Greenhouse Talent has revealed plans to expand the annual Spoorpark LIVE from a festival weekend into a week-long event at the end of June 2025.

The 12,500-capacity Dutch festival was launched in Tilburg’s Spoorpark in June 2022 with a primary focus on domestic acts. After the second edition in 2023, the event was acquired by Greenhouse Talent – the biggest independent promoter in Benelux.

The firm now works on Spoorpark LIVE with another leading independent This Is Live Group, whose portfolio includes Paaspop, Extrema, Solar Weekend, WiSH Outdoor, SMÈRRIG, and Elektrum.

Following the acquisition, Greenhouse introduced the first-ever international headliners to the festival in 2023: English reggae and pop legends UB40. This year, Massive Attack and Young Fathers brought the international flavour.

“It was always our intention to expand the festival into a multi-date event,” Greenhouse Talent chief operating officer Wouter de Wilde tells IQ. “We wanted to turn the weekend festival into a series of events during one week and we are streamlining our site management and production to do this.

“It was always our intention to expand the festival into a multi-date event”

“The ability to do a multi-day event in the heart of a Dutch city is very unique, as we don’t see many events like this in city centres. This also gives us the opportunity to do weekdays which is helpful for tour routings. The end of June is a very busy touring period, so we are delighted that we can do this event in this timeframe.”

Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bryan Adams is the first confirmed artist for Spoorpark LIVE 2025, with more to be announced in January.

“Bryan Adams is a very strong artist with an even stronger fanbase in our territory,” continues Wilde. “He has a proven record of great live shows which keep his fans coming for more.”

The news rounds off a successful year for Greenhouse Talent, with highlights including headline shows with Taylor Swift at Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam and two Rammstein shows.

“I think it’s actually one of the biggest years we have had,” says Wilde, whose slate has also included the summer Zuiderpark Live show series in The Hague and the returning C2C: Country to Country festival in Rotterdam in March, with arena shows for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and Bryan Adams coming up.

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To celebrate the hard work of the numerous independent operators that make the live entertainment industry such a vibrant – and growing – business worldwide, IQ is publishing its inaugural Indie Champions list.

Our shortlist of 20 companies were chosen by the IQ readership and have headquarters across 11 different nations but service live events the world over, thanks to their various satellite offices and the artists and partners they work with.

The Indie Champions will become an annual staple of IQ, so if your company did not make it onto this year’s debut list, fear not, as you have a full ten months to prove your credentials to friends, colleagues, and business partners ahead of next year’s nomination process.

IQ will continue to publish entries across all categories over the coming days, and you can find the whole cohort in the latest edition of IQ here. Find part one, which includes Alter Art, Crosstown Concerts and more, here.

evenko (CA)

One of Canada’s largest independent promoters, evenko produces nearly 1,600 music, family, and sports events throughout Quebec, the Atlantic provinces, and the eastern United States on an annual basis. Its key events include hugely successful music festivals OSHEAGA Music and Arts Festival, FUEGO FUEGO, îLESONIQ, and LASSO Montréal, while throughout the year, the company regularly presents shows by Disney on Ice, Cirque du Soleil, and several Broadway shows.

In 2024, evenko’s four festivals attracted more than 270,000 music lovers of all genres – îLESONIQ (55,000), OSHEAGA (147,000), FUEGO FUEGO (35,000), and LASSO Montreal (35,000) – while the company also promoted shows by the likes of Madonna, Burna Boy, Olivia Rodrigo, Andrea Bocelli, Noah Kahan, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, Cyndi Lauper, Justin Timberlake, and Sabrina Carpenter. It will round off the year with performances by Bruce Springsteen, Iron Maiden, Cirque du Soleil, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Russell Peters.

Legendary acts such as Green Day, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Justice appeared as part of the lineup for OSHEAGA’s 17th edition

The company’s festival lineups in 2024 included acts like SZA, Chappell Roan, Maluma, Noah Kahan, Sam Hunt, Tiësto, Rauw Alejandro, and Eric Church, while legendary acts such as Green Day, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Justice appeared as part of the lineup for OSHEAGA’s 17th edition.

Jelly Roll and Bailey Zimmerman are set to headline the fourth edition of LASSO Montréal country music festival next August, and the company will promote shows by Kylie Minogue, Jerry Seinfeld & Jim Gaffigan, Heart, Kane Brown, and more at Montréal’s Bell Centre in the coming year.

Fource (CZ)

Anthony Jouet founded Fource in 2011, after finding himself working in Prague as a consultant in-house promoter at the city’s O2 Arena. “I felt there was a gap in the market, but I was frustrated to be tied to arena shows, so I told my boss, Jacob Smid, and between us we set up Fource to specialise in artist development,” he explains.

