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EDM festival STORM returning for ‘Shanghai Summer’

China’s STORM Electronic Music Festival is to be resurrected as part of the inaugural “Shanghai Summer” International Consumption Season.

Running from July until mid-October, Shanghai Summer is being launched by Shanghai Municipal People’s Government to help attract international tourists to the city. It will include more than 100 events, including concerts, music festivals, cultural performances, art exhibitions and major sports.

Hailed as “the largest and the most influential local electronic music IP in China”, STORM is booked for Citizen Sports Park in Shanghai from 2-3 October. The festival brand was founded by Eric Chow of A2LiVE in 2013.

Starting out in Shanghai, STORM was aligned with the IMS Asia-Pacific conference and ran for five years, expanding to eight other Chinese cities and debuting an Australian spin-off at The Crescent in Sydney in 2017. DJs such as The Chemical Brothers, Axwell & Ingrosso, Marshmello, Kygo and Afrojack starred during its most recent edition.

While details of its return are currently scarce, it promises “a star-studded lineup, stunning stage production, interactive experiences and spectacular fireworks displays”. Both local and international acts are set to feature.

“STORM strongly believes in collaborations and aims to nurture the EDM culture with up-and-coming new talents”

“STORM strongly believes in collaborations and aims to nurture the EDM culture with up-and-coming new talents,” states the Shanghai Summer guidebook.

Other notable events being held under the Shanghai Summer banner are the Civilisation of Ancient Egypt Exhibition, Shanghai International Cruise Festival, City Walk Pro: Experience Shanghai Now, Shanghai Tourism Festival, Shanghai International Light Festival and ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters.

Global partners include China Mobile, China Telecom, China Eastern Airlines, Bailian Group, Jinjiang International, Ctrip, Marriott International and Cathay Pacific.

According to a press release, more than two million foreign visitors entered Shanghai through its ports from January to June this year – about 2.8x more than the same period last year.

 

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Odesza show evacuated after pyro causes brush fire

A gig by electronic music duo Odesza was cut short and the venue evacuated after pyrotechnics used for the show caused a fire to break out.

The incident occurred at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, US, on Saturday (6 July), as the band were nearing the end of their set.

“The incident commander at The Gorge confirms that there was a small brush fire last night during the Odesza show,” says a spokesperson for Grant County Sheriff’s Office. “Nobody was injured and firefighters put out the fire. The cause was pyrotechnics used during the show.

“The fire burned a small area adjacent to the concert venue. The remainder of the show was cancelled and concertgoers exited the concert venue.”

“Out of an abundance of caution and safety, the show ended without an encore”

The concert was the duo’s third in a row at the 27,500-cap outdoor site and marked the final date of their The Last Goodbye Tour.

“During the last song of Odesza’s set at the Gorge, a brush fire broke out not far from the stage,” says a statement from the Gorge. “The fire was contained and fortunately was quickly extinguished.

“Out of an abundance of caution and safety, the show ended without an encore. We truly appreciate everyone coming tonight and celebrating the end of the tour.”

 

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DEAG forms partnership with Black Mamba

Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) has formed a cooperation with Black Mamba Event & Marketing, organiser of longstanding electronic music festival Sputnik Spring Break.

The Pouch-based festival has been taking place since 2008 and is now one of the largest festivals in eastern Germany with around 30,000 visitors every year.

The 2024 edition of the festival was completely sold out, with headline performances from Cro, Scooter, Nina Chuba, Tream and Timmy Trumpet.

According to DEAG “comprehensive synergy effects with the Group, in terms of production and infrastructure as well as artist acquisition, will lead to continuous margin improvements”.

The firm claims to be the leading producer of EDM/Techno/Urban festivals in Germany, with a stable of events that includes Airbeat One, MAYDAY, NATURE ONE, Indian Spirit, Syndicate, Ruhr in Love, Toxicator and the Kessel Festival in Stuttgart. The new partnership sees DEAG accelerate its growth in this market.

“We have successfully and profitably implemented our growth strategy in the EDM festival segment since 2019”

The German domestic market leads the ranking of monthly Electronic Music listeners with 369 million, ahead of the United States. Electronic Music outperformed other genres such as Rock, Latin and Hip-Hop in terms of growth in online consumption and recorded the strongest growth worldwide in 2023, according to the IMS Business Report 2024.

“We have successfully and profitably implemented our growth strategy in the EDM festival segment since 2019,” says Detlef Kornett, Group CEO of DEAG. “The cooperation with Rico Tietze will enable us to leverage synergies throughout the Group and in various projects beyond Sputnik. This is the next big step for us at DEAG to strengthen our leading role in this segment.”

