Live Nation launches Chinese festival first
Live Nation has teamed up with Chinese entertainment company Twenty Eight Group to launch the world’s first multi-city contemporary Chinese music and arts festival.
CCURRENTT will take place in London, Los Angeles and Sydney this October and November to showcase top talent from genres such as C-pop, Chinese hip-hop and Chinese rock, including headliners Jolin Tsai, BEAUZ, Digi Ghetto (Mac Ova Seas, Mula Sakee, Thomeboydontkill), DXX, GALI and The Life Journey.
The festival is the brainchild of Twenty Eight Group and Live Nation Electronic Asia MD Jim Wong, and will stop at London’s OVO Arena Wembley (15 October), Los Angeles’ The Torch (28 October) and Sydney Showground in Olympic Park (26 November).
Wong was previously responsible for bringing Creamfields and international DJs to China, and is stepping up his efforts to drive the expansion of the Chinese music scene internationally.
“CCURRENTT is a chance for Chinese-music fans to immerse themselves in China’s trending music scene abroad”
“CCURRENTT is a chance for Chinese-music fans to immerse themselves in China’s trending music scene abroad in a world-first event spanning both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres,” he says. “As the global leader in live entertainment, no one is better positioned than Live Nation to drive the growth of Asian artists both domestically and on global stages.”
Elsewhere, Live Nation and its Queensland-based joint venture partner Secret Sounds have secured a new partnership with Vodafone to give customers presale access to select live music shows in Australia.
First up, Vodafone customers will get exclusive presale access for tickets to see The Weeknd touring Australia in November 2023, with more local and international superstar artists to be announced. Live Nation and Secret Sounds have recently toured artists including Harry Styles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Gorillaz, The 1975 and Kendrick Lamar.
“It’s a great time for Vodafone to establish a major partnership in music with the demand for concerts and festivals at record levels”
Vodafone customers will also have the chance to win curated live music experiences, such as a backstage pass, “rockstar treatment” or meeting their favourite artists.
“Our research tells us that music is the leading passion point for many Australians,” says Greg Segal, president brand & marketing partnerships ANZ, Live Nation. “Through our partnership, Vodafone will provide unrivalled experiences for its customers by offering them exclusive access to Australia’s most anticipated live acts. It’s a great time for Vodafone to establish a major partnership in music with the demand for concerts and festivals at record levels.”
As part of the new partnership, Vodafone will also support the next generation of Australian musicians as the presenting partner of Ones to Watch, Live Nation’s discovery platform for emerging artists, which has played a role in the careers of Dua Lipa, Halsey, LANY, and LÉON, among others.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Live Nation and bring our customers closer to the music acts they love,” adds Kieren Cooney, group executive, TPG Telecom. “With live events and experiences in huge demand, and fans eager to see their favourite artists more than ever before, we’re offering Vodafone customers first access to tickets and unforgettable experiences with the musicians that they love.”
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LN launches Rolling Loud in Hong Kong
Live Nation Electronic Asia is launching Rolling Loud in Hong Kong, the first two-day hip-hop festival to take place in the city.
Founded in 2015 by Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, the Miami-based Rolling Loud has grown to become a three-day, 60,000-capacity event. The festival now also takes place in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York. This year, an inaugural Sydney edition sold all 20,000 tickets in 38 minutes.
Past performers include J Cole, Lil Wayne, Asap Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Cardi B.
In 2019, Chinese hip-hop artists Bridge, K Eleven and Josh, from the Chongqing-based rap and hip-hop label Gosh, performed at Rolling Loud Miami. Chinese ‘hip-hop poet’ Jony J also appeared on the line-up.
“Hip-hop has extended itself across the world and taken over local youth culture everywhere, particularly in Asia”
“Hip-hop has extended itself across the world and taken over local youth culture everywhere, particularly in Asia,” says Live Nation Electronic Asia managing director Jim Wong.
“We are now ready to bring Rolling Loud to my beloved city, Hong Kong, and take the Asia hip-hop music scene to the next level.”
Live Nation Electronic Asia was formed in 2017 to respond to “the region’s rising demand for electronic dance music”. Live Nation recently launched a similar division, Electronic Nation, in the UK, headed up by Cream managing director Scott Barton.
Rolling Loud Hong Kong will take place at the Art Park in the West Kowloon cultural district from 19 to 20 October. The full line-up and ticket details will be announced soon.
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Jim Wong to head up new Live Nation Electronic Asia unit
Live Nation has formed a new electronic music division, Live Nation Electronic Asia, in response to what it calls “the region’s rising demand for electronic dance music”.
The new venture is headed up Jim Wong, an independent Hong Kong-based promoter who has promoted and booked more than 500 acts in Hong Kong and mainland China over the past three years.
He comments: “I am excited to join Live Nation, especially considering the enormous potential this new venture creates for electronic music fans and artists. My team and I are passionate about electronic music and we are committed to contributing to the growth of this community in Asia.”
The first event for Live Nation Electronic Asia will be Tïesto’s Clublife China tour, which visits eight cities in China from 13 to 21 October, with Creamfields events in Hong Kong and Taipei following in December.
“Our overarching goal is to connect artists and fans for unparallelled live music experiences,” says Alan Ridgeway, Live Nation’s president of international and emerging markets, “and it’s undeniable that fans in Asia, especially China, are eager for more electronic music.
“Combining Jim’s experience with Live Nation’s network and resources allows us to accelerate our presence in this genre, giving fans even more electronic music performances through both concerts and festivals.”
Live Nation is active in eight other markets in Asia, including Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
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