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With on-sales for hot shows regularly making headlines, sometimes for the wrong reasons, a debate has ignited among experts as to whether the live business should switch from online queues to ballots for the most in-demand concerts.
Glastonbury unveiled a revamped online queuing system for yesterday’s (17 November) general sale, whereby fans were “randomly” assigned a place in the queue at the start of the sale, rather than having to refresh the page like in previous years. While the system was a novelty for Glastonbury, it has been the standard path for most high-demand shows for a number of years.
Speaking to presenter and DJ Annie Mac ahead of this summer’s festival, Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis explained why the event had decided against distributing tickets via a ballot.
“I think if we did a ballot, we’d end up with some people who weren’t necessarily as bothered about coming,” she claimed.
Elsewhere, however, Oasis held a special invitation-only ballot for their two additional shows at Wembley Stadium next September, limited to fans who had been unsuccessful in the initial on sale for their 2025 reunion tour despite queuing for hours.
And Sam Fender made tickets for his upcoming hometown show at Newcastle’s 11,000-cap Utilita Arena available by ballot to customers with North-East postcodes only.
“I use the analogy that if you entered the lottery and you didn’t win, you wouldn’t complain to the National Lottery that you didn’t win”
Steve Tilley of Kilimanjaro Live, promoter of the 20 December concert, explains the thinking behind the method.
‘’It’s an attempt to try and manage the demand and introduce some kind of element of randomness/luck into the equation when you’re very very confident that there’s no way the supply is going to be able to meet expected demand,” he tells IQ. “I use the analogy that if you entered the lottery and you didn’t win, you wouldn’t complain to the National Lottery that you didn’t win. And we don’t even charge you for entering our lottery unless you get the chance to buy a ticket.”
Sam Ricketts, head of business development & artist services at AXS, says that ballots have become an “increasingly popular solution for measuring demand and getting tickets into the hands of real fans”, while Gigantic Tickets co-CEO Simon Carpenter deems them “the fairest way to go” when demand for a show is sky-high.
“The Sam Fender show in Newcastle at the arena is a perfect example, where you’ve got hundreds of thousands of people wanting to go to a show with a 10,000 capacity,” notes Carpenter.
Ed Sheeran agent Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live points out that ballots are commonplace in certain parts of the world, such as Japan.
“Anything that we can do to try and reimagine and make the ticket purchasing process more fair [is for] the better,” he adds.
“They are probably not the right solution for most on sales. But for the ones that are going to see high demand, they are absolutely the way to go”
Ticketing executive and former STAR Council member Richard Howle advises that ballots aren’t right for every on sale, however.
“In fact, they are probably not the right solution for most on sales,” he asserts. “But for the big ones – the ones that are going to see high demand – they are absolutely the way to go.”
Howle believes there are numerous benefits from an industry perspective, particularly around data and pricing, in addition to gauging demand.
“During a typical on sale we only manage to collect data from those who successfully book a ticket,” he suggests. “By running a ballot we have the opportunity to collect data from everyone who is interested in buying a ticket. And I don’t just mean marketing data which relies on people opting in – huge amounts of insight can be gleaned about potential audiences.
“Balloting also provides an idea of demand in advance: London has the demand for four dates, Birmingham three, Manchester two, etc. This certainty of demand will make scheduling routing and deal-making so much clearer.”
He adds: “By running a ballot, by receiving information in advance about what audiences are prepared to pay, promoters can optimise their manifests to deliver the maximum returns as well as preserving any wishes that an artist may have about preserving a percentage of tickets at accessible prices.
“Whilst prices can be set in advance, the number of tickets available at each price band does not have to be decided until the balloting process is complete and customers have indicated which price they wish to pay. Tickets can be truly priced based on demand, without upsetting customers.”
“Ticketing systems are built to cope with high demand, but sometimes technology breaks and on sales can go horribly wrong”
Furthermore, Howle notes there are technological advantages, both in terms of handling demand and battling ticket touting.
“Yes, ticketing systems are built to cope with high demand, but sometimes technology breaks and on sales can go horribly wrong – disrupting both pricing and scheduling strategies,” he says. “The gentler pace of a ballot makes the whole process much smoother – for everyone. It is an unnecessary stress which everyone could do without.
