dave Grindle, Loud Sound made its name in the UK festival industry. In 2016, it welcomed Steve Reynolds to the business and has since been able to diversify across a wide range of sectors. Now a 40-strong team with a freelance network of 1,500, the company delivers event excellence across core sectors of live entertainment, sports, public sector, and major ceremonies.
“Our foundations continue to inform a culture of development and personal growth that empowers our employees to thrive,” says co-CEO Grindle. “We have taken time to think about the way that we operate to ensure that our systems and policies are meaningful. We continuously evaluate the ways in which we can support our teams, both professionally and personally. This commitment to looking after our greatest asset – our people – enables us to be adaptable to the ever-changing landscape of events.
The LS client list includes AEG Presents, UEFA, The Greater London Authority, Formula E, LIV Golf, and Pride in London
“Drawing on our expertise, we have refined our creative/operational processes to offer clients unmatched insight when curating, producing, and delivering their event stories. Our commitment to excellence is underpinned by extensive ISO accreditations, which not only hold us accountable to continual improvement but also ensure that we operate to the highest possible standards.”
The LS client list includes AEG Presents, UEFA, The Greater London Authority, Formula E, LIV Golf, and Pride in London.
Marauder (US)
Rev. Moose and his partners formed Marauder in 2015 “to work with people in music who fell between the cracks of the existing American industry.” These were people primarily based outside the US and had needs American companies weren’t set up to handle.
“So many Americans focus on one specific need rather than addressing a project’s overall goals,” notes Moose. “With Marauder, we’re set up to process what each client wants to achieve and create a complete marketing campaign based on what will actually advance a project.”
“What separates Marauder from other companies with similar services is our intention to build through service”
Since its inception, Marauder has worked to give a voice to those supporting their own music ecosystems. This mentality was the catalyst for bringing Independent Venue Week to the US in 2015, which became integral in creating the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA).
Marauder’s core work revolves around building marketing strategies for companies and programmes and executing those ideas in a way that meets their goals. “What separates Marauder from other companies with similar services is our intention to build through service,” says Moose.
“All of our clients, in one way or another, are working to better their communities. We have the market knowledge and professional connections to create meaningful programmes for our clients while focusing on everyone’s core business needs.”
MCT Agentur (DE)
MCT was formed in 1984 by Die Toten Hosen manager Jochen Hülder, Rough Trade Booking Germany chief Dietrich Eggert, and tour manager Scumeck Sabottka. The trio decided to start their own company so that they could not only promote the acts they liked but also “make some real money.”
Sabottka tells IQ, “We were naive and signed deals with experienced agents in the UK that meant we only saw the downside, so in 1986, Dietrich left the company, and we nearly went broke. But I found new partners, parted ways with Jochen, and got new cash into the company.”
However, Sabottka later relied on other independent promoters to keep MCT running. “In the early 1990s, I contacted Marcel Avram through Gary Kurfirst (manager of the Ramones, who we promoted), and he sent his bagman, Bruce Glatman, who brokered for MAMA Concerts and Rau to become majority partners in MCT. I moved to Munich, and we started to make money. So, in early 2000, I bought the shares back from Marcel and Fritz [Rau] and have been independent since.”
“I bought the shares back and have been independent since”
In addition to being concert and tour promoters, MCT (which is now based in Berlin), acts as an agency, as well as managing a number of acts. The company promotes Rammstein in the European Union and Robbie Williams in Germany; it manages Yasmine Hamdan and Die Antwoord; and it is the EU agent for Marilyn Manson, Gus Gus, Hatari, and VÖK.
Its promoting roster also includes Björk, Massive Attack, Moby, New Order, Radiohead, Florence and the Machine, Pearl Jam, Janelle Monae, Four Tet, Beth Gibbons, Okay Kaya, Charlotte Day Wilson, L ́Impératrice, Trentemøller, Gorillaz, Tom Waits, and Tamino.
