Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) CEO Detlef Kornett has spoken to IQ about the firm’s latest acquisition and how it fits into a wider expansion strategy.

Today, the Berlin-based live entertainment giant announced its first foray in Italy with the acquisition of Milan-based rock promoter MC² Live.

MC² Live was launched after the company’s founders, Andrea and Stefano Pieroni, sold a 51% stake in their former business, Vertigo, to CTS Eventim in 2017.

DEAG says the brothers will continue to manage MC² Live in the long term together with their team, who will all remain with the company.

Speaking about his admiration for the company’s leader, Kornett told IQ: “Andrea has been in the industry for decades and has a very impressive roster of artists and bands that he works with internationally, as well as Italian-language acts.”

“We have had a very impressive growth curve and I believe this acquisition will help us to continue on that path”

Over the past few decades, the stalwart promoter has organised numerous concerts, festivals and events with stars such as Judas Priest, Slipknot, Rammstein, 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Eros Ramazzotti and Negrita.

“MC² are of a certain size already so this is a very important step for DEAG where we can really funnel growth, and that’s what DEAG has been all about these years,” says Kornett. “We have had a very impressive growth curve and I believe this acquisition will help us to continue on that path.”

Indeed, DEAG has been on an acquisition spree in the past 12 months, entering the Spanish market in late 2023 with the launch of subsidiary Get Rock Live (GRL) and acquiring three companies in the first six months of 2024. With the acquisition of MC² Live, DEAG is now present in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Spain and Italy.

“Benelux, The Netherlands is an obvious gap in our marketplace, and at the same time it’s not an easy market – it’s set in a certain way – so the right opportunity would need to arise for us to expand there,” explains Kornett. “That doesn’t mean that we’re not in conversations, it is just not right yet.”

Though the company is bullish in its international expansion, Kornett insists that being a pan-European company is not the main goal.

“Obviously, there are still so many white spots for DEAG on the European map and we will continue to explore those opportunities”

“Obviously, there are still so many white spots for DEAG on the European map and we will continue to explore those opportunities but the partnership has to fit,” he explains.

“The importance is really on the people, the way they conduct business and relationships, and the fit. The way Andrea maintains his relationships, the way he budgets for his events, the way he settles his events fits very well with us.”

Kornett says he’s excited to capitalise on the opportunities available in the Italian live music market alongside MC².

“There’s a huge opportunity for international rock and pop in the market and the Italian language music sector is very important and very big, but it’s also very divided between some major players,” he says.

“There are only very few independents left but now Andrea has a strong partner to continue to be independent in that market. Italy is no different to the UK or Germany, there are opportunities for independent, boutique-type promoters like us, and we intend to take full advantage of that.”

DEAG has set its sights on becoming “a company with more than €500 million in revenues”

The company has already shared ambitions to take some of its pre-existing event brands to the Italian market and introduce some new ones.

“MC² and Andrea have traditionally been focused on Italian artists and international rock and pop,” he says, nodding to the firm’s upcoming shows with Iron Maiden, Pantera, Skunk Anansie and Falling in Reverse.

“I think there are elements within rock that we can add but we would look for synergies the other way. We do all kinds of events in the non-music sector from the spoken word events to the light trails to the family shows to the classical music to jazz. – so we will explore all of these opportunities. Is the market ready for it? Does it work? If it works, then let’s give it a shot!”

While DEAG continues to expand in Europe, the firm has set its sights on becoming “a company with more than €500 million in revenues”. Its highest-ever revenue was €325 million in 2022.

“We will go some way towards that goal in 2025 but it’s more of a three-year plan,” says Kornett. “It’s all in the bottom line, so we have to find the right balance in our portfolio in order to achieve that. We’ve been at 8–9% margin – another thing we hope to grow next year. This year nothing was easy but I generally feel that the business will be in a better flow in 2025.”

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Belgium’s Live is Live is the latest festival to expand by a day for 2024, following similar announcements from Austria’s Nova Rock and Spain’s Mad Cool.

Live is Live, promoted by FKP Scorpio Belgium, has also announced two headliners for the event: The National and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Last year, the event moved from Zeebrugge in Bruges to Linkerover in Antwerp, where it will once again take place in 2024 between 28 and 30 June.

“Three festival days, that was always the intention’

“Three festival days, that was always the intention,” Jan Digneffe of FKP Scorpio Belgium told GVA. “Last year that was not possible because we were able to offer a strong programme for only two days. This will be in line with that of the previous edition. The National already played at our first edition in Zeebrugge but this time they will perform a full set of two and a half hours. It will be an incredible experience for the fans.”

