Dutch promoter Friendly Fire is joining forces with 013 Poppodium to launch a “bold and fresh” indoor hip-hop festival.

The 2,000-cap Headlines, which will debut at the Tilburg venue on Saturday 10 May, will celebrate the “alternative, left-field side of hip-hop”.

Friendly Fire is behind established festivals such as Best Kept Secret, while 013 Poppodium has organised gatherings including Roadburn and Woo Hah! and attracts 350,000 visitors annually to more than 375 shows.

According to Friendly Fire’s Rens Peters and Elvin Usidame, the idea for Headlines arose from the lack of alternatives in the market.

“There are very few festivals in the Netherlands that provide a stage for these artists, even though we see a high demand for it,” explains Peters.

“A festival like this has been missing, not just from our roster, but from the Dutch scene as a whole”

“With Headlines, we not only want to highlight this part of the genre but also bring curious hip-hop fans together and introduce them to new sounds,” adds Usidame.

Ticket costs €43.80, with lineup details to be announced soon. FKP Scorpio-backed Friendly Fire celebrated its 15th anniversary last year.

“Tilburg is the ultimate hip-hop city in the Netherlands, and 013 has been repping the culture for 25 years strong,” says Daan Holthuis, Headlines co-founder and head of programming at 013 Poppodium. “A festival like this has been missing, not just from our roster, but from the Dutch scene as a whole. With Headlines, we’re stepping back into the spotlight. This is the must attend event for all hip-hop lovers.”

The news offers a timely boost to the Netherlands’ festival sector after it was revealed that more than 100 festivals disappeared from the market in 2024 due to being either cancelled or discontinued. Forty-six new events cropped up during the same period.

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Rolling Loud’s 2025 Los Angeles edition has been condensed into a two-day format, with ticket prices slashed.

Organisers of the world’s largest hip-hop festival initially went on sale with a three-day edition for 2025, set for 14-16 March.

Now, they’ve announced a “new era” for the 75,000-capacity event, cutting a whole day of programming and restaging the festival for 15-16 March at Inglewood’s Hollywood Park.

Weekend general admission ticket prices have dropped from US$399 in 2024 to $179, a 55.1% reduction in full-festival costs. Broken down, the daily cost fell by 32.7% from $133 per day last year to $89.50.

The Rolling Loud brand, which launched in Miami in 2015, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Over its first decade, the franchise has staged editions across the US, Europe, and Asia, with 2024 editions in Pattaya, Thailand; Vienna, Austria; LA, and Miami.

Performers for the LA edition are expected to be announced this week. Last year’s headliners include Ty Dolla $ign and Kanye West (aka ¥$), Post Malone, and Future x Metro Boomin.

On the East Coast, Boston Calling has also reduced ticket prices alongside the release of its 2025 lineup, amid backlash for overcrowding at last year’s event.

GA weekend ticket prices decreased over 8.6% on last year’s price from $383 last year to $350 all-in for 2025. One-day passes fell 10.5% from $189 to $169, and a two-day option has been introduced for $330.

The multi-day US event will return on 23-25 May at Harvard Athletic Complex, headlined by Luke Combs, Fall Out Boy and the Dave Matthews Band. Other acts featured include Megan Moroney, Sheryl Crow, T-Pain, Avril Lavigne, Cage The Elephant, Vampire Weekend, and Sublime.

Tumbling ticket prices for these festivals go against the trend of rising Euro festival ticket costs

Organisers plan to combine its existing two stages into a singular ‘rotating stage system’ to optimise space for attendees. During its 13th edition, festivalgoers described “unsafe” overcrowding conditions on the final day of the festival, leading to an onslaught of medical emergencies partly due to high temperatures.

Roughly 40,000 people descended on the festival’s sold-out final day, which featured back-to-back performances from Chappell Roan, Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier, and The Killers. The number reportedly doubled the estimated 16,000 people who attended the day prior.

In addition to the changes in staging, organisers will implement an indoor air-conditioned arena — with special indoor programming to be announced — along with expanded access to water stations.

First staged in 2013, the festival is produced by Boston Calling Events, part-owned by local Crash Line Productions and Austin-based C3 Presents. The festival is co-curated by Aaron Dessner of The National.

Tumbling ticket prices for these US festivals go against the average trend of 5% year-on-year increases across European festivals between 2024 and 2025.

“Unfortunately, we see rising supplier costs and the effects of global (and especially local) inflation. It is something we have to deal with when calculating ticket prices,” said Tamás Kádár, CEO of Sziget, at the time.

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De La Soul has announced a concert in New York City in 2025 with a ‘choose-what-you-pay’ ticketing model.

The Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group will perform at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall on 17 January 2025.

According to the venue’s website, the suggested ticket price is US$35 but fans have the option of paying more or less than that in order to “make the arts more accessible”.

Lincoln Center is also offering flexible pricing for concerts with the metal band Sunn O))), the Portuguese fado singer Mariza, Polish guitarist Raphael Rogiński, and organist Kali Malone.

