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Primavera Sound confirms Latin America return

Primavera Sound is to return to Latin America in 2024 after attracting close to 350,000 people across its events in the region last year.

Second editions of the festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina and São Paulo, Brazil drew 120,000 and 115,000 people respectively, according to organisers. Headline acts at the November/December events included The Cure, Blur, Pet Shop Boys, Beck and The Killers.

In addition, 35,000 people attended Primavera Sound concerts in Santiago, Chile, over 12,000 fans experienced the first Paraguay event to mark Asunción Spring Day, and more than 30,000 people went to the inaugural Road to Primavera concerts in Lima, Peru.

The Cure, who played their first shows in South America in a decade, also sold out standalone Primavera concerts in Montevideo, Uruguay and Bogota, Colombia.

Primavera Sound has reaffirmed its commitment to the territory by confirming the dates for this year’s editions

Primavera Sound has reaffirmed its commitment to the territory by confirming the dates for this year’s editions. Primavera Day Montevideo will premiere on 21 November, followed by the third editions of Primavera Sound Buenos Aires (23-24 November) and São Paulo (30 November-1 December), with Primavera Day Asunción set for 29 November.

Plus, Bogotá, Lima and Santiago will again host Road to Primavera concerts, with specific dates to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, the flagship Primavera Sound Barcelona, where the brand launched in 2001, will take place from 29 May to 2 June, headlined by Lana Del Rey, Pulp and SZA. Other acts will include The National, PJ Harvey, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Disclosure, FKA Twigs, Justice and Mitski.

It has also run sister events in Los Angeles and Chile in recent years, but has opted against running another Madrid instalment in 2024 following a “complicated” debut edition.

 


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CTS Eventim expands South American ticketing biz

CTS Eventim has acquired Punto Ticket in Chile and Teleticket in Peru via its joint venture with Sony Music Latin Iberia.

The JV was formed in 2016 to provide ticketing services in Brazil, leveraging both CTS Eventim’s technology platform and Sony Music Latin Iberia’s broad range of Latin American business.

These new acquisitions will provide ticketing systems and related services to concert promoters and venues across Chile and Peru, thus signalling the JV’s expansion into South America. Corporate leadership for the acquired companies will remain in place.

“South America is a real growth market for ticketing and live entertainment,” says Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO, CTS Eventim. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Sony Music in two more extremely dynamic territories, and to have Punto Ticket Chile and Teleticket Peru joining our global network.”

“Chile and Peru are exciting, growing markets and a vital stop for both Latin and international touring superstars alike”

Afo Verde, chairman and CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia: “The expansion of our operations to Chile and Peru showcases our continued commitment to fans, artists, promoters, venues, and the live music business. Chile and Peru are exciting, growing markets and a vital stop for both Latin and international touring superstars alike. We look forward to our continued partnership with Eventim to provide top-of-class service and solutions to both consumers and our clients in these markets.”

Danton Vinales, Founder and CTO, Punto Ticket: “This partnership propels us into a new growth trajectory within the impressive CTS Eventim and Sony Music network. The collaborative essence of this venture not only enriches our technological skills but also amplifies the service quality for promoters, artists, and fans as well. As we complement our local expertise with global capabilities, the future is ripe with promises of superior live entertainment experiences. I, alongside the Punto Ticket & Teleticket teams, eagerly anticipate the remarkable journey and achievements ahead with our new partners.”

According to the International Ticketing Report 2023, Punto Ticket rakes in around 80% of the primary ticketing market for larger gigs in Chile, despite Tickemaster launching an operation in the country in 2021.

The decade-old local service is in its third year of a four-year deal in which it is the official ticketing partner for three theatres in Santiago and continues to handle ticketing operations for the Movistar Arena and various festivals, including Primavera.

 


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Peru festival cancelled over football clash

A music festival set for Peru’s National Stadium in South America has been cancelled at short notice to make way for two international football matches.

The Lima Music Fest “Wild Edition” was slated for 22 September with a line-up including Caté Tacvba, Wos, Nicki Nicole, Cypress Hill and Bomba Estéreo.

But promoter Kandavu Producciones has now been informed by the Peruvian Institute of Sport (IPD) that – contrary to previous statements – the 53,086-seater venue is needed to host the national side’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Brazil (12 September) and Argentina (17 October).

In a statement, the company, which has worked with acts including the Rolling Stones and Roger Waters, among others, says it booked the venue back in February after being told the matches would not be played at the stadium.

“We have been informed that the national soccer team reversed its decision not to use the National Stadium for the qualifiers”

“However, we have been informed that the national soccer team reversed its decision not to use the National Stadium for the qualifiers,” it adds. “The soccer field must be in the best condition to host these sports matches, which is why we are forced to make the painful decision to cancel the Lima Music Fest 2023 event.”

“This unfortunate situation harms us economically, morally and also harms the public who have purchased their tickets for the events that would be held there.”

