Festival promoters capitalise on ‘golden era’ of EDM
European festival organisers are capitalising on the growth of electronic dance music (EDM) with new dedicated events.
Next year, Primavera Sound Porto in Portugal will hold an extra day on Sunday 15 June dedicated to EDM – the lineup and details of which are yet to be announced.
The 12th edition of the festival will return to the city’s Parque da Cidade between 12–15 June 2025, the week after Primavera Sound Barcelona.
Charli XCX, Central Cee, Jamie xx, Beach House, Deftones, Fontaines DC, HAIM and Turnstile are among the acts that were today confirmed for Primavera Sound Porto 2025.
Elsewhere, FEST Team is planning to launch Bulgaria’s first major EDM festival in Sofia next summer.
Belgian DJ and record producer Lost Frequencies is the first confirmed headliner for the three-day event, named Aura.
Having brought international EDM stars such as Armin Van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike to the market, FEST Team CEO Stefan Elenkov told IQ that he’s banking on the genre.
“I really believe we will be recognised as the company that organised the best EDM party in the country,” he says.
The global dance music business saw 17% revenue growth in 2023 to a valuation of $11.8bn
Meanwhile, Belgium has gained a new five-day festival and conference dedicated to EDM called Abrupt.
The inaugural edition took place in Brussels earlier this month and comprised seven concerts, six club nights and numerous debates and workshops.
Organised by the non-profit Arty Farty Brussels, the festival took over iconic music venues and clubs such as Botanique, the C12, Bozar and the Ancienne Belgique.
The increasing popularity of EDM is not just underscored by new events but also by the growth of pre-existing ones.
C2C Festival in Turin, which has spawned 22 editions, has gone from strength to strength in recent years.
Organisers yesterday (6 November) reported the highest attendance yet for the 2024 edition, which was the third consecutive sell-out.
This growth is further evidenced by the IMS Business Report 2024, which declared a ‘golden era’ for the global dance music business after 17% revenue growth in 2023 to a valuation of $11.8bn.
Take a closer look at key numbers and trends that are shaping the global electronic music scene here.
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Sportpaleis unveils first-ever naming rights partner
The historic Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium, has unveiled its first naming rights partner in its 91-year history.
The arena’s owner, Live Nation-backed Be•at Venues, has struck a deal with software giant AFAS that will take effect from 1 September 2025.
AFAS, which is also the naming rights sponsor of Amsterdam concert hall AFAS Live, has promised “a full-sweep level-up of the Sportpaleis, securing the venue’s standing among the leading concert venues in time for its centenary anniversary in 2033.”
A new name for the building will be unveiled at the beginning of 2025, with fans encouraged to submit suggestions via the Sportpaleis website.
“We’ve been gradually upgrading the venue over the past few years by coming up with innovative ideas and making small changes,” says Jan van Esbroeck, managing director of Be•at.
“We’re jumping on the opportunity to remould the Sportpaleis from top to toe”
“Spurred by this new momentum (…), we’re jumping on the opportunity to remould the Sportpaleis from top to toe. Our partnership with AFAS Software marks a key moment in our journey, allowing us to secure a promising future for the Sportpaleis. The difference between an ‘okay’ and an ‘awesome’ event is in the details, which is why we want to give visitors a phenomenal experience in every respect: safety, service, comfort, and the emotions they feel. Our aim is to have everything completed by around 2033, which would symbolically coincide with celebrations of the Sportpaleis’ centenary.”
Machiel den Dekker, CEO of AFAS Software, adds, “The upgrade of the Sportpaleis is consistent with our innovative nature as a company. Partnering with be•at marks the start of an exciting new era to take the concert experience to the next level. AFAS Software is playing a crucial role in the future of the Sportpaleis, which will include the integration of new technologies, business processes automation, the Sportpaleis’ evolution into a next-gen event location, and building a new VIP lounge. It’s a partnership we’re proud of, and we couldn’t be more excited. We’re pulling out all the stops to create a positive visitor experience, down to the minutest detail.”
Be•at Venues’s group holdings include Antwerp’s Sportpaleis (23,000), Hasselt’s multi-hall Trixxo Arena (17,000), Brussels’ concert hub Forest National (8,400), and Antwerp’s basketball home Lotto Arena (7,500).
