Independent UK promoter Labyrinth has announced the launch of a “groundbreaking” open-air dance music series in London.

Labyrinth on the Thames will unite “some of the world’s most pioneering and culturally relevant contemporary dance music acts” across the first two weekends in August at UNESCO World Heritage Site – Old Royal Naval College.

The six-day live music series is expected to welcome 60,000 attendees across the course of the event, with the audio-visual elements to be produced by High Scream, which worked on the Paris 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony, as well as collaborations with Walt Disney, Madison Square Garden and Coachella.

“We’re beyond excited to be announcing Labyrinth on The Thames,” say Labyrinth co-founders Michael Dicks & Nick Castleman. “Finding new, exciting spaces to bring artists and fans together, is what drives us, day in, day out. It’s been a multi-year process to bring this project to life and it’s a dream come true for us all at Labyrinth to see this announcement go live.”

Launched in 2017, the promoter, curator and production firm has previously worked with the likes of Jungle, keinemusik, Fred Again.., Fatboy Slim and Annie Mac.

“This extraordinary event highlights the Old Royal Naval College as a place where history and culture continue to inspire and connect people”

“We are proud to host Labyrinth on the Thames at the iconic Old Royal Naval College, an event that not only celebrates music and art but also offers a unique opportunity to experience the prestige of Greenwich’s rich heritage in a contemporary and dynamic way,” adds Kate Miners, director of public engagement & commercial at the Old Royal Naval College.

“Bringing together the past and present, this extraordinary event highlights the Old Royal Naval College as a place where history and culture continue to inspire and connect people.”

DJ Black Coffee, who will perform on 1 August, is the first headliner to be announced for the series.

Labyrinth will also roll out initiatives for the local Greenwich community, including priority tickets for residents, partnerships with local suppliers, and collaborations with cultural institutions on opportunities for emerging talent and young people.

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Iconic hotel and nightspot Pikes Ibiza has announced it is banning mobile phones from the dancefloor seven nights a week.

The legendary venue acknowledged it “caused quite the stir” when it became the first site on the island to launch a phone-free policy for Mondays back in April.

“We think it was the start of a positive shift in the way people experience parties in Ibiza, especially as we’ve noticed more and more events adopt a similar approach over the course of the season,” it says via its social media channels.

The reaction has prompted Pikes to extend the approach through the whole week.

“Keeping your phone in your pocket and your mind on the music – and knowing that everyone around you is doing the same – opens up a whole world of freedom, not only on the dancefloor but all around Pikes and so, we’ve decided to introduce the policy seven nights a week,” it continues.

“You can bring your phone with you to Pikes… we’ll simply place a sticker over your device’s camera when you step through the gates”

“Of course, you can bring your phone with you to Pikes… we’ll simply place a sticker over your device’s camera when you step through the gates. We ever-so-kindly ask that you refrain from filming or using your camera and our team will ever-so-politely enforce the policy if they catch you trying to snap a cheeky one, though you might even find your fellow partygoers stepping in ever-so-nicely to remind you before we get there!’

An Ibiza institution, Pikes is operated by Ibiza Rocks and was immortalised as the location where the music video for Wham!’s 1983 classic Club Tropicana was filmed. It was also famously the site of Freddie Mercury’s 41st birthday party in 1987.

“We want you to dance like no one’s watching,” it adds. “We want the very special guests in our booth and our resident DJs alike to feel as comfortable as if they were at a friend’s house party, with the freedom to dance, sing, jump, squeal, shout and celebrate however they like. We want you to find your new best friends, make memories that live in your mind, not on your phone, and experience the magic of Pikes the way it was always intended to be. After all, what happens at Pikes stays at Pikes.”

On a related note, Bob Dylan unveiled the European leg of his 2024 Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour last month, for which mobile phones are prohibited. The shows are being held in partnership with US firm Yondr, which specialises in producing sealed phone pouches.

Swedish rock band Ghost also banned phones for their US tour last autumn, following in the footsteps of the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Jack White.

On the back of the recent publication of the IMS Business Report 2024, DJ Mag editor-in-chief Carl Loben takes a look at the key numbers and trends that are shaping the global electronic music scene, as this year’s summer season kicks off in Ibiza.

In a packed conference room at the airy Hyde Hotel in Cala Llonga, near Santa Eulalia on the Balearic isle of Ibiza, delegates of the annual International Music Summit (IMS) are abuzz with anticipation. IMS has been staged since 2007, and co-founders Pete Tong MBE, music mogul Ben Turner, and Ibiza promoter Danny Whittle kick off the 2024 edition with some warm introductory words, offset by remarks by co-host Jaguar Bingham from BBC Introducing, representing the new generation.

The summit then launches straight into the IMS Business Report, presented again this year by its chief author, Mark Mulligan from MIDiA Research. “2022 was an unusual year, in that it reflected the post-pandemic bounce-back effect for live,” Mulligan begins. “There was a risk that 2023 would struggle to live up to those inflated expectations. But instead, the electronic music industry grew strongly once again, with impressive growth across virtually all of its constituent parts.” He goes on to explain that it wasn’t streaming growth that lifted up the industry’s revenues; physical music reportedly went back into strong growth and expanded rights — merch etc — was the industry shifting further towards a fan economy, especially evidenced by the rise in African electronic music in recent times.

Publishing has also grown, Mulligan says, but it’s the live sector that’s performing strongest in terms of growth. Live is still growing rapidly and was a significant contributor to why the electronic music industry finished the financial year up 17% to a valuation of $11.8bn. Festivals and clubs continue to dominate revenues — nearly half of the industry total — in what the report calls a “golden era.”

“Following the Covid downturn, the global live music market is bigger and better than ever,” says the report, with a graph showing that Live Nation and Eventim revenues are up $6.4bn to $25.1bn per year. “Pent-up lockdown interest has
translated into two years of increased demand, with tickets both more expensive and sold in larger quantities,” it says.

