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‘India’s music landscape has seen meteoric growth’

India is fast becoming a global entertainment hub, according to some of the world’s leading executives.

Just as the pandemic hit, the country was on a promising upswing in its patchy live music history, having welcomed U2 to Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium in January 2020. The show was the latest in an intermittent stream of superstar visits to Indian soil – The Stones, Sheeran, and Beyoncé have all been down, though Bieber cancelled in October – and was a collaboration between Live Nation and local ticketing giant BookMyShow, which is increasingly positioning itself as India’s foremost international promoter.

In January, the two promoters teamed up on the first Indian Lollapalooza at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse, featuring Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, and Diplo alongside Indian-born rapper AP Dhillon, Delhi-based singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad and others. The event drew 60,000 fans over two days, with 40 artists performing across four stages on a 50-acre site.

James Craven, Live Nation president, Middle East, says Lollapalooza coming to Mumbai is a great example of the market’s growing importance.

“It’s really exciting to see global markets open up to music and artists from the Indian sub-continent, as well as seeing how the Indian market continues to open up for international acts,” says Craven in the IQ’s Global Promoters Report. “Expanding global touring routes for artists is key to their growth and that of the industry, and India will play a key role in that going forwards.”

“Expanding global touring routes for artists is key to their growth and that of the industry, and India will play a key role in that”

Kunal Khambhati, head of live events & IP at BookMyShow, says the entertainment and ticketing platform has worked hard to break down barriers to live shows, which included a 28% goods and services tax that now stands at 18%.

“India’s music landscape has witnessed meteoric growth in the past few years,” says Khambhati. “Slowly but steadily, the country has set the stage to become a keystone for some of the biggest music performances and markets in the world – from hosting acclaimed international and Indian independent artists at large concerts to smaller formats that are gradually shaping the music landscape in the country.

“BookMyShow’s work in this space has focused on creating exposure for both global talent to the Indian audience and Indian artists on the global stage,” he adds. “Lollapalooza is a global music phenomenon, an incomparable international experience, that will not only amplify this exposure in India but in all of Asia and put the spotlight on the country as a global entertainment hub.”

Elsewhere in the festival market, India’s biggest metal festival Bangalore Open Air sold out for the first time in its 10-year history.

“This will go down in the history books,” said Bangalore Open Air founder, Salman U Syed. “A heavy metal festival in Bangalore, India, is sold out. Thank you for your support. Ten years of hard work determination and patience.”

“The country has set the stage to become a keystone for some of the biggest music performances and markets in the world”

The 3,000-capacity event, which is produced in partnership with Germany’s marquee metal festival Wacken Open Air, will this year celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Mayhem, Pestilence, Kryptos, Godless, Born of Osiris, Dying Embrace and Amorphia will lead the celebrations at the 1 April event at Royal Orchid Resorts at Yelahanka.

It’s not just domestic executives that are touting India’s rapid growth. The likes of Wasserman Music’s Alex Hardee and ATC Live’s Alex Bruford testified to the market’s upward trajectory at the most recent International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

“I was just in India, where Lumineers headlined the NH7 Weekender and it was incredible,” said Bruford. “More than 20,000 people drove for about eight hours to get to the show – all completely local fans – and it was one of the band’s favourite gigs they’ve ever played.”

Hardee told ILMC delegates how Alan Walker (represented by Lee Anderson and Tom Schroeder at Wasserman) recently broke new ground in India: “He did ten shows in ten cities…I don’t think an international act has ever done that.”

“More than 20,000 people drove for about eight hours to get to the show”

While streaming rates point to a large pop market, challenging routing and a lack of infrastructure have hampered the development of an Indian circuit for rock and pop shows. Venues for shows typically have to be built from scratch on outdoor sites, and purpose-built venues are only a long-term prospect.

