Having worked her way up in the international live music business to the top position at Mojo in the Netherlands, no one better understands how to shatter the glass ceiling than Kim Bloem.

Over the course of her illustrious 25-year career, the Dutch stalwart has promoted shows with the likes of Beyoncé, Madonna, Rosalìa, P!NK, Drake and Olivia Rodrigo, worked in venues such as Ziggo Dome and AFAS Live, and programmed festivals including North Sea Jazz Festival.

As of January 2024, Bloem alongside Ruben Brouwer and Ronny Hooch Antink have been responsible for the management of Mojo, following the departure of former CEO John Mulder.

But as a woman and a mother, Bloem’s formidable career in the live music industry has been hard won. On the eve of International Women’s Day, she tells IQ how the next-generation of women business leaders could have a smoother ride to the C-suite.

Tell us a few issues the industry needs to address to become a better place for women?
First of all, I think during these last 20-25 years since I have started working, a LOT has changed already thanks to all the efforts of a lot of people. In the beginning of my career the industry was dominated by the men who have actually built this industry. So it was quite logical that amongst those men, the “old” habits such as making crude or offensive jokes or comments about others including women was ‘normal’. And those old habits were taught to the younger people coming up in those years, so the system maintained itself. And those comments and jokes emphasise unnecessarily the difference between men and women. Nowadays we should not accept that anymore, but it still happens and creates an unsafe space in some cases. The simple solution to it would be to not laugh about a joke somebody makes, but say, publicly and in a nice way, “Hey, we should not be saying that anymore, shouldn’t we,” and move on and make a better joke. And no mansplaining anymore…. PLEASE! Making the workspace a safe environment would add to the creativity and the productivity of actually everybody, men and women.

“Some people believe that internal competition is beneficial to the result, but I think the opposite”

You’re still among a minority of super senior women in the industry, what are the barriers to getting more women in the C-suite?
I think one of the main ones is when you are at a point to start a family. There are then choices to be made, or simply the choice is being made for you, and everything depends on the way you CAN and WANT to figure this out. I have been lucky to have a mom who wanted to babysit, now already for 15 years. My husband chose to not become a practicing musician, but loved working in a record store – and still does – but not full time. We discussed it together, and were in the lucky position to make the choice of how we did it.

Secondly you need to be offered the chances that I have been offered. And that is dependant on a mix of being at the right time and right place, how the company you work for is developing, whether other people see you as the next gen, or as internal competition. I have been very lucky to work with people at MOJO who have helped me stepping up. I worked hard, and they let me instead of stopping me. It was in their interest that I could grow within the company. Some people believe that internal competition is beneficial to the result, that people would work harder to earn the most, but I think the opposite. If you have a great example in your team, you want to get that approval, be as good as him or her, and together create a great result that contributes to the company, and not to you personally. And last but not least, you really have to work hard, very hard to get there and be ambitious, but in the right way. That’s not to be seen as a barrier, but people sometimes forget that this is the number one need.

“Provisions like flexible hours and working from home very much helped me when I became a parent”

As a woman and a mother, what provisions would have improved your experience of the industry?
Provisions like flexible hours and working from home very much helped me when I became a parent. I did have my babysitter at home (my mum), so I could work because with a baby at home you can’t really work, and that gave me a lot of rest. I could go to shows in the night, and unlike some friends did not have to be in the office at 9 am in the morning. When I was working at the North Sea Jazz festival, my parents would babysit nearby, come to the festival so I could breastfeed my son, and that three times during the day back and forth!

Did you have any female mentors that helped you progress in the industry?
I spoke a lot with my colleague and friend Nicoline de Kock at MOJO, who encouraged me from time to time to for instance ask what I deserve in both work, career development etc. We discussed difficult issues, we both knew exactly why we had to work harder being a woman in the industry in order to prove ourselves, but both did not mind.

