Sign up for IQ Index
The latest industry news to your inbox.
Jack White is offering $20 (€19.30) tickets to students for the US leg of his No Name Tour.
The former White Stripes frontman, who released live EP No Name Live this week, is finishing up his US run, with dates at Brooklyn Paramount tonight (12 February) and two nights at Boston Roadrunner (17-18 February) still to go.
General sale tickets for the Boston gigs are currently available for $79 to $299. The discounted tickets can only be bought from the relevant venue’s box office on the day of the concert.
“For every stop on the No Name Tour, a limited number of student tickets will be available to purchase in-person only at each venue’s box office on show day,” reads a post on the guitarist’s Instagram page. “These tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis with a valid student ID (1 ticket per student ID).”
White heads to Europe later this month, with stops in Paris, France at La Cigale (21 February) and Le Trianon (22-23 February) and TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands (25-26 February), plus London Troxy (28 February & 1 March), O2 Academy Birmingham (2 March) and Glasgow Barrowland (3 March) in the UK.
He also has two nights booked at Toyosu Pit in Tokyo, Japan (15 & 17 March).
The 49-year-old American played a pop-up tour of intimate venues last year, performing last-minute shows “mostly at small clubs and backyard fetes”.
“The goal of Next Beat is to encourage socialisation, reflection and cultural sharing among the girls and boys of the city”
On a similar theme, Italy’s Fondazione Musica per Roma (Music Foundation for Rome) and Roma Capitale have launched the Next Beat initiative, offering more than 1,000 tickets for concerts at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone concert hall at a discounted price of €5 for young people under 35 living in Rome.
“The goal of Next Beat is to encourage socialisation, reflection and cultural sharing among the girls and boys of the city, through the experience of live music and the discovery of great artists,” reads a statement.
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.
Barley Arts’ Comfort Festival is set to move to Milan for its fourth edition this July, with the first batch of national and international artists already announced.
The five-day festival, which takes place on 4-5, 9-10 and 13 July, will transition from its previous location in Ferrara to Milan’s historic Villa Casati Stampa in Cinisello Balsamo. Organisers plan to stage the expanded festival inside the seventeenth-century noble residence’s garden.
“The years from 2021 to 2024 have seen three wonderful editions of the Comfort Festival, as well as the passionate and memorable concert by Bruce Springsteen [in Monza in 2023],” says Claudio Trotta, Barley Arts and festival founder. “The bond is solid, sincere and concrete, and I am sure that we will see each other again soon in Ferrara.”
The first artists announced include the Warren Haynes Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Fink, Wolfmother, Blackberry Smoke, Treves Blues Band, and the Satchvai Band featuring Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. More artists will be announced in the coming months.
The Italian promoter is set for a busy year, with two stadium shows from Bruce Springsteen in Milan
The event, staged in 2021, 2023 and 2024, has grown from two days to five and featured acts like Jack Johnson, The Gaslight Anthem, Gary Clark Jr. and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, along with Italian acts like Edoardo Bennato and Gianluca Grignani.
National promoter Barley Arts is set for a busy year, with two stadium shows from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Milan’s San Siro Stadium (cap. 80,018) in July, along with performances from Joe Bonamassa, Soccer Mommy, Lovesick, and others.
Single-day tickets for the event are on sale now and range from at €35-€65 + fees and are available exclusively through TicketOne.
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.
Slam Dunk Festival promoter Ben Ray has shared his blueprint for the brand’s 2025 “European takeover” in an interview with IQ.
The rock event, which was crowned Festival of the Year at this week’s LIVE Awards, will take place in six markets across one week next May/June, debuting in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as returning to France, Italy and the UK, where the brand launched in 2006.
It is collaborating with partners in each market, apart from the UK, including Live Nation Belgium, Jera Presents (Netherlands), Good News Productions (Switzerland), Opus Live (France) and Hub Music Factory (Italy).
“It’s what we’ve been working towards,” Ray tells IQ. “The first European [spin-offs] were in France and Italy in ’23, but we only did France this year because – and I was very honest about it – we didn’t have the artists to do Italy. And with any of our European editions, if we don’t get the artists, we won’t put on the events.
“This year, we started looking at more markets but were determined to do both France and Italy. I had to know that France and Italy were done before I looked at anything else, because I wanted to deliver with my existing partners first.
“Luckily, in the cases of Netherlands and Switzerland, I’d been talking to those people for a long time and we’d said we’d do something if the opportunity arose.”
