What does Trudeau’s exit mean for Canada’s live biz?

The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) has set out to IQ what the industry wants to see from a new government following Justin Trudeau’s resignation after nearly a decade as Canada’s Prime Minister.

“The resignation of prime minister Justin Trudeau undoubtedly marks a turning point for our country as the world grows ever more complex, competitive, and small,” Erin Benjamin, president & CEO, CLMA tells IQ.

“Looking forward to a bright future for the live music industry, the CLMA is actively deepening awareness of the critical role live music plays in the Canadian economy. Harnessing Canada’s touring infrastructure creates a significant and scalable competitive advantage for Canadians and for all levels of government and is essential for our artists so that they can continue to create and share the music we love and need.

As with other live music markets around the world, Canada’s business has been grappling with mixed fortunes in the past year.

At the top end, major tours from the likes of Tate McRae, Green Day, The Rolling Stones, and Taylor Swift (whose Eras Tour closes in Vancouver in December) all rolled through the North American nation in 2024.

Meanwhile, behemoths like Live Nation and Oak View Group are capitalising on the parade of A-list artists with new venues – the former with a new open-air, seasonal stadium in Toronto and the latter with projects including the $300m Hamilton Arena Project.

At the same time, other players in the industry are struggling with a convergence of inflation, changes in fan behaviour, lingering effects of the pandemic and the cost of doing business.

“Harnessing Canada’s touring infrastructure creates a significant and scalable competitive advantage for Canadians”

“On January 30th, the CLMA will be releasing significant data and analysis from the first-ever economic impact study of the sector,” continues Benjamin. “The timing of the report is meant to inspire future policy that will reflect the industry’s place and true potential for growth within Canada’s cultural and economic framework, expanding and leveraging current and future impact.

“She added: “The CLMA looks forward to working in collaboration with Canada’s next government, confident in the understanding that protecting and growing Canada’s live music infrastructure directly results in more jobs, major economic impact for cities and towns, and more performance opportunities for Canadian artists. The CLMA thanks Prime Minister Trudeau for his years of devoted service to Canada.”

Read more about Canada’s live music market in the Global Promoters Report, Global Arena Guide and the International Ticketing Report.

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