EAA launches Europact scheme for emerging artists
The European Arenas Association (EAA) has launched the Europact programme, introducing branded live performance spaces for showcasing European emerging talent across EAA member arenas.
The initiative is part of the EAA’s strategy to support current European Commission initiatives that aim to build and strengthen the music industry across the continent.
Europact, a self-funded programme, will first be launched as a pilot scheme across a limited number of arenas. The spaces will offer opportunities for undiscovered artists to make themselves known to EAA member audiences.
An EAA spokesperson tells IQ the space dedicated to Europact performances will depend on the arena: ” If the artist can carry it there may be opportunities for an opening mainstage exposure, otherwise the space may be in lobby or bar areas,” they say. “Other multi-day events may also offer a platform.”
“The European Union is dedicating large amounts of resources to the European music sector in recognition of its talent potential and creative capacity and we are delighted to be able to offer our infrastructure and know-how in order to support these efforts,” comments John Langford, who was named EAA president in October.
“We have created Europact in order to contribute to building a sustainable European talent pipeline”
Olivier Toth, CEO of EAA member arena Rockhal (6,500-cap.) in Luxemburg, adds, “We have created Europact in order to contribute to building a sustainable European talent pipeline and to encourage the distribution of new music across national borders. Our aim is for the initial pilot scheme to become an established and recognised industry platform able to offer opportunities to young artists for many years to come.”
The EAA’s 35-arena strong portfolio includes venues in 22 countries, which collectively host over 2,500 events annually and attract 20 million fans a year.
Live music was the driving force behind the success of European arenas in 2018, as explained in IQ’s recent European Arena Yearbook, produced in partnership with the EAA and the UK’s National Arena Association (NAA).
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EU arenas report bumper year for live music
Increased venue construction and sweeping market consolidation are the major themes emerging from IQ’s latest European Arena Yearbook (EAY), as live music further strengthens its position as the driver of European arena success.
The third edition of EAY shows that boom time for Europe’s arena business is far from slowing down, with many venues surpassing the record-breaking results exhibited in EAY 2018 thanks to an increasingly diversified entertainment space and growing demand for live music events in particular.
EAY – a standalone publication replacing IQ’s traditional European Arena Report – is produced by ILMC in partnership with the European Arenas Association (EAA) and the UK’s National Arena Association (NAA). Sixty-one European arenas, which collectively sold 37 million tickets to almost 6,000 events, contributed to latest edition.
A major theme of EAY 2019 is the increasing trend towards consolidation
Live music remains on top, making up 44% of all events taking place at the European arenas surveyed – up from 37% the year before. Concerts also attracted much larger audiences than other events, with an average of 8,116 fans per show, compared to a Europe-wide event average of 6,395.
A major theme of EAY 2019 is the increasing trend towards consolidation. “The merger of AEG Facilities and SMG to form ASM Global is the most significant example of this [consolidation] in the industry since Live Nation predecessor SFX Entertainment started rolling up promoters and venues in the late 90s,” writes IQ/EAY editor Gordon Masson.
Indeed, market consolidation was deemed “very concerning” for some respondents whose venues do not belong to one of the major global players.
As always, this year’s EAY includes six in-depth regional profiles – central and eastern Europe; France and Benelux; Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA); the Nordics; southern Europe; and the UK and Ireland.
“Evolution in the business has been astounding”
The south of Europe retains its crown as the busiest market, attracting an average of 10,869 fans per event – up from 8,555 last year and far higher than its closest competitor, central and eastern Europe (7,903). A record year for the Spanish live music business and plans for a mega new arena in Valencia reflect the region’s sense of buoyancy.
New venue developments are taking place all over Europe, in fact, with major new complexes set to break ground in Germany, Russia, Finland, the UK and Italy in coming years. Masson notes that “evolution in the business has been astounding, with each new year seemingly generating more venue construction than the year before.”
Major takeaways from EAY 2019 in numbers:
Stars of the future
In terms of future growth, the Nordics lead the way, with a predicted growth rate of >1% for 2021. The UK and Ireland are the only other region expecting growth, with a drop for all others, not least for central and eastern Europe, with predictions of a decline of almost 4%.
Creeping concerns
An overriding sense of positivity emerges from the arenas surveyed, but some concerns do creep in. Ticket prices, increasing production costs and the threat from competition are among the top worries for respondents, with the state of the economy and industry consolidation not far behind.
Ticket prices: the eternal bugbear?
Although ticket prices remain at the top of industry concerns for 2018, deemed as ‘worrying’ or ‘extremely worrying’ by 22% of respondents, the average ticket price across all events fell slightly compared to the previous year (from €44.34 to €43.49). Music events, which continue to be the most expensive, also experienced a dip, from €54.88 to €53.23.
For more insights, read IQ’s European Arena Yearbook 2019 here.
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