“Artists like Fisher, Fred again.., Rüfüs du Sol, and Dom Dolla have been doing stunning business in venues that have typically been considered live concert venues. The game is changing, and quickly”

As has been pored over endlessly, the industry has changed irrevocably since the digital revolution this century. Gone are the days when most acts could make a living just from record sales alone — there has to be a live element to top up the income shortfall for most. Even a huge electronic music brand like Defected has to make around half of its money in the live space. “About 45% of our revenue comes from recordings and publishing and about 45% from the events and the agency,” says Wez Saunders, Defected CEO, who have Defected, D4 D4nce, and Glitterbox nights in big Ibiza venues this summer, as well as their own Defected Festival in Croatia in July, plus 400 other nights each year.

Artists, too, must make much of their income from live — it’s still the main activity that pays the bills. There is still a creative paradox for some, however, according to the report. 60% of DJs report that gigs aren’t paying more than pre-pandemic levels and also that it is harder to get gigs. More than 50% of DJs report that DJing is a bigger source of income than royalties and  yet making music matters most to the overwhelming number of DJs surveyed — for 85%, making music is more important personally than DJing. The paradox is that performing is where DJs make their money but making music matters most to them.

In most circles, a DJ show is now more widely accepted as being on a par with the performance by a band. “DJ shows can sell as well as gigs with bands and singers, whether this be in greenfield sites, stadiums, or arenas,” says Tim McGregor, MD of TEG Live in Australia. “All the big eye-popping performances at Coachella this year (and last) seemed to be electronic – Justice, Dom Dolla, and Anyma/Eric Prydz in 2024. Artists like Fisher, Fred again.., Rüfüs du Sol, and Dom Dolla have been doing stunning business in venues that have typically been considered live concert venues. The game is changing, and quickly.”

“Electronic music is working its way up, although it is important not to discount live shows,” says Monty McGaw, head of electronic at Untitled Group, Australia’s largest independently owned music and events company. “Both need to co-exist and DJ shows should be given equal importance in the music industry.”

The DJ has long moved out from the dark corner of a nightclub and into the spotlight. Indeed, DJ shows have shown that, in some circumstances, they can command audiences on a par with big live electronic acts such as The Prodigy, Rudimental, Orbital, Underworld, Bicep, and The Chemical Brothers. Arena shows by the likes of EDM stalwarts Tiësto and David Guetta; drum & bass don Andy C; UK legends like Carl Cox and Fatboy Slim; and the Skrillex x Four Tet x Fred again.. triumvirate have essentially shown that a DJ show can rival a band experience in the venues traditionally the preserve of the rock & pop or hip-hop scenes.

“Proportionally, we do see bigger numbers of sales for electronic events. Drum & bass and techno have recently seen significant resurgences”

That’s a situation that’s not lost on those tasked with getting tickets into the hands of the fans. “Historically, we’ve always catered for and sold more tickets to electronic music events than we have for live gigs, as it was the electronic scene upon which Skiddle was formed some 23 years ago,” says Duncan King, head of festivals and partnerships at Skiddle. “However, this is a trend we’ve noticed steadily changing in recent years. We’ve seen the traditional live gig sector double in size, popularity, and revenue, with other alternative and more lifestyle-focused event types also seeing rapid growth.

“Proportionally, we do see bigger numbers of sales for electronic events. Drum & bass and techno have recently seen significant resurgences, particularly among 18 to 24 year olds, making these genres the top choices. Leading the charge are artists like Azyr, blk., Aiden, and Sara Landry. There’s an exciting micro-culture that’s been formed from modern techno, affecting everything from the traditional event format to the fashion choices of attendees.”

Of course, the visual element has come to be of critical importance to these electronic shows — whether a DJ or live act. Production design is critical to the impact these DJ shows can make on audiences, says McGregor. “Some of the major EDM festivals have continued to set a very high bar in this regard, and so DJs, for their own headline shows, are now very focused on creating a substantial point of difference and authentic engagement with live audiences who are seeking an elevated experience. Some of the production designs we are now seeing are, as a consequence, absolutely stunning.”

For the bigger DJ-led acts, it’s not just a case of the DJ turning up to the venue with a couple of USBs and some headphones. Some have a touring team that matches any rock band’s show for spectacle and bombast.

“With the bigger shows crossing over more into commercial festivals/spaces, there really is the expectation that being a performer in your own right is important,” says McGaw. “Production and stage presence is important to captivate these audiences and match the energy of a live headline band in some senses.”

“Not everyone has the economic capacity to go to many events per year, so people are being very picky about where they spend their hard-earned money”

One touring event brand that stages spectacular shows, where inordinate care and detail is given to production, is Elrow. The Spanish company is almost like a touring circus — they travel around with confetti cannons, giant inflatables, around 100 performers, dancers, stilt walkers, and the like, and create fun immersive parties that generally operate around a theme. Past themes have included Sambowdromo Do Brasil, inspired by the Rio de Janeiro carnival; the self-explanatory Horroween: El Bowsque Encantado (The Enchanted Forest); Psychedelic Trip, inspired by the hippie subculture, and so on. Taking their cue from mega fests such as Tomorrowland in Belgium, EDC in Las Vegas, and the Block9 fields at Glastonbury, touring Elrow events have the production values of festivals sandwiched into one night’s spectacular party.

The quality of Elrow’s DJs is still high — they book many of the top names from the underground house and techno scenes. And post-Covid, as soon as events were allowed again, Elrow came flying out of the traps. “People had stayed indoors for a long time, with no events and no travelling — everyone was hungry for more,” says Victor de la Serna, music director of Elrow.

However, live ticket sales have somewhat levelled off internationally in certain territories for Elrow, as the cost-of-living crisis in some countries has started to bite. “I think the hunger people had is now gone and has been substituted by recession in some European countries,” says De la Serna. “The cost of living has gone drastically up and that has been felt all across entertainment generally, so things have changed a lot since that ‘summer of love,’ post-Covid.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, De la Serna suggests that open-air shows have been clearly favoured after Covid. “The way I think the industry is moving, is towards a more experiential event,” he says. “In these times, I think the whole experience counts for many people. Like I said, not everyone has the economic capacity to go to many events per year, so people are being very picky about where they spend their hard-earned money. Experiential events, where the fan experience is put first, I think, are the way forward, in order to set yourself apart from the rest.”