“Perhaps one of the biggest pros of balloting is that it makes it very hard for touts and their bots. Multiple applications and known touts can be screened out during the balloting process. The touts will always find a way, but we can make it much harder for them.”
Telecoms giant O2 gives away tickets for its intimate, one-off Priority gig series for free to O2 and Virgin Media customers via a ballot. Acts have included Kylie Minogue, D-Block Europe, Raye and Sam Fender, while more than 100,000 ballot entries were submitted for Girls Aloud at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in July.
“We see huge demand for our Priority Gigs, which does mean disappointment for some customers who don’t win tickets, but the ballot process creates fair opportunity to win and allows us to open up these one-of-a-kind music experiences to as many people as possible,” says Gareth Griffiths, director, partnerships and sponsorship at Virgin Media O2.
According to Griffiths, one of the biggest pluses of ballots is the “greater ability” they provide to tailor the ticketing process to suit a particular show or artist.
“With D-Block Europe and Raye’s Priority Gigs, for example, giving their biggest fans the first chance to grab tickets was a really important element of the show,” he says. “O2 was able to do this by using our Priority Tickets data, to give those who had engaged with the artists’ shows before the first chance to enter. This allows us to ensure the room is filled with those who most want to be there, and to connect artists with their biggest fans.”
“The casual fan who might ordinarily try their luck for a ticket on a single screen has equal footing with a die-hard fan”
Matt Kaplan, head of UK/EU at price-capped resale marketplace Tixel also sees far more positives than negatives.
“What we like about ticket ballots is that they typically bring a more fan-centric approach to the challenges of selling tickets to high-demand events,” he tells IQ. “By collecting all prospective buyers into the same ‘pot’ you level the playing field and remove the intense pressure of having to have five laptops, two phones, an iPad, a hope and a prayer, competing for that coveted moment of being redirected to the purchase page.
“I guess one thing that could be seen as controversial is that the casual fan who might ordinarily try their luck for a ticket on a single screen has equal footing with a die-hard fan who might have assembled an army of friends and dozens of screens for more “chances” at a ticket. And is this a bad thing? Probably not.”
Although Howle considers the benefits of ballots to outweigh the negatives, he acknowledges the downside.
“It takes time to organise and manage, which is why it is not appropriate to do every on sale as a ballot,” he stresses. “Some promoters and artists like the fuss of an onsale, some like to say that they ‘broke the internet’ that they ‘sold out in xx minutes’. But what is a better indication of popularity: ‘20,000 ticket sold out in 10 minutes’ or ‘a million people have entered a ballot’?”
He continues: “One con, which is particularly relevant to the UK is that allocations are split across a number of different ticketing companies. This is an added complication which needs co-ordinating – but it shouldn’t be a barrier to balloting.
“The final con is that an on sale generates its own excitement, its own buzz which encourages others to join, to make that impulse buy. Perhaps if fans had more time to make a considered decision about whether they were going to attend or how much they wished to spend they wouldn’t pay as much? But counter to this, is that there will be much larger pool of people to access and with a ballot there is the opportunity to optimise the manifest to generate greater revenues.”
“As a promoter, 99 times out of 100 you’re more worried about selling out as quickly and easily as possible”
Nevertheless, if push came to shove, Kilimanjaro’s Tilley admits he would choose a normal on sale process over a ballot.
“As a promoter, 99 times out of 100 you’re more worried about selling out as quickly and easily as possible,” he says. “Promoting artists that require people to enter a ballot is a privilege indeed but that level of demand comes with a whole different set of problems for promoters and venues to try and solve.’’
He concludes: “When demand is so great that most people are going to be disappointed inevitably some fans take to social media to complain direct to artists and managers about something not being fair or potentially blaming a ticket agent tech issue – whether fair or not – and so on. If you introduce a ballot then luck becomes a factor and most people accept the rules at that point. Of course, there are still people on socials making their feelings known but I guess that’s the way of the world.”
Indeed, as the industry has learned time and time again – ballots or not – you’ll never be able to please everyone.
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UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live has expanded its team with the appointment of Lottie Bradshaw.
Bradshaw will work alongside director and promoter Alan Day, primarily injecting her expertise into Action! Presents, Kili’s promoting brand for rock, metal and punk talent.
