French concert business in ‘best of health’
The French touring scene is in “the best of health” despite a summer overshadowed by the Paris Olympics, according to local music insiders.
Hosting the sporting competition may have resulted in fewer major concerts taking place in the country in 2024, but a busy autumn is in store for the indoor circuit, which will host acts such as Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Childish Gambino, Slipknot, Jonas Brothers, Justice and Melanie Martinez.
“The live entertainment market is in the best of health,” says Nicolas Dupeux, CEO of Paris Entertainment Company, which runs the Accor and adidas arenas in the French capital.
Accor Arena is one of France’s key venues, with a capacity between 15,000 and 20,000, while the company’s brand-new adidas arena has a capacity of 8,000-9,000. Speaking in IQ‘s 2024 Global Arena Guide, Dupeux notes that rising ticket prices do not appear to have impacted attendance.
“The evolution of the average ticket price is clear evidence: in our venues, in France, the post-Covid period is marked by a gradual increase in prices,” he says. “All styles and artists are affected, but international artists – who are increasingly performing in our venues – stand out significantly. For example, tickets for Madonna’s concert at Accor Arena in November 2023 reached exceptionally high price levels, up to €386.50. Nevertheless, we continue to fill the venues – a sign of strong demand.”
“We have had a record year in the number of concerts hosted while having the Olympics using the venue for six months”
Separately, the multifunctional Paris La Défense Arena, which served as another key venue for the Olympics, has welcomed more than 1.2m spectators over the past year. The venue has increased its maximum capacity from 43,000 to 45,000 and aims to further expand in the near future.
“We have had a record year in the number of concerts hosted while having the Olympics using the venue for six months, with major international acts such as 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift and French local legend Michel Sardou,” reports booking director Raphaëlle Plasse.
“Our goal is to host 100 events per year in the upcoming years. To achieve that, we are planning to invest in solutions to optimise load-in and load-out times, reducing costs for the promoters, and increasing the number of days available to book additional events.”
Meanwhile, Paris’ 7,000-cap Le Zénith celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024. Upcoming gigs include Moby, Girl in Red, Nas, London Grammar, Deep Purple, Nas, Fontaines D.C. and Jacob Collier.
“The last two years have been very good ones for the performing arts, with a very strong lineup of French and international artists, particularly for those performing in large and very large venues, with generally good attendance figures, a clear breakthrough for rap artists, and a strong comeback for electronic music/techno nights,” says director Lily Fisher.
French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre will open and close the Paris 2024 Paralympics Closing Ceremony on 8 September
France’s biggest indoor arena outside of Paris, the 16,000-cap LDLC Arena in Lyon, opened last year to provide another boon for the market, and renowned promoter Salomon Hazot brought further positive news, praising the “absolutely magnificent” sales for Ed Sheeran’s 2025 French stadium dates in an interview with IQ.
Hazot is staging the singer-songwriter’s +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour concerts at Marseille’s 70,000-cap Orange Vélodrome Stadium (6-7 June) and Lille’s 65,000-cap Decathlon Arena (20-21 June) next year via his partnership with AEG Presents France.
Elsewhere, it has been announced that French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre will open and close the Paris 2024 Paralympics Closing Ceremony at the Stade de France on 8 September.
Domestic singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer’s will also play three concerts at the 90,000-cap stadium on 27-28 September and 1 October. Farmer was originally due to perform at the venue last year only for the dates to be rescheduled due to the French riots.
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Greener arenas: The latest innovations worldwide
While there may be many market-specific issues arenas have to tackle, there’s one that unites all of them worldwide: sustainability. IQ looks at the exciting efforts being made across the globe.
It was long thought that the only way to prevent arenas from harming the environment was to stop them operating completely. But recent innovations, and the sheer hard work of some in the industry, mean that zero-impact shows are tantalisingly close.
Along with major sustainability measures being undertaken across the world to mitigate issues such as waste management, food & beverage, energy, and travel, in February, a pilot initiative saw the world’s first carbon-removed shows take place at The O2 in London.
New venues are being built with sustainability baked into their designs, such as Co-op Live in Manchester, UK, which owner Oak View Group says makes it “the world’s second carbon- neutral arena.” The company’s Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is reckoned to be the first carbon-neutral arena, and UBS Arena in New York is expected to join the company’s list shortly.