The EDM market is already creating circuits of its own. Percept Live’s three-day, 30,000-per-day Sunburn Festival in Goa returned in December, having brought many of the world’s top DJs down since 2007, and Percept has expanded into increasingly ambitious tours – including a six-city trek for DJ Snake in November, visiting Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore but also less-travelled spots such as Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

“This is the first time we have done a six-city tour over two weekends with such a big artist,” says Percept Live COO Karan Singh, noting that DJ Snake drew anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 per city. “If you have eight or ten markets where the top international acts can play, that’s good for the industry overall.”

Other experienced electronic promoters include Mixtape Live, Submerge, and Mumbai’s Krunk Live, whose travelling Bass Camp Festival celebrated its tenth year in November. Another major player in the Indian business is payments provider Paytm, which bought OML’s ticketing arm Insider in 2017.

As well as presenting tours by artists such as Singh and Dosanjh, Paytm Insider is behind the Bacardi NH7 Weekender, which has featured Basement Jaxx, A.R. Rahman, and Megadeth and brought The Lumineers, Dirty Loops and J.I.D. back to its home city of Pune for its 11th edition in November.

 

This article contains excerpts from the Global Promoters Report, a first-of-its-kind resource that highlights the world’s leading promoters and the 40 top markets they operate in. The report is now available to subscribers of IQ.

Global Promoters Report: France

The Global Promoters Report, a first-of-its-kind resource that highlights the world’s leading promoters and the 40 top markets they operate in, is now available to subscribers of IQ.

In an excerpt from the guide, IQ delves into one of Europe’s most influential markets: France.

As one of Europe’s major international touring markets, trends in France have repercussions across the continent. The market prognosis in 2022 is very much a mixed bag. Recovery from Covid after long periods of shutdown was beginning to happen only to crash headfirst into growing energy costs and a mounting economic crisis in the country. There are plenty of things to be optimistic about in the sector, but the severe challenges impacting live music cannot be ignored.

As in most European markets, the international heavyweights in France are Live Nation and AEG Presents. Live Nation runs Lollapalooza and Afropunk festivals in the capital, as well as I Love Techno Europe and Main Square. International touring acts it brought in during 2022 included The Rolling Stones, Jack Harlow, Sting, Chainsmokers, and Lil Nas X, with Bring Me The Horizon, You Me At Six, The Vamps, Lizzo, and Sam Smith booked for 2023 as well as stadium shows in Paris with Beyoncé, Metallica and The Weeknd.

AEG Presents runs the Rock en Seine festival, and acts it booked for 2022 included Suede and Olivia Rodrigo. Acts confirmed for 2023 include Tom Brennan, Yungblud, and Celine Dion.

Take Me Out is a new local entrant in the French market, launching in February 2022. Bookings this year include The Amazons, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, and The Libertines, with We Are Scientists, North Mississippi Allstars, Circa Waves, and The Slow Readers Club booked for next year.

Corida Group (incorporating Corida, Super!, The Talent Boutique. and Pi-Pôle) is the live music arm of the Because Group and acquired a 50% stake in the Pitchfork Paris festival promoter Super! in 2018. Super! also runs the Villette Sonique festival.

“Unlike other countries, we were lucky enough to benefit from government subsidies during most of the pandemic”

Alias Production brought acts such as Courtney Barnett, Mogwai, Confidence Man, Franz Ferdinand, and Youssou N’Dour to play in 2022. Its bookings for 2023 include dEUS, The War on Drugs, Yo La Tengo, Lewis Capaldi, and Robbie Willims.

“Unlike other countries, we were lucky enough to benefit from government subsidies during most of the pandemic, which has protected companies and saved many jobs, so there hasn’t been too much damage across the industry,” says Emma Greco, promoter at AEG Presents in Paris.

“However, the French political climate is heated as we’re facing new challenges with the rise of energy prices, shortages of gas, and the high cost of living, all causing new waves of protest and strikes.”

She says touring costs are shooting up, with transportation costs in particular up 20% this year. There is also a skills and equipment shortage, caused in part by the pandemic, as infrastructure companies closed/downscaled and skilled workers were forced to leave the business and seek work elsewhere. As more acts race to get back on the road in France, there is still not enough staff or enough equipment to go around.