The report also states that ticket sales continue to rise in Ibiza. The International Music Summit is the de facto launch of the Ibiza season, with most of the big super clubs, such as Ushuaia, Hï Ibiza, Pacha, and Amnesia staging their opening parties. The Night League, owners of Ushuaia and Hï Ibiza (the latter of which has just been voted the No.1 club in the world by readers of DJ Magazine) have also reportedly bought the old Privilege club in the middle of the island. The 10,000-capacity club was formerly in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest club in the world but has chiefly been closed or partially shuttered these past few years. Currently undergoing a multimillion-euro redevelopment, it’s set to increase Ibiza’s ticket-selling potential manifold when it opens at the start of the 2025 season on the island.

“The pandemic, I believe, has slowed down touring development in places like China that have been super restrictive, but some areas like Asia and India are super interesting to grow”

Elsewhere in the world, Asia is the continent with the biggest potentially developing market. “Asia has two-thirds of the world’s population, and new events are popping up all the time,” says McGaw. “Asia has broad tastes in music and is still very young as a market.”

“We’re seeing parts of Asia really starting to get more consistent traction, e.g. Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines,” agrees McGregor. “And increasingly, in the Middle East, too. These markets now come into strong consideration when routing tours down to Australia.”

Electronic music brands have had varying successes when taking their events out beyond the continent of their birth. Creamfields, Ultra, and Tomorrowland have held huge festivals in territories like South America and parts of Asia; clubbing brands like Ministry of Sound have held tours in Australia/New Zealand, Asia, and the Far East; while other club nights have expanded beyond their home countries in more of a microcosmic way. Most will agree, though, that the United States remains somewhat of a holy grail for many ambitious countries. “I think the USA is still, to this day, a big market worth exploring,” says De la Serna. “The pandemic, I believe, has slowed down touring development in places like China that have been super restrictive, but some areas like Asia and India are super interesting to grow. At the same time, these are difficult territories to work in traditionally, but I believe the rewards can be very good.”

Skiddle’s King agrees. “Economic prosperity in countries such as China, Australia, and South Korea is positively impacting the development of already robust markets. Electronic scenes in nations across Asia especially are maturing, creating new names, and drawing in bigger audiences. Infrastructure around these scenes is also developing and in places such as Thailand, tax waivers and import duty exemptions for organisers of large international concerts, sporting events, and festivals are being offered to boost tourism.

“We expect to see these markets flourish over the next few years with internationally established event brands and artists capitalising on these tax-free zones, producing more large-scale events and festivals,” opines King.

“Fans love going to live shows, but mistakes are being made when such ticket price increases are attempted in markets where cost-of-living pressures have bitten hard on discretionary spending”

The main challenge for somebody like De la Serna, whose events rely so spectacularly on the overall immersive experience, is the cost of staging such events. “The main thing is the crazy increase year on year of all production costs related to putting on an event,” he says. “The cost of fuel, rentals, equipment etc. has gone through the roof compared to pre-pandemic. Also, artist fees have skyrocketed, and as such, running a successful and profitable event is more and more challenging.”

De la Serna goes on to point out that various difficult factors lead to the costs being passed on to the consumers at the point of sale. “Adding to the over-saturation in certain markets, the same lineups in many events, and these increased costs present a huge challenge for promoters, especially because, many times, these increases affect the ticket or drinks price in order to make these events successful,” he says. Promoters need to be careful not to price too many potential customers out of the market.

“Pressures are really similar to other parts of the live entertainment industry,” concurs McGregor. “Post-Covid, we have seen huge increases in labour, infrastructure, and equipment costs to stage events which, combined with substantial increases in artist performance fees, make it more challenging to deliver shows without significantly increasing historical ticket prices. Fans love going to live shows, but mistakes are being made when such ticket price increases are attempted in markets where cost-of-living pressures have bitten hard on discretionary spending. Getting the balance right is tougher than ever.”

“There’s also a risk of losing talented live artists,” reckons McGaw. “There’s a need for diversity in live spaces, and the importance of representing various paces and styles of music. There is a risk of the industry becoming too homogeneous and programmers taking a cookie-cutter approach.”

Noting that the sector is definitely not immune to the cost-of-living crisis, ticketing exec King tells IQ, “Trends observed through the analysis of our data show that sales are still strong but that many are happening much later in the campaign as eventgoers delay their decisions about making purchases.

“Our customers are more inclined to part ways with their hard-earned funds for events which offer more in the way of experiences”

“Our customers are more inclined to part ways with their hard-earned funds for events which offer more in the way of experiences, usually day-long events or festivals. This could include anything from VIP villages to immersive installations and secret stages.”

Nevertheless, the electronic music scene’s diversity is one of its core strengths. There are new acts breaking through all the time, spurred on by technological developments, although it takes a lot for a new act to achieve headline billing in just a few years.

In the DJ world, acts like Amelie Lens, Peggy Gou, Charlotte de Witte, and Nina Kraviz have become headliners in their own right, and these women are now at a higher earning capacity than many of their male counterparts. But more generally, there’s a tendency to undervalue the contributions of women, reflected in the continuing pay gap: women creators are nearly twice as likely as men to discover they are being paid less than their peers in the same or similar roles, according to the IMS Business Report.

The report also states that on principle download site Beatport, Afro-house is now the tenth-biggest genre, indicating the ever-growing influence of African electronic music culture. Elsewhere, on youth platform TikTok, the hashtag #Amapiano (a subgenre of kwaito and house music) saw nearly 10bn views, up 166% on its previous year.

The challenge for the industry is to continue to cement diversity within lineups and to continue to expand into growing markets without compromising on fees and production in a way that short-changes the paying punter.