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Fans left out of pocket as Belgian fest goes bust
Ticket-holders for Belgium’s W-Festival have been warned they have a “nearly zero percent” chance of refunds after the event was cancelled two weeks before it was due to take place.
The 80s and 90s-themed beach festival’s ninth edition was scheduled to be held in the city of Ostend from 23-25 August, featuring acts such as Adam Ant, 2 Unlimited, Adamski, Culture Beat, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Snap! and Tony Hadley.
But the company behind the event, Wave to Synth, says it has been forced to “throw in the towel” and has filed for bankruptcy, citing slow ticket sales, among other factors.
A statement from promoters reads: “The festival sector will become a bit quieter. After years of struggle, the last notes have been played on the W-Festival stage, as our organisation, with a heavy heart, officially will file for bankruptcy.
“The W-Festival board has taken extensive steps to keep the company running, but now, just a few weeks before the start of the festival, we are faced with the heart-wrenching decision to throw in the towel.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions have had a devastating impact on the event sector. Additionally, the W-Festival faced the bankruptcy of our ticket provider, Festicket, in 2022, and unfortunately, we are experiencing disappointing ticket sales in 2024, contrary to all forecasts. After years of dedication and efforts to adapt to the new circumstances, as well as various initiatives to mitigate the damage, it is no longer possible for the W-Festival to keep the organisation afloat.”
“It is incredibly painful to conclude this musical adventure after nine years”
Around 30,000 people attended last year’s edition but ticket sales were said to be around half that for 2024 at the time of this year’s cancellation. Day tickets cost between €79 and €94, with three-day tickets costing €219.
“It is incredibly painful to conclude this musical adventure after nine years,” adds a statement from the company’s board. “For now, our focus is on closing the bankruptcy properly.”
Trustee Petr Seymoens tells The Brussels Times that the company has “no money”, and puts the chances of compensation for “ordinary creditors” such as ticket holders at “nearly 0%”.
VRT reports that in the wake of the cancellation, a group of seven volunteers from the festival took it upon themselves to organise an alternative event over the same weekend.
Earlier this year, promoters of Switzerland’s Vibiscum Festival offered ticketholders admission to two other events as compensation after saying they were “unable to provide refunds” as a result of financial difficulties.
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Tomorrowland faces fine of up to €2 million
Tomorrowland will be fined up to €2 million for committing an environmental offence, according to the local environmental department.
The Belgian festival, which wraps up on Sunday 28 July, will be penalised for using disposable cups – which have been banned at events in Flanders since June last year.
In 2023, the EDM festival successfully applied for an exemption from the law – which requires drinks to be served in reusable cups, or cans and PET bottles that are at least 95% recycled – because it still had disposable cups in stock.
Organisers did the same this year but from 2024 onwards, an exemption is only granted if an event can prove that reusable cups would not provide an environmental benefit in their case.
Flemish Environment minister Zuhal Demir reportedly refused to grant the exemption three times, saying the festival had not provided enough evidence.
“Tomorrowland is a fantastic festival that is also a small multinational. With a name like that, you should be a champion of good environmental policy,” Demir said last month.
“We are now waiting for the invoice”
Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen countered: “We were hoping to get another exemption because we had argued our case well. When that didn’t happen, it was too late to change our plans. We are now waiting for the invoice.”
The festival says it still had a stock of 3 million disposable cups to use. However, reusable cups were used in certain areas of festival such as Dreamville (the official camping ground), the VIP area and the neighbourhood drink area.
Once the 70,000-capacity festival concludes, the exact fine will be calculated based on “the severity of the offence, the frequency in which it occurs and the circumstances”.
The Public Prosecutor will decide whether the offence will be dealt with criminally, or whether the case will return to the hands of the department.
In addition to the administrative fine, an “asset deprivation” may also be requested, which will see the organisation repay the gross benefit obtained from the environmental offence. As this would come on top of the fine amount, it could see the total amount surpassing €2 million.
By next summer, Tomorrowland hopes to introduce reusable cups across the entire festival, as well as a more efficient deposit system to ensure people don’t take the cups home.