Outside of Action!, she will also promote shows across a range of genres including pop and country.
The promoter spent seven years at TEG Live Europe where she was initially head of venue programming. During that time, Bradshaw worked with venues such as Camden Assembly, XOYO and Tramshed before becoming a promoter, working with artists such as RORY, The Aces, GIRLI and VUKOVI.
“Lottie has been on our radar for a while, working with some brilliant acts”
Prior to TEG, Bradshaw was assistant to Emma Banks at CAA working with artists including Katy Perry, Kraftwerk, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Florence and the Machine, honing her knowledge and skills of deals, contracts and touring.
“I’m so excited to be working with such a talented group of people who have pioneered so much in the live sphere,” says Bradshaw. “Alan is a great mentor, and I feel immensely grateful for the opportunity to help grow Action! and beyond.”
Day adds: “We are really proud to welcome Lottie onto the team. Lottie has been on our radar for a while, working with some brilliant acts. Rock is bigger than ever and together we look forward to putting on some great shows.”
Formed by Alan Day in 2021, Action! Presents has a strong focus on alternative acts such as Don Broco, BABYMETAL, Sabaton, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, While she Sleeps, Bullet For My Valentine and many more.
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Ticketing platform Tixel has expanded its UK footprint, announcing a new partnership with leading UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live.
The self-styled “honest resale marketplace” has previously linked up with the likes of 2000Trees, Bloodstock, Shambala and Team Love, and says it is bidding to empower promoters with tools “that not only enhance transparency and fairness, but offer valuable data-led insights into their customer-base”.
The partnership kicked off with Kilimanjaro’s outdoor shows, including Kew The Music and Belladrum.
“We are thrilled to announce Tixel as our partner on a number of KMJ shows,” says Elliott Brough, head of partnerships at Kili’s parent company KMJ Entertainment. “This collaboration marks our first steps towards offering safe ticket resale for fans who can’t attend and ensuring that live music enthusiasts are not exploited by touts.
“Partnering with Tixel not only provides us with valuable data but also opens up opportunities to develop unique strategies for our future events”
“Partnering with Tixel not only provides us with valuable data but also opens up opportunities to develop unique strategies for our future events. By teaming up with Tixel across Kew The Music, Belladrum Tartan Heart and our UK Live series of events, we are excited to offer a secure resale platform for our fans and for the journey ahead.”
Kili and its founder Stuart Galbraith are longtime opponents of industrial-scale online ticket touting, and Tixel, which was founded in Australia in 2018 and launched its UK operation in 2021, pledges to address challenges in the ticketing market “head-on”.
“We’ve admired the work of Kilimanjaro Live for years, they’re industry leaders and absolutely top of their game in the live entertainment sphere. So it’s massively exciting for us to be partnering with them, starting this summer on a phenomenal portfolio of shows,” says Tixel’s head of UK and Europe Matt Kaplan.
“As a team, we’re incredibly passionate about the UK market where there’s such a broad and diverse range of live events through the summer months and beyond – and that diversity shines through in Kilimanjaro’s calendar of shows. It goes without saying, we are delighted to be collaborating with them to bring added value to ticketing strategy, and a secure and trusted place for fans to resell tickets.”
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Organisers of Scotland’s biggest camping festival Belladrum have launched a loyalty presale for 2025 in the wake of its sellout 20th anniversary edition.
Customers who attended this year’s 20,000-cap gathering will be given the opportunity to purchase loyalty tickets starting this Friday (9 August), with general tickets to go live on 12 August.
Artists who performed at the event, held between 25-27 July, included James Arthur, Deacon Blue, Sugababes, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and The Shires.
“We’ve always stuck to our roots of being a ‘festival for all’, all are welcome here and we carefully curate a line-up that will wow our full audience spectrum,” says organiser Dougie Brown. “But for our 20th anniversary we wanted to give our audience the best version we could to make it one of their best ever Belladrum experiences. This paid off with sold out ticket sales and an incredible line up of artists that brought sheer joy to everyone. Add in a wonderful dollop of sunshine and we’ve had our best year ever.”
Owned by DEAG’s Kilimanjaro Live, the Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival also generated more than £100,000 (€116,000) for local grassroots charities in the anniversary year.