Discussing further changes to the festival, Digneffe added: “We have been able to take a good look at the previous edition. Because it was so hot, and we were all puffing away, we wanted to optimise the site in that sense. One of the two dog ponds on the Middenvijver will be added to our festival site, as will a group of trees that can provide more shade. This way we provide more space for visitors.”

Live is Live will announce more acts in the coming months.

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Platinumlist, a leading ticketing and event solutions company in the Middle East, is planning to open offices in the UK and Europe at the beginning of 2024.

The Dubai-headquartered firm currently deals in concerts and attractions in 18 cities across Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.

“By the end of the year will be fully operating in all the GCC regions,” Platinumlist MD Vassiliy Anatoli told IQ. “With regards to worldwide expansion, we have also opened in Turkey and plan to open offices in the UK and Europe in Q1 of 2024.”

The company launched in Turkey in June this year, with two concerts at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul by Iraqi singer Majid Al Mohandis and Syrian singer Assala Nasri.

“We have been particularly successful in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain which provided the majority of the growth”

“We discovered there are plenty of synergies in this region to our audience and our network of event organisers” continued Anatoli. “We aim to add to this thriving market by enabling more organisers to hold events in Turkey from our existing territories and visa versa. Moreover, we want to enable our audiences to discover Turkey as a holiday destination. We can confidently say that we are able to offer competitive event and attraction technology in B2B and B2C sectors in Turkey.”

Speaking about the company’s success in the Middle East, Anatoli said: “We have been particularly successful in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain which provided the majority of the growth. In Saudi Arabia, we are working on major projects with the Saudi Gaming Federation as well as the Ministry of Culture mega project and MDL Beast. In Bahrain, we are working with Formula1 Bahrain Grand Prix and Sun Waves Festival as well as concerts by major international acts such as Maroon 5, 50Cent, Westlife, and more in Al Dana Amphitheatre.”

Platinumlist launched its own iOS and Android app after the pandemic, which has now been downloaded a million times, and brings the company’s monthly online visitors to more than two million. “It has become the platform of choice,” adds Anatoli.

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Primavera Sound Porto will gain an extra day and a bigger investment for its 10th-anniversary edition, taking place this June at Parque da Cidade.

The Portuguese festival will expand from three days to four, from 60 to 76 artists and from 35,000 capacity to 45,000 – thanks to the park increasing by six hectares.

Though the site could now host up to 60,000 people, Primavera Sound Porto director José Barreiro stressed the importance of “sustainable growth” that attracts more foreigners, mainly from the North American market.

Barreiro also revealed in a press conference on Tuesday (21 March) that the budget for this year’s festival has increased to €13 million. Porto City Council this year is more than tripling its previous contribution, from €200,000 to €650,000, but organisers are yet to announce the major sponsor that will replace NOS.

The Portuguese festival will expand from three days to four, from 60 to 76 artists and from 35,000 capacity to 45,000

“We will have news [about sponsorships] soon because there is a lot to be negotiated,” said Barreiro. “Of course, the support of the municipality is very important, but it does not solve all problems because we are talking about an investment of €13m and we need not only public support but also private support.”

Primavera Sound Porto 2023 has already announced Blur, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, FKA twigs, Halsey and more for what organisers are calling “the best lineup in the festival’s history”.

The 10th edition will take place between 7–10 June, with tickets starting from €70 and €170 for day tickets and full festival tickets, respectively.

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South Korean entertainment giant SM Entertainment is planning to launch a headquarters in Singapore, in order to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.

The Seoul-based operation, which is home to K-pop acts such as Red Velvet, Girls’ Generation, EXO, SHINee, NCT and Aespa, says that the new HQ will be tasked with “managing joint ventures in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as communicating with [its South Korea office] for other related ventures and plans.”

SM Entertainment founder Soo-Man Lee told CNBC that the company is already  “in the midst of hiring more local talents, which will hopefully increase the full-time staff count.” The company is also “looking at hiring local undergraduates or fresh graduates for internships.”

On top of that, the company plans to launch retail businesses in Singapore, including cafes, merchandise stores and pop-up exhibitions.

The Singapore HQ will be tasked with “managing joint ventures in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand

The SM boss also revealed ambitions to slowly expand not just to other parts of Southeast Asia, but also to the wider continent, including the Middle East.