Kandavu says the headline artists will not be able to perform on a rearranged date due to scheduling issues, compounded by a lack of alternative venues.

“This becomes even more difficult when, in our country, there is a lack of adequate premises for this type of event and that are necessary for the development of the entertainment industry in Peru,” adds the statement. “All these reasons force us to make that unwanted decision.”

 


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Primavera Sound expands footprint in Latin America

Primavera has announced its debut in Peru, with a series of concerts in Lima set for this November ahead of its 2023 Latin American festival run.

The four dates, which will be held under the Road to Primavera Sound banner, will start with The Cure at the National Stadium on 22 November, with support from The Twilight Sad and Just Mustard.

Multiespacio Costa 21 will then host Bad Gyal on 1 December, followed by the Pet Shop Boys – who bring their Dreamworld greatest hits show to the venue on 7 December – and Bad Religion on 8 December.

The shows will act as a precursor for Primavera Sound’s second editions in Buenos Aires, Argentina (25-26 November) and São Paulo, Brazil (2-3 December), as well as the festival’s premiere in Luque, Paraguay (7 December) and Bogotá, Colombia (9-10 December).

The Cure will headline all four editions in their first shows in South America in a decade. The Paraguay edition will be a one-day affair to mark Asunción Spring Day.

Organisers confirmed last month that Primavera Sound Madrid will not take place in 2024

Other acts set to appear on some or all dates include Beck, Blur, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Killers, The Hives, Grimes, Black Midi, Slowdive, Róisín Murphy and Muna.

Organisers confirmed last month that Primavera Sound Madrid will not take place in 2024. The festival debuted in the Spanish capital in June, featuring acts such as Kendrick Lamar, Depeche Mode, Four Tet, Fred Again.., Skrillex, Rosalia, Calvin Harris, Maneskin and St Vincent. However, its first day proper was cancelled for “safety reasons” amid “persistent severe weather”, which impacted pre-production at the 96,000-cap Ciudad de Rock (City of Rock) in Arganda del Rey. There were also complaints from fans about long queues on the other two days of the event.

Explaining their decision not to proceed with a Madrid sequel, organisers cite “external difficulties… in the final stretch of pre-production”, which led to “one of the most complicated” editions of Primavera Sound ever.

In Europe, Primavera Sound’s flagship Barcelona edition will return from 30 May-2 June next year, with its Porto leg to follow from 7-9 June. The festival launched in Barcelona in 2001 and has also run sister events in Los Angeles and Chile in recent years.

Primavera Sound recently gained an internationally recognised stamp of approval demonstrating its commitment to LGBTQ people. The Queer Destinations committed distinction, which is present in 12 countries, helps businesses create safe and more inclusive touristic spaces for the community.

 


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Ticketmaster continues expansion in Latin America

Ticketmaster is strengthening its foothold in Latin America with new operations in Brazil and Peru.

The Live Nation-backed company has long had a foothold in Argentina and, in 2021, it expanded into Mexico and Chile.

“Brazil and Peru’s national expression of music and culture has made them an international destination for live entertainment and an obvious choice for our continued Latin America expansion efforts,” said Mark Yovich, Ticketmaster president. “On the ground, we’ll bring innovation and global expertise to elevate the fan experience and support both countries’ rich history of hosting world-class events.”

Donovan Ferreti, a veteran in the international ticketing industry, will serve as the managing director of Ticketmaster Brazil.

“Brazil and Peru were an obvious choice for our continued Latin America expansion efforts”

“We’re thrilled to have Donovan leading operations in Brazil,” says Adam Newsam, Ticketmaster executive vice president of Latin America. “Donovan’s unparalleled knowledge of the local market combined with his experience on the global stage makes him the perfect fit for Ticketmaster Brazil.”

Ticketmaster Brazil operations began at the end of 2022 supporting smaller niche events, to better understand and customise the platform for the Brazilian market. Soon after launching, it was named the official ticket sales platform for The Town, a new 105,000-capacity festival coming to Sāo Paulo this September.

Hippie Gonzalez Orellana, also a ticketing industry veteran, will serve as the managing director of Ticketmaster Peru.

“Hippie’s deep roots in Peru’s ticketing industry made him the clear choice to lead the team,” says Newsam. “He will be joined by a group of like-minded local ticketing experts to oversee the rollout of our leading technology across concerts, sports, arts and attractions around the country.”

Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketer, processes 500 million tickets per year across 30+ different countries.


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Fugitive teenager arrested over $132k ticket scam

The alleged teenage ringleader of a gang that conned 10,000 fans with fake tickets to shows by Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee in Peru has been arrested in Spain.

Pamela Cabanillas, 19, is accused of leading a group of scammers known as “The QR Gang” that allegedly set up a cloned website of Peru-based ticket outlet, Teleticket, and sold tickets for up to US$390 between May and October last year. She is thought to have made at least US$132,000 through the scam.