Elsewhere in the UK, Gloucester’s Witcombe Festival has become the latest cancellation
Belladrum, which has taken place at the Belladrum Estate near Inverness since 2004, will return for its 21st edition from 31 July to 2 August 2025.
Elsewhere in the UK, Gloucester’s Witcombe Festival has become the latest to fall by the wayside in a festival season blighted by more than 50 cancellations.
Scheduled for 23-25 August, it had been due to welcome the likes of Example, Razorlight, Professor Green, Urban Soul Orchestra, Shy FX & MC Stamina and DJ Luck & MC Neat.
“Unfortunately, the ongoing cost of living crisis has significantly impacted our ticket sales and overall planning,” says a statement by promoters. “Despite our best efforts and creativity, including plans to reduce capacity and the size of the festival site, these have not been possible due to strict licensing conditions.
“We have always prided ourselves on delivering an unforgettable experience for our festival-goers, and we believe that cancelling the event is the most responsible course of action to ensure we can return stronger in the future.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support and understanding of our community, artists, and partners during these challenging times. We are committed to returning with an even more spectacular event, and we look forward to celebrating with you all once the situation stabilises.”
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Kilimanjaro Live’s umbrella company KMJ Entertainment has acquired a majority stake in live promoter and producer ShowPlanr.
The deal will increase DEAG-owned KMJ’s entertainment output and add 250,000 tickets to its inventory as it works alongside the group’s theatre brand, Flying Music.
Formed as MRC Presents in 2010, ShowPlanr has grown to be one of the leading independent event promoters in the UK, working with theatres, concert halls, arenas and open air venues to produce and promote hundreds of live experiences.
“Our goal is to always deliver the absolute best shows across UK performance stages, and joining forces with ShowPlanr is a smart way to evolve and improve, to give the best possible experiences for our audiences,” says KMJ Entertainment, CEO Stuart Galbraith. “We’re delighted to welcome ShowPlanr to the KMJ Entertainment family, and are excited for what the future holds.”
ShowPlanr’s touring shows and co-promotions include London Symphonic Rock Orchestra, Michael Starring Ben, Killer Queen, Dreamboys, Rhythm of the Dance, Psychic Sally, ELO Again, Bowie Experience, Beyond the Barricade, Daniel O’Donnell, Waterloo A Tribute to Abba, Country Superstars, Forbidden Nights, Defying Gravity, Tiny Dancer The Music of Elton John, Back Into Hell, The Rolling Stones Story, Jive Talkin’, The Roy Orbison Story, The Chicago Blues Brothers and Uptown Joel.
This year, ShowPlanr will also present reimagined productions of Flying Music’s The Rat Pack Live In Concert and Dancing In The Streets. Meanwhile, its consumer listings site showplanr.com offers a bespoke event management, sales forecasting and reporting system behind the scenes – with plans to introduce ticketing fulfilment in the coming months.
“KMJ and DEAG are strongly aligned with ShowPlanr’s own values and I look forward to this exciting new chapter”
“I’m delighted to be joining forces with DEAG and the KMJ family,” says ShowPlanr founder Chris Jenkins. “The opportunities that this partnership will unlock for the ShowPlanr team, our performers, crew and partners in the UK and internationally are incredibly exciting.
“Following a successful recovery post-Covid we’ve enjoyed record ticket sales and in 2024 we have launched more new tours than ever before; becoming part of KMJ and DEAG will allow us to build on this success and accelerate some really exciting new projects in collaboration with other companies across the group.
“Most importantly KMJ and DEAG are strongly aligned with ShowPlanr’s own values and I look forward to this exciting new chapter as we continue with our mission to elevate the population’s happiness through live experiences.”
UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live launched KMJ last month to support its “major expansion”. The company’s 16 live entertainment brands now operate under the new umbrella company, delivering a wide range of events, including music tours, in-conversation shows, theatrical productions, comedy, and family attractions.
The group also has its own ticketing platforms and owns and operates the Arches at London Bridge exhibition and event space in central London.
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The team behind DEAG-owned UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live offered a few pearls of wisdom to the next generation in a keynote interview at Futures Forum.
The conference for young and emerging live music executives returned to London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Friday (1 March) to conclude the 2024 International Live Music Conference (ILMC).