The idea was a success and, in 2017, Fource opened a second office in Warsaw, Poland.

“Our business model is based on artist development. So usually, we begin at club level with the artists that we decide to work with. And then we develop them in the market and work with all the possible venues in town up to arena level. 95% of what we do is promote shows.”

“It was very important that we are accountable for everything that we do”

Jouet’s approach to artist development is taking everything in-house. “We have our own ticketing [team], we do our own production, and we have our own marketing team, rather than doing what other players do here, which is relying on venues to promote their shows. For me, it was very important that we are accountable for everything that we do.”

Now employing eight people in Prague and five in Warsaw, the organic growth of Fource sees the company now promoting around 100 shows a year in Czechia and 80 in Poland.

Gérard Drouot Productions (FR)

Founded by Gérard Drouot in 1986, Gérard Drouot Productions (GDP) has become a pillar of concert production in the French music industry, while its name is recognised, appreciated, and trusted by artists and their fans all over the world. Now run by the late founder’s son, Matthieu, the company remains fiercely independent through its continual desire to renew itself and to approach each tour and event as a unique project, requiring creative marketing and promotional strategies.

As a lover of jazz, Gérard Drouot quickly added rock and pop, and more recently, rap, to the company’s portfolio, while film concerts have also become a speciality.

Despite the death of Gérard in 2022, GDP has a bright future ahead of it

GDP’s reputation revolves around relationships built on trust, offering artists opportunities to go beyond the norm to produce memorable performances, be they in a 400-seat venue or at the massive Stade de France. Despite the death of Gérard in 2022, GDP has a bright future ahead of it, with Matthieu Drouot overseeing 600 shows per year, including a raft of upcoming shows whose eclectic range is emphasised by the likes of Fally Ipupa, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Shaârghot, The World of Hans Zimmer, Cradle of Filth, and Laura Pausini.

Greenhouse Talent (BE)

Founded by Pascal Van De Velde in 2005, Greenhouse Talent has become the largest indie concert promoter in Benelux, with 50 employees across Belgium and The Netherlands organising around 1,500 events annually for 1.5m fans. Van De Velde’s promoting career began when he was a teenager, and his pathway to launching Greenhouse saw him working for Belgian independent Make It Happen before that became part of the SFX/Clear Channel/Live Nation stable in 2001, where he worked as a consultant before creating his own operation.

“We promote international and domestic shows, we are a booking agency, and we organise festivals, comedy, and family shows,” says Van De Velde. “We do it all: production, marketing, admin, legal, and ticketing; and our mission is to remain talent-driven and participate in the growth process of our artists, based on a personal approach tailored to the artist’s career demands.”

“We do it all”

Among the company’s cornerstone events are Gent Jazz (57,000 attendees in 2024) and Netherlands events such as Zuiderpark Live (25,000), Spoorpark Live (22,500), and Country to
Country festival (10,000).

Looking ahead, Greenhouse has sold more than 200,000 tickets for a series of 40th anniversary shows for Clouseau at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp, and two sold-out shows with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the same venue. And in the Netherlands, the company will host UB40 at Ziggo Dome, Fally Ipupa at RTM Stage, NCT Dream at Rotterdam Ahoy, Max Richter at Carré, and Kaleo at AFAS Live before the end of this year.

Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion (DE)

The company was officially founded in 1962 by Karsten Jahnke, who finally turned his hobby of promoting concerts into a business. These days, it offers touring services in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as local shows in Hamburg, including, for the past 49 years, Stadtpark Open Air from mid-May to mid-September.

The company is involved in festivals like Reeperbahn, MS Dockville, Spektrum, Habitat, Vogelball, Elbjazz, Überjazz, and Baltic Soul Weekender. Touring clients include The Cure, Beck, Childish Gambino, BLACKPINK, ATEEZ, Branford Marsalis, Cypress Hill, Diana Krall, Gianna Nannini, Gregory Porter, Erasure, Herbie Hancock, Ludovico Einaudi, Nils Landgren, Portishead, Royel Otis, Taylor Swift, Thundercat, Tower of Power, Sasha Velour, Walk off the Earth, Trixie & Katya, Van Morrison, and Wu-Tang Clan.

It offers touring services in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

With a staff of 50 employees, this year, the company promoted two shows with Taylor Swift at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion; tours with Joss Stone, Diana Krall, Sean Paul, Cypress Hill, Birdy, Garbage, Kaleo, Childish Gambino, Gianna Nannini, Gregory Porter, and Tower of Power, amongst many others; around 1,200 shows in the GAS region; and 350-400 shows in Hamburg each year.

