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Coldplay’s Portugal run generates €36m for economy

Coldplay’s four nights at the 50,000-capacity Estádio Cidade de Coimbra in Portugal in May generated €36 million for the local economy, according to the city council.

The Music of the Spheres shows were attended by 211,000 fans overall, with each visitor spending an average of €180, concludes the study by the Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração de Coimbra (ISCAC).

Sapo Mag reports that Portuguese promoter Everything is Now invested €545,000 in renovating the stadium to enable it to host the shows.

The concerts had attracted some controversy beforehand when it was revealed the promoter would receive €440,000 from the municipality and was exempted from “municipal fees and prices” for the concerts. The authority also spent €28,000 on restoring the stadium’s pitch.

In return, Everything is New agreed to ensure the council was included as a partner on press materials and meet assembly and disassembly deadlines. It also guaranteed there would be no damage on the athletics track and pay electricity, water and gas consumption while the stadium was being used, among other obligations.

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour began in March 2022 and will extend to a third summer

Francisco Veiga, VP of the Chamber of Coimbra, told a committee meeting the gigs offered an “intangible return” for the city, with the transport operation set up for the events also recording a €9,000 profit.

“It is worth investing in this type of concert,” he said, noting that it was only now possible to release the findings as he did not previously have “all the necessary elements” in his possession, including the amount invested in the stadium by Everything is Now.

On the possibility of the venue hosting further live music events in 2024, Veiga added: “There are many promised, but none signed.”

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, which began in March 2022, will extend to a third summer, with the dates for 2024 including the band’s first ever shows in Greece, Romania and Finland, as well as their first show in Rome since 2003 and first visit to Budapest since 2008.

 


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Everything Is New wins €440k Coldplay grant

Portuguese promoter Everything Is New will reportedly receive €440,000 from the municipality in which it is organising four Coldplay concerts.

The band will deliver four sold-out concerts at the 50,000-capacity Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, in the country’s former capital, on the 17th, 18th, 20th and 21st of May.

In a move that has sparked criticism from some councillors, Coimbra City Council has awarded Everything Is New €440,000 and exempted the promoter from ‘municipal fees and prices’ for the concerts.

In return, the promoter must ensure the council is included as a partner on press materials and within press communications. Everything Is New must also meet the assembly and disassembly deadlines between 1–25 May, guarantee that there will be no damage on the athletics track and pay electricity, water and gas consumption while the stadium is being used, among other obligations.

Mayor of the Coimbra City Council, José Manuel Silva, called the agreement “one of the best deals ever in this area for the city of Coimbra and its region” and said it serves to “place the city on the route of major world events”.

“This is one of the best deals ever in this area for the city of Coimbra and its region”

Silva also said that in addition to the media impact that the shows will generate, Coldplay’s concerts will be reflected “greatly in the local economy,” with “the two sectors directly benefiting the hotel and restoration, with obvious financial benefits”.

But although the deal was approved by a majority vote, some councillors have criticised the decision. “Direct and indirect global support for Coldplay concerts will be around one million euros,” one councillor said.

Another questioned the legality of “a large direct subsidy from the Chamber to a private company producing cultural events” and a third councillor pointed out that the council chose not to host the beloved 2023 Rally of Portugal Super Special because “there is no money”.

Mayor Silva contended that the agreement made with Everything is New is “exactly the same” as the protocol for Andrea Bocelli’s concert, in 2021, with the exception of the direct payment to the promoter.

He went on to say that the defined amount of support came about from negotiation with the promoter and there being other municipalities interested in the four Coldplay concerts. “We negotiated well and falling short of what was asked of us, we managed to get a competitive proposal and launch Coimbra on the route of major international events in the artistic field.

“Those who criticised the cancellation of the 2023 Rally of Portugal Super Special are the same ones who are now criticising Coldplay’s concerts,” said the Mayor. “Instead of bringing 20,000 people, we bring more than 200,000 people to Coimbra. The financial return is incomparably higher.”