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The global live scene was the biggest driver as the value of the electronic music industry grew by 17% to $11.8 billion (€11bn) last year, according to the newly published IMS Business Report 2024.

Live revenues were up 35% in 2023 – the strongest growth of any sector by a wide margin – as the takings of 15 of the world’s leading music companies, across labels, publishers, DSPs and live, soared by 18%.

The report, which is authored by MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan, was presented yesterday on the first day of the annual IMS (International Music Summit) Ibiza conference, which is being held at the Mondrian Ibiza and Hyde Ibiza hotels in Cala Llonga from 24-26 April.

“2022 was an unusual year, in that it reflected the post-pandemic bounce back effect for live,” says Mulligan. “There was a risk that 2023 would struggle to live up to those inflated expectations, but instead the electronic music industry grew strongly once again, with impressive growth across virtually all of its constituent parts.”

Festivals and clubs continued to dominate revenues, making up nearly half of the industry total. Ibiza club ticketing revenue reached €141 million in 2023, up 14% year-on-year and 76% from the last pre-pandemic year of 2019. The average ticket price increased from €44 in 2022 to €51 in 2023, illustrating the strength of demand.

“Pent-up lockdown interest has translated into two years of increased demand, with tickets both more expensive and sold in larger quantities”

“The pandemic rocked the live music sector, but it ended up triggering what Pollstar called a ‘new golden age’ for live music,” it continues. “Pent-up lockdown interest has translated into two years of increased demand, with tickets both more expensive and sold in larger quantities.

“With streaming an increasingly commodified and convenient experience, the contrast with the vibrant, fan-fuelled live experience is becoming ever more pronounced.”

A total of 66% of survey respondents said they saw the number of events and bookings increase on the previous year, with 65% reporting an upturn in booking fees. However, just 12% said they found securing bookings easier than in 2022 – 40% said gigs were generally paying less (15% disagreed and 45% were neutral) and 41% said they were finding it harder to get gigs (17% disagreed/41% neutral), with 51% saying DJing was a bigger source of income than royalties (24% disagreed/24 neutral%).

“Survey respondents from the live sector saw their industry continuing its return to growth in 2023, with all metrics improving except securing bookings,” says the report. “On the DJ side, this means more DJs competing for slots. On the events side, it means more competition for the best DJs. DJs are finding the post-Covid world to be one in which gigs are harder to find and they are getting paid less for them.”

The study points out there was also notable growth in festivals/clubs, recordings and publishing, while Tomorrowland’s TikTok LIVE reached 16 million unique viewers across both festival weekends. As a result, Tomorrowland became the biggest festival account on the platform with 5.7 million followers.

“The pent-up demand experienced in 2022 is also reflective of a new generation coming through who are proving to be passionate, loyal, and keen to experience everything possible”

“The new IMS Business Report reflects how deeply electronic music is now integrated into mainstream culture – from festivals to films, finance to fashion – with the genre now ever-present in society,” adds IMS co-founder Ben Turner. “We had shifted from segregated stages or one-off moments to an always-on culture that is hard to get away from.

“It’s testament to the industry that the valuation is now showing continual growth post-pandemic. The pent-up demand experienced in 2022 is also reflective of a new generation coming through who are proving to be passionate, loyal, and keen to experience everything possible.”

On gender issues, 82%  of participants felt the industry was doing well with regards to diversity of lineups and employees, compared to 61% on ensuring safe performing environments, 59% on robust reporting measures for inappropriate behaviour and 56% on ensuring safe collaboration spaces.

“Respondents are broadly positive about the electronic music industry’s approach to supporting non-male artists and staff,” it surmises. “But with many women still facing challenges, there may be a perception gap between how positive things look versus how they actually are.

“Women creators are nearly twice as likely as men to discover they are being paid less than their peers in the same or similar roles. When these creators are held back from progression at every stage, how can we expect the industry to be diverse? If we want to see more diversity in headliners, the work begins with treating — and paying — all creators fairly from the start.”

The next edition of IQ Magazine will feature an in-depth health check on the electronic music sector by DJ Mag editor-in-chief Carl Loben, in partnership with IMS. Revisit last year’s report here.

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IMS Ibiza has revealed a new destination for the 15th edition of its electronic music summit.

Co-hosted by BBC Radio 1 broadcasters Pete Tong MBE and Jaguar, the annual conference will be held at the newly opened Mondrian Ibiza and Hyde Ibiza hotels in Cala Llonga from 24-26 April 2024, with programming to take place across both venues.

In a rare keynote, Tomorrowland founder Michiel Beer will share insights into the festival’s evolution in Tomorrowland: 20 Years of Innovation, which will also look at the impact of the Tomorrowland Foundation.

Other panel highlights announced so far include Ninja Tune: Unveiling The Wizardry Behind One Of Electronic Music’s Greatest Independent Labels with the label’s co-founder Matt Black, while Rebuilding Our Community: How To Bring Back Peace, Love, Unity & Respect will examine how the industry can respect and restore its values.

Elsewhere, Amplifying Amapiano: The Journey of a Genre From The Township to the Global Stage will unpack the genre’s cultural influence as it transcends borders, and Defected Records CEO Wez Saunders and founder Simon Dunmore will reflect on the journey of the label in 25 Years of Defected: Life After An Acquisition. IMS is also bringing back its Market Focus format to take a deep dive into the scene in Germany.

“Now that the industry has (mostly) enjoyed its bounce-back, this is the real test of stability as consumer habits settle down”

“IMS continues with our third and most important edition since the pandemic, but also our 15th event in Ibiza,” says IMS co-founder and lead curator Ben Turner. “Now that the industry has (mostly) enjoyed its bounce-back, this is the real test of stability as consumer habits settle down. It is also a moment where global events have impacted the unity of our scene, presenting many with challenging decisions to make.

“IMS also moves to a new property in Cala Llonga, a stunning part of our magical island that is now home to the new Mondrian Ibiza and Hyde Ibiza hotels, and now IMS. We can’t wait to host everybody again and continue to help set and drive the conversation.”