“Neck Deep are the only band playing all seven events”
Slam Dunk 2025 will kick off with its flagship, 30,000-cap UK editions at Hatfield Park on 24 May and Temple Newsam in Leeds on 25 May, headlined by A Day To Remember, Electric Callboy and Neck Deep, before making its way across the continent.
“Months ago, I told the artists that were flying over from the US for Slam Dunk UK that we were trying to add some European options for afterwards,” explains Ray. Thankfully, many of those bands have decided to come and join us and go into Europe. A Day To Remember are also headlining in France and Italy, and The Used, Newfound Glory and Neck Deep are the main three bands doing the majority of the shows.
“Switzerland is New Found Glory and Neck Deep, and then Netherlands and Belgium is The Used and Neck Deep, so it’s all rotating. Neck Deep are the only band playing all seven events.”
The inaugural Slam Dunk Belgium (cap. 2,000) is set for 27 May at Trix, Antwerp, with the first Slam Dunk Netherlands to follow 29 May at Tivola Ronda in Utrecht.
Slam Dunk France (cap. 5,000) will take place Lyon’s L’Amphitheatre 3000 on 31, with Slam Dunk Switzerland (cap. 2,000) to debut at Zurich’s Komplex 457 on 1 June. Slam Dunk Italy (cap. 10,000) will then bring proceedings to a close at a new venue – Milan’s Carroponte – on 2 June.
“Ultimately, it’s getting the brand out there into Europe and hopefully putting a benchmark down in those territories”
“The [Belgium/Netherlands Switzerland events] are in club venues,” notes Ray. “It’s a touring package rather than a [traditional] festival. But ultimately, it’s getting the brand out there into Europe and hopefully putting a benchmark down in those territories.
“Everything’s an experiment,” he continues. “The idea is to grow in each market and build the brand in each country, and then we hope to do bigger venues in those countries – and I suppose more countries – in the future.”
Past lineups at the pop-punk, emo, metal, and alternative have included the likes of Paramore, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, Don Broco, Sum 41 and NOFX. And in closing, Ray is cautiously optimistic the rollout will be a hit.
“We look at ticket data from the UK events and we know we get a lot of customers coming from Europe,” finishes Ray. “There is brand awareness all across Europe – even in territories we’re not in – and on top of targeted campaigns in each country, we’re running a very large overall campaign advertising the events together across Europe, again, trying to grow the brand.
“A big target for us is sponsorship: we believe that the more markets we’re in, the more attractive it looks to potential sponsors, so hopefully that will grow over the years as well.”
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.
Slam Dunk Festival is expanding to Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as part of its “European takeover” in 2025.
The one-day pop-punk, emo, metal and ska-themed festival, which launched in the UK in 2006 before adding stops in France and Italy over the past couple of years, will take place in six markets across one week next May/June.
Slam Dunk 2025 will kick off with its 30,000-cap UK editions at Hatfield Park on 24 May and Leeds, Temple Newsam on 25 May, before making its way across the continent.
A link-up with Live Nation Belgium, the first Slam Dunk Belgium is set for 27 May at Trix, Antwerp, with a bill including The Used, Neck Deep and Zebrahead.
Another new addition in partnership with Jera Presents, Slam Dunk Netherlands will debut on 29 May at Tivola Ronda in Utrecht, featuring Neck Deep, The Used, Zebrahead, The Ataris and March.
Across the border, Slam Dunk hits France on 31 May at Lyon’s L’Amphitheatre 3000, topped by A Day To Remember, Landmvrks, The Used, New Found Glory, Neck Deep and Zebrahead.
The Slam Dunk takeover will come to a close in Italy at Milan’s Carroponte on 2 June
The first Slam Dunk Switzerland will then land at Zurich’s Komplex 457 on 1 June, starring acts such as New Found Glory, Neck Deep, Zebrahead and The Ataris.
The takeover will come to a close in Italy at Milan’s Carroponte on 2 June. Bands confirmed so far include A Day To Remember, New Found Glory, The Used, Landmvrks, Neck Deep, The Ataris and Zebrahead.
Slam Dunk’s previously announced UK bill, meanwhile, will be headlined by A Day To Remember, Electric Callboy and Neck Deep topping the bill. Past lineups have included the likes of Paramore, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, Don Broco, Sum 41 and NOFX.
Promoter Ben Ray discussed the potential for future expansion of the brand in an interview with IQ earlier this year.