“All the sound and lighting providers were out of stock in recent months, meaning we have sometimes had to turn to our EU neighbours,” explains Greco.

“All the sound and lighting providers were out of stock in recent months, meaning we have had to turn to our EU neighbours”

Jean-Louis Schell, promoter at Take Me Out, believes there is also an oversaturation in the market. He says that 20 years ago, around 150 international acts were touring in France each year; now it is over 1,000.

“We have the same number of venues, maybe more small clubs with free entry, but there are the same number of people buying tickets and inflation is increasing; even if it is less than in other territories, 5.6% is still huge,” he says. “Students and young people generally have less money.”

Arnaud Meersseman, general manager of AEG Presents and programmer at Rock en Seine, says increases in ticket prices and acts touring too frequently are causing severe problems in the market.

“Large venues with more than 5,000 capacity have seen ticketing go up by 19% compared to 2019, but small venues have seen a drop of 38%, and medium venues have seen a drop of 26%,” he says. “Those medium and small bands that are in the middle, they’re all touring at the same time. They are probably not that new, they’ve probably been around for a while, people have seen them, and they’re on their second or third record. If you miss them this time around, well, that’s fine; you can see them the next time they come around.”

Pascal Bernardin of Encore Productions lays out the scale of the challenges as he sees them. “I’m lucky that my business is outside France,” he says of the state of the domestic market. “If I look at promoters, it’s been hard, and I’m not sure when it will come back. Festivals did okay, and the big ones did very, very well. A lot of smaller festivals did not do so well. A lot of people complain about the cost, which is getting higher.”

The average ticket price for major shows in France is €120-130 so consumers cannot afford to go to more shows more frequently

What this all means is that smaller acts and acts in the middle are struggling the most, with Schell suggesting audiences are increasingly waiting until the last minute to buy tickets. “It forces the promoters to increase their promo expenses, so the breaking point becomes more difficult to reach,” he says. “Stadiums and arenas are filling – or at least most of them are.”

And, of course, the impact of Brexit on British acts touring in France (and elsewhere in Europe) remains an issue. “The ATA carnets are a pain for young bands,” says Schell, “so we mainly look for venues and festivals providing backline.”

For the biggest acts, their popularity insulates them to an extent. Meersseman points to Blackpink and other K-pop superstars as creating their own centre of gravity in the French market. “We find that it is doing exceptionally well with very high ticket prices,” he says, especially with regard to upsell options. “If you get the full VIP package and you’re two people, you can be spending up to €2,000 on the show.”

Meersseman also suggests the average ticket price for major shows in France is €120-130, and that means big acts scoop most of the money, and consumers cannot afford to go to more shows more frequently. “Once you spend that times two, you’re not going to be spending much on tickets for the rest of the month,” he says.

Meersseman also feels there is something of a touring arms race happening at the upper levels at the moment that will greatly impact on the future shape of the market.

“To bring in a bigger show costs a fortune, therefore you raise ticket prices”

“The competition is so intense because of the volume of touring that acts need to bring in bigger and bigger shows – but everything costs more and more,” he says. “To bring in a bigger show costs a fortune, therefore you raise ticket prices. Other acts think they should raise ticket prices and bring in a bigger show. It’s a vicious circle, and I don’t think it’s leading to anything very good.”

The processes of breaking acts across France are, however, beginning to change, even amid the market uncertainty outlined above. “We start off with a club show or a tastemaker event,” says Meersseman. “Agents love putting all their acts through Primavera and then having a soft launch for all the acts at the same time in June. We try to avoid that if we can. From there on, we’ll usually give them a good slot at our festival, Rock en Seine, to try to build them up from there. Then we’ll try to get them back in for a bigger Paris show. After that we will try to get them back for some regional shows and regional festivals. France is such a centralised country, that if you don’t break Paris, you’ll never be able to venture into the regions. Paris is the key to opening up everything.”

Greco says that breaking Paris is only the start and that promoters really need to be thinking and acting locally. “I think it’s important to build an artist outside of Paris – whether it’s through festivals or regional shows,” she says. “There’s not always time for it, but I believe it’s an important step when building an artist in our market.”