 


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Global Promoters Report: Portugal

The Global Promoters Report, a first-of-its-kind resource that highlights the world’s leading promoters and the 40 top markets they operate in, is now available to subscribers of IQ.

In an excerpt from the guide, IQ delves into a key stop-off on all major European tours and the Latin foothold on the doorstep of Europe: Portugal.

 


Come to Portugal, they say, and get the world. A key stop-off on all major European tours by the biggest international stars, it’s also the Latin foothold on the doorstep of Europe, opening this sunny corner of the continent to acts and outdoor events from Africa and South America.

It’s in Lisbon that Brazil’s mammoth Rock in Rio extravaganza found its second home, bringing the likes of Muse, Post Malone, Duran Duran, and Black Eyed Peas to the 80,000-capacity Bela Vista Parque in June. And it’s here that major promoters including Everything Is New, Ritmos E Blues, Better World, PEV Entertainment, and Música No Coração have seen a steady return to pre-pandemic numbers, thanks to a pancultural scene mingling rock, pop, and rap with afro and Latin music.

“People were eager to get out,” says Paulo Dias, general manager of UAU, who were proud of their ability to revive the stalled 2020 STOMP shows in Portugal to full houses in 2022, precisely two years after the production was mothballed when the pandemic struck. “We still had parts of the set at the theatre, kept there since 2020! At the moment, the main problem is that there are too many shows available for a market which is not so big. And with the financial crisis on the horizon, I’m afraid we won’t have enough public buying tickets for everything on offer.”

“At the moment, the main problem is that there are too many shows available for a market which is not so big”

Yet more and more people are coming to Portugal. Tourism has boomed during 2022, and immigration has helped boost the entertainment industry. “There are very new opportunities and challenges in Portugal with the amount of foreigners moving here,” says Música No Coração MD Luis Montez. “Portugal is a very safe and economic country, with beautiful weather. It’s the best for outdoor events.”

And one of the most flexible and professional, too, as Música No Coração (MNC) proved by relocating the annual Super Bock Super Rock festival from Meco beach to Lisbon’s Parque das Nações for 2022, a feat the team achieved in just 48 hours after fire regulations were put in place around the original forested site. A$AP Rocky, Foals, and C. Tangana headlined the festival, one of MNC’s proudest moments of the year alongside Now United’s four arena gigs and the MEO Sudoeste festival in Odemira, featuring Major Lazer, Rex Orange County, and Steve Aoki.

“There are amazing conditions,” says Montez of the state of the market. “Prices in Portugal are still very good, and our professionals are highly qualified. [Although] with the rise of the cost of living, we ́ve noticed that people are buying tickets closer to the show date, and due to that we are thinking about introducing payment by instalments for our music festivals.”

“Prices in Portugal are still very good, and our professionals are highly qualified”

Montez points to beachside festivals such as Rolling Loud, held at Portimão on the Algarve, as examples of events that utilise the country’s strengths to the utmost advantage, and to November’s alternative music bonanza Super Bock em Stock in Lisbon as evidence that Portugal can host some of the finest off-season, city-based showcase festivals in the world. He does highlight one particular summer drawback, however. “Touring productions need to pay special attention to the flights,” he says. “Our airports are completely full during summer.”

Beyond solid audience connection and promotion on the myriad of online platforms, Montez says festivals such as Super Bock em Stock are key to breaking through on the Portuguese grassroots scene. “To have the opportunity to play live is the best promotion for an artist,” he says. “The grassroots scene is mixing a lot of traditional sounds with electronic music. Afro, funk, and electronic indie genres are surging a lot. EDM is declining a bit because there ́s nothing very new and awesome coming up.”

Despite some pandemic talent stagnation, Montez predicts a solid future for Portugal’s globally welcoming live industry. “With the improvement of the economic situation, the market will grow,” he says, “and the charger will be the great growth of music from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Brazil.”

 


The Global Promoters Report is published in print, digitally, and all content is also available as a year-round resource on the IQ site. The Global Promoters Report includes key summaries of the major promoters working across 40+ markets, unique interviews and editorial on key trends and developments across the global live music business.