The pay-what-you-can ticketing model has also been used by UK festivals Outlook and Greenbelt – the latter of which continues to do so.

“To make the arts more accessible, tickets are available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis”

Pre-sale tickets for De La Soul’s NYC concert will go on sale from 5 September with the general public getting their chance on 12 September.

Before returning to their hometown of New York, De La Soul will deliver a handful of festival performances and concerts in the UK, Canada, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the US.

Earlier this year, the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum announced that De La Soul’s 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising was one of 10 recordings selected for the Grammy Hall of Fame.

It came after De La Soul’s first six studio albums debuted on streaming services in March 2023 following years of internal conflicts and label issues.

Last year also marked the passing of the group’s co-founder Trugoy the Dove (born David Jolicoeur) who died at the age of 54.

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Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) has spun off its hip-hop booking division into a standalone brand called District Live.

The Berlin-headquartered firm says this is “the next logical step” after launching the division in 2022, with Alexander Handwerker at the helm.

The division, which focuses on booking for up-and-coming hip-hop talents, sold 70,000 tickets in its first year.

District Live’s artist roster includes Tream, who has already sold over 100,000 tickets for his second tour in 2024; Bausa, who will be performing 17 shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in February 2025; and Avaion, who embarked on a sold-out European tour in May.

“With District Live, we are deliberately creating a brand that gives urban/hip-hop acts a strong representation and optimal staging”

“With District Live, we are deliberately creating a brand that gives urban/hip-hop acts a strong representation and optimal staging,” says Alex Handwerker, managing director of District Live.

“As a booking agency, we focus on up-and-coming artists at an early stage so that we can accompany them on their way from the very beginning. We also work together with established artists to further develop their performances and give them a new, unique standing in the scene.”

Detlef Kornett, CEO DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG, adds: “With District Live, the DEAG Group has gained a strong, internationally operating brand for the entire urban culture and hip-hop sector. We are particularly proud that this foundation with Alex Handwerker comes from our own ranks, and we wish Alex and District Live, together with DEAG, every success in the future and look forward to further cooperation within the entire group.”

The upcoming July/August edition of IQ will spotlight the German hip-hop market.

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Leading hip-hop, rap and R&B promoter Chris Wareing has departed AEG Presents UK after 18 months with the company.

Wareing moved to AEG in late 2022 as SVP for global touring, tasked with expanding the firm’s hip-hop and rap presence globally.

Previously, he spent 10 years with SJM Concerts, where he worked with the likes of Stormzy, Dave, Travis Scott and Little Simz, and founded the Gods of Rap tour. An AEG spokesperson confirmed that Wareing had resigned from his position.

Wareing declined to comment when approached by IQ. His appointment was part of a revamp of AEG’s UK operations by CEO Steve Homer, which also saw the hiring of ex-Live Nation veteran Lee Laborde as SVP, promoting division, Lucy Noble, previously of the Royal Albert Hall, as its inaugural artistic director and Paris Harding, formerly of SJM, as promoter.

The exapnsion also saw a handful of other appointments announced as part of its growth and development plans across the venues and touring business, while Georgie Donnelly was named as its first head of comedy.

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Swedish rapper Ant Wan is set to perform the biggest hip-hop concert in the country’s history after selling close to 40,000 tickets in a matter of hours.

The 26-year-old will play Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena on 12 October this year, organised by FKP Scorpio Sweden.

Wan was due to play his first arena gig at the 8,300-cap Hovet in the Swedish capital last September, only for the show to be upgraded to the 15,000-cap Avicii Arena due to demand.

“Neither we nor the ticket supplier have previously seen tickets to Tele2 Arena sell so quickly,” says FKP senior creative curator and promotor Johanna Beckman. “First Hovet, then Avicii Arena and now Tele2 Arena. Ant Wan sells out everything he does. He is number one, a phenomenon.”

“Ant Wan has shown that he has the strongest fan base in the Nordics”

Real name Antwan Afram, Wan has reached No.1 in the Swedish albums chart with each of his last three studio LPs: 2021’s Leylas World and Wow 2, and 2022’s The Only Wan.

“Ant Wan has shown that he has the strongest fan base in the Nordics, so we are not surprised by the high pressure. Together with Ant Wan and FKP Scorpio, we are writing history once again,” adds Ninos Icho, co-founder of Swedish production firm Dopest.

Other upcoming artists slated to appear at the 45,000-cap Tele2 Arena include The 1975, John Mayer, J Balvin, Rod Stewart, Nicki Minaj, Tool and The World of Hans Zimmer.

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Hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will launch in Austria next year and will be the only European edition in 2024, according to organisers.

This means the US-hailing brand will not return to Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany, where European editions have previously been held.

The inaugural Austrian edition, dubbed Rolling Loud Europe, will take over Racino in Ebreichsdorf, an open-air venue on the outskirts of the Austrian capital of Vienna, between 5–7 July.

Mojo Concerts, promoter of Rolling Loud Rotterdam in the Netherlands, said there would not be a second edition because the brand “the rising costs of organising a festival of this size makes it a risky venture”.