Other Flemish festivals, such as Rock Werchter, have successfully implemented a reusable cup system but organisers remain critical of the legislation. “The changeover has a huge impact, both logistically and financially. It costs us an extra €1 million,” Nele Bigaré of promoter Live Nation Belgium told VRT NWS earlier this week.
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Gent Jazz draws 57k, ALMA Fest attendance surges
The resurgence of Gent Jazz continues after the Belgian institution pulled in 57,000 punters to its 2024 festival – 15,000 more than last year.
It was the second edition of international jazz festival to be staged by Ghent-based promoter and booking agency Greenhouse Talent, which acquired the event after previous organiser – the not-for-profit Jazz en Muziek – went backrupt at the end of 2022.
Running from 5-20 July, this year’s lineup included Air, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Jamie Cullum, Andre 3000, Birdy, Diana Krall, Selah Sue and DJ Shadow, among others.
“It was a top edition with a nice mix of concerts,” a spokesperson for Greenhouse tells Nieuwsblad. “They were well received by the public and it was very pleasant. As far as we are concerned, the festival can last forever.”
A total of 92 artists performed over 14 days, 42 of whom had Belgian roots.
“That is something to be proud of,” says the promoter. “Our country has a lot of musical talent and we are looking for a good mix between national and international artists.”
“We have achieved almost 20,000 more attendees than last year”
First held in 2002, the 5,500-cap festival has attracted acts such as BB King, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Sting, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Gregory Porter and Grace Jones.
As well as established names, the festival places a particular focus on young and emerging talent, with jazz and instrumental hip-hop trio Kin Gajo coming out on top in its annual Young Jazz Talent Ghent competition this year. The band were rewarded with a €10,000 cash prize and a residency at the city’s Ha Concerts venue.
“The icing on the cake is that they will be playing as the opening act on the main stage of Gent Jazz next year,” adds Greenhouse. “The first name of the next edition has already been announced.”
Spain’s APMusicales reports that attendance figures were also up this summer at Barcelona’s ALMA Festival, which drew 67,000 fans to Poble Espanyol between 24 June and 21 July.
Headliners included Queens of the Stone Age, Hozier, Vetusta Morla, Glen Hansard, Sheryl Crow, Take That, Alice Cooper, The Cat Empire, Marisa Monte, The Divine Comedy, Valeria Castro, Cat Power, James Blunt and Kool & the Gang. Eight of the concerts sold out, with the series recording an average occupancy of 77%.
“Getting 67,000 people to join us in this second edition in our new location after 10 years in the Pedralbes Gardens is a success that we celebrate enormously,” says Martín Pérez, director of the festival and promoter Concert Studio. “We have achieved almost 20,000 more attendees than last year. We are deeply grateful for the warm welcome from the Barcelona public once again this year.”
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YouTube to livestream Tomorrowland’s 20th edition
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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Euro festival preview: Paléo, Electric Castle, Tomorrowland
Continuing our weekly preview of European festivals, IQ gives readers a glimpse of what’s in-store this week…
In Switzerland, Paléo is gearing up for a banner edition having sold all 200,000 tickets for the 2024 event in just 21 minutes.
The 35,000-capacity festival will run in Nyon from 23-28 July, featuring acts such as Sam Smith, Burna Boy, Booba, Mika, Sean Paul, Major Lazer Soundsystem, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Patti Smith, The Blaze, Paul Kalkbrenner, Aurora and Royal Blood.
Paléo booker Dany Hassenstein spoke to IQ earlier this year about the festival’s longstanding bond with its audience.
Meanwhile, the stage has been set for Electric Castle‘s 10th-anniversary edition, which will welcome over 230,000 visitors to Transylvania’s 15th-century Banffy Castle.
Paléo is gearing up for a banner edition having sold all 200,000 tickets for the 2024 event in just 21 minutes
The Romanian festival will see acts including Massive Attack, Bring Me the Horizon, Chase & Status LIVE, Sean Paul, Paolo Nutini, and Khruangbin perform between 17–21 July.
Czech Republic’s Colours of Ostrava (17–20) also kicks off today, with Sam Smith, James Blake, Tom Morello, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Paul and Khruangbin among the top-billing acts.
The festival launched in Ostrava in 2002 and has become the country’s biggest international music festival.
Belgium’s biggest festival, Tomorrowland, will also take place this weekend with 400,000 guests.