To access all content from the current Global Promoters Report, please click here.

Major fests confirm new blockbuster acts for 2023

Major festivals including Boardmasters (UK), MEO Kalorama (PT), Fest Festival (PL), NOS Alive (PT) and Orange Warsaw (PL) have revealed new names for their 2023 editions.

Boardmasters music and surfing festival in the UK has unveiled the first wave of more than 30 acts, including two headline performers, for next year.

Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and Florence + The Machine will headline the festival in Newquay, Cornwall, on 9–13 August 2023.

Other acts announced for the Superstruct-backed event include Little Simz, Four Tet, Example, Dylan, Bob Vylan, Cassyette, Kid Kapichi, Jockstrap, Connie Constance, Gwenno, Katachafire, Gretel Hänlyn and Wunderhorse.

The festival, which usually attracts about 50,000 people, is held at Watergate Bay and Fistral beach.

Liam Gallagher and Florence + The Machine will headline Boardmasters

Organisers said “tens of thousands” had already signed up for pre-sale tickets before the general release on Friday (25 November).

Elsewhere, Portugal’s MEO Kalorama is set to return to Bela Vista Park in Lisbon between 31 August and 12 September, after a successful debut.

The second edition of the 40,000-capacity event will feature acts including Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Foals and Metronomy.

The Blaze, Amyl and the Sniffers are also slated to perform at the event, which is promoted by House of Fun and Last Tour – the cultural company behind events such as Bilbao BBK Live, Azkena Rock Festival, Cala Mijas and BIME Live.

Elsewhere in Portugal’s festival market, NOS Alive‘s first artist confirmation is American rock duo Black Keys.

The second edition of MEO Kalorama will feature Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Foals and Metronomy

The 15th edition is due to take place between 6–8 July 2023 held in the Algés riverside, close to Lisbon.

This year’s NOS Alive, promoted as usual by Everything Is New, welcomed 210,000 people over four days and 165 artists across seven stages.

Poland’s 2023 festival summer is also shaping up, with Fest Festival and Orange Warsaw detailing their forthcoming editions.

The fourth annual Fest Festival will see performances from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, 070 Shake, Gibbs, Oki, Oliver Heldens, Rubens, The Stickmen Project, Two Feet and Yungblud.

The 50,000-capacity event will once again return to Chorzów’s Silesia Park – the largest park in Europe – between 9 and 13 August, 2023. Fest Festival is promoted by Follow The Step, which also stages On Air festival in Warsaw.

Poland’s capital will also see the return of Orange Warsaw next year, taking place at the Horsetrack Warsaw-Służewiec between 2 and 3 June.

English superstar Sam Smith has been confirmed for the 14th edition of the 10,000-capacity event, promoted by Alter Art (Open’er, Krakow Live).

 


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2,000-cap. concerts take place in Portugal

Promoters in Portugal have embraced reduced-capacity shows, with the first post-lockdown concerts debuting this week.

The government in Portugal this week released guidance stating that seated live shows could restart as long as one seat is left between those who do not live together, a staggered entry and exit system is implemented, masks are worn and a distance of two metres is kept between all artists, staff and audience members.



Nos Alive promoter Everything Is New capitalised on the loosened restrictions last weekend, with two performances by Portugual’s Bruno Nogueira and Manuela Azevedo at the 5,000-capacity Campo Pequena in Lisbon.

The venue operated at 50% capacity, with 2,200 people attending each night. Tickets for the first show, at €5 each, proved so popular that the second date was added, with an increased cost of €10.

Following the success of the shows, Everything Is New is putting on a concert by singer Dino D’Santiago this Saturday (6 June), with tickets costing between €5 and €10.

“Necessity heightens resourcefulness”

Speaking to Portguese paper Blitz, Everything Is New MD Álvaro Covões, said that, although not a sustainable model in the medium term, it was important for promoters in Potugal to work with the limitations and “play the game” for now.

“Necessity heightens resourcefulness,” said Covões. “What we need to do is financial engineering.”