This means the US-hailing brand will not return to Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany

The Germany edition, which debuted this year in Munich, was marred by a spate of incidents, with police describing a “remarkably aggressive” mood among the festival audience.

The event, headlined by Travis Scott, WizKid and Kendrick Lamar, was promoted by Live Nation and Austrian promoter Leutgeb Entertainment Group.

And the Portuguese offshoot launched at the Praia Da Rocha Beach, Portimão, in the Algarve in 2022 and was Rolling Loud’s first foray in Europe.

Last month, plans for Rolling Loud to return to Australia next year for the first time since 2019 were cancelled due to “circumstances beyond our control”.

Launched in 2015, the Miami-hailing festival has also run events in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Toronto, and will launch in Thailand next year.

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Plans for Rolling Loud to return to Australia next year for the first time since 2019 have been cancelled.

The hip-hop festival franchise had been due to land at Sydney’s Giants Stadium and Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on 26 & 27 January 2024, respectively, but promoters say the event will no longer take place, citing “circumstances beyond our control”.

“We appreciate the love from all of our fans who are looking forward to Rolling Loud’s return to Australia,” says a statement. “We were hyped to bring the full Rolling Loud experience to our Aussie fans. Sadly, due to circumstances beyond our control, we’re unable to give you a show that lives up to the Rolling Loud standard, so we are left with no choice but to postpone the festival to a later date.

“To those of you who have already bought tickets, we appreciate you. All ticket holders will receive an automatic, full refund.”

Organisers insist a number of yet-to-be-announced side shows set to be held around the festival will still go ahead as planned.

“Rolling Loud will still be hosting a variety of smaller arena shows in early 2024”

“Australian fans, we still got you: Rolling Loud will still be hosting a variety of smaller arena shows in early 2024,” adds the statement.

The Miami-hailing festival has also run events in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Toronto, Rotterdam, Munich and the Algarve, and will launch in Thailand next year.

News of its Australian cancellation comes in the same week that The Weeknd postponed his upcoming Australia & New Zealand stadium tour, citing “unforeseen circumstances”.

The Canadian singer was set to perform 11 dates in the region from 20 November to 9 December this year, spread across Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, Sydney’s Accor Stadium, Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium and Eden Park in Auckland.

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Rolling Loud, the world’s largest hip-hop festival franchise, will return to Australia for the first time since 2019.

The long-awaited follow-up will take place at Sydney’s Giants Stadium on 26 January followed by Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on 27 January, with a number of other side shows yet to be announced.

“We are hyped to come back to Australia for the first time in years,” says Rolling Loud co-founders Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif.

“The Sydney fans were so passionate in 2019, so we are eager to return Down Under, and bring Rolling Loud to more cities this time. The Aussie shows will be a unique Rolling Loud experience, and we’re excited for everyone to see what’s in store.”

“The Aussie shows will be a unique Rolling Loud experience”

Tickets range between AUS$305.71 for general admission and $661.51 for VIP. The first wave of acts for Rolling Loud Australia is due to be announced on 1 November.

The 2024 instalment marks an expansion of Rolling Loud Australia 2019, which took place at Sydney’s Olympic Park on one day in January.

The Miami-hailing festival has also taken place in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Toronto, Rotterdam, Munich and the Algarve, and will launch in Thailand next year.

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IYKYK, a new hip-hop festival set to debut in the US this weekend, has been called off due to “irreparable damage” to the main stage caused by a recent monsoon storm.

The one-day festival, promoted by Relentless Beats and Universatile Music, was due to take place on 9 September at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, with sets from Lil Uzi Vert, Metro Boomin, Rico Nasty, Denzel Curry, Jeleel and more.

“Last Thursday, our stage structure suffered irreparable damage due to a severe monsoon storm,” reads a statement from the organisers.

“Despite all efforts to clear the debris, it’s clear that the process will take much longer than originally anticipated and reconstruction of a safe site for fans will not be possible before Saturday. We have exhausted all alternative venue options suitable for the planned production and the number of tickets sold, therefore, we must unfortunately cancel IYKYK Music Festival scheduled for this Saturday 9 September.”

“We have exhausted all alternative venue options suitable for the planned production and the number of tickets sold”

Refunds will be automatically processed in the next seven days to 10 days, according to the statement.

Damage to the stage from the storm also caused Relentless Beats to postpone the Basstrack music festival, which originally was scheduled to take place on 2 and 3 September at Phoenix Raceway, until later this month.

The promoter is also due to host the Goldrush Music Festival and a concert from hip-hop duo $uicideboy$ at the raceway in early October.

IYKYK is the latest festival to be disrupted by extreme weather conditions, after Bluedot (UK), Pitchfork Festival Chicago (US)  Primavera (ES), Dutch festivals Awakenings, Bospop and Wildeburg, Alexandra Palace’s Kaleidoscope Festival and Robbie Williams’ concert in Austria.

Elsewhere, festivals such as Austria’s Nova Rock and Australia’s Splendour in the Grass this year invested in site improvements after their 2022 editions were hit with extreme weather.

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