Rico Tietze, managing director of Black Mamba event & marketing, adds: “We are delighted to have found a strong cooperation partner in our segment in DEAG. Together, we will continuously improve our festival for our guests and use the network within the Group featuring other strong festivals and the experienced team for further expansion.”

DEAG organising more than 30 one-day and multi-day festival events of all music genres in its core markets of Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Spain and Ireland, attracting over 800,000 visitors each year.

Last week, the Berlin-headquartered firm spun off its hip-hop booking division into a standalone brand called District Live.

 

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A rave new world: Electronic music report 2024

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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Live biz drives electronic music value to $11.8bn

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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Tomorrowland Belgium sells out in less than a day

Tickets for the 20th anniversary edition of Tomorrowland’s flagship Belgian festival sold out in less than a day.

The electronic music extravaganza will welcome 400,000 ticket holders across two weekends to Boom, in the province of Antwerp, from 19-21 and 26-28 July.

The Brussels Times reports that around 200,000 tickets reserved for Belgian citizens were snapped up in 27 minutes, with the remaining allocation selling out by the end of the first day of the general sale.

Three-day passes cost €304, with a one-day pass priced €129. All prospective ticket buyers were required to register in advance.

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.

“It rests on the shoulders of the justice system, police, and festival organisers to ensure a responsible and safe environment for all festivalgoers”

Organisers are teaming up with local police to step up the fight against dangerous drugs at the event, including on-site testing of seized substances by the National Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology (INCC). The move follows last year’s introduction of a system to immediately process fines imposed on drug users and bring dealers to court.

“Drugs are exceedingly harmful to health and can be fatal,” justice minister Paul Van Tigchelt told The Brussels Times. “It rests on the shoulders of the justice system, police, and festival organisers to ensure a responsible and safe environment for all festivalgoers.”

Elsewhere, the fourth edition of Tomorrowland Winter, slated for Alpe D’Huez, France from 16-23 March, is also sold out.

The brand has also been exported to Brazil, while it was revealed last month that it is launching a new 10,000-cap festival in the Colombian city of Medellín, with the help of local promoter Breakfast Club.

Its newly created CORE stage is being transported to Medellín’s botanical garden for the two-day event on 11-12 May. The CORE stage debuted at Tomorrowland’s January event in Tulum, Mexico, and is slated to ‘pop up around the globe’ including at Tomorrowland Belgium.

 

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London’s ‘biggest electronic show ever’ announced

British DJ, producer and label founder Michael Bibi has announced a 45,000-cap homecoming event at London’s Finsbury Park, billed as the biggest electronic music show ever to take place in the capital.

Presented by Festival Republic and Cream, the show will take place on Saturday 6 July as part of Bibi’s One Life tour.

The 33-year-old is returning to touring after being diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of brain and spinal cancer. In December last year, he revealed he was cancer-free after undergoing intense treatment.

“I’m excited to give something back to my hometown after all the support and love I received during my cancer treatment,” says Bibi, founder of record label Solid Grooves.

“Money raised helps the incredible team at the charity to continue to provide the very best treatment and care and drives forward life-saving research”

The One Life tour will also be supporting various cancer charities including The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which supports the work of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, where Bibi received his treatment. There will be the opportunity to make a donation to the charity when purchasing tickets.

“We’re hugely grateful to Michael for his generous support of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity as part of his upcoming London show,” says Vicky Johnson, associate director of public fundraising and engagement at The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. “Money raised helps the incredible team at the charity to continue to provide the very best treatment and care and drives forward life-saving research to develop new treatments for the benefit of cancer patients globally.”

The full lineup is yet to be revealed, but promoters expect tickets to sell fast, with 200,000 sign ups already received ahead of the 26 January onsale.

 

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IMS Ibiza unveils new home for 15th edition

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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Uganda’s Nyege Nyege festival ‘safest yet staged’

Uganda’s Nyege Nyege festival has provided a $10 million boost to the country’s economy despite international visitors being warned to stay away due to a heightened terror threat.

The US, UK and Irish embassies all urged citizens to avoid the electronic music festival, which was held in Jinja from 9-12 November. But promoter Talent Africa reports the event still attracted more than 20,000 festival-goers – including 4,000 foreign attendees – making it East Africa’s “largest tourism experience”.