Other upcoming concerts in Portugal include US singer Sean Riley at the 700-capacity Teatro José Lúcio da Silva in Leira tonight (5 June, €5); Brazilian musician Pierre Aderne at the 4,300-capacity Lisbon Coliseum (13 June, €45); and shows by António Zambujo (6 June, €10), Filipe Sambado (18 June, €5) and Best Youth (2 July, €5) at the 603-capacity Teatro Aveirense in Aveiro.

Other European countries to recently ease restrictions on live events include Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic, which are allowing events of up to 500 people, Switzerland, where up to 300 people can attend a concert, Poland, where outdoor events of up to 150 people can take place and Austria, which is currently allowing 100-cap. concerts.

 


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Festival Fever: More festivals reveal their 2020 line-ups

Following on from last week’s round-up of 2020 line-up announcements,  IQ looks at a selection of festivals to see which acts will be gracing the stages in summer 2020.

(See the previous edition of Festival Fever here.)

 


Rock Werchter

When: 2 to 5 July
Where: Festival Park, Werchter, Belgium
How many: 88,000

Pearl Jam and Twenty One Pilots are the first acts announced for the 2020 edition of Rock Werchter, playing on 2 and 4 July respectively.

Founded and promoted by Live Nation Belgium CEO Herman Schueremans, Rock Werchter last year saw headline performances from Pink, the Cure, Tool, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons and Muse, in an edition that Schueremans deemed “a top result compared to a lot of festivals in Europe and the USA” that year.

Speaking at the International Festival Forum (IFF) in September this year, the Rock Werchter founder stressed the continued importance of festivals, saying they “sustain the live industry just as the Amazon rainforest sustains the world’s climate.”

Tickets for Rock Werchter 2020 go on sale on 6 December at 10 a.m. (CET), with a full festival ticket costing €243 (£207) and a single day-pass priced at €110 (£94).

Pearl Jam and Twenty One Pilots are the first acts announced for the 2020 edition of Rock Werchter

Nos Alive

When: 9 to 11 July
Where: Passeio Maritimo de Alges, Lisbon, Portugal
How many: 55,000

Everything is New’s Nos Alive festival runs on the ethos that “all stages are main stages”, last year programming acts including Johnny Marr, Primal Scream, Greta Van Fleet, Idles, Bon Iver, Grace Jones and Vampire Weekend.

The 2020 edition of the festival sees headliners Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and local favourites Da Weasel playing alongside Caribou, Two Door Cinema Club and Haim.

Portugal’s preeminent annual annual rock festival, Nos Alive is now entering its 14th year, having expanded from three stages in its inaugural year to seven, while striving to keep ticket prices low.

Tickets for Nos Alive 2020 are available now, priced at €69 (£59) for a one-day ticket and €159 (£136) for a three-day pass.

The 2020 edition of the festival sees headliners Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and local favourites Da Weasel

Latitude

When: 16 to 19 July
Where: Henham Park, Suffolk, UK
How many: 40,000

Latitude is one of a number of Festival Republic events to have enjoyed back-to-back sell-outs in recent years. The 2019 edition, which saw headline performances from George Ezra, Stereophonics and Lana Del Rey, contributed a season that, according to Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn,“genuinely couldn’t have been better.”

The 15th edition of Latitude includes headline performances from Liam Gallagher, the Chemical Brothers and Haim, with the Lumineers, Michael Kiwanuka, Keane and Charli XCX also appearing on the bill.

Gallagher, who is currently playing around the UK on the Why Me? Why Not? tour, is returning to the festival after playing as the ‘secret act’ in 2018.

Tickets for Latitude festival 2020 go on sale on 6 December at 9 a.m. (GMT). Adult weekend tickets cost £210, with accompanied teen tickets priced at $145 and child passes at £15.

Latitude is one of a number of Festival Republic events to have enjoyed back-to-back sell-outs in recent years

Isle of Wight Festival

When: 11 to 14 June
Where: Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight, UK
How many: 90,000

The Isle of Wight festival yesterday (3 December) revealed its 2020 headliners, with Lionel Richie and Lewis Capaldi playing the mainstage on the opening night, Snow Patrol and the Chemical Brothers heading up the second evening and Duran Duran closing proceedings on the Sunday.