This year, MCT’s team of 20 full-time staff promoted around 30 Rammstein stadium shows, selling 1.3m tickets in the process. It also sold out shows for Beth Gibbons in Berlin, a Die Antwoord European tour, and sold out Marilyn Manson’s European tour in February 2025.
Mercury Concerts (BR)
Following T4F’s IPO in 2011, Jose Muniz ended his 12-year tenure at the business and went on to join XYZ Live, a company owned by media empire ABC group, which seemed to be a
good project with lots of potential. However, after one year, it tanked, and he decided it was time to bring back Mercury Concerts – a company he founded in 1980 before selling to OCESA in 2000.
After the Mercury relaunch in 2014, the first tour saw Guns N’ Roses playing 14 dates across South America. Other acts promoted by the company include KISS, Aerosmith, Rush, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, David Gilmour, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Megadeth, and Pearl Jam.
Mercury’s Monsters of Rock festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year
Unsurprisingly, given that roster of talent, Mercury is also the owner of Monsters Of Rock in the region, which has now expanded to Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, and will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.
With 15 personnel running operations between Orlando and Brazil, Mercury also relies on business with similar infrastructure in other countries, meaning it can offer clients a full team on the road, from day one till the last show of the run, making sure the artists are comfortable with the same level of production in every city of the tour.
Move Concerts (US)
Move Concerts was formed ten years ago in what was essentially a rebranding and restructuring of promoter Phil Rodriguez’s various enterprises, Water Brother Productions, Evenpro Group, and XYZ.
Move has five verticals: concert promotions, artist management, record label, publishing, and an Argentine ticketing company, Livepass. “The artist management, label, and publishing were born during the Covid years, when the live touring business shut down and many of us looked at what else we could do with our resources,” explains Rodriguez. “These were a new challenge for us, but all three are growing at a relatively fast clip, and we have a licensing deal with Warner Latin that is very strong and healthy and will allow our label and management to grow faster.”
On the concerts side, Move works with numerous artists, including Ed Sheeran and Iron Maiden, who have strong fanbases in Latin America, thanks to longstanding relationships with Rodriguez and his company.
Move Concerts will end 2024 with more than 1.1m tickets sold
With offices throughout Latin America and a HQ in Miami, Move Concerts has 53 full-time staff and will end 2024 with more than 1.1m tickets sold.
Noting 2024 tours with Iron Maiden, Paul McCartney, and Karol G, Rodriguez adds, “We had a chance to work with Ne-Yo for the first time this year, and his show is amazing. We’re also doing the LatAm leg for Keane, who are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Hopes and Fears, and they’re selling stronger than ever – we had arena dates sell out on the on-sale.”
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Live Nation & DF Entertainment in $34m arena deal
Live Nation and subsidiary DF Entertainment have secured a 40-year deal to operate Buenos Aires’ Luna Park in Argentina.
The companies won an auction to manage the 92-year-old, 8,400-capacity arena in the downtown San Nicolás neighbourhood, and will invest US$34 million (€32m) to increase the venue’s capacity to 13,000 – rivalling the city’s 15,000-cap Movistar Arena.
The agreement is for an initial 20 years, with an option to extend it for a further 20 years. According to La Politica, the firms will pay the stadium owners a $1m premium and guarantee a minimum of $1m in annual profit.
Since 2013, Luna Park has been owned by two branches of the catholic church. International acts to perform at the indoor arena in recent times include Placebo, Interpol, and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Live Nation bought a majority stake in DF Entertainment in 2018
Buenos Aires-based DF was founded in August 2015 by leading promoter Diego Finkelstein. Live Nation bought a majority stake in the company in 2018.
DF, which runs Lollapalooza Argentina, inked an exclusive multi-year deal to promote concerts at Buenos Aires’ River Plate Stadium, aka the ‘Monumental’, in 2023.
It also sold out an unprecedented 10 nights at the 65,000-cap stadium with Coldplay in 2022, staged Taylor Swift’s first ever concerts Argentina last year and is collaborating on Oasis’ upcoming reunion gigs at the venue on 15-16 November.