Dubbed the “Tomorrowland of Africa”, Nyege Nyege featured acts such as Sho Madjozi, Vigro Deep, Eddy Kenzo, Aunty Rayzor, DJ Kampire, Boutross, Bushali, DJ Diaki, Top Klas, De Schuurman, Afrorack, Chovu, Muovipussi and Yuri.

“This year’s Nyege Nyege festival was the most spectacular ever, with more than 20,000 people – mostly Ugandans –gathering in Uganda and others from around the world to listen to more than 300 artists,” say Nyege Nyege’s Derek Debru and Arlen Dilsizian. “Most importantly at this time when there is so much suffering and war occurring in the world, it was an event that celebrated peace and joy and enabled people to share understanding and kindness together.”

The British High Commission had advised against all but essential travel due to the “growing terror threat in Uganda, including the targeting of foreigners”, while the Irish Embassy also issued a warning, with reference to “music and cultural festivals in Uganda”. The US Embassy, meanwhile, encouraged individuals to “reconsider attendance at upcoming large public gatherings”, citing “increased terrorist activity”.

“People were given a chance to share a special experience in Jinja – and to do so in a safe and secure environment due to the effective security provisions”

The warnings followed a number of deadly attacks in recent months in Uganda, attributed to Democratic Republic of Congo-based rebels. Three people died in an attack in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Western Uganda on 17 October, while 42 people, including 37 pupils, were killed at a secondary school in June.

Organisers say an “unprecedented security operation” ensured Nyege Nyege’s eighth edition was “the safest yet staged”. In a break from the norm, accommodation at Nyege Nyege was not provided on site, but via secure campsites set up by partnering hotels.

“For four days, people were given a chance to share a special experience in Jinja – and to do so in a safe and secure environment due to the effective security provisions that had been put in place,” they add. “People came from all over the world to party together and the result was a beautiful experience as they heard some of the most exciting musical talents not only from Africa but globally. We look forward to doing it all again next year.”

The Ugandan parliament banned the festival last year, accusing it of “promoting immorality”, but later reversed the decision. This year’s event has also been credited with the creation of 2,000 jobs directly through the festival and a further 2,000 jobs through the springing up of businesses to help facilitate visitors.

 

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Security warning over ‘Tomorrowland of Africa’

The embassies of three Western countries have warned citizens against attending an African music festival, amid a heightened terror threat.

East Africa’s biggest electronic music festival, Nyege Nyege is taking place in the city of Jinja, Uganda, from 9-12 November. Organised by Talent Africa Group, the event has been dubbed the “Tomorrowland of Africa” and is popular with international visitors who reportedly made up 5,000 of its 12,000 festival-goers last year.

However, the US and Irish embassies in Kampala, along with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), have urged people to stay away from this weekend’s eighth edition.

“Due to increased terrorist activity, US Embassy Kampala recommends that individuals exercise an elevated degree of caution and reconsider attendance at upcoming large public gatherings, such as large-scale worship services and music and cultural festivals in Kampala and Jinja,” reads a travel alert.

“The US Embassy is directing its staff to not attend the Nyege Nyege festival in Jinja from November 9-12, 2023. Due to security concerns, we advise US citizens not attend the festival.”

According to Africa News, the warnings follow a number of deadly attacks in recent months in Uganda, attributed to Democratic Republic of Congo-based rebels, who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Three people – including two honeymooning tourists – died in an attack in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Western Uganda on 17 October, while 42 people, including 37 pupils, were killed at a secondary school in June.

“There is a growing terror threat in Uganda, including targeting of foreigners”

“There is a growing terror threat in Uganda, including targeting of foreigners,” says the FCDO. “Avoid large gatherings, including large scale worship, and music and cultural festivals in Uganda.”

The British High Commission has advised against all but essential travel due to the “growing terror threat in Uganda, including the targeting of foreigners”, while the Irish Embassy has also issued a warning, with reference to “music and cultural festivals in Uganda”.

Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, played down safety concerns during a tour of the festival venue, reports The Independent.

“The president has requested me to assure you that all the major events in Jinja – starting with this one… are fully secure,” she said, adding that senior military and police officers had been deployed to oversee security at the festival.

A record label, booking agency and music studio also operate under the Nyege Nyege umbrella. Artists and DJ’s performing at this year’s event include Kampire, Aunty Rayzor, Menzi, Mika Oki, Rosa Pistola, Afrorack, Meme, Model Home and Karol Kasita. A four-day festival pass costs US$180.

The Ugandan parliament banned the festival, which was first held in 2015, in 2022, accusing it of “promoting immorality”, but later reversed the decision.

 

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