The company made its first foray into the region earlier this year after partnering with the Saudi Arabian investment department.

The deal will see SM discover, nurture and produce local S-pop (Saudi pop) artists with the active support of the Saudi Ministry of Investment, with plans to establish a venue “that can hold music festivals year-round”.

SM also plans to build a metaverse platform to “share Korean and Saudi culture” and “actively promote local business… production of various contents, and production and sales of products using IP”.

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Ethical ticket resale platform TicketSwap is continuing its European expansion by launching in the UK.

The resale firm caps all ticket resale prices and also works directly with event organisers to offer verified SecureSwap tickets on its platform.

Since launching in 2012, the Amsterdam-headquartered company has attracted 9 million users active in 36 countries worldwide, plus 1.5 million registered users in the UK.

This year alone, the company has opened offices in Sao Paulo (BR), Stockholm (SE), Berlin (DE), Paris (FR), Madrid (ES), Milan (IT) & Krakow (PO).

The company’s international expansion comes after its first investment of US$10 million from Million Monkeys.

Hans Ober, CEO of TicketSwap says: “We’re delighted to formally enter the UK market, having already built a huge community of more than 1.5 million dedicated live music fans over the last few years.

“It’s clear there is a need for another innovative resale platform in the UK, and we look forward to working alongside the most respected and innovative brands in live British music to get as many fans to the artists and shows they love as possible.”

“It’s clear there is a need for another innovative resale platform in the UK”

Michael Robinson, Country Lead, TicketSwap UK comments: “I’m really excited to be leading TicketSwap’s partnership efforts in the UK, alongside our stellar team Sharen & Chris. TicketSwap has so much to offer promoters, especially with regards to helping them reach sell out quicker and identifying new audiences – something that’s so important in such a competitive landscape. We’re looking forward to working closely both with our partners and associated trade bodies across the UK.”

To mark its UK launch, TicketSwap has announced exclusive partnerships with the likes of LWE (Junction 2, Cogo, Tobacco Dock), with many others in the pipeline.

Paul Jack, Owner LWE (Exclusive promoters at Tobacco Dock) says: “We’re delighted to be one of TicketSwap’s launch partners for the UK market, helping to bring a safe ticketing experience to over 250,000 live music fans across more than 70 events annually. Fans today demand the flexibility to be able to sell their tickets last minute, and through our collaboration with TicketSwap we can ensure every event we run reaches full capacity, which results in a quality experience for everyone; artists, fans and promoters.”

TicketSwap says it works with several UK-based trade associations across the music industry to ensure its operations respect certain industry regulations, as well as providing data and insight on consumer behaviours.

The firm is also a member of the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticketing industry STAR (the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers), as well as the Association of Electronic Music, Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) and Music Venue Trust.

TicketSwap this year partnered with the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) and was the title sponsor of its sister event, the International Festival Forum (IFF).

Outside of the UK, TicketSwap works with over 6,000 promoters, venues, festivals and ticketing companies including ID&T Group (Netherlands), Sziget Festival (Hungary), Bootshaus (Germany), Norbergfestival (Sweden), Entourage and Ingresse (Brazil).

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Rolling Loud, the world’s biggest hip-hop festival franchise, will plant its flag in Thailand next year.

The expansion was announced via Rolling Loud’s Twitter account on Tuesday (26 July), with a caption reading: “Rolling Loud Thailand. See you 2023”. Details on the festival’s lineup, location, dates and tickets are yet to be announced.

The festival’s foray into Thailand will mark its first official event in Asia after a failed attempt at venturing into Hong Kong in 2019. The Hong Kong edition was scheduled to take place in October 2019 but was cancelled due to the city’s ongoing riots and protests at the time.

Rolling Loud Hong Kong would have been headlined by Migos and Wiz Khalifa with additional performances from the likes of Playboi Carti, Smokepurpp, Ski Mask The Slump God and more.

The festival’s foray into Thailand will mark its first official event in Asia

Founded in 2015, Rolling Loud has previously expanded from its flagship Miami festival to launch in cities including Los Angeles, New York and Sydney.

Earlier this month, Rolling Loud made its European debut in Portugal. Headlined by J Cole, A$AP Rocky and Future, the Live Nation-backed event was held on Praia Da Rocha Beach, Portimão, in the Algarve. The Portuguese spin-off was originally set for the summer of 2020 before being called off due to the pandemic.