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As live music’s corporate giants continue to concentrate on market share dominance and revenue growth, the plight of independent operators battling to compete has never been fiercer. But as IQ discovers, the passion for delivering meaningful events, for artists and audiences alike, is continuing to drive these entrepreneurial outfits forward, albeit amid some challenging circumstances…

Covid may have been the final straw for many independent companies involved in live entertainment, as two years without income left some bankrupt and others disillusioned. But the enforced lockdowns also provided numerous professionals with the chance to set up their own companies, with the agency sector in particular experiencing the birth of numerous new outlets, including Mother Artists, One Fiinix Live, Runway and Midnight Mango, in the UK.

Compiling our inaugural indie-focussed edition of IQ, we heard from countless professionals who are either working at independent companies or running their own enterprises and the myriad challenges they face on a day-to-day basis. But their conviction to remain indie and to excel in their particular sectors or markets is inspiring.

And while Earth Agency’s Williamson believes it is slightly easier to operate as an independent now than when the company first started, it’s clear that in today’s live music business, the obstacles to remaining independent are high. Noting the camaraderie among the indie sector, Rev. Moose at New York-based Marauder comments, “We consider ourselves fortunate to have made strong relationships within the freelance community that allow us to support one another.” He notes that honesty is one of the guiding principles at Marauder, rather than the over-selling that some companies seem to expound. “We’re a small company that manages quite large programmes. Part of this is due to how we communicate with our clients, making sure they understand our practical limitations and needs as much as we understand theirs.”

“I have a healthy company, and I cannot see the benefit of being part of something else”

In Belgium, Steven Thomassen, founder of Toutpartout, is celebrating 30 years of being independent. “I love the luxury of only telling myself what I have to do and having the freedom to do that,” he says. “I don’t have many luxury demands: I don’t need a swimming pool or a big car because I like using public transport. And right now, I have a healthy company, and I cannot see the benefit of being part of something else.”

That’s a philosophy that strikes a chord with Conal Dodds at Crosstown Concerts in the UK. “I didn’t come into music just to make money. It’s a vocation, it’s something I love doing, and I still think I’m in it for the right reasons,” he tells IQ. “I’m not driven by money in the same way that a lot of people are – all I need is enough. Crosstown has 19 full-time employees, and I’d rather be in a position where I can pay them all a really good salary, and they can all have a nice existence, rather than just milking it all for myself.”

Outlining his decision to remain independent, Anthony Jouet of Prague-based promoters, Fource Entertainment, says, “There are no shareholders to tell me that we need to do 50% more shows next year or hit some crazy targets just to try to raise more money. We’d rather do the right shows and deliver them with the same quality of services we are known for than overwhelm myself and the team by booking so many shows that we’re not able to allocate proper time to them.”

That’s an approach that Greenhouse Talent founder Pascal Van De Velde sees as fundamental to his business. “I’ve had bosses before – really good ones who I could look up to,” he says. “But with the big corporations, your superiors are not always people that you look up to. In many cases, you report to the accounts department. Whereas, for me, it’s the music and the concerts and the artist relationships that are key. I don’t want anybody breathing down my neck about much money we’re going to make in six months’ time.”

“Global deals are a major game changer

Losing acts
For those on the promoting side of the fence, while there are always opportunities to begin working with exciting new talent, the increasing popularity of global tour deals is causing some to reconsider whether artist development is still worth investing the time.

Global deals “make our work massively more difficult, as we cannot ever be sure that we are still going to remain as promoters on the next cycle,” says Jouet. Indeed, he can cite examples. Among the acts Fource has worked with, up to arena level, are Imagine Dragons, Billie Eilish, and Twenty One Pilots. “But we lost the last tours to Live Nation because what they can offer the acts was obviously unbeatable,” says Jouet. “It’s a pattern that’s happening more and more. Global deals are a major game changer.”

Dodds has similar experiences. “Those bigger companies can say to new acts, ‘Well, if you don’t let us be your promoter, you won’t get our festivals.’ So, it’s definitely a struggle, but I would still rather be in a position where I know that I’m going to lose an act at a certain point in their career because they’re going to take a European deal or a worldwide deal. I can deal with that just as long as I’m not answerable to someone that’s based in LA or Berlin or wherever.

“I’m philosophical: you have to roll with the punches. But I do think it will get increasingly difficult over the next five to ten years for independent companies like Crosstown to exist, because there aren’t many that will be able to promote at a national level.”