You, Anna Sjölund and Kelly Chappell have maintained a strong friendship over the years. How important has it been to have a group of senior women to rely on?
I think it’s extremely important. Kelly, Anna and myself have had lengthy conversations of how we move around for instance inside the group of promoters, tour buyers, help each other, support each other, being a listening ear, and also introduce one another to other people in the network. Live Nation has been very supportive of women and acknowledged the importance of a diverse company. We have had inspiring days of sessions where all women could get in contact with senior women and vice versa. We were present in meetings, made ourselves known and contribute to discussions which should be an example to others as well.

“Every study (for any industry actually) shows the importance of the need of having a diverse and representative team”

Is there anything that you’re personally doing to support and encourage women in this industry?
I try to be an example, inspire them by asking questions about what they want to become and push them for grabbing the chances at the right time.

Why is it important for the live music industry to be diverse and representative?
I think every study (for any industry actually) shows the importance of the need of having a diverse and representative team. It simply is better for financial results, for making the workplace a better one that leads to a more (mental) healthier environment, less sick leaves, etc. This may sound like “my soft skills” (and I can see some people rolling their eyes) but if there are leaders leading by example and do the right thing, in the end the world will be a better place.

For the music industry specifically, I feel it’s of great importance as artists and the fans who relate to them, also have a role in leading by example. This means that we as promoters, agents, managers, tour managers, production managers, marketeers, ticketers, etc, act with respect to each other and listen to each other with only that same goal in mind, this reflects upon the fans and, again, the world as a whole. I know some artists focus on having a full female crew because that works better for them. I can imagine it does, but in my opinion ultimately it needs to be a 50-50 situation as that is how the world is turning, and only then there can be mutual respect. Don’t leave out men!

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The increased workload of the summer season – and the fact that DF Concerts now promotes around 1,000 events per year – means that Geoff Ellis has had to take on more staff in the company HQ.

“It’s challenging, but it’s all good because it means we’ve employed more in our team,” he reports. “We’ve got some more experienced people that we brought in on the event management side of things, precisely because we have TRNSMT, we’ve got the run at Bellahouston Park, and then we’ve got the various projects in Edinburgh. So instead of having to rely on freelancers, we’ve been able to take more people on full-time– including our sustainability and accessibility teams – meaning the team is stronger year-round, which really helps from a planning point of view.

“We’ve also got a couple of new people in the sustainability team. That means that instead of paying for consultants to come in for specific projects, we can use the expertise of our own people across the board – for our own venue, our offices, as well as our festivals and all of the concerts we promote. A lot of what we do now is with a focus on sustainability, so those additions have definitely helped fortify the team, which is now the strongest it’s ever been at DF.

“We’re still working with some of the main external contractors – site managers and production managers, for example. But again, we’ve now got in-house folk that can do a lot of the advancing on the site stuff as well, which is helping to make everything we do much more efficient. And it means we can do more, while allowing us to cost things more quickly as well.”

“The new expanded DF set-up gives us another string to our bow, to handle third-party events as a one-stop-shop contractor”

That efficiency has enabled Ellis to look at other growth opportunities for DF Concerts. “We recently won the tender for the Clyde Chorus, which will celebrate 850 years of Glasgow as a city,” he reveals. “It’s going to involve lots of smaller concerts in small venues, so it’s not exactly a stretch for us to book it, given that booking artists is what we do, day-in, day-out. But that’s a great project for our younger team of promoters to get wired into that with all their emerging artists.

“We also won the event management contract, which is a relief because it would have been a nightmare booking the acts and then having to advance it with somebody else. Now though, with the way DF has evolved, we can do the whole thing internally, as we would normally with one of our own events. So the new expanded DF set-up gives us another string to our bow, to handle third-party events as a one-stop-shop contractor, which also allows organisers to take advantage of our efficiencies, too.”