Speaking at a keynote discussion at ILMC 36 in London, OVG chief Tim Leiweke said: “Climate Pledge can’t be the only carbon-neutral arena in the world or else [the industry] has failed. We as an industry should lead this charge… sustainability should be the cause of our lifetime in our industry.”
“We as a company are going to continue to build these arenas and make sustainability a priority and a way of life in our culture”
He added: “We as a company are going to continue to build these arenas and make sustainability a priority and a way of life in our culture, and then, hopefully, it will inspire our industry to come along with us.”
It’s not just new venues that are driving this vital challenge forward – older venues are being transformed to cut their impact on the environment in innovative ways.
Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena has a plan in place to achieve carbon zero by 2030 and this year became carbon neutral.
“Lighting across the campus has been replaced with LEDs and hot-water boilers have been replaced with air-sourced heat pumps. This project is expected to save more than 4,200 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime and running and maintenance costs have been reduced,” says a spokesperson.
“Working with our partners, Sodexo Live!, we have made great strides to ensure our catering operation is more environmentally sustainable. We have reduced plastic in the arena by introducing a biodegradable cup for soft drinks; canned water and wine; and compostable crisp packets. We’ve partnered with Klimato to calculate the carbon footprint of all dishes served onsite. This carbon labelling serves as an educational tool, encouraging visitors to make informed sustainable choices.”
In the USA, ASM Global, which operates more than 50 green certified venues, named Lindsay Arell as chief sustainability officer as it ramps up its efforts to convert its 400-strong venue portfolio to “the most sustainable on earth.”
After founding her own company, Honeycomb Strategies, Arell led the development of ASM Global Acts sustainability plan. Arell’s new role forms part of ASM’s sustainability goals, announced in 2023, which include the elimination of single- use plastic.
“A key element in increasing sustainability is powering our venues with renewable energy and increasing the energy efficiency of our buildings”
“By providing our venue teams with the necessary knowledge and resources, we can accelerate the progress of our programme significantly,” she says.
Over the past year, Live Nation has been focused on two main areas of sustainability across its venues: energy efficiency and resource efficiency.
“A key element in increasing sustainability is powering our venues with renewable energy and increasing the energy efficiency of our buildings,” says a spokesperson. “In the UK and Ireland, all Live Nation venues use 100% renewable energy providers, which is great progress towards our global target of a 50% reduction in global emissions by 2030.
“Examples of energy efficiency investment include renewing heating systems, insulating offices, installing energy monitoring systems and motion sensors, and updating venue lighting with LED bulbs. We’re also assessing the viability of installing roof solar panels.”
The future is green
UK-based A Greener Future launched its Greener Arena certification programme during the pandemic, following almost 20 years of helping festivals to reduce their impact.
“It’s an absolute joy working with arenas, because there’s a massive passion for this issue and a desire to achieve results,” says Claire O’Neill, AGF CEO.
The Greener Arena certification covers aspects, including energy, transport, waste management onsite, special effects, food & beverage, and audience communications.
All ASM Global venues in the UK are undergoing certification process, with OVO Hydro in Glasgow named the first in the world to achieve the status in April 2022. OVO Arena Wembley achieved it at the end of the year, and others are expected to follow soon. AEG Europe’s The O2 in London achieved certification in December 2022.
The European Arenas Association, which represents 38 arenas in 19 European countries, worked with AGF to produce Arena Sustainability Guidelines, which act as a set of practices for all members to help their efforts.
“Many buildings are quite old and need development or investment in order to make them less energy hungry”
There remains a number of key challenges on the journey to zero-impact arena shows. One of the biggest – as all arenas will attest – is energy, an issue which was brought into sharp focus when energy prices shot up as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2023.
“When it comes to this issue, some countries have advantages and others have disadvantages based on what the national policies and infrastructure are,” says O’Neill. “Some countries already have a high number of renewables on the grid. That makes it much easier to have green energy. However, there’s a lot more that needs to be done when it comes to infrastructural developments and energy efficiency.
“Many buildings are quite old and need development or investment in order to make them less energy hungry. We’ve been doing energy audits with many arenas, and we’ve discovered that much of the investment into energy efficiency can be made back in savings within anything from six months to three years, depending on the level of improvements. When you look at that longer-term picture, you can see that when the economics and ecological unite, it’s a lot easier to make those decisions.”