“As an independent, you need to know your limit. And if you cross the line, you will get hurt”

Van De Velde takes another view: that not being part of a corporate structure allows him to operate free from a need to increase turnover or maintain a monopoly. “Our goal at Greenhouse, meanwhile, is directly connected to the profession, to the artists. It is to make a concert successful and an artist’s career successful – and that’s not a secondary goal. Of course, the competition from the corporations is enormous, so we have to make sure we are much better than they are – but there’s always room for boutiques and the personal touch.”

He continues, “If you’re a mid-size artist or manager and your guy in Benelux who you’ve worked with for 25 years has always done a good job – he’s very attentive and detailed about your career and knows your sensibilities – I think you’ll definitely consider working with a person like that, because you’re still in touch with the boss of the company.”

That sentiment is reflected on both sides of the Atlantic, with Jose Muniz at Mercury Concerts telling IQ, “Unlike big corporations that can afford to overpay an act for whatever reason – market share, world dominance, executive promotions and bonuses – as an independent, you need to know your limit. And if you cross the line, you will get hurt.”

However, nodding to his 12 years within the OCESA/T4F setup, Muniz adds that experience within a major company has helped shape his business since. “Personally, I learned to apply some of the corporate mentality to my independent operation: the discipline, the way I focus on results, and last but not least, to realise that my bank account, although solid, has limitations.”

“First and foremost, we’re all very entrepreneurial in spirit, and we are all very committed to our artists”

Agents of change
In March 2023, Primary Talent International announced a management buyout following CAA’s acquisition of ICM, Primary’s former parent company.

“First and foremost, we’re all very entrepreneurial in spirit, and we are all very committed to our artists,” says partner Sally Dunstone of Primary’s reinstated indie status. “We enjoy having the freedom to work with whichever artists we want on our roster, and we are very committed to making sure that they’re serviced as well as any other agency.”

And noting that the independent spirit can be a state of mind that can exist within individuals across the industry, she continues, “As an agent, you work with the people who you get on with the best, and there are many promoters at AEG, Eventim, Live Nation, and others, who were independent and then moved into that space, but they still have that indie, entrepreneurial approach.”

Indeed, believing that many live music professionals still pursue their careers from a position of passion, Dunstone adds, “It’s a vocation, it’s not a job, and you have to love it to be able to excel.

“As an agent, you wake up every day and you never know what challenge is going to hit you – it could be a thousand different things. But the important thing is how you react, and here at Primary, we’re a very strong, closeknit team, and we’re very collaborative in terms of solving issues that will benefit our artist clients and promoter partners.”

“I don’t have to ring anybody up to make a financial decision”

Highlighting the multiple hats that many indie operators wear in order to make ends meet, Thomassen explains that in addition to promoting shows across the Netherlands and Belgium, Toutpartout is also an established agency for international and domestic talent, while other sidelines include a record label and a record store.

And while some peers worry about global deals, he’s less concerned about losing talent. “I have a very long relationship with a lot of my acts. For instance, Beach House and Kurt Weill were sleeping on my couch when they first came over – they stayed in my house, and we grew up together. I think those acts don’t forget that because they also have this indie spirit,” says Thomassen.

“I still need to do my job properly, of course, delivering shows or festivals that a band or manager expects, because I’m sure they will move somewhere else if I don’t. And that sometimes still happens. But I love the bands I work with, and I love their music – it’s what I try to send out to the world and also to the promoters or the festivals. I’m not saying that in all the major companies that you’re a number, but it’s a different approach. For me, all of my acts are my priorities, so I give all my attention to them.”

Crosstown’s Dodds thinks the indie approach is, by definition, the most sustainable for the industry. “Nimble is a great way of putting it,” he says. “I don’t have to ring anybody up to make a financial decision. We’re easy to get hold of – the agents deal with me or the relevant promoter, they don’t have to wait for a decision because we’ve got to get someone to sign off our deals, for instance. And they’re not having to wait for six weeks to get paid because we’re a big corporate machine that is top heavy in terms of admin. We’re prompt payers.”

But he concludes that when it comes to independent promoters, at least, Crosstown and its compatriots around the world could become an endangered species.

“I’m never complacent. Even with acts I’ve worked with for a long time, you never know what’s around the corner”

“I’m never complacent. Even with acts I’ve worked with for a long time, you never know what’s around the corner, and I don’t have the pockets to dangle £100m cheques in front of them. And I don’t want to – I’m not in high finance, I’m in showbiz. Developing new acts has always been the thrill for me.

“I might find the hottest new thing and do a few gigs with them, and then suddenly they burst through to arena level, and suddenly Live Nation or AEG have signed them to a global deal. That’s the way the world works. But one of the things that my old Crosstown partner, Paul Hutton, always said was that he saw a future where there would be two or three companies that completely dominated the marketplace and owned everything. And when that happens, then the agents will have ceded too much power, too.”