The next edition of Lollapalooza Argentina, meanwhile, is slated for 21-23 March 2025 at San Isidro Racecourse, also in Buenos Aires. Headliners include Justin Timberlake, Alanis Morissette, Shawn Mendes, Tool, Olivia Rodrigo, Rüfüs Du Sol and Tan Bionica.
Read our lowdown on the Argentina market from IQ‘s 2024 Global Arena Guide here.
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2025 festivals take shape: Lolla, Slam Dunk, Bluesfest
Next year’s festivals are beginning to take shape with the likes of Lollapalooza, Slam Dunk, Bluesfest and Rock am Ring revealing artists for their 2025 editions.
Lollapalooza has announced the full lineups for its 2025 South America editions in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, Shawn Mendes, Alanis Morissette, Tool and Rüfüs Du Sol will deliver headline sets at all three events. The shows will mark the first time Rodrigo has performed in South America, and the first time Tool and Timberlake have performed in Chile and Argentina.
Lollapalooza Chile will set up from March 21-23 at Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos and also feature sets from Benson Boone, Foster the People, Tate McRae, Zedd, Charlotte De Witte, Parcels, Rawayana, Teddy Swims, James Hype, Los Tres, Mon Laferte, Fontaines D.C., Girl in Red, Inhaler, Sepultura and more.
Lolla Argentina will take place on the same weekend in the Hippodromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires with a similar lineup that will also include sets from Tan Bionica, Wos, La K’onga, Los Angeles Azules, Nathy Peluso, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Caribou, Jpegmafia, San Holo and more.
Lolla Brazil will hit stages from March 28-30 in the Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo also with a similar lineup including Wave to Earth, Michael Kiwanuka, Barry Can’t Swim, Neil Frances, Zerb, Disco Lines, Kasablanca, Artemas, Nessa Barrett, DJ GBR, Ashibah, Marina Lima and more.
Byron Bay Bluesfest is gearing up for its “final curtain call”
Meanwhile, UK festival Slam Dunk has announced the first wave of acts for its 2025 instalment, with Day To Remember, Electric Callboy and Neck Deep topping the bill.
Other confirmed acts include New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio, AS IT IS, Delilah Bon, Dream State, Graphic Nature, Hit The Lights, Hot Mulligan, Knuckle Puck, Less Than Jake, Mouth Culture, Movements, Split Chain, Stray From The Path, The Ataris, The Starting Line, The Used and Zebrahead.
The 30,000-cap pop-punk, emo, metal, and alternative event will take place in Hatfield Park on Saturday 24 May, before heading north to Temple Newsam in Leeds the following day.
Slam Dunk promoter Ben Ray discussed the brand’s 2024 UK edition and European expansion in an interview with IQ earlier this year.
Elsewhere, Byron Bay Bluesfest is gearing up for its “final curtain call” which will take place from 17-20 April 2025.
Confirmed acts for the swansong edition include Crowded House, Vance Joy, Tones and I, Ocean Alley, Here Come The Mummies, The California Honeydrops, Taj Farrant, Cimafunk, Neal Francis, Pierce Brothers, WILSN, and 19-Twenty.
Ireland’s biggest music festival Electric Picnic has sold out more than a year in advance, without a single act being announced
German twin festivals Rock am Ring and Rock im Park were among the first major festivals to unveil their 2025 lineups.
Both events will mark significant anniversaries from 6-8 June next year, with Nürburgring’s Rock am Ring celebrating its 40th birthday and Nürnberg’s Rock im Park turning 30.
Slipknot were the first headliner to be confirmed in the aftermath of this year’s editions and a number of additional acts have now been revealed.
In a European exclusive, Bring Me The Horizon are the second headliner to be announced. The performances will be the band’s only concerts on the continent in 2025.
Sleep Token will also be playing their only European shows of the year at the events, while other artists will include Biffy Clyro, KIZ, A Day To Remember, Beatsteaks, Lorna Shore, The Warning, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Idles, Jinjer, Powerwolf and The Ghost Inside.