Tickets for the 20th-anniversary edition sold out in less than a day, IQ reported in February.
The electronic music extravaganza is held across two weekends in Boom, Antwerp, from 19-21 and 26-28 July.
Tickets for the 20th-anniversary edition of Tomorrowland sold out in less than a day
Staged under the ‘LIFE’ theme, more than 400 acts including Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, Bonobo B2B Dixon, David Guetta, ANNA, Vintage Culture, Tale Of Us, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Solomun B2B Four Tet and Swedish House Mafia will appear across 16 stages.
In neighbouring Germany, Parookaville is ramping up for another sold-out edition with 225,000 attendees. The electronic music event has been sold out every year since launching in 2015.
Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Felix Jaehn, Hardwell, Timmy Trumpet and W&W are among 300+ DJs that are set to perform at this year’s instalment, at Weeze Airport between 19–21 July.
And, elsewhere, the gates to Super Bock Super Rock will open tomorrow, offering headline sets from Måneskin, 21 Savage and Stormzy.
Royal Blood, Tom Morello, Black Coffee, Slow J, Mahalia, Fisher, Vulfpeck and Will Butler are also slated to perform on Meco Beach, South Lisbon, from 18-20 July.
Other festivals due to kick off within the next week include Benicassim (ES), Positivus (LV), Ejekt Festival (GR), Lucca Summer Festival (IT) and Zwarte Cross (NL).
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Schueremans’ Rock Werchter verdict: ‘Music unites’
Rock Werchter founder Herman Schueremans is already turning his attention to the event’s 50th anniversary next year in the wake of a successful 2024 edition.
Belgium’s biggest music festival, which ran from 4-7 June, starred headliners Lenny Kravitz, Måneskin, Dua Lipa and Foo Fighters.
Acts such as Avril Lavigne, Jane’s Addiction, PJ Harvey, The Hives, Black Pumas, Sum 41, Yungblud, Tom Odell, Royal Blood, Pretenders, Idles and Snow Patrol also featured on the bill.
On-site improvements included a brand-new KluB C tent and an upgraded The Barn, with open fronts and new screens mounted on both tents. Tickets for the sold out 88,000-cap rock institution were priced at €309.
“Everything ran smoothly,” Schueremans tells IQ. “We are extremely proud of our team.”
The Live Nation Belgium CEO says extra precautions were put in place in advance of the event due to wet weather in the region over the past few weeks and months.
“We anticipated it already at the end end of May and started putting extra drainage on the festival site and the camping area. We ordered extra steel plates, extra sand and managed to present a top festival site to our audience.”
Fewer parking tickets were available as not all areas of the site were sufficiently dry, prompting organisers to put on extra public transport and additional space for bicycles. As a result, 20,000 bikes were parked per day – a new Rock Werchter record – while a total of 17,000 festivalgoers commuted to Werchter from Leuven and Aarschot railway stations.
“There will be some top talent available [next year] and we are holding options already”
The festival, which attracted 155,000 unique visitors over four days, passed off with no major emergencies, with the Red Cross recording 4,300 medical interventions – well down from previous years, while a mobility review that took place following significant traffic jams at the 2023 event also had the desired effect.
“Significantly fewer traffic disruptions occurred this year,” local mayor Jelle Wouters tells the Brussels Times.
Rock Werchter turns 50 in 2025, when it will return from 3-6 July, having been held every year since 1975 apart from the pandemic-hit 2020. And following complaints of a dearth of headliners affecting the wider European sector across the 2024 calendar, Schueremans says the early signs for next summer are positive.
“The top result of our 2024 Rock Werchter edition indicates we’ll be ready for our 50th edition in 2025,” he says. “There will be some top talent available and we are holding options already.”
Wrapping up, the promoter expresses pride that the overall Belgian festival scene continues to hold its own.
“Belgium has a lot of festivals. They all have their own profile and keep doing wonderfully well,” he says. “Rock Werchter, Graspop Metal Meeting and Pukkelpop sell out.
“Belgium and Belgians have a festival DNA. Smaller countries as Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland are successful in organising festivals that became cultural heritage and part of society. Music unites.”