In Spain, Xavi Manresa launched Cap-Cap Produccions in 1988, and admits he is becoming more reluctant about working on new acts only to lose them to global deals. “It’s hard to be independent, knowing that I’m probably not going to recuperate all the time and energy and money that I put into developing a band in the market. That’s why I don’t do that many new bands these days.” he says.

However, he discloses his own simple plan to reinvigorating those early independent sensibilities – the expansion of a new office in an emerging market – in Cap-Cap’s case, Tbilisi, Georgia. “It’s something really interesting for me because everything has to be built from the ground up,” he reports, “It’s like Spain in the 80s, but with more infrastructure because there’s already some people working there.”

And while he confesses he may launch a festival in Georgia, it’s the intimate shows that titillate the music fan within, keeping his indie spirit alive. “I’m not interested in arenas or stadiums. Who wants to see Green Day on a screen when you can do a club of 2,000 capacity?! That’s the kind of show I did for them in 2019,” Manresa adds.

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The resurgence of Gent Jazz continues after the Belgian institution pulled in 57,000 punters to its 2024 festival – 15,000 more than last year.

It was the second edition of international jazz festival to be staged by Ghent-based promoter and booking agency Greenhouse Talent, which acquired the event after previous organiser – the not-for-profit Jazz en Muziek – went backrupt at the end of 2022.

Running from 5-20 July, this year’s lineup included Air, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Jamie Cullum, Andre 3000, Birdy, Diana Krall, Selah Sue and DJ Shadow, among others.

“It was a top edition with a nice mix of concerts,” a spokesperson for Greenhouse tells Nieuwsblad. “They were well received by the public and it was very pleasant. As far as we are concerned, the festival can last forever.”

A total of 92 artists performed over 14 days, 42 of whom had Belgian roots.

“That is something to be proud of,” says the promoter. “Our country has a lot of musical talent and we are looking for a good mix between national and international artists.”

“We have achieved almost 20,000 more attendees than last year”

First held in 2002, the 5,500-cap festival has attracted acts such as BB King, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Sting, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Gregory Porter and Grace Jones.

As well as established names, the festival places a particular focus on young and emerging talent, with jazz and instrumental hip-hop trio Kin Gajo coming out on top in its annual Young Jazz Talent Ghent competition this year. The band were rewarded with a €10,000 cash prize and a residency at the city’s Ha Concerts venue.

“The icing on the cake is that they will be playing as the opening act on the main stage of Gent Jazz next year,” adds Greenhouse. “The first name of the next edition has already been announced.”

Spain’s APMusicales reports that attendance figures were also up this summer at Barcelona’s ALMA Festival, which drew 67,000 fans to Poble Espanyol between 24 June and 21 July.

Headliners included Queens of the Stone Age, Hozier, Vetusta Morla, Glen Hansard, Sheryl Crow, Take That, Alice Cooper, The Cat Empire, Marisa Monte, The Divine Comedy, Valeria Castro, Cat Power, James Blunt and Kool & the Gang. Eight of the concerts sold out, with the series recording an average occupancy of 77%.

“Getting 67,000 people to join us in this second edition in our new location after 10 years in the Pedralbes Gardens is a success that we celebrate enormously,” says Martín Pérez, director of the festival and promoter Concert Studio. “We have achieved almost 20,000 more attendees than last year. We are deeply grateful for the warm welcome from the Barcelona public once again this year.”

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The City of Antwerp has selected a partnership between the Brosella and Paradise City festivals to relaunch the Jazz Middelheim festival.

First held in 1969, Jazz Middelheim hosted artists such as Van Morrison, Jamie Cullum, Patti Smith, Ludovico Einaudi, Jean “Toots” Thielemans, John Zorn, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Werner, Archie Shepp, Robin Verheyen and Cassandra Wilson.

It was most recently staged in 2022, but Jazz en Muziek – the non-profit organisation behind the festival – went bankrupt at the end of last year. Jazz en Muziek also staged Gent Jazz Festival, which was rescued by Greenhouse Talent.

The new version of Jazz Middelheim will take place this year on a small scale in Antwerp’s Den Brandt Park, before a full-scale edition in 2025.

Details for the 2024 edition are yet to be announced, although the organisers have stated their intention to extend the festival to two days in September.

The City of Antwerp was attracted by the “balance between tradition and innovation” proposed by Brosella and Paradise City

Meanwhile, the festival’s name is currently still being negotiated as the brand is owned by Flemish public broadcaster VRT.