Elsewhere, Ireland’s biggest music festival Electric Picnic has sold out more than a year in advance, without a single act being announced.
Goodlive is gearing up for a particularly busy weekend with Superbloom (Munich) and Lollapalooza Berlin taking place
The Festival Republic-promoted event will be held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, from 29-31 August next year, reverting to its traditional late summer date.
General admission tickets, priced €290, went on sale at 9 am on 22 August and were snapped up within hours. The festival also operates a loyalty scheme, offering discounted passes for previous attendees. The 2024 edition was headlined by Noah Kahan, Calvin Harris and Kylie Minogue.
Meanwhile, this year’s 2024 festival season is drawing to a close with a handful of events yet to be delivered.
German festival, booking and services agency Goodlive is gearing up for a particularly busy weekend with Superbloom (Munich) and Lollapalooza Berlin taking place concurrently.
As reported earlier this year, Live Nation-backed Goodlive has joined the organisation and production teams behind Lollapalooza Berlin, alongside C3 Presents and Live Nation GSA.
The festival’s 2024 lineups share more than a dozen acts, including Sam Smith, Burna Boy, The Chainsmokers, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Loyle Carner, Nothing But Thieves, The Sacred Souls, Chappell Roan and Apashe with Brass Orchestra. Both events are set to take place in the Olympic Stadiums of their respective cities.
Superbloom MD and festival director Fruzsina Szép helped to launch Lolla Berlin in 2015.
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Primavera Sound cancels South American festivals
Primavera Sound organisers have cancelled all of the brand’s South American festivals in 2024, blaming “external difficulties”.
Festivals in Argentina and Brazil, plus Primavera Day events in Uruguay and Paraguay had been slated to take place in late November and early December this year.
The Spanish institution debuted in Brazil, Argentina and Chile in 2022 to commemorate the event’s 20th birthday, and expanded its footprint on the continent last year.
“This is undoubtedly a difficult decision, taken after many months of work and after pursuing numerous paths in order to be able to hold these events with guarantees, especially in the context of the current musical industry situation and its challenges,” says Primavera Sound director Alfonso Lanza. “Now that we have exhausted all of the possibilities, we must be prudent and focus all our energy on future plans.”
Citing sources from the festival, La Vanguardia suggests the reason for the cancellations is related to complications around securing headliners.
Primavera attracted close to 350,000 people across its events in Latin America in 2023, with second editions of the festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina and São Paulo, Brazil drawing 120,000 and 115,000 people respectively, according to promoters.
Organisers stress their commitment to returning “stronger” to Latin America “as soon as possible
In addition, 35,000 people attended Primavera Sound concerts in Santiago, Chile, over 12,000 fans experienced the first Paraguay event to mark Asunción Spring Day, and more than 30,000 people went to the inaugural Road to Primavera concerts in Lima, Peru.
Headline acts included The Cure, Blur, Pet Shop Boys, Beck and The Killers, with The Cure also selling out standalone Primavera concerts in Montevideo, Uruguay and Bogota, Colombia.
Primavera organisers say they are already looking to the future and stress their commitment to returning “stronger” to Latin America “as soon as possible”.
“We want to thank our local partners for their dedication and effort,” adds Lanza. “They have given invaluable support for a project in which we continue to believe for its cultural value and for extending the musical routes in the southern hemisphere at atypical times of the year, something that we consider positive for all the parties involved in the process, from fans to artists.”
After debuting in Madrid in 2023, the Barcelona-hailing festival opted against running another instalment this year following a “complicated” debut edition.
The flagship Primavera Sound Barcelona will return to Parc Del Forum from 5-7 June 2025. Full festival tickets are available from €265. Portuguese spin-off Primavera Sound Porto is set for 12-14 June 2025 at Parque Da Cidade. Remaning three-day tickets are priced from €160.
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Coldplay to premiere Buenos Aires concert on Veeps
Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate concert film is to have its streaming premiere on Live Nation’s Veeps platform.
