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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 Electronic Asia reveals new label partnerships

Live Nation Electronic Asia (LNEA) has entered into a multi-year global licensing and distribution agreement for its recently launched Fabled Records label.

The promoter’s Asian electronic dance music division, LNEA is partnering with global dance label Astralwerks and Capitol Records China (CRC), which are both divisions of Universal Music Group.

Under the new agreement, Astralwerks and Capitol Records China will collaborate on the global release and distribution of Fabled Records artists and projects globally. The partnership will see all organisations working together to advance the awareness of Chinese electronic music and artists worldwide.

“Fabled Records and our whole division at LNEA are committed to bringing the best artists and music from Greater China to the global stage”

LNEA’s management company, Dancing Dragon, was formed in August 2019 to meet the rising demand for electronic dance music in the region, and has signed a roster including Chinese EDM artists and producers Chace, Beauz, Carta, and Yåko, who will release music via Fabled Records.

“Greater China dance music has grown tremendously in the past decade, particularly in the live and club sectors of business,” says Jim Wong, MD at Live Nation Electronic Asia, Dancing Dragon Management, and label head of Fabled Records. “It has influenced a lot of artists, adults, and teenagers in Greater China to start listening, engaging and producing dance music.

“Fabled Records and our whole division at LNEA are committed to bringing the best artists and music from Greater China to the global stage.”

 


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Electric Jungle promoter Boyi Zhou joins Live Nation

Live Nation Electronic Asia has appointed Boyi Zhou as chief marketing officer.

In the newly created position, Shanghai-based Zhou will lead the company’s marketing and partnerships teams, report to managing director Jim Wong.

Zhou joins Live Nation from Jungle Events, where he also served as CMO. In 2015 he co-founded Electric Jungle, south China’s first-ever electronic music festival, and has worked with international DJs including Martin Garrix, Skrillex, Excision, DJ Snake and Kaskade.

“Live Nation Electronic Asia has made great in-roads into China by introducing Creamfields to multiple cities and building dance music communities across Asia,” comments Wong. “By bringing the extremely talented Zhou on board, we will look to solidify our position in the region and work to diversify our artist touring and festival business to reach a broader audience.”

“By bringing the extremely talented Zhou on board, we will look to solidify our position in the region”

Since launching in 2017, Live Nation Electronic Asia has promoted and booked shows by more than 150 international artists in China, contributing to the growth of the Chinese dance music scene.

Highlights include editions of the UK-born festival Creamfields festival in China (Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai), Hong Kong, Taipei and Rangoon, and a two-night virtual festival with Asian DJs from its management company, Dancing Dragon, which attracted 220,000 fans in May.

“It is my great honour to join Live Nation Electronic Asia and be a part of the world’s leading live entertainment company,” says Zhou.

“With my industry knowledge and the company’s global network, I am confident we will be able to curate a series of unique music events and connect more fans with the world’s top artists, sharing electronic music culture in many more corners of the globe.”

 


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New Rolling Loud fest called off amid HK protests

The new Rolling Loud festival has become the latest live music event to fall victim to the protests in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy protestors continue to clash with Beijing-backed authorities.

The festival, announced in July, would have become the city’s first two-day hip-hop festival and feature performances by US talent including Wiz Khalifa, Migos, Playboi Carti and Ski Mask the Slump God. A spin-off of the flagship Miami event, Rolling Loud Hong Kong was set to take place this weekend, 19 and 20 October, at the Art Park in West Kowloon Cultural District.

Organiser Live Nation Electronic Asia broke news of the cancellation this morning, announcing on social media that, “after consulting with security experts, it has been determined that it is not possible to organize [sic] the upcoming Rolling Loud Hong Kong edition as we had hoped without endangering the safety and well-being of our fans, artists and staff.”

https://www.facebook.com/rollingloud.hk/posts/498842830971518:0

 

Fans who bought tickets through Rolling Loud’s own Universe-powered ticketing platform will be refunded within 45 working days, Live Nation adds.

Although many international acts have cancelled shows, Hongkongers have been turning to live entertainment as an escape from the escalating violence in the city, found an IQ report in August.

Vava, mainland China’s biggest female rapper, previously cancelled her appearance at Rolling Loud Hong Kong in support of the Hong Kong government, according to the SCMP.

Hong Kong – a former British territory which has since 1997 been a special administrative region (SAR) of communist China – has been wracked by protests, sparked by the introduction of a controversial bill that would allow Hongkongers to be extradited to the mainland, since July. The proposal has since been retracted, but protests for democratic reform continue.

Yesterday, after peaceful rallies turned into clashes with police, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China and the country’s president, warned that any attempt to “divide” the People’s Republic would lead to “bodies smashed and bones ground to powder”, reports the BBC.

 


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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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Scott Barton to lead LN UK’s Electronic Nation

Live Nation has launched Electronic Nation, a new electronic music-focused division, in the UK.

Led by Scott Barton, managing director of Live Nation’s Cream brand, Electronic Nation will be based in London and will be responsible all electronic music activities at Live Nation UK, including the Creamfields festival, touring, shows and clubs.

Creamfields (70,000-cap.), launched in 1998, is one of the biggest electronic music events in the world, and has spawned spin-offs Chile, Abu Dhabi, Ibiza, Malta, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Australia and Hong Kong. Taking place in Cheshire over the last weekend in August, 2019 performers include Swedish House Mafia, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Skrillex, the Chemical Brothers and the Chainsmokers.

The Creamfields also birthed Steel Yard, a 15,000-capacity arena structure which hosts shows by the biggest names in dance music in London and Liverpool.

“This new division is a major advance for Live Nation and for artists and acts in this genre”

“With Scott’s outstanding record managing global brands Cream and Creamfields, this new division is a major advance for Live Nation and for artists and acts in this genre,” comments Denis Desmond, chairman of Live Nation UK and Ireland.

Barton – whose older brother James, co-founder of Cream, now leads fast-expanding European festival operator Superstruct – says he hopes to drive Live Nation’s  “continued expansion into the electronic arena, with the aim of connecting big-name dance acts to more fans across the UK through tours and festivals”.

“Electronic music has always been at the heart of what we do,” he says. “We have a dedicated team who work hard to connect fans to electronic music events across the UK. As the scene continues to grow, the knowledge and experience we have is key to our success.”

Live Nation formed a similar division in east Asia, Live Nation Electronic Asia, in August 2017.

 


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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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