Swiss promoter Mainland Music has hired Openair Frauenfeld booker Andrej Malogajski.

The 35-year-old joins Mainland Music, since 2019 part of Live Nation GSA, from Pleasure Productions, which he joined in 2008 and co-owns. Live Nation acquired Openair Frauenfeld, Europe’s biggest hip-hop festival, itself in summer 2017.

In addition to booking Frauenfeld (50,000-cap.), Malogajski has since 2017 handled international booking for Openair Lumnezia and since 2018 Lakelive Festival, and is part of the booking team for major rock/pop event Gurtenfestival (20,000-cap.) in Bern. He was also one of IQ’s New Bosses in 2016.

Malogajski will work in the same position for Zurich-based Mainland

From 1 August, Malogajski will be working in the same position for Zurich-based Mainland, with which Thun-based Pleasure Productions is connected “on a business and friendly basis”, according to a statement from the two firms. Additionally, Pleasure will remain a partner of Openair Frauenfeld in all areas apart from booking.

Led by Christian Gremelmayr, Derrick Thomson and Santosh Aerthott, Mainland Music, formed in 2012, is one of Switzerland’s leading concert and festival promoters, organising more than 650 shows a year.

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Leading Swiss promoter Mainland Music is to be acquired by Live Nation, the companies announced today.

The acquisition – understood to have been in the works for some time, and expected to be completed in January 2019 – grows Live Nation GSA’s footprint in the Swiss market, following the acquisition of Openair Frauenfeld festival last July and the official launch of Ticketmaster Switzerland the following month.

Mainland – founded in 2012 in Christian Gremelmayr, Derrick Thomson, Marc Lambelet, Martin Schrader and Santosh Aerthott – is one of Switzerland’s largest concert promoters, organising more than 650 shows annually from its offices in Zurich and Lausanne.

“We are looking forward to partnering with a promising and thriving promoter like Mainland Music,” says Matt Schwarz, COO of Live Nation GSA (Germany, Switzerland and Austria).

“With their strong relationships and impressive industry insights, this important strategic move will strengthen Live Nation’s presence in the Swiss market and ensure the continuation of our success story through this merger in the years to come.”

“As a very successful boutique-style promoter, we will add our spirit to Live Nation’s reach”

Following the merger, Mainland Music will continue all existing operations while also joining forces with Live Nation on tours and other promotion opportunities, according to the new partners.

Previous Mainland Music shows and tours include Sam Smith, Macklemore, Queens of the Stone Age, Parkway Drive, Rise Against, Snow Patrol, Passenger, Die Antwoord, Cypress Hill, Hollywood Undead, Hozier and Biffy Clyro.

“By joining the Live Nation family, we will bring even more international top acts to Switzerland,” comments Christian Gremelmayr of Mainland Music. “As a leading local promoter, we will work with Live Nation to guarantee the best possible service for all artists.”

IQ’s last Swiss market report, in issue 72, found Switzerland remains one of the world’s healthiest touring markets, despite turmoil elsewhere in Europe.

“Connecting to Live Nation will give us new opportunities in the Swiss market,” adds Mainland’s Derrick Thomson. “As a very successful boutique-style promoter, we will add our spirit to Live Nation’s reach. “We are very excited and look forward to opening a new chapter in Mainland Music’s history.”

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Switzerland is prosperous, politically neutral and stands outside of the EU, a wealthy, land-locked island in the middle of Europe. But in its highly active live business, it is certainly not insulated from competition, external or otherwise.

Take the case of the Hallenstadion, Zürich’s 15,000-capacity former Vélodrome, and Switzerland’s most popular arena destination for major incoming touring acts. Until 2013, the venue was booked exclusively by Good News – then the unchallenged market leader. These days, it’s open to all, as everyone knows, but here’s the point: Hallenstadion director Felix Frei estimates that the arena now routinely takes bookings from ten or 15 promoters.

“We have a much broader base of promoters in music than before,” says Frei. “We have more concerts but, on average, less attendance. The reason seems to be a really, really strong music market here. Artists are playing five, six, seven times in Switzerland and we can feel that.”

“You travel through Switzerland in the summer and basically in every town you have a music event”

Out in the fresh Swiss air too, where it has been joked that every field has its own festival, the open-air market is bulging at the seams. Something like 300 events battle for the attention of fewer than 8.5m Swiss, plus musical tourists.

“I think it’s great for the audience,” says Dany Hassenstein, booker at Paléo in Nyon, which has sold out in advance for 16 years in a row. “You travel through Switzerland in the summer and basically in every town you have a music event. It’s great for people who love music.”

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Live Nation has acquired a majority stake in Openair Frauenfeld, Europe’s largest hip-hop festival.

It is Live Nation’s seventh buy-out or equivalent this year, and follows the acquisition of a controlling stake in Isle of Wight Festival in the UK in March.

Held annually in the Allmend park in Frauenfeld, Thurgau (Thurgovia), since 2004, Openair Frauenfeld began life as rock/pop festival Out in the Green, hosting big-name headliners including The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and REM. It last week hosted its 14th event as Openair Frauenfeld, welcoming 170,000 attendees and headliners The Weeknd and Usher and The Roots.

Rene Götz, managing director of Frauenfeld-based First Event, will continue to produce the festival for Live Nation Switzerland.

“We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Openair Frauenfeld, which sees us add one of the world’s finest festival brands to our portfolio”

“We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Openair Frauenfeld, which sees us add one of the world’s finest festival brands to our portfolio,” comments Andre Lieberberg, president of Live Nation GSA (Germany, Switzerland and Austria). “The partnership will give media and our brand partners a unique platform for the Swiss and German-speaking markets. We look forward to working with First Event AG to build and grow this unique festival brand, offering an unparallelled festival experience to thousands of fans.”

Wolfgang Sahli, the festival’s founder and chairman of First Event, adds: “We believe joining forces with the world’s leading live entertainment company, Live Nation, has given us a strong and innovative partner with which to continue to grow and evolve Openair Frauenfeld.

“We are truly looking forward to our partnership.”

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