Filmed during the band’s sold out, 10-night run at Buenos Aires’ River Plate stadium, the 70,000-cap show in Argentina on 28 October 2022 was screened in thousands of cinemas across more than 80 countries, marking the first ever live worldwide cinema broadcast of a concert from Latin America.
According to Boxoffice Pro, the original broadcast grossed more than $8.4 million at the box office, charting at No.1 in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Coldplay’s 10-night sellout run at the stadium set a new national record, which previously belonged to Roger Waters, who played nine shows at the legendary “Monumental” venue in March 2012 during his The Wall Live tour.
Launched in 2018 by Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden, Veeps has streamed performances to millions of viewers worldwide for thousands of artists
Veeps will air the film on Saturday 11 May at 12pm PT/8pm BST. The production, which features remixed and remastered sound and visuals captured by BAFTA-winning director Paul Dugdale using 30 cameras, racing drones and 360° filming techniques, will be free to view as a live airing and available on-demand for audiences to rent after the live broadcast for $3.99.
Launched in 2018 by Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden, Veeps has streamed performances to millions of viewers worldwide for thousands of artists including Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon. Live Nation acquired a majority stake in the service in 2021.
The Music of the Spheres trek could see Coldplay become the first band to gross $1 billion from a single tour. At last count it had earned $810.9m, having been attended by 7.66 million fans. This June, the group will become the first act to headline Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage five times. They previously topped the bill in 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016. The date will mark the band’s only European festival appearance of the year.
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Primavera Sound confirms Latin America return
Primavera Sound is to return to Latin America in 2024 after attracting close to 350,000 people across its events in the region last year.
Second editions of the festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina and São Paulo, Brazil drew 120,000 and 115,000 people respectively, according to organisers. Headline acts at the November/December events included The Cure, Blur, Pet Shop Boys, Beck and The Killers.
In addition, 35,000 people attended Primavera Sound concerts in Santiago, Chile, over 12,000 fans experienced the first Paraguay event to mark Asunción Spring Day, and more than 30,000 people went to the inaugural Road to Primavera concerts in Lima, Peru.
The Cure, who played their first shows in South America in a decade, also sold out standalone Primavera concerts in Montevideo, Uruguay and Bogota, Colombia.
Primavera Sound has reaffirmed its commitment to the territory by confirming the dates for this year’s editions
Primavera Sound has reaffirmed its commitment to the territory by confirming the dates for this year’s editions. Primavera Day Montevideo will premiere on 21 November, followed by the third editions of Primavera Sound Buenos Aires (23-24 November) and São Paulo (30 November-1 December), with Primavera Day Asunción set for 29 November.
Plus, Bogotá, Lima and Santiago will again host Road to Primavera concerts, with specific dates to be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the flagship Primavera Sound Barcelona, where the brand launched in 2001, will take place from 29 May to 2 June, headlined by Lana Del Rey, Pulp and SZA. Other acts will include The National, PJ Harvey, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Disclosure, FKA Twigs, Justice and Mitski.
It has also run sister events in Los Angeles and Chile in recent years, but has opted against running another Madrid instalment in 2024 following a “complicated” debut edition.
- The ILMC 36 panel Latin Live: The Promoter’s View will take place at 3.30pm on 29 February, exploring what to expect from the Latin genre in the future
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Latin star sells out 10 Buenos Aires arena shows
Argentine singer-songwriter Emilia has sold out 10 dates at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires in less than 10 hours.
In the process, the 27-year-old, who recently released her second studio album .mp3, broke a record previously held by Mexican artist Luis Miguel, who sold out nine shows at the arena in one day, with another night later added.
Produced by Fenix Entertainment Group, the dates will take place at the 15,000-cap South American venue on 6-7, 19-20, 21 & 23 April and 3, 29-31 May 2024. Tickets cost from 10,000 pesos (€26).
“Having sold out shows in my career is truly special,” Emilia, who is represented by WK Entertainment, tells Billboard. “To me it basically means my fans are connecting with my music. I am so thankful.
“It’s all about creating an unforgettable experience for my fans”
“I want every detail of the performances to be just right. It’s all about creating an unforgettable experience for my fans.”