The FF programme spanned the agency business, artist development, sustainability, the evolution of festivals and more, with speakers including Connie Shao (AEG Presents), Beckie Sugden (CAA), Louisa Robinson (FORM), Caroline Simionescu-Marin (WME), Lottie Bradshaw (TEG Live Europe), Sally Dunstone (Primary Talent) and Jess Kinn (One Fiinix Live).
Rounding off the event, three of Kilimanjaro Live’s principals – Stuart Galbraith, San Phillips and Alan Day – were quizzed by IQ‘s Lisa Henderson about building a modern music company, what they’ve learned on the journey, and how they see both their company and the broader business developing.
Formed in 2008, the London-based firm currently works with artists including Simply Red, Ed Sheeran, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer, Stereophonics and Don Broco. Here is a selection of key talking points from the session…
“The ability to make a living out of music is getting more and more difficult”
Diversifying the business…
Stuart Galbraith: “The ability to make a living out of music is getting more and more difficult. As a promoter, the risk versus return ratio is atrocious. If you talk to accountants who come into audit our books, they look at you as if you’re mad: ‘You risk this much money to make this much money?’ And if you look at us as a margin business by comparison to any other sector, it just doesn’t make sense – particularly as the world has become smaller and global deals are coming to play, those margins are even more tight.
“So we’ve deliberately in the last seven years diversified [into] more businesses where there is a better market. There is less risk. And it enables us to then justify running a concert promoting business that, to be quite frank, as a standalone business is suspect. However, the fact that you can send an email and say that we promote Ed Sheeran, or we promoted Live 8, or we work with Andrea Bocelli, opens so many doors, and it’s still a very, very crucial part of our business.”
Artist development…
Alan Day: “Some of our biggest acts we met at the very bottom. One of our colleagues, Steve Tilley, met Ed Sheeran supporting Just Jack at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.”
SG: “Which lost £3,500.”
AD: “Sabaton, the metal band, I met at South by Southwest. There were 40 people there [and I] gave them my number. Their first show I did in London was at the Garage, then Electric Ballroom, then Koko… While She Sleeps played Ally Pally recently, first gig Borderline. Don Broco, I met in a bar at a festival where they were playing to 50 people and now we’re in arenas. So that’s how we get there from the get-go.”
“It’s a way of life rather than just a nine-to-five job, seven days a week”
Work-life balance…
San Phillips: “Something that I say to people new to the industry and to the company is that gigs happen at the evenings and weekends. So maybe what do you want when you’re 20, aren’t things you want to be doing when you’re 40, so be mindful of the kind of goals that you want in life. We do what we need to do to get it done. But we love going to gigs. We go to a lot together and that’s what it’s about. You’re not going to necessarily work regular hours, and obviously when you’re launching something, of course it’s time consuming. I’m not going to lie about that. You can’t teach people stamina and I think stamina is one of the things that you really need.”
SG: “Promoting was one of the few jobs where quite literally the more hours you put in, the more successful you’re potentially going to be. And if you look at Alan or Steve, it’s a way of life rather than just a nine-to-five job seven days a week. And if you’re going to go on holiday, the manager still wants to talk to you.”
Challenges for the year ahead…
AD: “Rising costs – from PAs, to security, to crews, riggers, trucking…”
SG: “As a promoter we’re invariably a function of the bottom line, we’re a percentage of what’s left. And those rising costs are unfortunately, as we predicted during Covid, being met by increased ticket prices. So we’re seeing huge escalation in ticket prices that are way beyond anything that we would have expected two years ago. That’s fine if we’re on an indoor tour where we’re working in a finite environment, but when you then come to outdoors and you’ve booked either festivals or small outdoor shows, it becomes very, very scary.
“We run the festival in Scotland called Belladrum, which is now Scotland’s biggest camping festival and our costs at Belladrum in three years have increased by a million pounds. And I just can’t put the ticket price up to match that. With Belladrum, we’ve been able to get a margin increase in capacity, which has helped offset that cost, but we’re having to accept that that festival now can’t be as profitable as it used to be.”