In addition, Rolling Loud is expanding to Canada for the first time with headliners Dave, Future and Wizkid at Ontario Place, Toronto from 9-11 September. Its New York edition, meanwhile, is lined up for Queens Citi Field from 23–25 September, headed by Nicki Minaj, A$AP Rocky and Future.

Alongside its sister events, the brand also joined forces with the Netherlands’ Woo Hah! hip-hop festival to launch Woo Hah! x Rolling Loud at Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek. Held from 1–3 July, acts included J Cole, Future, Dave and Roddy Ricch.

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Ticketmaster is expanding to South Africa, opening a new headquarters in Cape Town.

Sporting teams, artists, promoters, festivals and venues will be able to take full advantage of Ticketmaster’s suite of products and digital ticketing tools.

The official announcement follows Ticketmaster’s highly successful on-sale for Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour, the first-ever major international tour to sell all tickets online in South Africa, and the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on sale which is set to deliver the country’s first-ever 100% digital sporting event.

“As a popular stop for the world’s biggest artists and major international sporting events, South Africa is a natural choice for us,” says Mark Yovich, president of Ticketmaster.

“As a popular stop for the world’s biggest artists and major international sporting events, South Africa is a natural choice”

“Our unparalleled technology and continued investment in innovation will enable our South African team to provide the best ticketing experience to event organisers, venues and fans across the country.”

Justin Van Wyk, managing director of Ticketmaster South Africa, says: “Our local team of experts have been living and breathing live events for 20+ years and are ready to bring their industry-wide knowledge coupled with the world’s largest ticket marketplace to clients and fans here.

“As a country rapidly adopting digital technology, South African fans are sure to embrace Ticketmaster’s industry-leading digital ticketing innovations.”

Ticketmaster’s move into South Africa brings the company’s operations to 31 countries worldwide.

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Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketer, is expanding its presence in Latin America with new operations in Mexico and Chile.

The news comes shortly after Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation acquired Ocesa Entretenimiento, the third-largest promoter in the world and the parent company of Ticketmaster Mexico.

Under the new ownership structure, Ticketmaster Mexico will transition from a licensing agreement to integrating operations with the broader organisation.

According to Ticketmaster, the move will enable the Mexican business to gain access to the company’s full suite of technology, products and services.

“”Latin America is an incredibly important live entertainment market and a core focus of our global expansion efforts”

In Chile, where Ticketmaster will launch for the first time, the initial market focus will be on increasing digital ticketing use.

Chile and Mexico are the latest markets to be added to Ticketmaster’s Latin American portfolio, which already includes Argentina and Brazil.

The company has long had a foothold in Argentina, delivering ticketing services for several venues and festivals.

While in Brazil, the company focuses on supporting Live Nation’s Rock in Rio music festival and touring business, with plans to bring its digital ticketing technology to the market in 2022.

“Latin America is an incredibly important live entertainment market and a core focus of our global expansion efforts,” says Mark Yovich, Ticketmaster president. “The region has become an important destination for global touring artists, and we have also seen significant growth in venue and festival activity over the last several years.

“Bringing Mexico into the fold and launching in Chile is such a positive way to finish off the year. We look forward to working with our strong base of partners to elevate the fan experience and further our support of the region.”

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Live Nation’s Mad Cool has announced an additional day for next year’s edition, in celebration of the festival’s fifth anniversary.

According to organisers, the expansion comes from “a commitment to offer the best experience for the community of music fans” who attend the Spanish festival in 2022.

The five-day event will take place between 6–10 July 2022, in Madrid, with acts including Florence + The Machine, Queens Of The Stone Age and Haim.

The fifth-anniversary edition was due to take place in 2020 with a reduced capacity, increased stage numbers and a fourth day (up from three days).

However, both the 2020 and 2021 editions of Mad Cool were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The expansion comes from “a commitment to offer the best experience for the community of music fans”

Since launching in 2016, Mad Cool has grown rapidly from an overall capacity of 45,000 to 80,000 last edition.

This “massive growth” has led to some “incidents” in past editions, festival director Javier Arnáiz told IQ in a post-season reflection.

Florence + The Machine, Queens Of The Stone Age and Haim are among 32 new names announced today.

The likes of Chvrches, Sam Fender, Arlo Parks, Glass Animals and Easy Life have also been added to the bill.

Those artists join the 104 acts announced for Mad Cool 2022 last June, which include Muse, The Killers and Metallica.

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