“If you don’t break Paris, you’ll never be able to venture into the regions”

International acts that have performed well in terms of touring are varied. Schell mentions Peter Doherty and Kasabian as recent successes, adding that French hip-hop acts are now selling tickets on a par with some of the biggest international acts, suggesting an interesting domestic/foreign split in the live market.

Greco points to Fred Again, who sold 1,600 tickets in two minutes for his show at Elysée Montmartre, and Olivia Rodrigo’s first show in France at the Zenith in June 2022 exceeded expectations.

Meersseman says, beyond a range of K-pop acts and major international stars like Robbie Williams and Tyler, The Creator doing well, there is a revival of interest in pop-punk from the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Hella Mega Tour (featuring Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer) sold out the 35,000-capacity La Défense Arena in July 2022. Meanwhile, The Offspring have sold out the Zenith in Nantes and were already close to selling out the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, with both shows not happening until May 2023.

Parts of the market are struggling and other parts of the market are over-indexing. This dynamic looks unlikely to change for a while, with suggestions that, with many postponed shows running into next year, it might not be until 2023 that the live market in France fully recalibrates itself.

The Global Promoters Report is published in print, digitally, and all content is also available as a year-round resource on the IQ site. The Global Promoters Report includes key summaries of the major promoters working across 40+ markets, unique interviews and editorial on key trends and developments across the global live music business.

To access all content from the current Global Promoters Report, please click here.

Kendrick, Billie Eilish, RHCP to headline Lolla US

Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chili Peppers have been unveiled as headliners for the 2023 edition of Lollapalooza US.

Odesza, Lana Del Rey, Karol G, The 1975, and Tomorrow X Together will also top the bill at the 100,000-cap festival in Grant Park, Chicago from 3-6 August.

Other acts will include Fred Again.., Carly Rae Jepsen, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Rina Sawayama, Diplo, Pusha T, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Noah Kahan, Portugal. the Man, Beabadoobie, Alan Walker, Subtronics, Louis the Child Lil Yachty and Maggie Rogers.

The Lollapalooza brand launched in Chicago in 1991 and has gone on to expand to Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Sweden and most recently India earlier this year.

Lollapalooza’s Argentina and Chile editions took place this past weekend

The debut edition of Lollapalooza India was held at Mahalaxmi Racecourse Lawns in Mumbai and drew 60,000 fans over two days. The event saw performances from local and international artists including Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, AP Dhillon, Cigarettes After Sex, Divine, the F16s, Jackson Wang, Imanbek, Greta Van Fleet, The Wombats, and Diplo.

Lollapalooza’s Argentina and Chile editions took place this past weekend (17-19 March) at San Isidro Racecourse in Buenos Aires and Parque Cerrillos, Santiago, respectively, with headliners Drake, Rosalia, Twenty One Pilots, Tame Impala, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X. The Brazilian leg will follow at São Paulo’s Interlagos Speedway from 24-26 March

Last month, it was revealed that Paramount+ has greenlit a music docuseries exploring the history of Lollapalooza festival.

The three-part Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza series is being produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and FunMeter, in partnership with C3 Presents, and will chronicle the relationship between the festival and its founder Perry Farrell, and the evolution of “the now global cultural phenomenon”.

 

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Lollapalooza docuseries in the works

Paramount+ has greenlit a new music docuseries exploring the history of Lollapalooza festival.

The three-part Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza series is being produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and FunMeter, in partnership with C3 Presents, and will chronicle the relationship between the festival and its founder Perry Farrell, and the evolution of “the now global cultural phenomenon”.

“When Lolla was launched in 1991, the concert industry felt like a boring car ride that was running out of gas,” says Farrell. “We pumped new life into the live music experience and set the foundation for the youth’s counter culture to become important and exciting again. Now more than three decades young, I am happy to have this opportunity to give people an inside look at the festival’s contribution to music history.”

No date has yet been set for the series, which will be directed by Michael John Warren, whose past music projects include Jay-Z’s Fade to Black, Nicki Minaj’s My Time Now and My Time Again, and Drake’s Better Than Good Enough.

