LN Middle East eyes global push for Arabic talent
Live Nation Middle East is expanding its touring business to showcase Arabic talent to audiences in Europe, North America, Latin America and Australia.
The promoter has appointed 15-year event operations management veteran Amin T Kabbani to lead a newly formed team, which it says marks “a significant step towards bridging cultures through music and showcasing the rich diversity of Arabic musical heritage”.
“Expanding our operations to include international touring for Arabic talent is a natural progression,” says LN Middle East president James Craven. “While focusing on established names, Live Nation Middle East is equally dedicated to nurturing up and coming regional talent. The commitment will be demonstrated through shows hosted within the Middle East itself, utilising iconic venues, such as Etihad Arena.
“By supporting emerging talent in their home region, we aim to strengthen the foundation of the Arabic music industry and contribute to its global recognition.”
“This is a remarkable opportunity to not only shape the future of live entertainment but also to celebrate the rich Arabic culture”
In addition to his operational and event management experience, Kabbani has overseen renowned events such as Music Loves Fashion (Los Angeles & Montreal), the 53rd Annual Grammy Official After Party, Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix Sponsor party for Cadillac, Belvedere, Pirelli, New York Fashion Week and Cannes Film Festival.
“I am truly honoured and excited to join the Live Nation Middle East team on this incredible journey of transforming the Arabic touring market,” says Kabbani. “This is a remarkable opportunity to not only shape the future of live entertainment but also to celebrate the rich Arabic culture through unforgettable performances.
“As we look forward to an exceptional start in Q1 2024, I am thrilled to lead a tour headlined by an iconic Arabic artist, spanning a minimum of 18 stops.”
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‘The Middle East is an exciting place to be’
The live market in the Gulf, historically centred on Dubai and Abu Dhabi, toiled for years to achieve wider recognition and a spot on the schedules of passing artists. But there is a real momentum to the region now, with experienced promoters, world-class indoor arenas and, in Saudi Arabia, a neighbour with serious money to spend.
“Historically, the reliance on greenfield sites and their associated costs were a big limitation for commercially sustainable shows,” says James Craven, Live Nation president Middle East. “But as more purpose-built venues open-up across the region, the hard ticket business really becomes more viable.”
The opening up of Saudi, combined with the normalisation of relations between the UAE and Israel, are also big news for the UAE’s live business, given their implications for regional touring. But credit must go to promoters such as Abu Dhabi’s state-owned Flash Entertainment, Dubai’s T.O.P. Entertainment (stands for Thomas Ovesen Presents) and the local Live Nation branch for pulling the market through the lean years.
Ovesen recently returned to promoting across the region after a spell with Saudi’s Diriyah Gate Development Authority, and in addition to a sell-out with 50 Cent at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai in September, T.O.P. staged José Carreras in November, with Chinese star Jackson Wang coming up in February 2023.
“We had the biggest crowd at the Formula 1 we have ever had, and we are seeing a surge of interest in live events”
It is a fact of life in the Middle East that state buying power, rather than ticket-buying clout, is often a key factor in drawing talent to the region. “If you look at it from afar, it looks extremely busy with all the top artists, but a lot of it is driven by governments, whether that’s in Qatar, Saudi, or our friends down in Abu Dhabi,” says Ovesen.
Flash, which operates Etihad Park and the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, brought Usher, Dave, Swedish House Mafia, Kendrick Lamar, and Def Leppard out in November for its Yasalam After-Race Concert Series, tied to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Andrea Bocelli, Post Malone and the Mubadala World Tennis Championship hot on their heels.
“2022 was a strong year for us,” says Flash CEO John Lickrish. “We had the biggest crowd at the Formula 1 we have ever had, and we are seeing a surge of interest in live events. Probably not quite ’19 levels, but ’19 was obviously insane.”
Established since 2008, Flash has now added Dubai and Saudi offices to its Abu Dhabi base. “We are really focusing on that now,” says Lickrish. “We have always operated there, out of Abu Dhabi, but we just decided it was a good opportunity to get our branch offices staffed up.”
“The last few years we have diversified our live business into the Arabic music scene, which now accounts for a large percentage of our regional business”
Live Nation, meanwhile, has staged Maroon 5, OneRepublic, and Westlife in Abu Dhabi this year, with Imagine Dragons, Blackpink, and Sting incoming, as well as a growing line in non-western events.
“The Middle East is an exciting place to be right now,” says Craven. “The last few years we have diversified our live business into the Arabic music scene, which now accounts for a large percentage of our regional business. Comedy is also a key focus as we move into 2023,” he adds, noting the arrival of Pete Green, formerly of local promoters Done Events and GME Events, as head of comedy for the region.
Other promoters operating in the UAE include Blu Blood, which has brought Atif Islam and Il Divo in recent years, and South Asian specialist PME Entertainment, which has showcased Indian singers Arijit Singh and Jubin Nautiyal in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
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Saudi’s live success divides international opinion
K-pop stars BTS became the first international band to play a solo stadium concert in Saudi Arabia on Friday (11 October), in what has been lauded as the start of a “new story” for live entertainment in the kingdom by some, and accused of “whitewashing” an authoritarian regime by others.
The BTS show, which drew an audience of around 40,000 at Riyadh’s 70,000-capacity King Fahd stadium, marked the first day of Saudi Arabia’s eight-week Riyadh Season, the biggest of eleven region-specific seasons aiming to boost live entertainment offerings and touristic activities across the country.
“Getting BTS is a huge win, because they are the most in demand,” James Craven, president of Live Nation Middle East, told Arab News.
“Two years ago, no one would have ever expected us to bring in international touring artists into Saudi,” says Craven. “I want the people in the industry to come and see the changes, come and see what’s happening and meet the people.”
More shows by international artists are yet to be announced for Riyadh. Craven explains that demand for concerts is high, resulting in a sales cycle of only a few days. “In Saudi, you can actually put [tickets] out on sale three days before a show and have it sold out,” says Craven.
“I want the people in the industry to come and see the changes, come and see what’s happening and meet the people”
Other successful live events to have taken place in the kingdom this year include Roqu Media-promoted Jeddah World Fest and performances from Mariah Carey, Jason Derulo and Marshmello.
Criticisms have been levelled at international artists who play in Saudi Arabia. Non-profit organisation Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has been especially vocal on the subject.
“Rather than using their platform to denounce the Saudi regime’s abuses, BTS chose to whitewash the regime’s human rights violations by performing in Riyadh today,” reads a HRF twitter post.
“HRF calls on celebrities to think twice before endorsing authoritarian regimes.”
Rapper Nicki Minaj pulled out of Jeddah World Fest following pressure from the human rights organisation in July.
Fans took to social media with the hashtag BTSDontGo to show their discontent with the Saudi concert. The band had previously defended their decision to play in the country, admitting it was not an “easy” one to make, but explaining that “if there’s a place where people want to see us, we’ll go there.”
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