The .mp3 Tour will also visit Anfiteatro in Rosario (12 April), Quality Arena, Cordoba (27 April) and Estadio Delmi, Salta (10 May) in Argentina, Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay (4 May) and Paraguay’s SND Arena (25 May).
Other upcoming concerts at Movistar Arena include Tom Jones, David Guetta, Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Nicki Nicole and Laura Pausini.
The venue became the third South American venue to take Movistar’s name in 2019, following similar naming rights deals between the telecommunications giant and arenas in Santiago, Chile and Bogotá, Colombia.
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Move Concerts’ Rodriguez talks LatAm challenges
Move Concerts CEO Phil Rodriguez has broken down the ups and downs of the South American touring scene as the company prepares to co-promote next month’s Primavera Sound Buenos Aires.
The LatAm region’s biggest independent promoter is partnering with Primavera alongside PopArt Music and Dale Play Live on the festival, which returns to Parque Sarmiento in the Argentine capital from 25-26 November, headlined by The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, Blur and Beck.
“Argentina at the moment is very challenging,” Rodriguez tells IQ. “This is the first year we are involved with this event, and it will be the second edition in Argentina. Our objective are not only to grow the numbers but as important to deliver on the experience for the punters and consolidate the brand in the market.”
Rodriguez describes the situation in certain countries in the region as “politically delicate”.
“The elections in Argentina [later this month] will be historic in terms of what direction that country will go,” he says. “Right now, the country is essentially broke.”
In general, Rodriguez reports that Move has recorded “more hits than misses”in 2023. Recent successes include a 13,000-cap sellout with Ghost at Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena on 24 September, and the debut of its Legends in Concert series a week later, when it presented Rod Stewart and Brazilian singer-songwriter Ivete Sangaloat at Allianz Parque, São Paulo, Brazil. The latter show grossed more than US$3 million.
“We sold out – 31,000 tickets sold,” says Rodriguez. “It was a reserved seating configuration at the Allianz Stadium. Rod Stewart and Ivete Sangalo sang two songs together at the end of the show and the chemistry between them was fantastic. It was definitely a case of 1+1=3 and we will definitely repeat this concept.”
“We’re seeing local talent/Latin artists doing stadium tours. This was extremely rare before”
The firm also sold 16,000 tickets for a Bad Bunny “listening party” this week at Puerto Rico’s José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. Back in March, it teamed with Bunny’s manager Noah Assad to stage Karol G’s history-making Puerto Rican shows, which saw the Colombian star become the first artist ever to sell out three nights at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, drawing more than 100,000 fans across the trio of shows.
“She’s incredibly hard-working and focused and has unquestionably taken her career to the next level – stadium level, superstar level,” reflects Rodriguez, who points out the market is especially strong for domestic artists.
“In many cases it is as strong or stronger than most international/Anglo artists,” he adds. “We’re seeing local talent/Latin artists doing stadium tours. This was extremely rare before.”
He continues: “In general, well, we cannot complain, but the audience is being more selective. The ‘after Covid boom’ is tapering off. I feel the increase in the cost of living has impacted the fans to as certain degree. For the [top] acts and top-tier festivals, business is strong. In the case of the smaller acts or festivals, there are more challenges.
“Costs certainly have impacted everybody – artist, promoters and fans. Everything is more expensive. There has also been more difficulty in venue avails as local artists are now selling more than in the past increasing holds on venues. Also, the demand for stadium dates availability is butting heads with football schedules more than ever.”
Move Concerts is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has offices in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Puerto Rico. Since 2019, the company has operated a joint venture with US entertainment and sports company Loud and Live, whose CEO Nelson Albareda was recently named Billboard Latin Power Player Executive of the Year.
PHOTO: GHOST with Fabiano de Queiroz, VP touring MOVE Concerts (Credit: Gabriel Sotelo)
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Primavera Sound expands footprint in Latin America
Primavera has announced its debut in Peru, with a series of concerts in Lima set for this November ahead of its 2023 Latin American festival run.