Delegates will also be able to experience parties and events on the island, including the IMS Dalt Vila closing celebration.

IMS Ibiza is partnering with climate action partner EarthPercent, with 1% of all IMS Ibiza 2024 delegate badge purchases to be donated to the charity. The levy will also be applied to all event sponsors.

“We’re delighted that IMS have made the pledge of 1% contributions to EarthPercent,” says artist and EarthPercent co-founder Brian Eno. “The funds will go towards some of the most impactful climate and environmental solutions around the world.

“We’re in the middle of the most challenging crisis we will ever face and the music industry has an amazing opportunity to champion action. It’s hard to know what to do but we know that uniting voices, values, and funds can make a huge difference so we’d love others to join IMS in the movement too.”

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With the annual IMS Report noting that electronic music revenues grew by more than one third to reach $11.3 billion in 2022, and that nearly half of all dance music revenue came from festivals and clubs, the genre’s impact on live events has never been greater. DJ Mag editor-in-chief Carl Loben reports.

The rise of electronic music has been embraced – some might argue facilitated – by festival organisers the world over creating dance arenas as part of their annual offerings to the masses.

The recent International Music Summit (IMS) Report found that 39% of all festival bookings are electronic music artists. This stat was up from 33% in 2021 and indicates that the electronic music industry is riding high, coming out of the pandemic.

At the same time, electronic acts such as Prodigy, Bonobo, Orbital, Leftfield, Fatboy Slim, Hot Chip, and Overmono are currently on the road touring both indoor and outdoor venues, while the likes of Chemical Brothers, Rudimental, and others have plans for later in the year.

“Yeah, if you look at the live figures, electronic music is about 30% up – it’s really strong,” says Maria May, head of electronic at CAA. “It’s a genre in itself; it’s a serious business. They can’t pretend it’s just a party anymore. Electronic music is worth being a part of and investing in.”

May credits early dance music festivals in the UK around millennium time, such as Creamfields and Homelands, as being barometers for what was to come. “The desire for people to meet in a field and dance under the stars is pretty tribal, isn’t it?” she says. “Now there’s lots of organised gatherings for everyone – young people are always going to need to come together and let go.”

“Incorporating a visual element into my shows has been an essential aspect of my artistic expression”

Time was when electronic dance music was thought of as a bit of a joke by the mainstream music industry. Dance acts were made to mime their hit rave tunes on the UK’s Top Of The Pops television show, and there were mutterings from the rock quarter that dance wasn’t ‘real’ music played by ‘real’ musicians.

The DJ has now been elevated from the music provider in the corner of a dark club, more or less on a par with the glass collector, to bona fide mainstage superstar. A DJ act – such as Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred again.. – can now headline Coachella and doesn’t always need eye-popping visuals to carry a show.

However, many DJs positively embrace the multimedia aspect of their art. “Incorporating a visual element into my shows has been an essential aspect of my artistic expression,” Irish producer and artist Rebūke tells IQ. “I am trying to find ways to evoke emotion and create a unique atmosphere, and by adding visuals, I can transport fans into another world. The visuals I create serve as an extension of my music, allowing me to tell a story and evoke specific moods that complement it.”

He continues, “Each visual I design plays a part in the story that aligns with the theme of the music. The aim is to engage fans on multiple sensory levels. This year, in Mexico City, we depicted a TV head man with glass shattering, symbolising the breaking of societal norms and inviting fans to question their own perceptions. In the second visual debut at The Brooklyn Mirage in New York, the story continues as the man walks through a portal into a new world, representing a transformation and the exploration of uncharted territories. These visuals are sync’d with the music in real time, allowing me to fuse sound and imagery.”

Breaking Down Barriers
There is still some resistance from some areas of the music industry to booking headline DJs for mixed-genre festivals, however. “It’s an ongoing battle for agents and the more conventional rock & roll promoters to get them onside, and in the most part, the general vibe is to not let a DJ on the mainstage,” says May. “But when you have a DJ who is selling more records than all the live acts put together on the festival, there is an argument to say that if a DJ is putting on a really
good show – visuals, all the rest of it – then it can be on a par with a rock band. I’m sure people who play guitar music will kill me for saying this, and it’s not the same – but it’s still valid entertainment.”

“As a result of the pandemic, people started realising that night culture is more than dancing at night — it’s a way for young people to experiment and explore who they are and find their identity”

“The rise of electronic music has broadened people’s perceptions of what music is and how it’s experienced,” says Monty McGaw, head of electronic at Untitled Group events company in Australia. “DJs can be captivating; people love witnessing skilful mixing and track selection. Electronic music events often carry a broader message or theme, such as political messages, equality, or the importance of community. Balancing these diverse elements requires careful planning, coordination, and creativity to deliver a compelling and memorable live experience.

“Electronic music emerged from communities that were often marginalised and underground, which initially limited its acceptance and recognition by the mainstream music industry,” McGaw continues. “The cultural and societal factors surrounding its origins and early development played a role in the industry’s initial resistance to accepting it as a legitimate genre deserving of equal status.”

Meindert Kennis, co-director of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) – the biggest annual gathering of the electronic music industry – reckons that the prevalence of electronic music on daytime radio in the Netherlands and the UK over the past 30-odd years, and in the USA over the past 15 years after the David Guetta-spearheaded explosion, has led to electronic’s widespread acceptance.

“Also, as a result of the pandemic, people started realising that night culture is more than dancing at night — it’s a way for young people to experiment and explore who they are and find their identity,” he adds. “It’s something you do preferably under cover of the night and is a real important part of the development of young people.”

Kennis additionally makes the point that when the pandemic took away young people’s opportunities to go out and gather together at music events, mental health problems began to accumulate. “Especially in the cultural and government worlds, they started realising that once you took it [away], problems started to appear with young people, and they realised that this is playing a really important part [in] young people’s development,” he says.