“We are looking at other European markets, but we’re not pushing it,” he said. “We started Slam Dunk in 2006 and it took us a long time to get to where we are in the UK. We’ve changed cities, we’ve changed sites, we’ve change formats and we’ve built slowly. We’ve never tried to take on too much, which is very important.”
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.
Italy’s concert industry was worth almost €1 billion to the country’s economy last year, according to newly released figures.
Based on IFPI, Deloitte, Italian Society of Authors and Publishers (SIAE), DISMA and GFK data, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry (FIMI) reports the overall economic value of music in Italy in 2023 was €4.3bn, with total direct contributions amounting to €3.1bn.
“The Italian musical ecosystem is a very relevant element in the field of the cultural industry” says FIMI CEO Enzo Mazza. “In this context, the value of musical recording as a key element in the industry must also be considered, around which increasingly relevant economies are generated thanks to the technological innovation.”
The concert sector was the biggest driver, generating €967.4m. Combined with dance and musical entertainment (€780.5m), the segment was responsible for 56.8% of direct contributions.
Recorded music accounted for 14.3%, while copyright (broadcast and public performance) made up 14.4% of the total.
The SIAE’s Report, published over the summer, showed that concerts attracted 23.7 million spectators in 2023, a rise of 13.6% on 2022 and a 88% jump on 2019. More than 36,000 events were held – an increase of 16% on 2022 and 98% on 2019.
“No form of support for live music in the profit sector is recognised by Italian legislation”
Meanwhile, in a speech at this month’s Milan Music Week, Carlo Parodi, president of trade body Assomusica, said: “With 24 million spectators and over 36,000 concerts, the pre-pandemic numbers of 2019 have doubled – data that testifies to a constantly growing music scene and a professional and dynamic supply chain, capable of organising high-impact events in absolute safety.”
However, he stressed that despite the “record year”, the sector required assistance from the authorities.
“The Entertainment Code has not yet seen the light and this generates a lot of discontent among operators,” he added. “We still find ourselves dealing with an old law – law 800 of 1967 – which prevents profit-making live music companies from accessing the FNSV [National Fund for Live Performance]. Therefore, we have no possibility of participating in the Art Bonus and we do not have the Tax Credit. No form of support for live music in the profit sector is recognised by Italian legislation.”
He added: “Thanks to the support of ICE, Italian music was a major protagonist at WOMEX in Manchester, demonstrating the fact that we must invest further in the internationalisation of our musical groups and contemporary popular music.
“Before making difficult decisions, I invite those who are called upon to make important choices to stop and attend a concert . The beauty and emotions of music can guide you towards the best choice.”
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.
Organisers of C2C Festival in Turin have toasted its biggest-ever edition in 2024 with a record number of visitors.
The 22nd event attracted 41,000 visitors (up from 35,000 in 2023) for its third consecutive sell-out. A record 33% of the audience was international visitors from 47 countries, according to organisers.
Taking place between 31 October and 3 November, C2C comprised 32 performances across five venues including Lingotto Fiere, OGR Torino and Teatro Regio.
Renowned DJs and producers such as A.G. Cook, Bicep presents Chroma, Romy and Arca performed at the 2024 instalment.
“It was an intense edition that, in line with last year, continued the path of consolidation and evolution of the C2C Festival”
The festival also hosted a free-to-attend programme of workshops, panels, and listening sessions called C2C Talks, in association with Resident Advisor.
“It was an intense edition that, in line with last year, continued the path of consolidation and evolution of the C2C Festival,” says Sergio Ricciardone, founder and artistic director of C2C Festival.
“We are already working on preparing the next edition, while enthusiastically welcoming new ideas to develop future project possibilities, with the aim of maintaining a coherent and ongoing dialogue with the Festival community, further strengthening C2C’s status, and continuing to create wonder.”
C2C Festival was launched in the early 2000s as Club To Club, evolving from one of Europe’s most celebrated dance festivals to an internationally renowned platform showcasing contemporary music.
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.
Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) CEO Detlef Kornett has spoken to IQ about the firm’s latest acquisition and how it fits into a wider expansion strategy.
Today, the Berlin-based live entertainment giant announced its first foray in Italy with the acquisition of Milan-based rock promoter MC² Live.
MC² Live was launched after the company’s founders, Andrea and Stefano Pieroni, sold a 51% stake in their former business, Vertigo, to CTS Eventim in 2017.
DEAG says the brothers will continue to manage MC² Live in the long term together with their team, who will all remain with the company.
Speaking about his admiration for the company’s leader, Kornett told IQ: “Andrea has been in the industry for decades and has a very impressive roster of artists and bands that he works with internationally, as well as Italian-language acts.”