One venue that is actually returning energy to the grid is ASM Global’s P&J Live in Scotland. Its energy is supplied by a multi-technology, low-carbon energy centre. The energy centre provides heating, cooling, and power via a site-wide heat network to the venue and nearby hotels. Excess electricity generated onsite is fed back to the grid. The development also contains a state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion plant that produces gas. It processes food, distillery, and agricultural wastes, resulting in biogas that is upgraded to biomethane before being exported to the national gas grid. The site as a whole produces more gas than the energy centre uses to generate the heating, cooling, and electricity supply to the venue and hotels. A fleet of hydrogen buses powered by the venue serves the city.
And in Italy, the introduction of software to monitor outputs has been instrumental in helping reduce energy consumption. The Inalpi Arena introduced a system called Navigator, which collects performance data and can be used to improve future live events. “Based on a cloud system, it allows the venue’s energetic performances to be analysed and monitored down to details,” general manager Daniele Donati says.
“As a venue, we’ve always been mindful of the importance of sustainability”
He emphasises the arena’s commitment to “the realisation of energy-efficient operations and [that they] have developed specific solutions tailored to the Inalpi Arena needs.” It has installed a new air treatment unit, lighting systems, chillers, pumping units, and air-conditioning to achieve this aim.
Waste opportunities
Waste is another key issue. Many venues are now switching to reusable cups or compostable serve ware. One of the innovative venues leading in this sector is PreZero Arena Gliwice in Poland, which has a naming rights deal with a modern recovery and recycling company.
“Our partnership is unique in the Polish market because it comes with a set of commitments the two companies have made to reduce the arena’s environmental impact,” says a spokesperson. “As a venue, we’ve always been mindful of the importance of sustainability. We’ve been using reusable cups since 2019. This has allowed us to save approximately 400,000 single-use plastic cups that would have otherwise gone to a waste incinerator plant.
“In 2019, we also cut back on single-use plastics in our food courts: we use disposable wooden cutlery, paper cups and straws.”
Additional sustainability measures at the venue include all energy coming from renewable sources, and a 30% reduction in energy use in 2022 compared to the previous year.
In Australia, ASM Global’s RAC Arena in Perth is just one of those to have implemented significant success in reducing waste. General manager Michael Scott says: “A significant accomplishment within the sustainability space has been the increase in landfill diversion rates with the venue consistently exceeding the 70% goal.”
With sustainability high on priority lists around the world, plus exciting new methods and technology to overcome problems progressing at a rapid pace, the dream of becoming a fully sustainable industry is starting to look a lot more achievable. But there’s still plenty to be done. The work continues.
- This article was first published in the 2024 edition of the Global Arena Guide, the definitive guide to arenas hosting live music and entertainment internationally. The fourth edition of the Guide features in-depth profiles of 69 touring markets, a directory containing key contact information for nearly 600 arenas, information on key new builds and insight into cutting-edge sustainability initiatives. The must-have tool for promoters, booking agents and artist is published in print, digitally, and is also available via a dedicated year-round mini-site. Subscribe now to read the full publication.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Arena fever: New venues in the global pipeline
The following article is an excerpt from the 2024 edition of the Global Arena Guide, the definitive guide to arenas hosting live music and entertainment internationally. The fourth edition of the Guide features in-depth profiles of 69 touring markets, a directory containing key contact information for nearly 600 arenas, information on key new builds and insight into cutting-edge sustainability initiatives. The must-have tool for promoters, booking agents and artist is published in print, digitally, and will also be available via a dedicated year-round mini-site. Subscribe now to read the full publication.
This year saw a raft of new arenas open their doors, including Co-op Live in the UK; K-Arena and LaLa Arena in Japan; Bangkok’s UOB Live; and the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta. Plenty more are slated to open before the end of the year, and there are even more in the pipeline.
Much is being made of the huge scale of development in the Middle East, which is already well on its way to becoming an unmissable stop on global outings. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has some mind-boggling plans for huge developments before 2030, which many in the industry are watching with great interest.
Asia is booming, particularly Japan, where new basketball rules mean there’s a rush to build home-team venues – which will also host music. And South Korea’s K-Pop global domination is bringing dividends at home, where a number of new arenas are set to open soon – many of them with a strong focus on the genre.