“It’s an honour to be entrusted to tell the true story of one of the most astonishing cultural touchstones in the last half-century”

“As a naive teenager trapped in the doldrums of Suburbia, USA, I attended the first-ever Lollapalooza, and it totally blew my mind,” adds Warren. “It was dangerous, beautiful and instantly widened my perspective. So, it’s an honour to be entrusted to tell the true story of one of the most astonishing cultural touchstones in the last half-century.”

The project will be the first major festival documentary since the three-part Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99, which premiered on Netflix last summer and revisited the events around the festival’s ill-fated 1999 revival.

Lollapalooza launched in Chicago in 1991 and has gone on to expand to Chile, Brazil, Germany, France, Sweden and most recently India.

The debut edition of Lollapalooza India was held last weekend at Mahalaxmi Racecourse Lawns in Mumbai and drew 60,000 fans over two days. The event saw performances from local and international artists including Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, AP Dhillon, Cigarettes After Sex, Divine, the F16s, Jackson Wang, Imanbek, Greta Van Fleet, The Wombats, and Diplo.

The next Lollapalooza US is slated for Grant Park, Chicago from 3-6 August.

 

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Inaugural Lollapalooza India draws 60,000 fans

The debut edition of Lollapalooza India drew 60,000 fans over two days, with 40 artists performing across four stages on a 50-acre site.

Held at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse Lawns in Mumbai between 28–29 January, the event saw performances from local and international artists including Imagine Dragons, The Strokes, AP Dhillon, Cigarettes After Sex, Divine, the F16s, Jackson Wang, Imanbek, Greta Van Fleet, The Wombats, and Diplo – many of whom performed in India for the first time.

The organisers arranged for a range of facilities such as sign language interpreters, disability services and support organisations, plus on-site response teams providing assistance for psychological safety and inclusivity for the LGBT+ community. There was also a distress helpline, free unlimited drinking water supply, and buses dedicated to the festival connecting all of Mumbai.

The festival also unveiled a campaign titled #LollaForChange, which aims for minimal waste, managing food wastage, and increased sustainable measures.

Lollapalooza India was produced by founder Perry Farrell, WME, C3 Presents and India’s BookMyShow, and means the brand has now grown to eight countries on four continents, including editions in the US, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France and Sweden. The festival will return to India in 2024.

 

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Imagine Dragons, The Strokes to headline Lolla India

Imagine Dragons and The Strokes will headline the inaugural edition of Lollapalooza India.

Other acts slated to perform at the Mumbai event include Greta Van Fleet, electronic dance music’s Diplo and Zhu, Indo-Canadian Punjabi music and rap-star AP Dhillon, and dream-pop artists Cigarettes After Sex.

The lineup also features a mix of Indian and international acts including Prateek Kuhad, Divine, Japanese Breakfast, Madeon, Alec Benjamin, Jackson Wang, Chelsea Cutler, The Wombats, Imanbek, Kasablanca, Apashe, Raveena, The Yellow Diary.

Bloodywood, Sandunes, Aswekeepsearching, The F16s, Kayan, Tejas, House of Hashbass, Madboy/Mink, T.ill APES, Kumail, Kavya, Mali, Tanmaya Bhatnagar, Easy Wanderlings, Abhi Meer, Bombay Brass, Parimal Shais, Siri, Tracy De Sa and Aadya are also on the bill.

“The event will feature more than 40 artists across four stages and over 20 hours of live music”

In total, the event will feature more than 40 artists across four stages and over 20 hours of live music. Some 60,000 fans are expected. The two-day festival will take place at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Race Course, between 28 and 29, January 2023.

Lollapalooza India is being produced by Farrell, WME, C3 Presents and India’s BookMyShow, and means the brand has now grown to eight countries on four continents, including editions in the US, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France and Sweden.

“Lollapalooza India aims to bring together music aficionados across genres, entertainment enthusiasts, global and Indian audiences that are seeking marquee, unique experiences at par with international standards,” the organisers said in a statement.