“Electronic music, unlike some other genres, has the ability to transcend language and cultural differences”

ADE began in 1996 as a way of bringing the Dutch electronic music scene together and has grown exponentially into the largest gathering of the electronic music industry in the calendar year.

“ADE has become a tentpole moment – the whole industry has a big red circle around October, when it’s going to be here in Amsterdam,” Kennis says. “So at least for those days, Amsterdam is the centre of the electronic music world.” The existence of conferences such as ADE, IMS in Ibiza, WMC in Miami, plus BMC and AVA in the UK, and others, helps strengthen the industry and also aids the local scene where those events are based. “If you have such a moment, that’s very beneficial for a local artist,” Kennis says. “And for night culture as a whole in general.”

International
Electronic music has found it easier to find global appeal than most other musical styles. “Electronic music, unlike some other genres, has the ability to transcend language and cultural differences,” says Monty McGaw, noting that it is less dependent on lyrical content. “I think this has helped to facilitate its global appeal and contributed to its profitability,” he says.

And it comes in many guises. One glance at leading digital download platform Beatport’s sub-genre categories – from tech-house to amapiano, drum & bass, dubstep, trance, techno, and more – gives an indication as to the variety on offer.
“Electronic music is prone to different genre popularity waves,” concurs McGaw. “One year this genre is popular, another year another genre is popular, but what remains is the experience — which is also a link to the live sector.

“It’s more skewed towards the experience of being at a festival or being at a live electronic music event, which is different to a more traditional rock or pop concert,” McGraw continues. “That experience has a really profound influence on how people spend their free time. So, it doesn’t really matter which genre is popular at any one time — that whole feeling of being yourself just stays.”

“The mainstage artists are the ones who sell the tickets, and we’re now building strong headliners who are creating legacies”

Drawing parallels with artists and musicians who make the majority of their revenues through live performance, experts acknowledge that since the bottom fell out of record sales in the early noughties, producers have had to become DJs, helped in their efforts by the growth in the number of electronic music events, as well as the festival business mushrooming internationally.

“Festivals really added to our business – a lot of artists’ careers are based on festivals that take place throughout the summer,” observes CAA’s May. “There’s still room for the DJ in a dark tent with nothing but lasers as well: that still creates a moment at a festival. If you’re a young kid stumbling into that and discovering it for the first time, it could be as magical as the mainstage. But the mainstage artists are the ones who sell the tickets, and we’re now building strong headliners who are creating legacies.”

Many electronic artists now incorporate audio-visual elements into their shows. “Everyone – such as Peggy Gou and Solomun at Sónar this year – is bringing a big production show. They want to express themselves musically but also visually, so that’s very natural, and the facilities are better than ever,” says Enric Palau, co-founder of Sónar, the specialist electronic music festival that’s set a gold standard for discerning bookings since its inception in Barcelona 30 years ago.”

Indeed, Palau observes that the electronic scene can offer a more sustainable approach to touring. “Festivals such as ours provide the equipment for [artists] to come with their shows with very little equipment; sometimes they only need to bring the content, because we provide the set-up for the live show,” he says. “So, with Bicep and Aphex Twin, for instance, they really want to bring the live visual aesthetic of their show. It’s important for the artists.”

Sónar is obsessed with sound quality, Palau adds, and makes the point that many pop acts, such as Beyoncé and The Weeknd, are now 90% electronic.

“If we like the music and think it’s bringing a new thing to the scene, we’ll book them no matter if they’re underground or commercial”

Sónar booked the Beastie Boys and a newly rebooted Kraftwerk in its early days and has often been the place where a lot of international artists, like Goldfrapp and M.I.A., played their first shows out of the UK. But otherwise, they haven’t been tempted to go down the commercial route and book more mainstream dance stars such as Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia or David Guetta. “Probably the closest we got to that EDM phenomena was bringing Steve Aoki at the very beginning,” says Palau.

“If we like the music and think it’s bringing a new thing to the scene, we’ll book them no matter if they’re underground or commercial,” says Palau’s colleague Ventura Barba, Sónar’s executive director. “We’re happy that we’ve discovered a whole raft of artists that then became really big players – whether it’s Daft Punk or other artists where we did their first international shows at Sónar, and they went on to become superstars. This has happened quite a few times.”

Global Appeal
With multiple editions all around the world, Sónar encapsulates the boom in demand for electronic events.
In addition to traditional hubs such as Ibiza and Las Vegas, Berlin has a huge electronic scene, especially for techno. Amsterdam is also a recognised capital, while in the Czech Republic there’s an annual drum & bass festival called Let It Roll, which attracts international attention.

Spain, meanwhile, is big on breakbeat, Australia and New Zealand have big tests around New Year, and back in the northern hemisphere, Croatia has myriad dance festivals in the summer, while EXIT in neighbouring Serbia has been part of the genre’s makeup since the year 2000.

More recently, Israel has grown in stature, Egypt has hosted many events, including a recent show by Carl Cox at the Pyramids, while some of the huge investments pouring into Saudi Arabian nightlife have been targeted at the electronic community.

“The importance of inclusion and diversity is being listened to more, from Ibiza to festivals globally”

And as one of the fastest growing genres for events, China and India have become emerging electronic markets, Japan is already a big player, and other hotspots like Singapore and Thailand are on the rise, too.

Basically, electronic music is everywhere; it’s gone global.

Steven Braines of touring polysexual club brand HE.SHE.THEY. reveals, “We’re now in 40 cities, which is 20 more than we were pre-pandemic, with more territories planned especially for next year. The importance of inclusion and diversity is being listened to more, from Ibiza to festivals globally.”

Braines believes that experiential events such as Elrow, Defected’s glamorous Glitterbox brand and HE.SHE.THEY. – which have a lot of performers as well as quality DJs – are particularly doing well, as are events for “Instagram moments, like Tale Of Us’s Afterlife or Eric Prydz’s HOLO show with 3D visuals.