Nigerian artists have also seen success around the world – and they will soon have arenas to perform in locally. Read on for a look at some of the key venues currently being built or due to be built around the world…
EUROPE:
The Sage Arena – Newcastle, UK
Scheduled opening date: 2025
This new 12,500-cap arena is being built as part of a huge development project in the northeast city of Newcastle. Owned and operated by ASM Global, it will be one of the largest concert venues in the region and will replace the existing Utilita Arena, which opened in 1995.
The development will be supplied with heat and power from the Gateshead District Energy Scheme, fed by urban solar parks and naturally heated mine water extracted from ancient mine workings 150 metres below the site.
YTL Arena – Bristol, UK
Scheduled opening date: late 2026
At 19,000-capacity, the YTL Arena is set to be the fourth-largest arena in the UK and will be operated predominantly as a music venue, with approximately 70-75% of programming being concerts. Planned to host approximately 140 events a year, it seeks to be carbon neutral from day one.
The venue is being built in the historic hangars where Concorde was designed and built and will have the region’s largest column-less exhibition and convention halls with 11,000m2 of floor area, height clearance of 21 metres, and banqueting capacity for 4,000, together with a flexible hub for entertainment, film, TV, and music rehearsals.
Edinburgh Park Arena – Scotland
Scheduled opening date: 2027
Planning permission for the capital of Scotland’s largest indoor venue was granted to AEG in June 2024. The 8,500-capacity arena will span 18,500sqm and aims to attract an estimated 700,000 visitors per year.
Cardiff Atlantic Wharf Arena – Wales
Scheduled opening date: 2025
The single-tier arena will feature seating and floor space that can be adapted to audience sizes between 3,500 and 15,000. Set to be operated by Live Nation and Oak View Group, it was redesigned last year after inflation saw costs rise from £180m to almost £280m. The arena’s height, width, and length shrank by 6.5m, 9.53m, and 14m, respectively, reducing the venue’s capacity from 17,000 to 15,348, according to Architects’ Journal.
MUCcc – Munich, Germany
Scheduled opening date: TBC
Bavaria’s forthcoming state-of-the-art venue will not only have a capacity of 20,000 but also aims to be the country’s first climate-neutral arena.
Designed by Populous, the arena will be located in a new green space next to LabCampus, the technology and innovation centre at Munich Airport, with the seating to be arranged in a 270° horseshoe shape. This design aims to offer artists and fans unrestricted sightlines across the venue.
Specialist audio firms have been engaged so that the venue will offer “perfect sound” no matter where you’re seated. Special materials will ensure an optimal sound balance and reduce noise reflection.
MSG Arena – Milan, Italy
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Work has started on the new 16,000-capacity Milano Santa Giulia Arena (MSG Arena), which will be one of the largest in Italy and will be run by CTS Eventim. Initially, the arena (part of the Milano Santa Giulia urban development project) will be used for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games, after which, CTS will continue to operate it.
As well as the striking indoor arena, the design includes a piazza with more than 10,000m2 of space for festivals and open-air events.
The project, designed by Sir David Chipperfield and the international design firm Arup, is being positioned to “strengthen Milan’s standing as a global centre of culture, entertainment, and sporting excellence,” while raising “the bar for live entertainment venues.”
Roig Arena – Valencia, Spain
Scheduled opening date: 2025
The 18,600-capacity venue will be the home of Valencia Basket Club as well as hosting concerts and other entertainment. It is being funded by and named after Spanish entrepreneur Juan Roig, the billionaire owner of the Spanish Mercadona supermarket chain. Costing €280m, it will be the largest capacity arena in the country.
Víctor Sendra, MD of Roig Arena, tells us: “There is no venue like it in Spain. We are completely changing the mentality.”
It will boast state-of-the-art design, including flexible facilities for crew to ensure load-in and load-out are as swift as possible. It will also have pioneering acoustic capabilities that are adaptable to different use cases.
Ratapiha Arena – Turku, Finland
Scheduled opening date: 2027
Ticketmaster has been appointed the ticketing company for the new 10,000-capacity, €100m ice hockey arena, which is being built in the southwestern city of Turku. The venue will be operated by Turku Live, which is the current operator and restaurant company of the city’s existing venue, Gatorade Center.