A total of eight candidates came forward in response to the call for a new Jazz Middelheim promoter, launched in 2023 by the City of Antwerp.

The municipal authorities were attracted by the “balance between tradition and innovation” proposed by Brosella and Paradise City, as well as their “experience in organising events in a green park environment”.

“The Brosella festival is synonymous with a varied musical offering of urban ethno and jazz and many musical styles in between,” says the City. “It presents and produces musical projects by big names and young national and international talent. Every year, the Paradise City Festival marks the start of summer for fans of electronic music on the site of a castle and is recognised worldwide for its considerable efforts in terms of sustainable development.”

Antwerp’s councillor for culture, Nabilla Ait Daoud, adds: “We are looking forward to a festival that is both warm and intimate, that honours both the past and the future of jazz, and that puts Antwerp back on the international jazz map.”

Bert Schreurs, director of Brosella Festival, comments: “We want to combine classic, established jazz artists with DJs influenced by jazz. In this way, we hope to appeal to a younger audience. We are therefore joining forces with Paradise City.”

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Greenhouse Talent has revealed it has sold 120,000 tickets in just one hour for a series of concerts marking the 40th anniversary of Belgian pop group Clouseau.

The band, who mainly perform in Dutch, have a large following across Belgium and the Netherlands, and have already sold out eight nights at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis (cap. 23,001) from 20 December 2024 to 4 January 2025.

The response has prompted them to add two extra shows for 9-10 January 2025, bringing their overall number of dates at the venue to 10. Tickets are priced €34-64.

Clouseau played their first ever show on 16 December, 1984 at the CC Sint-Genesius-Rode in Belgium.

“It is clear that no one wants to miss Clouseau’s fortieth birthday,” says a statement by Greenhouse. “No fewer than 120,000 tickets, good for eight Sports Palaces, flew out the door in barely an hour. Demand remains enormous, so Clouseau is adding two extra dates.”

Greenhouse Talent also has upcoming shows with the likes of Jason Derulo, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Rick Astley

The Ghent-based promoter and booking agency also has upcoming shows with the likes of Tony Hadley, Alexis Ffrench, Till Lindemann, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Paul Young, Air, Jason Derulo, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Rick Astley.

The company rescued Belgium’s Gent Jazz Festival from bankruptcy earlier this year after previous organiser went bankrupt. The 2023 event, held from 5-15 July, pulled in around 40,000 visitors across 74 concerts by acts including Ludovico Einaudi, Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock.

“I have a long history with the festival,” Greenhouse Talent owner Pascal Van De Velde told IQ. “We have supplied many headline acts in the past and one of the founders was my best friend, who passed away in 2011, so there was an emotional connection. There is also a geographical connection because it is in our hometown and there is, of course, a content connection because we promote so much jazz.

“We relaunched it and had a very successful edition – one of the most successful editions the festival has ever had.”

Gent Jazz Festival was recently profiled as part of IQ‘s list of ten of the best independent festivals.

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Greenhouse Talent owner Pascal Van De Velde has spoken to IQ about the future of Belgium’s Gent Jazz Festival after rescuing the event earlier this year.

The Ghent-based promoter and booking agency acquired the international jazz festival after previous organiser – the non-profit Jazz en Muziek – went backrupt at the end of 2022.

“Gent Jazz Festival had been going for 20-plus years, but the bad news came that it had gone bankrupt by the end of last year, so there wasn’t going to be an edition in ’23 and it was in the hands of an administrator,” explains Van De Velde. “So we said to ourselves, why not try to buy it? And we came to an agreement and bought what was left of it: we bought the name and took over their staff.”

The 5,500-cap festival has attracted acts such as BB King, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Sting, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Gregory Porter, Grace Jones and Jamie Cullum through the years.

“I have a long history with the festival,” adds Van De Velde. “We have supplied many headline acts in the past and one of the founders was my best friend, who passed away in 2011, so there was an emotional connection. There is also a geographical connection because it is in our hometown and there is, of course, a content connection because we promote so much jazz.

“By February, the deal was done and we got the licence from the city of Ghent. We relaunched it and had a very successful edition – one of the most successful editions the festival has ever had.”

“We’re a very independent company. We don’t like to rely on bosses or structures that have goals not directly connected to promoting shows”

This year’s event, held from 5-15 July, pulled in around 40,000 visitors across 74 concerts. Artists included Ludovico Einaudi, Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock. While it was the first edition to be held under Greenhouse’s control, changes were kept to a minimum.

“I think we boosted the quality of the production, hospitality, marketing and promotion,” says Van De Velde. “We didn’t change the stage set-up, which is the main stage and a second stage. And we didn’t change the formula: it was still a 10-day festival between the first and the third weekend of July.