High-end Production Values
Event production in the dance areas at festivals, such as Boomtown and Glastonbury in the UK, not to mention behemoths such as Tomorrowland in Belgium and the travelling Elrow Town, has become next level, designed for an immersive, awe-inspiring experience. Even though many music fans choose to face the DJ – and sometimes, annoyingly, film them on their phones – the emphasis is on participating in the event, rather than passively watching on. This communal way of consuming electronic music could provide the answer to the question as to why electronic music acts – specifically DJ-led ones – don’t transfer very well to TV.

“Consumer confidence and buying trends have been a challenge. A lot of people have shifted their spending priorities due to financial constraints”

This alternative way of consuming music explains why the pandemic – when the events industry ground to a halt – was somewhat catastrophic for the electronic music industry. No manner of livestreams from unusual locations could make up for the fact that music lovers weren’t able to gather together in real life.

“You cannot beat that wonderful experience of being surrounded by your peers – from every generation, across the board,” says May. “At more events I go to, there’s older people mixed with younger people, and it can be the nicest vibe. It can be three generations appreciating electronic music together.”

Untitled Group’s McGaw thinks the Internet and streaming services have had a huge influence on electronic music. “The ability to connect with people over the Internet so easily has facilitated the growth of subcultures and has exposed electronic music to a wider audience,” he states.

Everyone interviewed for this article agreed that there have been challenges coming back from the pandemic, such as people leaving the industry; a shortage of infrastructure (festival staging, portaloos, fencing etc); increased costs all round; and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“Consumer confidence and buying trends have been a challenge,” says McGaw. “A lot of people have shifted their spending priorities due to financial constraints. We’ve been navigating these changing consumer sentiments by adapting our strategies to regain and maintain the confidence and interest of our audience.”

“As long as we’re still being creative and don’t forget that at the heart of everything is the rave, then we’ll continue to do really good business”

But there’s no doubt, in general, that the electronic sector has bounced back, in many cases stronger than ever.

“We came back really healthy,” says Sónar’s Barba. “It was a little difficult to start the engine again because a lot of professionals from the industry were doing other things. But we came back very strong, reconnecting with our loyal fans but also with other audiences who we had the luxury to connect with through online channels during the pandemic. The 2022 edition was one of the best – the second-best year in terms of figures.”

The IMS Report states that the live sector in 2022 grew by $16.7bn – a huge amount. “Growth was skewed by the fact that 2020 saw a significant dwindling of live events during lockdown, rallying slightly in 2021,” the report also states.

To crunch some more numbers from the IMS Report: only 15% of all electronic festival bookings were for female DJs, a figure that is growing but is still a way off the parity that equality and fairness demands.

Overall, dance music live revenues were up 65% on 2021, reaching $4.1bn, and nearly half of total revenues came from festivals and clubs.

The future is looking bright for the electronic music live sector, then, although CAA’s May warns against complacency. “Things go in circles,” she says. “At the moment, we’ve got electronic music flying high, but are we in the lead-up to the next big indie band coming through because dance music is so everywhere?

“People’s tastes change. The future is definitely bright, because I’m not seeing a lack of young people who want to experience electronic music. As long as we’re still being creative and don’t forget that at the heart of everything is the rave, then we’ll continue to do really good business. Because young people just want to go out and dance.”

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The resurgence of the live sector has helped power the global dance music to new heights, according to a new report.

Presented during today’s opening day of the International Music Summit (IMS) in Ibiza, the IMS Business Report 2023 is authored by MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan and puts the valuation of the electronic business at $11.3 billion (€10.2bn) – 16% higher than pre-pandemic and 34% growth year-on-year.

Festivals and clubs represented nearly half of all dance industry revenue in 2022, while Ibiza club ticketing revenue reached €124 million, up from the €80m generated in 2019, as ticket sales rose 25% to 2.5 million. However, live revenues of $4.1bn still fell short of the $4.4bn garnered in the last pre-Covid year.

“The pandemic shone a harsh light on the industry’s heavy reliance on live,” notes the report. “Now, that reliance is even higher because of live’s huge growth.”

The publication describes 2022 as “a big year overall” for the live industry, as the top 100 global tours reported a 276% increase in revenue, while Live Nation revenues soared 166%. Elsewhere, bookings for the top 100 DJs increased by 314%, according to Viberate.

“After a couple of pandemic-impacted years, the global dance music industry is back in top gear”

Electronic music artists made up 39% of all festival bookings, up from 33% the previous year, although female DJs saw their share of the top 100 DJ bookings fall from 21% to 15% in the same period.

“MIDiA Research is proud to have compiled the 2023 edition of the IMS Business Report, building on the great work of its previous authors,” says Mulligan. “After a couple of pandemic-impacted years, the global dance music industry is back in top gear and this report reflects how growth has returned across all the various aspects of its thriving business.”

The dance sector’s increase in value has also been attributed to a resurgent creator tools sector, plus music publishing, which grew more than two times faster than recordings in the previous year “underpinned by steady improvements in rates paid to publishers and songwriters”.

“Overall the indicators are positive and the future is bright, with more recovery in live still to come as well as future growth in the publishing sectors,” it states. “In addition, the long term growth of creator culture is set to make dance music even more influential on wider music culture in the immediate future.”

“We’ve always been very transparent about the business report – every year it needs to get better and better, more robust and more bulletproof”

Discussing the report with IQ ahead of publication, IMS co-founder Ben Turner predicted it would highlight a “strong bounceback” for the scene, adding that what began as a “bit of fun” had “turned into something very serious”.

“The value has become quite a talking point in the industry and the business world, with so many eyes on electronic music and so many big companies invested into it,” he said. “We’ve always admired the work that MIDiA do around music and data, and Mark’s come at it with a fresh approach.

“There are two elements to the report. One, last year’s report was a return but was based on 2021 numbers, so I expect a big uplift in terms of the actual valuation. But MIDiA have also integrated some new metrics in there based around creative economy and even music publishing, which was [previously] very lightly looked at in our business report.