USA
Intuit Dome – Inglewood, California
Scheduled opening date: August 2024
Bruno Mars is set to open the 18,000-cap Intuit Dome in August, as the LA Clippers basketball team finally has a permanent home of its own (it previously shared the Crypto. com Arena with the LA Lakers). Other artists booked to appear include Mexican star Marco Antonio Solís, Peso Pluma, Twenty One Pilots, and Slipknot. The venue, which cost about $2bn to build, boasts an impressive 1,160 toilets, meaning people can get back to their seats more quickly – in fact, modelling shows the maximum amount of time it takes to travel the route from a seat to the toilet, to the snack bar and return is 123 seconds, according to the LA Times. (This obviously doesn’t include time spent at each site).
LATIN AMERICA
Arena São Paulo – Brazil
Scheduled opening date: 2024
Oak View Group, Live Nation, and GL events have partnered to build a 20,000-capacity venue, which will host concerts,
sport, family entertainment, and more.
Arena Guadalajara – Mexico
Scheduled opening date: September 2024
With a capacity of 20,000, this new venue has a façade inspired by Guadalajara’s “colourful landscape and local materials, such as the Huentitán Golden Quarry and the Tequilero Blue Agave.” It will be run by Mexican live entertainment firm Zignia Live, which as well as promoting international concerts, owns ticketing company Superboletos and operates the super-busy 17,599-capacity Arena Monterrey and 22,300-cap CDMX Arena in Mexico City.
Arena Primavera – Medellín, Colombia
Scheduled opening date: 2026
Medellín is Colombia’s second city and home to stars such as Karol G, J Balvin, MALUMA, and Freid/Ferxxo, and will be getting a 16,000-capacity arena in two years.
Arena Primavera (Spring Arena) sits on a 14-acre site, an eight-minute walk from two Metro stations, and will include a new entertainment district, a green corridor, new roads, and additional facilities. It is projected to host 600,000 spectators across 75 events each year. The venue will add to the nation’s Coliseo Live (24,000) and the Movistar Arena (12,000), in Bogotá.
“We are convinced of the potential of the entertainment market in Medellín and Antioquia, which has become a
musical and cultural reference for the country, a must-stop for national and international artists,” says Hernando Sánchez, general manager of CLK Group, which is behind the development. The company is a consortium of ticketing market leader Tuboleta, Movistar Arena, promoter TBL Live, specialised food company Venues Snacks, and Thunder Production.
The five-story arena will feature a changing LED facade, 22 suites, 20 boxes, 450 parking spaces, bicycle locations, and water- and energy-saving systems.
ASIA
IG Arena – Nagoya, Japan
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Situated near the beautiful Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture, IG Arena is set become one of the landmark arenas in Japan when it opens in July 2025. The 17,000-cap venue, strategically located between Tokyo and Osaka will also boast a 30m height, making it one of the largest entertainment facilities in Japan. It is projected to host 200 events a year, says CEO Edwin Omura, of AEG, which will operate the arena. “The ‘hybrid oval bowl’ design which combines both an oval and horseshoe-bowl will allow promoters to bring in multiple types of music, sports and family-type events,” he tells us. “It provides flexibility and usability to accommodate different stage layouts and various sporting events. It is also a great advantage for fans as well, allowing them to enjoy various types of entertainment and sporting events at IG Arena.” It will be the site of the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, which will be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the City of Nagoya.
Bangkok Arena – Thailand
Scheduled opening date: 2026
Due to open in 2026, Bangkok Arena will become the home of local and international entertainment in Thailand. The 15,000-capacity arena aims to host 1m guests across more than 90 events each year. The arena is adjacent to the Mall of Bangkok, which averages 35m visitors a year.
Busan Arena – South Korea
Scheduled opening date: TBC
Live Nation is partnering with Korea’s Busan Metropolitan City to develop a new arena and multicultural entertainment complex in South Korea’s second most populous city. The new destination will include a 20,000-capacity arena, an exhibition centre, hotels, and an educational facility to foster talent in K-Pop and K-Culture.
Live Nation will manage the venue, with the local Live Nation Korea team also providing expertise on content and concert promotion to book talent.
“As we continue to expand our global venue business, Busan will be an important touring hub for global superstars who are touring more of the world, as well as K-Pop and local artists,” said Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino. “We’re excited to help create more opportunities for artists and fans to connect, while also contributing to the growing tourism in the city.”