“We have had a very impressive growth curve and I believe this acquisition will help us to continue on that path”
Over the past few decades, the stalwart promoter has organised numerous concerts, festivals and events with stars such as Judas Priest, Slipknot, Rammstein, 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Eros Ramazzotti and Negrita.
“MC² are of a certain size already so this is a very important step for DEAG where we can really funnel growth, and that’s what DEAG has been all about these years,” says Kornett. “We have had a very impressive growth curve and I believe this acquisition will help us to continue on that path.”
Indeed, DEAG has been on an acquisition spree in the past 12 months, entering the Spanish market in late 2023 with the launch of subsidiary Get Rock Live (GRL) and acquiring three companies in the first six months of 2024. With the acquisition of MC² Live, DEAG is now present in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Spain and Italy.
“Benelux, The Netherlands is an obvious gap in our marketplace, and at the same time it’s not an easy market – it’s set in a certain way – so the right opportunity would need to arise for us to expand there,” explains Kornett. “That doesn’t mean that we’re not in conversations, it is just not right yet.”
Though the company is bullish in its international expansion, Kornett insists that being a pan-European company is not the main goal.
“Obviously, there are still so many white spots for DEAG on the European map and we will continue to explore those opportunities”
“Obviously, there are still so many white spots for DEAG on the European map and we will continue to explore those opportunities but the partnership has to fit,” he explains.
“The importance is really on the people, the way they conduct business and relationships, and the fit. The way Andrea maintains his relationships, the way he budgets for his events, the way he settles his events fits very well with us.”
Kornett says he’s excited to capitalise on the opportunities available in the Italian live music market alongside MC².
“There’s a huge opportunity for international rock and pop in the market and the Italian language music sector is very important and very big, but it’s also very divided between some major players,” he says.
“There are only very few independents left but now Andrea has a strong partner to continue to be independent in that market. Italy is no different to the UK or Germany, there are opportunities for independent, boutique-type promoters like us, and we intend to take full advantage of that.”
DEAG has set its sights on becoming “a company with more than €500 million in revenues”
The company has already shared ambitions to take some of its pre-existing event brands to the Italian market and introduce some new ones.
“MC² and Andrea have traditionally been focused on Italian artists and international rock and pop,” he says, nodding to the firm’s upcoming shows with Iron Maiden, Pantera, Skunk Anansie and Falling in Reverse.
“I think there are elements within rock that we can add but we would look for synergies the other way. We do all kinds of events in the non-music sector from the spoken word events to the light trails to the family shows to the classical music to jazz. – so we will explore all of these opportunities. Is the market ready for it? Does it work? If it works, then let’s give it a shot!”
While DEAG continues to expand in Europe, the firm has set its sights on becoming “a company with more than €500 million in revenues”. Its highest-ever revenue was €325 million in 2022.
“We will go some way towards that goal in 2025 but it’s more of a three-year plan,” says Kornett. “It’s all in the bottom line, so we have to find the right balance in our portfolio in order to achieve that. We’ve been at 8–9% margin – another thing we hope to grow next year. This year nothing was easy but I generally feel that the business will be in a better flow in 2025.”
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.
Amazon Music’s performance and livestream series City Sessions is to be rolled out across Europe.
The series features big name acts performing on intimate stages in unique venues. Concerts have previously been held under the banner in the US and Latin America, starring acts such as Kings of Leon, Nelly Furtado, Omah Lay, Sofi Tukker, Mau y Ricky, Andra Day, The Black Crowes, Glass Animals and Wallows.
City Sessions will now expand to the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, kicking off in Manchester and Madrid on 15 October.
Bastille will perform at new Manchester arts, music and culture venue Aviva Studios, the home of Factory International. The one-off gig will be livestreamed on Prime Video and the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch.
Phoebe Barter, group brand & sponsorship director of UK insurance wealth and retirement business Aviva, says the series will feature “exclusive performances from some of the biggest names in music”.
“We are excited to team up with Amazon Music to bring City Sessions to Manchester and to Aviva Studios”
“We are excited to team up with Amazon Music to bring City Sessions to Manchester and to Aviva Studios,” adds Barter.
The Bastille performance will be the first of four City Sessions shows across Europe in 2024 and 2025.
Also taking place in Spain on 15 October at Madrid’s Matadero Space will be concerts by RVFV and Soge Culebra, the latter of whom was inducted into the Amazon Music Breakthrough programme for emerging talent in 2023. Their performances will be broadcast live on the Amazon Music En Vivo channel on Twitch.