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Euro festival preview: Rock Werchter, Open’er & more
With the European festival season in full swing, IQ is previewing what the forthcoming weekend has in store…
Dutch festival Down The Rabbit Hole (5–7 July) will welcome a sold-out crowd for its 2024 edition, after selling all 45,000 tickets in less than 45 minutes of going on sale.
The Mojo-promoted event at De Groene Heuvels near Ewijk will feature performances from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Michael Kiwanuka, The National, Jungle, Raye, Jessie Ware and Khruangbin.
Meanwhile, hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will debut in Austria (5–7) as the only European edition in 2024.
The Live Nation Germany-promoted event, dubbed Rolling Loud Europe, will take over Racino in Ebreichsdorf, an open-air venue on the outskirts of Vienna.
Nicki Minaj, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott will headline the premiere, with support from acts including Ice Spice, Shirin David and Don Toliver.
In Belgium, Rock Werchter (4–7) is already underway at Festivalpark in Werchter. The Live Nation Belgium-promoted event is headlined by Foo Fighters, Dua Lipa, Lenny Kravitz and Måneskin. Day tickets have sold out for four of the five dates.
Bombay Bicycle Club, Snow Patrol, Yungblud and Sum 41, The Last Dinner Party, Nothing But Thieves, Avril Lavigne and Khruangbin, Michael Kiwanuka, Arlo Parks and Royal Blood will also perform at Belgium’s biggest festival over the coming days.
Hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will debut in Austria this weekend
Dua Lipa and Foo Fighters are also headlining Open’er (3–6) on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia, alongside Doja Cat.
Addition acts for the Alter Art-promoted event include Hozier, Charli XCX, Don Toliver, Måneskin, Disclosure, Ashnikko, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, Air, Loyle Carner, Michael Kiwanuka, Floating Points, Kim Gordon, Tom Morello, Sampha and Slowdive.
Ruisrock (5–7), the second oldest rock festival in Europe, will once again take over the national park of Ruissalo in Turku, Finland this weekend.
The Chainsmokers, Hardwell, Disclosure, PMMP and Stormzy are top are top billing for the 2024 edition, which will host up to 35,000 people a day.
Elsewhere, electronic music festival Balaton Sound (3–6) is afoot on the beach in Zamárdi, Hungary.
Marshmello, Alison Wonderland, Adam Beyer, Amelie Lens and Timmy Trumpet are among the acts performing at the event, organised by the team behind Sziget in Budapest.
Other festivals taking place this weekend include Electric Love Festival (AU), Lovely Days Festival (AU), Lytham Festival (UK), Les Eurockéennes de Belfort (FR), Awakenings Summer Festival (NL), Love Supreme Jazz Festival (UK) and Comfort Festival (IT).
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Belgium’s Graspop activates emergency weather plan
Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting has activated its emergency weather plan after the festival site was hit by torrential rain ahead of the event.
Taking place in Dessel, the 55,000-cap heavy metal festival is scheduled to start tomorrow (20 June) and run until Sunday. The four-day festival will be headlined by Tool, Alice Cooper, Five Finger Death Punch, Judas Priest, Bring Me The Horizon, Avenged Sevenfold, Scorpions and Machine Head.
However, organisers have cancelled their entire Wednesday evening programme, including the pre-party, and closed the onsite car parks. They say they are continuing to “closely monitoring the situation”, but are confident the festival proper will go ahead as planned.
“Fortunately, the weather forecast for tomorrow is better, so let’s stay positive,” says a statement. “The programming of the other festival days is not at risk. The organisation of Graspop Metal Meeting is ready to give it all for four days. We thank everyone for their understanding in this unpredictable situation.”
For people who are absolutely required to stay overnight on Wednesday, emergency accommodation will be provided
Car parking will not be available today (19 June), with those who need to spend the night at the campsite advised to travel to the venue via public transport.
“For people who are absolutely required to stay overnight on Wednesday, emergency accommodation will be provided,” adds a message from promoters.
Held over five stages, other acts on the bill include Deep Purple, Megadeth, Babymetal, Limp Bizkit, Architects, Turnstile, Bruce Dickinson, Electric Callboy, Pendulum and Corey Taylor.
Past headliners at Graspop, which launched in 1996, include Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, KISS, Black Sabbath, Rammstein, Motörhead, Mötley Crüe, Korn and System Of A Down.
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