CJ LiveCity Arena – South Korea
Scheduled opening date: TBC
The “world’s first K-Pop-specialised arena,” is expected to host more than 150 events annually, including a diverse range of entertainment shows from K-Pop stars to international acts. The arena says it wants to be the epicentre of Korea’s entertainment industries and will have 20,000 indoor seats and a 40,000-cap outdoor setup, equipped with a cutting- edge stage system for quick setup and teardown.
Seoul Arena – South Korea
Scheduled opening date: October 2025
A further new arena is being built in South Korea, including state-of-the-art sound equipment, a seating capacity of around 19,000, and a maximum capacity of 28,000 for standing events. The arena will also feature a separate 7,000-capacity concert venue, as well as a cinema and commercial facilities. Seoul Arena is expected to attract some 1.8m visitors per year.
Kai Tak Sports Park – Hong Kong
Scheduled opening date: 2025
Featuring a 50,000-capacity stadium and 10,000-capacity indoor arena with retractable seating, Kai Tak Sports Park will be operated by ASM Global and predominantly host sporting events.
Glion Arena Kobe – Japan
Scheduled opening date: spring 2025
Being built as home to the Kobe Storks basketball team, Glion Arena will also host concerts, family entertainment, and conferences. The arena is built with a horseshoe-style seating arrangement and will have a maximum capacity of 10,000. The venue includes a permanent LED screen on one side, which it claims is the largest in Asia, and it will have a restaurant with an open terrace and a VIP floor.
Osaka Arena – Japan
Scheduled opening date: 2027
Due to open in 2027, the 18,000-capacity arena will play host to over 145 events and 1.6m visitors per year. The arena will include performances from international and regional music, entertainment, and sports.
AFRICA
Lagos Arena – Nigeria
Scheduled opening date: late 2025
The most populous nation in Africa is set to get its first purpose-built arena. In February, ground was broken on the $100m venue, which will have capacity for 12,000 and is projected to host 200 events each year, including concerts, family entertainment, basketball games, UFC fights, boxing matches, WWE shows, and more.
The consortium delivering the project includes Live Nation, Oak View Group, Tayo Amusan (chairman of real estate company The Persianas Group), the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Yinka Folawiyo (chairman of the Yinka Folawiyo Group), Nigerian investment fund Adino Capital, and MBO Capital.
John Reid, president of Live Nation EMEA, said at the ground-breaking ceremony: “Nigeria and Africa more broadly present massive opportunities to touring artists when it comes to connecting with their global audiences. This brand-new, 12,000-capacity venue will open up Nigeria to international stars, and Nigerian artists will benefit hugely from having an arena to showcase their talents in front of a home audience.”
MIDDLE EAST
Diriyah Gate Arena – Saudi Arabia
Scheduled opening date: TBC
The 20,000-seat, multipurpose venue is being built in a new city on the outskirts of Riyadh, around the historic town of Diriyah. Designed by London-based architects HKS, Diriyah Gate Arena will cover 76,000sqm and is currently one of the tallest new buildings planned for the town.
With huge, sand-coloured stone blocks and a cascading waterfall of digital windows, the design of the building adheres to the classic style of Najdi architecture that Diriyah is famous for. Adjacent to the arena will be a plaza intended for live performances, pop-up shows, and events, as well as an urban park.
Oak View Group is understood to be involved in the project, which will be located near a new 45,000-capacity stadium in Qiddiya, an entertainment and tourism megaproject in Riyadh that’s also part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 masterplan.
Jeddah Arena – Saudi Arabia
Scheduled opening date: December 2025
Saudi Arabia is about to go through a venue-building boomtime. And with a population of 35m – over a third of them aged 15-34 – this is a market with huge potential.
Among the first to come on stream is Jeddah Arena, a state-of-the-art venue with a capacity of 20,000 that will be managed by ASM Global. It is being built as part of the Jeddah Airport City complex, which will include shops, homes, a financial district, an artisan district, and a green food-yard.
“There are some very aggressive plans for new arenas in Saudi Arabia. The desire for people to see live events in Saudi Arabia is wonderful to see. When all the venues are completed, there could be potential for a touring circuit of the country itself,” says Iain Campbell, ASM Global’s EVP for the MENA region.