According to the Daily Mail, her network sold 7,000 bogus tickets for Daddy Yankee’s two shows at Peru’s National Stadium in Lima from 18-19 October last year and a further 3,000 for Bad Bunny’s 13 November date at the same venue. Scores of customers were denied entry when their tickets were found to be duplicates.

“We have arrested her and transferred her to the police station to continue with all the necessary steps to carry out the extradition to Peru”

Cabanillas, was arrested by police last week and has been charged with five offences, including identity theft, aggravated fraud and falsification of private documents. If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in jail.

Cabanillas evaded authorities for weeks before being tracked down in Carabanchel, Madrid.

“After a discreet follow-up by the Spanish police, we have been able to intercept her, we have identified her and we have verified that her identity was the one that appears in the international [arrest warrant],” Spain’s police inspector Vanessa Arriera tells Infobae. “We have arrested her and transferred her to the police station to continue with all the necessary steps to carry out the extradition to Peru.”

 


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Thirteen people die in police raid at Peru club

Thirteen people died in a crush on Saturday night trying to escape police who raided Thomas Restobar Club in Lima for violating coronavirus restrictions, according to the government.

The intervention took place at around 9 pm, shortly before Lima’s mandatory social immobilization was due to come into effect, preventing residents from leaving their houses between 10 pm on Saturdays and 4 am on Monday mornings, in a bid to mitigate a new surge in coronavirus.

According to the government, around 120 people had attended the illegal birthday gathering on Saturday at Thomas Restobar Club. After police raided the club, the partygoers “tried to escape through the single exit, trampling each other and getting trapped in the stairway”. Eleven men and two women aged in their 20s and 30s died.

President Martín Vizcarra said 15 of 23 revellers arrested had tested positive for the coronavirus. The club’s owners, a married couple, were among those detained. Six people were injured, including three police officers.

“I have anger and indignation for those who were irresponsible by organising this. Let’s not lose more lives due to negligence “

“I have sorrow and I have sadness for the people and relatives of the people who have died, but I also have anger and indignation for those who were irresponsible by organising this,” President Vizcarra said. “Please reflect, let’s not lose more lives due to negligence.”

The statement from the government said that the National Police of Peru (PNP) acted in strict compliance with the law and followed all established protocols. It says no tear gas or firearms were used to evacuate the clubbers from Thomas Restobar Club. Some eyewitnesses say tear gas was used.

A night-time curfew has been in place in Peru since March, and a ban on large gatherings was reimposed earlier this month.

It imposed one of the earliest and strictest lockdowns in Latin America to stop the spread of coronavirus – but has still seen cases rise rapidly.

The country has been among the Latin American countries hardest hit by Covid, with more than 576,000 cases of coronavirus cases and more than 27,000 fatalities recorded.

 


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LatAm associations draft gender equality declaration

Musicians’ unions across Latin America have drafted and signed a declaration pledging to work towards gender parity in their memberships.

At an event hosted by the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) in Bogota, Colombia, before Christmas, local artists’ union Ormúsica, as well as its counterparts in Uruguay (Audem and Fudem), Argentina (Sadem), Peru (SIMCCAP), Panama (Sitmas), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Sindmusi), Mexico (SUTM), Cuba (UNEAC) and Costa Rica (UTM), put their names to a document committing to achieving a 50-50 gender split among their members, with 30% women by 2025.

The declaration, entitled Declaración sobre equidad de género en el sector musical sindical (Declaration on gender equality in the musical union sector), also commits the signatories to undertaking an annual census of their memberships to assess the progress made towards gender equality.

In a statement, FIM, which represents some 70 musicians’ unions globally, thanked Ormúsica “for their warm welcome to a successful event”.

 


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T4F names Luiz Oscar Niemeyer head of live music in South America

Luiz Oscar Niemeyer, the veteran Brazilian concert promoter who sold his Planmusic company to Time for Fun (T4F) last May, has been appointed head of T4F’s live music/entertainment activities in all four countries where the company is active.

Niemeyer (pictured) previously held the same role for Brazil, but will now additionally oversee live entertainment in Argentina, Peru and Chile. He replaces former chief entertainment officer Alexandre Faria Fernandes, who T4F thanks for “all his contributions and wishes him success in future endeavours”.

T4F is South America’s leading live entertainment company and one the top-five promoters worldwide. Upcoming shows include Fifth Harmony’s PSA tour, The Wailers in Rio and Sao Paolo, Paul McCartney’s One on One tour and Lollapalooza Brasil next March.

Niemeyer, meanwhile, has promoted some of the biggest live shows in Brazilian history, including Hollywood Rock festival from 1988 to 1993, Paul McCartney’s 1990 concert at the Maracanã, which attracted 184,000 people, and The Rolling Stones’ historic performance to more than 1.5 million people on Copacabana beach in 2006, and is widely credited as the man who put Brazil on the international touring map.

 


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