“We’ve always been very transparent about the business report – every year it needs to get better and better, more robust and more bulletproof.”

Around 1,500 delegates are expected at this year’s IMS, which runs until Friday (28 April).

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Barcelona Beach Festival (BBF) will not be held in 2023, promoter Live Nation has announced.

The electronic dance music event, which draws around 70,000 fans to Platja del Fòrum each July, featured superstar DJs such as Marshmello, Armin Van Buuren, Steve Aoki and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.

However, organisers say the city council has refused to grant the relevant licences to enable this year’s event to go ahead.

“We communicate with great sadness to the music lovers who have been part of this amazing family during all these years, that due to the refusal of the city council of Sant Adrià de Besòs to grant us the necessary licences, and the impossibility of finding another location with the ideal conditions to make possible the celebration of the festival within a workable timeframe, this year the BBF will not take place,” says a statement to fans.

“The whole BBF team is working hard to find a new location”

“During the seven years of the festival we have not created any problem or had any incidents within the community, and we have always respected all safety regulations, as well as the natural environment of the beach.”

First staged in 2014, the festival has welcomed the likes of Avicii, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Alesso, Axwell & Ingrosso, The Chainsmokers, Lost Frequencies, Kygo, Don Diablo, Oliver Heldens and DJ Snake.

On a more positive note, promoters say they are hopeful of finding a new site to host the event next year.

“The whole BBF team is working hard to find a new location and as soon as we have one, we will let you know,” adds the statement. “In 2024, we will spread smiles again, from wherever it is, so that music will never stop being our best way to celebrate life!”

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Superstruct Entertainment’s ID&T has purchased a stake in fellow Dutch electronic music promoter Apenkooi Group.

The strategic partnership with Superstruct and ID&T is designed to accelerate the company’s trajectory, unlocking new opportunities for the group in the areas of brand partnerships activation and events sustainability.

Launched in 2004 with a local party in the Utrecht-based Club Monza, Apenkooi’s portfolio has grown to include brands such as DGTL, STRAF_WERK, Pleinvrees, Amsterdam Open Air and The Gardens of Babylon. It also organises festivals internationally and promotes Elrow events in the Netherlands.

“ Joining a global platform of industry-leading, like-minded entrepreneurs will take Apenkooi to the next level and enable our company to seize the numerous growth opportunities within electronic music events brand partnerships and sustainability,” says Jasper Goossen CEO and co-founder of Apenkooi.

ID&T, which signed a partnership agreement with Superstruct last year, runs events such as Mysteryland, Defqon.1, Awakenings, and Milkshake.

“We are very happy and proud to welcome so many talented and passionate people to our family. Not only does Apenkooi have an amazing portfolio with brands such as DGTL, STRAF_WERK and Pleinvrees, we also have been partners already in several festivals such as Amsterdam Open Air, Valhalla and By the Creek for many years,” adds ID&T Group CEO Ritty van Straalen.

“In addition to the many popular festivals, their in-house brand partnership agency will also become part of the group. For the ID&T brand partnership team this is a very important step to further expand the partnership portfolio with commercial and qualitative propositions.”

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Dance music has been gradually evolving since the 1970s, embedding its influence across generations. Dance music is continually changing, uniting multiple genres, cultures, nations, and histories to create a single art form.

Therefore, not only should electronic music demand its own recognition within the arts, but it should be recognised as the one unique musical art form that acts as a conduit for all other music genres as it constantly reinvents itself.

Electronic music does not discriminate, rather it brings together, regardless of age and background. It has long been established that club and festival dance culture is a vital part of British heritage, as well as generating millions of pounds in revenue for the economy, it adds to the ever-growing nightlife tourism figures boasting 300 million visits a year across the UK.

Given the investment of many European countries in the arts sector specifically supporting and recognising the value of classic and contemporary art forms, the UK government has been under immense pressure to follow in the footsteps of their counterparts by properly funding a sector that generates significant revenues for the exchequer.

On 5 July 2020, an announcement was made by the UK culture secretary highlighting a £1.57billion (€1.73bn) arts and culture fund.

Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, said, “Our arts and culture are the soul of our nation. They make our country great and are the lynchpin of our world-beating and fast-growing creative industries. I understand the grave challenges the arts face and we must protect and preserve all we can for future generations. Today we are announcing a huge support package of immediate funding to tackle the funding crisis they face. I said we would not let the arts down, and this massive investment shows our level of commitment.”

“Electronic music has always been a popular art form that reaches a diverse number of communities, but which now finds itself excluded, even if only by narrative”

But when asked about potential support for music venues and festivals on the 9 July during Parliament, he announced the fund would “cover grassroots music venues, concert halls and indoor arenas… those wholly or mainly used for performance of live music for the purposes of entertaining an audience,” with no mention of clubs or festivals.

Sector trade bodies have continually asked for clarification from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on whether dance music clubs, festivals and events will be included, but the department has so far failed to provide assurances or clarity, so we await the details of eligibility in the coming weeks.

The industry is astounded at the government’s failure to recognise dance music clubs and events within its narrative as part of arts and culture, and continues to drive a clear message regarding its eligibility to apply for the funding in line with the live sector.

What the government fails to understand is that much of the sector operates venues that house both live and dance/recorded music events, and in many cases, they survive symbiotically in support of each other with many successful examples within the market place.

Electronic music has always been a popular art form that reaches a diverse number of communities, but which now finds itself excluded, even if only by narrative!

Surely the Government can recognise the importance of this sector to youth culture, and through the rise of the illegal rave scene recognise the value of professional regulated spaces where people can enjoy themselves and the music safely.

The industry has to now drive the agenda, as we see the tide turn between removal of risk to management of risk, it’s time to get the science to work for us.

Dance music is the world’s third most popular music genre, with an estimated audience of over 1.5 billion. But, despite the global influence and economic importance of British dance music and culture, government support and clarity on the future of the sector has so far been very limited.

Michael Kill is CEO of the UK’s Night Time Industries Association.