“The location is very beautiful. It’s in the historical city centre of Ghent, so you’ve got restaurants, hotels and the centre of the town all around the festival. We have four acts on the main stage and four acts on the garden stage, so it’s not hectic; it’s more relaxed and comfortable. Every act plays at least a one-hour set in the best acoustic conditions. We can also do seated shows, which is not possible at a lot of festivals.”

Dates for the 2024 event are still to be confirmed but Van De Velde says work is already underway behind the scenes.

Gent Jazz Festival is profiled as part of IQ‘s list of ten of the best independent festivals, in which Van De Velde discusses the benefits of remaining indie in 2023.

“Whenever festivals are taken over by bigger machines, they start to get streamlined and become a little bit samey. That is something we would like to avoid,” he concludes. “We’re a very independent company. We don’t like to rely on bosses or structures that have goals not directly connected to promoting shows. We are concerts and festival-driven, and to keep that purity is very important.”

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Greenhouse Talent says Belgium’s Gent Jazz Festival enjoyed a “successful new start” in its first year under new ownership.

The Ghent-based promoter and booking agency stepped in to acquire the international jazz festival after previous organiser – the non-profit Jazz en Muziek – went backrupt at the end of 2022.

The latest edition, held in Bijloke, Ghent, from 5-15 July, pulled in around 40,000 visitors across 74 concerts, in line with last year’s record numbers.

Proximus reports that seven of the 10 festival days sold out, including two shows by composer Ludovico Einaudi, along with concerts by Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock.

Acts to have performed at Gent Jazz Festival down the years include Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Sting, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Gregory Porter, Grace Jones and Jamie Cullum.

“Jazz is a genre in which many artists age with dignity. That also applies to Gent Jazz”

Speaking to Nieuwsblad, Greenhouse Talent owner Pascal Van De Velde says he does not intend to tinker with the festival format too much going forward.

“The formula is fine,” he says. “You don’t put your kitchen table in a different room every year, do you? No, we see it this way: jazz is a genre in which many artists age with dignity. That also applies to Gent Jazz.”

Details of next year’s edition will be announced in the coming months.

Founded in 2004, Greenhouse Talent is the largest independent concert organiser in the Benelux and organises 500 concerts in the region each year, having previously worked with artists including Elvis Costello, Justin Bieber, Elton John, Massive Attack, Clouseau and the Rolling Stones.

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Ghent-based concert promoter and booking agency Greenhouse Talent has acquired Gent Jazz Festival, recovering it from bankruptcy.

The international jazz festival takes place annually in Bijloke, Ghent, across two weeks in July with some of the world’s best jazz performers. Last year’s edition attracted a record 42,000 visitors.

Jazz en Muziek, the non-profit organisation behind the Ghent Jazz Festival and Jazz Middelheim in Antwerp, went bankrupt at the end of last year.

The Belgian press says the insolvency was partly due to a ‘high mountain’ of debt and a conflict between organiser Bertrand Flamang and the board of directors.

Greenhouse director and founder Pascal Van De Velde says the three permanent employees of Jazz en Muziek will remain employed.

“The intention is that we will soon get together with the city of Ghent and the Bijloke to see if we can organise an edition in 2023,” he told VRT.

“The intention is that we will soon get together with the city of Ghent and the Bijloke to see if we can organise an edition in 2023”

“We will have to switch very quickly, but I am convinced that we will succeed. We once organised two Prince concerts on Sint-Pietersplein in one month, so we are a bit used to it.”

Founded in 2004, Greenhouse Talent is now the largest independent concert organiser in the Benelux with 40 permanent employees and offices in Ghent and Breda.

The promoter organises 500 concerts in the Benelux each year, with previous clients including Elvis Costello, Justin Bieber, Elton John, Massive Attack, Clouseau and The Rolling Stones.

“Greenhouse Talent was chosen as a suitable partner on the basis of a thoroughly prepared qualitative offer, its rock-solid reputation, but in particular its commitment to keep all employees on board, the correct acquisition price, its commitment to organise the festival in close collaboration with the City of Ghent, the Bijloke Abbey and the cultural partners involved, and to guarantee the continued existence of the Young Jazz Talent competition in order to give young talent in Ghent a stage,” says liquidator Matthias Gesquière.

Jazz Middelheim in Antwerp was not part of the deal, leaving a question mark over the continued existence of the festival.

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A handful of top European promoters have spoken to IQ about the impact the latest Covid spike is having on the continent’s live music business.

Record daily infections have been reported in Germany and the Netherlands, while Austria and Belgium have introduced new measures. In the UK, Northern Ireland is following Scotland’s lead in introducing Covid passports to gain entry to venues.