“Amongst the boldest, brightest, most colourful and diverse festivals around the world, Lollapalooza is a festival that offers everyone something to take back home through its music, ethos, vibe and unparalleled experience.”

 

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Huge line-ups announced for 2023 festival season

A number of major festivals have announced the first acts for their 2023 editions, signalling a bumper festival season ahead.

In South America, Lollapalooza has revealed lineups for its Chile, Argentina and Brazil editions, all set for March next year.

Drake, Billie Eilish, Blink-182, Tame Impala, Rosalía and Lil Nas X have been confirmed as headliners, with acts including Jane’s Addiction, The 1975, Armin Van Buuren, Jamie XX, Kali Uchis and Tove Lo set to support.

These festivals will mark first-time South American performances for Billie Eilish, a newly reunited Blink-182 and Lil Nas X, and will serve as Drake’s first time performing in Argentina and Chile.

The eleventh edition of Lollapalooza Chile takes place 17–19 March at Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos. The eighth edition of Lollapalooza Argentina takes place on 17–19 March at Hippodromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires. And the tenth edition of Lollapalooza Brazil takes place 24–26 March at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo.

Lollapalooza in South America is produced by Perry Farrell, C3 Presents, Lotus Producciones (Chile), DF Entertainment (Argentina), and Time For Fun (Brazil).

Lollapalooza will mark first-time South American performances for Billie Eilish, a newly reunited Blink-182 and Lil Nas X

Primavera Sound has also given fans a taste of what’s to come in 2023 with the announcement that Depeche Mode will headline the Barcelona and Madrid editions.

Next year’s festival will take place at its usual location of Parc Del Fòrum, Barcelona, on the first weekend (1–3 June).

On the second weekend (8–10 June), the festival will take place in the Ciudad de Rock (City of Rock) in Arganda del Rey, Madrid, for the first time ever.

Primavera Sound has taken place in Barcelona for 20 years and has recently expanded internationally with sister events in Los Angeles, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Elsewhere, Rock Werchter (cap. 88,000) has secured Belgian singer Stromae for next year’s instalment, after he stole the show at this year’s Rock Werchter Boutique.

Belgium’s biggest festival, promoted by Herman Schueremans and Live Nation Belgium, will return to Werchter’s Festival Park between 29 June and 2 July, 2023. More names are due to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, fellow Belgian behemoth Tomorrowland has detailed the third edition of Tomorrowland Winter, which returns to the French ski resort of Alpe d’Huez from 18–25 March.

Rock Werchter has secured Belgian singer Stromae for next year, after he stole the show at this year’s Rock Werchter Boutique

The festival offers sets from more than 100 DJs across eight stages, as well as skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, paragliding and snowmobile rides.

Axwell, Steve Angello, Steve Aoki and Tony Romera join previously announced artists Afrojack, Amber Broos, Amelie Lens, ANNA, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Joris Voorn, Kölsch, Lost Frequencies, Mandy, Martin Garrix, Netsky and Ofenbach on the bill.

In Austria, Nova Rock has already lined up a slate of artists for its next offering, including headliners Slipknot, Tenacious D, Parkway Drive, Bilderbuch and Die Ärtze.

Yungblud, Papa Roach, Motionless in White and Nothing But Thieves are also set to perform at next year’s festival, promoted by Nova Music Entertainment (part of CTS Eventim’s Barracuda Music).

The annual hard rock event will return to Pannonia Fields, Nickelsdorf, between 7–10 June, 2023.

 

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Lollapalooza India to debut in 2023

Lollapalooza has announced it is expanding to India, with the inaugural edition set for Mumbai from 28-29 January 2023.

Lollapalooza India will showcase both global stars and local talent and will mark the first time the event has been held in Asia.

Offering two days of music across four stages as well as culinary selections, art and fashion, line-up and ticket information will be released soon.

“The music of India is transcendental, it draws our spirits East,” says Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. “Lollapalooza is an instrument for unity, peace, and education utilising the universal languages of music and art to find common ground.”