Later in the autumn, the series will launch in Berlin with German singer-songwriter LEA on a date and location to be confirmed. A further spin-off: City Sessions, Italy, is also in the pipeline.
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.
Italy’s live music market generated €894 million at the box office last year, up 33% on the previous 12 months and almost doubling pre-pandemic levels, according to new figures.
The latest Italian Society of Authors and Publishers’ (SIAE) Report shows that concerts attracted 23.7 million spectators in 2023, a rise of 13.6% on 2022 and a 88% jump on 2019.
More than 36,000 events were held – an increase of 16% on 2022 and 98% on 2019.
“The data emerging from the SIAE 2023 Report highlight the great success of contemporary popular music events and live shows,” says Assomusica president Carlo Parodi. “We are pleased to note the significant increase in concerts throughout the country which has also positively involved Southern Italy and non-metropolitan municipalities.
“Assomusica members are committed daily to organising music events to enhance the territories and combat cultural desertification, and this data confirm this.”
Trade body Assomusica was founded in Florence in 1996. However, a raft of Italy’s leading promoters split from the organisation last year to join breakaway live music association Assoconcerti, which subsequently installed renowned artist manager and promoter Bruno Sconocchia as president.
“The major events of this summer are a clear example of the important impact of the events produced by our members on the cities and regions involved”
Sconocchia, who has worked with top Italian artists such as Fabrizio De André, Gino Paoli, Ornella Vanoni, Zucchero, Pooh and Lucio Dalla, previously led Assomusica from 2005-09.
“We welcome with great pleasure the data emerging from the report which demonstrates, with numbers, the vitality of our sector,” notes Assoconcerti president Bruno Sconocchia. “After the dark years of the pandemic that marked the total closure of our activities, with tragic consequences for our companies and personnel, 2022 already recorded a recovery path and [2023] presents numbers that have even more than doubled compared to 2019.
“We like to underline that, without ever having had access to public resources – until now, reserved for other sectors of the entertainment world – our work produces wealth for the state and for the territories where large concerts take place.
The major events of this summer are a clear example of the important impact of the events produced by our members on the cities and regions involved in terms of employment and tourism.”
Speaking in IQ‘s 2024 Global Arena Guide, Daniele Donati, general manager of Turin’s Inalpi Arena, said: ““Live shows are in a great growth period, and Italy is always a good market for international tours.”
Italy’s long-running Lucca Summer Festival, promoted by Di & Gi, concluded its 2024 edition last week after attracting more than 220,000 people – a record for the event.
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.
Duran Duran are set to make history with their second consecutive sellout performance at Italy’s Lucca Summer Festival (LSF).
The famed British group played the 9,000-cap Piazza Napoleone stage on Sunday (21 July) and return for a second helping tonight (23 July), setting a new milestone in the process.
“Duran Duran was the first act in 26 years to sell out Piazza Napoleone twice,” Mimmo D’Alessandro, CEO of promoter D’Alessandro e Galli (Di & Gi) tells IQ.
“More than 18,000 people attended the two Duran Duran shows, with 14% of the audience coming from abroad and 70% coming from outside Tuscany. This not only represents a deserved tribute to such an iconic band but also a sign of the growth the Lucca Summer Festival is experiencing.”
Tickets were priced €60-100 for the shows, which mark the band’s only Italian dates of 2024 and their first performances at LSF since 2012.
“For the first time, we had more than 220,000 people attending our festival”
Staged in the Mura Storiche area, next to the Lucca City Walls, LSF concludes later this week with concerts by Toto (24 July) and Gazelles (26 July), capping a record-breaking year for the Tuscany festival.
“This edition had one of the best line-ups ever, with sensational artists such as Eric Clapton, The Smashing Pumpkins, Rod Stewart, Lenny Kravitz, among others,” beams D’Alessandro. “Ed Sheeran broke another record, being the first act to sell out our City Walls venue twice.
“For the first time, we had more than 220,000 people attending our festival. With these numbers and the enthusiastic feedback we received from the audience, press, and artists, we’re looking very confident about our future editions. We aim to become more and more a must-visit festival for music lovers around the world.”
Other performers during the outdoor series, which also utilises a separate 40,000-cap venue, included Swedish House Mafia, Diana Krall, John Fogerty, Mika and Sam Smith.
Earlier this year, Di & Gi extended its agreement with the municipal council regarding LSF, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, to 2028.
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.