“If we had a discussion, we probably would have avoided making the biggest mistake in Kili’s history”
Biggest career lesson…
SG: “I think our biggest lesson was making sure that within your opinion, because it can be absolutely crucial. When we took Kili private in 2012, within a week, we launched Sonisphere at Knebworth. Within three days, it became very evident that we’d made a huge mistake, and when we took a final decision to cancel it, Alan came up with the line which was, ‘I knew it wouldn’t work. I didn’t think it was a good idea.’
“From that day on, we said, ‘Well, if you have an opinion, then you must express it – particularly in a team environment, because Alan’s viewpoint was absolutely correct. And if we had had a discussion, then we probably would have avoided making what was then the biggest mistake in Kili’s history.
“It was a mistake because we were ahead of our time because we booked Queen with Adam Lambert as the lead singer and Queen fans had not embraced Adam Lambert at that point in time. Now, Queen sell more tickets with Adam Lambert as the lead singer that they used to with Freddie Mercury. But in that particular year, no one wanted to buy the tickets – and Alan knew that.”
SP: “Everybody gets their voice heard. Anybody can come up to you, whatever their position in the company, and say, ‘Oh no, what were you doing that for? Why haven’t we chosen to do this?’ And they’re not told off… Everybody in the company is a [music] fan, and we encourage them to say things.”
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Futures Forum has announced a keynote interview with the team behind Kilimanjaro Live, one of the most successful live music promoters in the UK.
The conference for young and emerging live music executives will return to the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Friday 1 March 2024 as part of the International Live Music Conference (ILMC).
For the final session of the day, three of Kilimanjaro Live’s principals – Stuart Galbraith, San Phillips and Alan Day – will take to the stage to discuss building a modern music company, what they’ve learned on the journey, and how they see both their company and the broader business developing.
Formed in 2008, the London-based firm currently works with artists including Simply Red, Ed Sheeran, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer, Stereophonics and Don Broco.
Three of Kilimanjaro Live’s principals will take to the stage to discuss building a modern music company
With the Kili team now setting the bar in comedy, spoken word, theatre and exhibitions, the company’s growth and development have been seismic.
Just yesterday (22 February), the firm launched a new parent company to support its “major expansion”. The company’s 16 live entertainment brands will now operate under the new umbrella company KMJ Entertainment, owned by parent group DEAG.
News of the keynote comes days after Futures Forum unveiled the full speaker lineup for panels, which will span the agency business, artist development, sustainability, the evolution of festivals and more.
Speakers include Connie Shao (AEG Presents), Beckie Sugden (CAA), Maddie Arnold (Live Nation), Louisa Robinson (FORM), Caroline Simionescu-Marin (WME), Lottie Bradshaw (TEG Live Europe), Sally Dunstone (Primary Talent) and Jess Kinn (One Fiinix Live).
Limited passes are available for Futures Forum for just £125+VAT, which includes all of the above, a five-star lunch, refreshments, drinks, and networking opportunities. For more information or to purchase passes, click here.
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UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live has launched a new parent company to support its “major expansion”.
The company’s 16 live entertainment brands will now operate under the new umbrella company KMJ Entertainment, owned by parent group DEAG.
KMJ companies deliver a wide range of events, including music tours, in-conversation shows, theatrical productions, comedy, and family attractions.
The group also has its own ticketing platforms and owns and operates the Arches at London Bridge exhibition and event space in central London.
The establishment of KMJ Entertainment will allow its brands to continue to reach new heights, according to a release.
“Expansion became a natural and healthy evolution for Kilimanjaro Live”
The news comes after a prolonged period of rapid growth for Kilimanjaro Live in the entertainment sector following the pandemic and expansion into new ventures such as ticketing, festivals, spoken word, immersive experiences and theatrical.
Stuart Galbraith, CEO of KMJ Entertainment, says: “Expansion became a natural and healthy evolution for Kilimanjaro Live as we stepped out of the pandemic and into a new landscape of live entertainment.
“Kilimanjaro Live was originally formed to provide the best live rock and pop entertainment across the UK, but as a group, we’ve now expanded into new areas and needed an umbrella name that represents and supports our growing family of companies across the live entertainment world. I’m very proud to see our evolution into KMJ Entertainment, with the support of our parent company, DEAG.”