Lollapalooza India is being produced by Farrell, WME, C3 Presents and India’s BookMyShow, and means the brand has now grown to eight countries on four continents, including editions in the US, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France and Sweden.

“We are excited to introduce fans to an entirely new festival experience”

“Lollapalooza has always been about exploring boundaries, musically and geographically,” says C3 Presents partner Charlie Walker. “We are excited to introduce fans to an entirely new festival experience that has been a significant rite of passage for millions of music fans around the world for more than three decades.”

BookMyShow is owned and operated by Big Tree Entertainment and is described as “India’s leading entertainment destination”. The company has brought international stars such as U2, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Justin Bieber to the market over the past few years.

“BookMyShow is proud to bring Lollapalooza to India – making it the eighth country and the fourth continent to do so,” says the firm’s founder and CEO Ashish Hemrajani. “With a mix of some stellar Indian talent and global artists coming together on the same stage, we expect nothing short of magic.”

Launched in 2007, BookMyShow has evolved from an online ticketing platform for movies to end-to-end management of live entertainment events including concerts, theatrical productions and sport.

 

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J-Hope set for historic Lollapalooza headline slot

BTS member J-Hope is set to make history by headlining the final night of Lollapalooza 2022 in Chicago’s Grant Park on 31 July.

The performance will see the rapper become the first South Korean artist to ever headline a main stage at a major US music festival.

In addition, K-pop band Tomorrow X Together will make their US festival debut with a performance at the event on 30 July. Both acts are represented by Seoul-headquartered entertainment company BigHit Music.

“Lolla is the place where all music genres live in harmony”

“I’m happy to welcome J-Hope and Tomorrow X Together into the Lollapalooza family,” says Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. “These artists have been given great gifts in communication. Their global audience speak different languages but possess an intense passion for their music.

“Lolla is the place where all music genres live in harmony. These are the superstars of the global phenomenon of K-Pop, and we are so excited to have them at this year’s festival.”

Doja Cat had originally been due to close this year’s Lollapalooza, which runs from 28-31 July, but withdrew last month due to throat problems. The four-day line-up will feature more than 170 artists performing across nine stages, including Metallica, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly, Glass Animals, J Cole, Kygo, Big Sean, Idles, Green Day, Jane’s Addiction, The Kid Laroi and Charli XCX.

Lollapalooza, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021, is produced by Farrell, WME and C3 Presents.

 

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Live Nation, Hulu extend deal to stream C3 Presents fests

Live Nation has extended its partnership with American subscription streaming service Hulu, after a successful turn as the official streaming destination of Lollapalooza in 2021.

Under the new deal, Hulu will become the official streaming platform for C3 Presents’ largest festivals – Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits – throughout 2022 and 2023.

For all three festivals, select performances will be livestreamed exclusively to Hulu SVOD (subscription video on demand) subscribers at no additional cost. Additional special footage and behind-the-scenes looks will also be available.

Two streaming channels will be made available for performances taking place between Friday and Sunday at each of the festivals. For Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, only one streaming channel will be available on the Thursday of each event.

The deal marks the first time a streaming platform has had streaming rights to all three of the iconic festivals.

“The demand for live music is at an all-time high and the live experience has never been more connected to digital”

“Hulu and Live Nation are both committed to delivering exceptional entertainment to fans, so we are thrilled to be collaborating with them, again, as we expand our offering to include these three legendary festivals,” says Hulu president Joe Early. “Each event is unique, but all three bring people together for incredible music, artistry, and experiences, which we are fortunate to be able to share with Hulu subscribers.”

Charlie Walker of C3 Presents adds: “The demand for live music is at an all-time high and the live experience has never been more connected to digital. By expanding our partnership with Hulu, even more fans will be able to tune into each of these incredible festival experiences in real-time and enjoy live performances from their favourite artists with the fans on-site.”

Bonnaroo is set to take place 16–19 June as it returns to the farm in Manchester, Tennesse for the first time since 2019, with Lollapalooza slated for 28–31 July and Austin City Limits will return for two weekends from 7–9 and 14–16 October.

 

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