The 2020 festival will mark the 50th anniversary of its 1970 edition, which saw headline performances from Jimi Hendrix, the Who and Joni Mitchell and constituted the last festival on the island until its 2002 resurrection.

“I’m excited to be playing at the Isle of Wight Festival next summer,” says Lionel Richie, who will make his debut appearance at the event. “It’s a festival steeped in music history – Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones have all headlined and I’m honoured to be joining the esteemed list.”

Other acts on the 2020 line-up include Happy Mondays, Kaiser Chiefs, Sam Fender, Dido, James Arthur and Primal Scream.

Tickets for the Isle of Wight Festival 2020 go on sale on 6 December at 9 a.m. (GMT), with adult weekend tickets priced at £185.

“It’s a festival steeped in music history – Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones have all headlined”

Electric Castle

When: 15 to 19 July
Where: Bannfy Castle, Cluj, Romania
How many: 50,000

Romania’s multi-genre Electric Castle festival is returning for its 8th year in 2020, with already announced acts including Twenty One Pilots, Foals, Floating Points, the Neighbourhood and Fisher.

The 2019 edition of the festival, which takes place each year in an old Transylvanian castle, saw performances from Florence and the Machine, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Limp Bizkit, Bring Me the Horizon and Chvrches.

For the second consecutive year, Electric Castle will have an area dedicated to visual artists, called the New Media Castle, which will house art installations from Robert Henke, James Clar and Claire Hentschker.

Tickets for Electric Castle 2020 are available here, with general tickets costing LEI 499 (£89) and camping passes priced at LEI 539 (£96).

Romania’s multi-genre Electric Castle festival is returning for its 8th year in 2020

Bilbao BBK Live

When: 9 to 11 July
Where: Kobetamendi, Bilbao, Spain
How many: 40,000

Set in the mountains near to the coastal city of Bilbao, BBK Live has nearly doubled in size in recent years. The Spanish festival welcomed 112,800 people from 100 different countries to its 14th edition last year, with performances from the Strokes, Rosalía, Liam Gallagher and Hot Chip.

Founded in 2006, BBK Live has seen the likes of the Police, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, New Order, Depeche Mode, Guns N’ Roses and Lenny Kravitz perform over the years.

For the 2020 edition, Kendrick Lamar, the Killers, Pet Shop Boys and Bad Bunny top the bill, playing along with Caribou, Four Tet, Supergrass, Kelly Lee Owens and Slowthai, with more acts still to be announced.

Tickets for Bilbao BBK Live are available here with a full festival pass costing €140 (£119) and camping tickets priced at €158 (£134).

For the 2020 edition, Kendrick Lamar, the Killers, Pet Shop Boys and Bad Bunny top the bill

All Points East

When: 22 to 31 May
Where: Victoria Park, London, UK
How many: 40,000

All Points East has announced another headliner since the last edition of Festival Fever. German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will perform their only UK show of the year at the festival on Friday 29 May, supported by Iggy Pop, Johnny Marr, the Orb and others.

Kraftwerk mark the second UK exclusive for the festival, adding to the headline performance from Tame Impala on Saturday 23 May.

AEG’s other London festival, British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park has added Taylor Swift and Pearl Jam to its 2020 headliner list, following the announcement of its first headline act, Little Mix, last week.

Pearl Jam will perform on Friday 10 July, as part of their 13-date European summer tour, with Swift playing on the following evening. Pixies and White Reaper will join Pearl Jam on the Friday.

Little Mix will play the opening Saturday of the concert series (4 July), along with newly announced special guests Rita Ora, Kesha and Zara Larsson.

Tickets for Kraftwerk at All Points East go on sale on 6 December at 10 a.m. (GMT). Tickets for Taylor Swift at BST will become available 6 December at 9 a.m. (GMT), with Pearl Jam tickets going on sale on 7 December at 10 a.m. (GMT).

 


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