Brands that will now operate under KMJ Entertainment are live music promoters Kilimanjaro Live, Regular Music, FORM and Singular Artists; spoken word producers Fane and How To Academy; theatrical companies Flying Music and JAS Theatricals; ticket companies Gigantic, Myticket and Tickets.ie; festivals Belladrum Tartan Heart, Let’s Rock and Pennfest; exhibition venue Arches London Bridge and production company Kontour.
KMJ’s brands operate across the UK, Ireland and beyond and sell four million tickets per year.
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Kilimanjaro Live stalwart Alan Day has been appointed a director at the company.
The rock music specialist joined the award-winning promoter in 2008 and works with artists including Don Broco, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Steve Hackett, UB40 feat Ali Campbell, Erasure, Babymetal, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Sabaton, Suzanne Vega, Bullet For My Valentine, While She Sleeps and The Cult.
In addition, Kili has strengthened its live music division by hiring Josh Casey as a promoter. Casey, who joins from Robomagic, founded J-Bone Collective in Scotland and also had a spell with DF Concerts/Live Nation.
Bringing eight years of promoting experience to the Kili team, Casey has staged concerts by the likes of Skepta, Giggs, Bugzy Malone, AJ Tracey and Tion Wayne, and will be based in the company’s London office.
“These are exciting times for Kilimanjaro Live, and we’re reflecting that with the expansion of our team”
“These are exciting times for Kilimanjaro Live, and we’re reflecting that with the expansion of our team,” says Kili CEO Stuart Galbraith. “As an instrumental member of the Kilimanjaro Live promoter team for the past two decades, Alan has been integral to the growth of the company, both in terms of his live tours, and his expertise within Kilimanjaro Live as we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of live entertainment.
“We are delighted that Alan has agreed to become a director here at Kilimanjaro Live, and we are excited as a group for the opportunities of expansion that this will bring. We also welcome Josh Casey from Robomagic. Josh brings an exciting new area of live music to Kilimanjaro and we are looking forward to seeing where his expertise plus our experience can go.”
DEAG subsidiary Kili announced the opening of a new office in Wales earlier this month, headed by former Orchard Live boss Pablo Janczur.
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UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live has announced the opening of a new office in Wales, headed by former Orchard Live boss Pablo Janczur.
The Welsh division aims to build on Kilimanjaro’s previous history in the country with bands and projects, such as Stereophonics, Wakestock, and shows with artists such as Ed Sheeran at venues including Cardiff Castle, Principality Stadium, Cardiff City Football Club, Morfa Stadium Swansea, Swansea Singleton Park and Wrexham Football Club.
“With over 20 years of experience in live entertainment across Wales, we’re very pleased to welcome Pablo into the Kilimanjaro Live fold,” says Kili CEO Stuart Galbraith. “His knowledge and energy within this sector is second to none, and to have him on board will bolster our live music offering across the country, linking in with Kilimanjaro Live in London, Regular Music in Scotland and Singular Artists in Northern Ireland and Eire.”
Kili’s parent company DEAG enhanced its UK activities by acquiring a majority stake in Scotland’s Regular Music last year, and previously launched Singular Artists in Ireland in 2020 with veteran promoters Fin O’Leary, Brian Hand and Simon Merriman.
“Our combined strengths in the indoor and outdoor sector has great potential for growth and innovation”
Janczur, who will serve as MD of the new Wales base and divide his time between Kili’s Welsh and London offices, adds: “I’m delighted to be Joining Kilimanjaro Live and bringing my experience and expertise in the Welsh market gained over the past 20-plus years.
“Our combined strengths in the indoor and outdoor sector has great potential for growth and innovation. I’m excited about the next chapter working alongside the team and contributing to further growth here.”
Orchard Live was Wales’ biggest independent concert promoter prior to it ceasing trading earlier this year. The company promoted shows with acts such as Queens of the Stone Age, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Diana Ross, George Ezra and Sam Fender.
“DEAG continues to grow successfully with Kilimanjaro,” says DEAG co-CEO Detlef Kornett. “With the opening of the new office in Wales, Kilimanjaro will be able to act more flexibly as a national promoter and better serve the needs of visitors in Wales. We expect to see significant growth from working with our other offices in the UK and beyond.
“We are delighted to welcome Pablo Janczur, an experienced professional with extensive know-how and a broad industry network, to the DEAG family as managing director of our Wales office.”
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