“Jeddah Arena and the neighbouring exhibition centre is on a cracking site and in a cracking location, right by the airport and with a shopping precinct, too.”
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Global Arena Guide 2024 out now
The 2024 edition of the Global Arena Guide, the definitive guide to arenas hosting live music and entertainment internationally, is out now.
The fourth edition of the Guide features in-depth profiles of 69 touring markets, a directory containing key contact information for nearly 600 arenas, information on key new builds and insight into cutting-edge sustainability initiatives.
The must-have tool for promoters, booking agents and artist is published in print, digitally, and will also be available via a dedicated year-round mini-site.
“There are more arena openings than ever this year, with exciting state-of-the-art buildings coming on stream the world over”
“It feels like there are more arena openings than ever this year, with exciting state-of-the-art buildings coming on stream the world over,” says the Guide’s editor James Drury. “And as we discover in our 69 in-depth market reports – covering every continent except Antarctica – the breadth of content filling the stages is growing, too. And there are many more venues in the pipeline, as we explore in our special feature looking at forthcoming arenas around the globe.
“Plus, we look at the latest innovations making the industry more sustainable, including a deep-dive behind the scenes at the world’s first carbon-removed concerts. And as well as deep and insightful explorations of the industry, the directory includes details of almost 600 arenas – vital information when planning tours.”
View a preview of the Global Arena Guide 2024 below. Subscribe now to read the full publication.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Global Arena Guide 2023 out now
The 2023 edition of the Global Arena Guide, the definitive reference on arenas hosting live music and entertainment internationally, is out now.
Featuring in-depth overviews of over 60 touring markets, a directory containing key contact information for 600 arenas, info on key new builds and a focus on environmental sustainability, the Global Arena Guide is a must-have tool for promoters, booking agents and artist managers alike.
The Guide is published in print, digitally, and will also be available via a dedicated year-round mini-site.
“With the spectre of Covid-19 now firmly in the rear-view mirror, arenas across the globe are busier than ever”
“With the spectre of Covid-19 now firmly in the rear-view mirror, arenas across the globe are busier than ever,” says the Guide’s editor James Drury. “And what’s filling many of these venues is a massive expansion of entertainment. From the worldwide march of Latin, K-pop, and J-pop artists to immersive exhibitions and the rapid growth of ‘family entertainment,’ this feels like a peak moment for creativity. And fans are welcoming the new content with open arms (and ears).
“Also demonstrating the creativity and problem-solving talent of everyone working in these venues is the huge planet-wide efforts to tackle the challenge of environmental sustainability. There is an inspiring number of initiatives underway to not only ensure that venues have minimal impact on our environment but that tours and more are handled in a way that means we may just leave Earth in a fit state for future generations.
“Many of these sustainability efforts are being built into the brand-new venues currently under development. It feels like there’s never been a busier time for new arenas, with huge numbers coming on stream in the next five years. In this guide, we take a look at some of the key plans.”
View a preview of the Global Arena Guide 2023 below. Subscribe now to read the full publication.
US arenas: ‘The pandemic taught us to be nimble’
US arena bosses have told IQ the sector is recovering well following a slow start to 2022, with a stellar next 12 months expected.
Bryan Crowe, VP and general manager of ASM Global’s 19,000-cap BOK Center and Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reports that the venue flew out of the blocks, with a run of sold-out shows in the spring setting the record for busiest two weeks in its history.
The Eagles set a new record for highest-grossing single night concert in the venue’s history, while a Bruce Springsteen show scheduled for March 2023 sold out in a matter of hours.
“It’s safe to say the US entertainment market is healthy,” says Crowe. “The next 12 to 18 months at the BOK Center look strong, with record pacing content numbers. There is a substantial amount of touring content in the next year and we are seeing the result of that with a busy calendar slated for the end of this year.”
“We are seeing early purchase success with the must-see A-list artists but a shift to late purchases for the casual concert fan”
Noteable concerts have included Michael Buble, Iron Maiden, Thomas Rhett, Post Malone, and Carrie Underwood.
“We are seeing early purchase success with the must-see A-list artists but a shift to late purchases for the casual concert fan,” observes Crowe.