In France, however, the government has just lifted capacity restrictions on standing at indoor concerts following a campaign by French live music association Prodiss.

“France is always different to everywhere else,” laughs Paris-based promoter Arnaud Meersseman, who says he senses “clouds on the horizon”.

“There is a general sense that whilst Germany and Austria have rather low vaccination rates, it is very worrisome that countries such as Belgium and Netherlands – that have a vaccination rate close to ours – are in the situation they are in. So there is some anxiety,” he tells IQ.

Meersseman suspects new rules could be introduced at a government meeting next week after president Emmanuel Macron fired a “warning shot” in a public address earlier this month.

You start losing territories like Holland and Germany and suddenly your tour isn’t viable economically anymore

“We were at 12,000 cases a day a week ago, and now we’re at 20,000,” says the AEG Presents France head. “So it’s getting to that point where it trickles and then suddenly, boom, it becomes exponential.

“I don’t think we’ll go back into full lockdown. But in terms of our business, well, there’s not much going on anyway – even for domestic acts – in November and December. I think there could be some impact there, we’ll see. But I’m not very positive about it and I’m not feeling super positive about January/February either.

“Domestic tours, maybe they go ahead in February/March. But for international tours, it feels highly unlikely that anything happens between January and March because you start losing territories like Holland and Germany and suddenly your tour isn’t viable economically anymore.”

He adds: “You can see that the weather definitely has an impact. If you look at Spain, Italy and Portugal; on top of having extremely high vaccination rates, they’re having very nice weather and their cases aren’t rising. It’s as soon as you get people back inside, basically, that the cases are rising again.”

Rock Werchter founder Herman Schueremans explains that, with Belgium entering a semi-lockdown this weekend, concert-goers for Saturday’s performance by Bazart at Antwerp’s Lotto Arena will be required to wear masks, whereas those attending the band’s first show tomorrow night will not.

“It’s a bit of a strange situation,” remarks the Live Nation Belgium boss. “But even though we know a percentage of the audience will not show up, we’re happy that our sold-out shows in November and December can all happen at full capacity. It’s key for the artists and their teams, and the venues, suppliers, security teams and crew, as well as our team.”

People don’t trust the shows in the near future will take place

Pascal Van De Velde of Greenhouse Talent reports that ticket sales for concerts in Belgium over the next two to three months have been “decimated” by the worsening situation.

“People don’t trust the shows in the near future will take place,” he says. “And people don’t feel like going anymore, as they think it’s no fun with the masks, etc.”

It is a similar state of play in Austria, where Goodlive Concerts MD Silvio Huber describes the current picture as a “mess”. Proof of a negative PCR test will be needed to attend concerts in Vienna from tomorrow, with a return to a full lockdown in the coming days looking increasingly likely.

“Restrictions are going to change every few days,” says Huber. “In the federal states of Salzburg und Upper Austria, the situation is out of control. Shows have been cancelled there already, and hospitals are getting their teams ready for triage as they are running out of intensive care beds slowly, but surely.

“Furthermore they have just announced there will be will a lockdown in Salzburg und Upper Austria from Monday onwards. We will see tomorrow if the rest of the country will join them. I’m pretty sure we will see a nationwide lockdown.”

Scores of shows in the Netherlands were postponed earlier this week after the Dutch government imposed a new partial lockdown. A capacity limit of 1,250 has been imposed on venues, with restrictions due to last until 4 December at the earliest.

We had to cancel or postpone all shows above 1,250-cap

“We had to cancel or postpone all shows above 1,250-cap, at least for three weeks and even beyond those dates,” says Jan Willem Luyken of Mojo Concerts. “Indoor, fixed seated shows can still happen with limited capacity, with proof of vaccine, negative test or [natural immunity from a previous positive test]. Bars and catering need to be closed from 8pm, so it’s a very complex situation indeed, and we’re still figuring it out.”

In light of the fresh measures, Luyken says the Dutch government has announced an extension of support programmes for the live event industry and cultural sector.

Germany’s Event Management Forum (EMF), which consists of five major organisations including live music associations BDKV and LiveKomm, has urged the German government to meet with music industry representatives before imposing new restrictions on the business. Outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel has called the country’s current Covid situation “dramatic” and said a fourth wave of the virus was hitting Germany with “full force”.

BDKV chief Jens Michow earlier laid bare the stark financial impact of the pandemic on the business.

“In the 20 months of actual lockdown, the loss of sales for concert, tour and festival organisers alone was around €3.5 billion by the end of last year,” he said. “By the end of 2021, the loss in sales will add up to at least €8.5bn.”

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