The four dates, which will be held under the Road to Primavera Sound banner, will start with The Cure at the National Stadium on 22 November, with support from The Twilight Sad and Just Mustard.
Multiespacio Costa 21 will then host Bad Gyal on 1 December, followed by the Pet Shop Boys – who bring their Dreamworld greatest hits show to the venue on 7 December – and Bad Religion on 8 December.
The shows will act as a precursor for Primavera Sound’s second editions in Buenos Aires, Argentina (25-26 November) and São Paulo, Brazil (2-3 December), as well as the festival’s premiere in Luque, Paraguay (7 December) and Bogotá, Colombia (9-10 December).
The Cure will headline all four editions in their first shows in South America in a decade. The Paraguay edition will be a one-day affair to mark Asunción Spring Day.
Organisers confirmed last month that Primavera Sound Madrid will not take place in 2024
Other acts set to appear on some or all dates include Beck, Blur, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Killers, The Hives, Grimes, Black Midi, Slowdive, Róisín Murphy and Muna.
Organisers confirmed last month that Primavera Sound Madrid will not take place in 2024. The festival debuted in the Spanish capital in June, featuring acts such as Kendrick Lamar, Depeche Mode, Four Tet, Fred Again.., Skrillex, Rosalia, Calvin Harris, Maneskin and St Vincent. However, its first day proper was cancelled for “safety reasons” amid “persistent severe weather”, which impacted pre-production at the 96,000-cap Ciudad de Rock (City of Rock) in Arganda del Rey. There were also complaints from fans about long queues on the other two days of the event.
Explaining their decision not to proceed with a Madrid sequel, organisers cite “external difficulties… in the final stretch of pre-production”, which led to “one of the most complicated” editions of Primavera Sound ever.
In Europe, Primavera Sound’s flagship Barcelona edition will return from 30 May-2 June next year, with its Porto leg to follow from 7-9 June. The festival launched in Barcelona in 2001 and has also run sister events in Los Angeles and Chile in recent years.
Primavera Sound recently gained an internationally recognised stamp of approval demonstrating its commitment to LGBTQ people. The Queer Destinations committed distinction, which is present in 12 countries, helps businesses create safe and more inclusive touristic spaces for the community.
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Record demand for Taylor Swift’s Argentina debut
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is continuing to smash records after millions of people attempted to buy tickets for the singer’s first concerts in Argentina.
Promoter DF Entertainment says Swift’s 9-11 November dates at Buenos Aires’ 65,000-cap River Plate Stadium sold out in a matter of hours following “unprecedented” demand during this week’s onsale.
More than three million people were in the virtual queue to buy tickets at one point according to DF boss Diego Finkelstein, who tells IQ the “epic” accomplishment speaks for itself.
A third show was added after the first two nights sold out. Prices ranged from 18,000 (€69) to 86,000 (€328) Argentine pesos.
Founded by Finkelstein in 2015, DF inked an exclusive multi-year deal to promote concerts at the famed stadium, aka the ‘Monumental’, earlier this year. The company previously sold out a record 10 nights at the venue with Coldplay last year.
Swift’s November shows form part of her first round of international dates for the Eras Tour
DF has upcoming concerts with artists such as The Weeknd, Roger Waters, Red Hot Chili Peppers and 5 Seconds of Summer. Live Nation acquired a majority stake in the firm in 2018.
Swift’s November shows form part of her first round of international dates for the Eras Tour. The 33-year-old will also play three dates in Mexico’s Foro Sol stadium before visiting Argentina and Brazil, with a closing show on 26 November in São Paulo at Allianz Parque (cap. 43,713).
The Latin American dates will be supported by pop singer Sabrina Carpenter and produced by Taylor Swift Touring.
Eras is tipped to eclipse the superstar’s 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour, which became the US’ highest-grossing tour in history, selling over two million tickets for 38 shows for a total of $266.1 million. Swift has just over 20 dates remaining of the North American leg, which saw “historically unprecedented demand” when it went on sale last year.
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