Jay Cooper, general manager of ASM’s T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, says the 19,800-cap venue has experienced growing demand for live events throughout the year as the industry has emerged from the pandemic.
“People want to get out of their homes, be social and have fun again,” says Cooper. “Throughout 2022 we have seen increasing demand for live events and ticket sales back that up. We started 2022 with a collection of constantly changing Covid health guidelines. As Covid-related mandates have subsided, people are more willing to venture out and attend an event. I believe the live entertainment industry, both for domestic and international artists, is coming back stronger than ever.”
“We anticipate a strong year in terms of the concert business with growth across the board”
With upcoming shows at the Missouri arena include Bruce Springsteen, Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton, Cooper says the signs for 2023 are encouraging.
“We anticipate a strong year in terms of the concert business with growth across the board from major country, rock and pop artists touring in 2023,” he says. “T-Mobile Center is preparing for a very busy 12 months and to put the challenges of the past two years behind us.”
Cooper and Crowe were speaking as part of the Global Arena Guide, a definitive reference on arenas featuring in-depth overviews of over 60 touring markets, a directory containing key contact information, and unique comment and insight.
“One thing the pandemic taught us is to be nimble when it comes to doing things differently,” adds Cooper. “At T-Mobile Center, we are investing heavily in new technology to improve the guest and artist experience. We upgraded our point-of-sale system in late 2022 allowing us to go fully cashless at our events. Replacement of all of our interior and exterior LED products will improve the experience for our guests and partners.”
“The backstage experience for the artists and the travelling crew has always been a signature element”
He continues: “At the arena, we are also focused on new technology to accelerate guests through the concessions so they spend less time in line and more time watching their favourite artist on stage. In addition, we continue to improve our food and beverage offerings to meet the tastes of our guests. T-Mobile Center offers a much broader choice of beverages than a year ago.
“The backstage experience for the artists and the travelling crew has always been a signature element at T-Mobile Center. We continually strive to make the experience for the artists and their crew a positive one. T-Mobile Center is in the process of updating our dining areas and offering new amenities backstage. We even offer mental health referral resources in the event a member of the crew needs a helping hand.”
Crowe, meanwhile, notes that the BOK Center has been working on renovating and improving its event-level production offices and other tour-used spaces. Shows slated for next year include Lizzo, Shania Twain, Journey and Paramore.
“Another renovation is also taking place back of house in the artist dressing room hallway which is an homage to an Oklahoma country star that is near and dear to our hearts,” he adds.
“We are also focused on the guest experience by adding food and beverage options with a new point of sale system and the implementation of more self-service (grab-and-go) locations. The newly implemented grab-and-go locations give customers fast, self-service access to food and drinks and canned cocktails just like they would at a convenience store. We are also planning improvements to our premium areas that will provide more amenities for our premium guests and also refresh spaces to enhance the overall guest experience.”
View a preview of the Global Arena Guide 2022 here. Subscribe now to read the full publication
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Global Arena Guide 2022 out now
The Global Arena Guide, a new, definitive reference on arenas hosting live music and entertainment internationally, is out now.
Featuring in-depth overviews of over 60 touring markets, a directory containing key contact information, and unique comment and insight, the Global Arena Guide is a must-have tool for promoters, booking agents and artist managers alike.
The Guide is published in print, digitally, and will also be available via a dedicated year-round mini site. Alongside the market-by-market updates and directory, there is insightful commentary from leading arena figureheads, strategically important data, and an overview of all key new builds that will be opening within the next five years.
“The halt brought to touring brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is firmly being shaken off as arenas go through a boom period”
“The halt brought to touring brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is firmly being shaken off as arenas go through a boom period,” says the Guide’s editor James Drury. “More shows than ever before are taking to stages across the planet, and audiences (on the whole) are returning in droves.
“Of course, this brings challenges – not least the worldwide shortage of staffing – but venues are overcoming the issues and looking ahead to 2023 with general optimism. This is also a golden age for arena building, with significant numbers of new venues coming on stream in 2022 and even more in the pipeline for the next few years. We take a look at some of the key developments.”
View a preview of the Global Arena Guide 2022 below.
Subscribe now to read the full publication
Readers range from artist managers, booking agents and concert promoters, to venue operators, producers, service and supply companies, technology providers and research organisations.
To ensure that your venue is included in next year’s edition, or for more information, please get in touch with us.
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