Improving Venue Sector
Thanks in no small part to the hard work of Ellis and his colleagues, Scotland’s live entertainment business has gone from strength to strength during the past 40 years. From zero festivals, the country now has a plethora of summer gatherings, while the top end of the venue chain is continuing to expand with stadia like Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Hampden Park in Glasgow, an integral part of the nation’s outdoor concert season, while other football grounds including Ibrox in Glasgow and Falkirk Stadium have hosted occasional shows.

Indoor venues have prospered even more. In terms of arena space, for decades Scottish music fans had to settle for the makeshift transformation of the SEC exhibition halls in Glasgow or the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre to see their favourite acts. That changed in 2013, when the Scottish Exhibition Centre opened the £125m Hydro on its campus. That offering was augmented in 2019 when the £333m P&J Arena opened near Aberdeen, with formats that allow shows from 5,000 to 15,000 capacity.

“The Hydro has been a game changer for everybody”

And AEG is currently working on a project to construct the proposed 8,500-capacity Edinburgh Park Arena in time for opening doors in 2027, further enhancing Scotland’s ability to attract world-class talent.

“The Hydro has been a game changer for everybody,” notes Ellis. “That whole area of Finnieston has been largely transformed into a cultural hub because of the arena – it’s a real destination area in its own right. But the Hydro enables us to compete with other European cities on a bigger level, because we can have capacities of about 13,500, although for some shows it’s possible to get 14,000, sight lines permitting.

“Before Hydro opened, we were reliant on the old SEC, but we could not use it all-year round because they’d have a calendar of exhibitions and conferences to host. So, you’d have a concert window, and Scotland would typically lose out on tours if the dates did not coincide with that window.”

Ellis also praises the P&J Arena. “It’s a lovely venue, because the old AECC was not a great audience or artist experience at all. I remember when the dressing rooms were caravans, I went in to talk to Sharleen [Spiteri] from Texas, and when the support band came on, the whole bloody caravan started shaking.

“I think Edinburgh is one of only two capital cities in Europe that does not have an arena”

“But the new venue is great, and it’s huge – it’s actually bigger than Hydro, but it’s also very flexible in terms of where they can put the stage and how they can drape it down. So, just like the Hydro, it can work on 7,000 people without looking like you’ve draped off at all. In fact, [they do] a really good job where they can make it work for a couple of thousand people.”

And he’s enthusiastic about the prospects for the new Edinburgh arena. “I think Edinburgh is one of only two capital cities in Europe that does not have an arena. So, while an arena in Edinburgh won’t necessarily steal business away from Glasgow, it’ll give us the opportunity for supplementary business. It might be acts who maybe have done Hydro once and are then maybe doing a tour of secondary cities on the next tour. Or it could be people who have played at Academy-level and are not yet ready to step up to the Hydro, but they’re on an upward trajectory.”

Highlighting the incredible uptick in demand for live entertainment, Ellis says, “There’s a stat that there are on average at least seven gigs a night in Glasgow – proper gigs, not just bands playing for free in a bar. And that shows the strength of the local scene, both venue-wise and in ticket sales, because it means fans are prepared to go out on a Monday or Tuesday night to hear live music.

“In saying that, I think Scotland in general is still missing those all-standing venues of 4,000- to 5,000-cap. There’s still that gap for bands before they get to a Hydro-sized arena. But SEC is looking at the old halls in the main SEC building to see if they can be reused. And there’s also potential with the council’s Emirates Arena, which they want to make available for concerts as well as sports.”

“2025 is looking like a bumper year, and our stadium shows have done spectacular business”

Landmark Year
While celebrating 40 years in music has been a pleasing moment, Ellis is laser-focussed on making sure DF Concerts leads the way in what many professionals are claiming will be the busiest live music year on record.

Perusing a hectic 2025 schedule, Ellis is not at all phased by the congested calendar. “It’s always a good thing when availability is an issue,” he tells IQ. “If it’s an issue because there’s lots of concerts, then that’s good. But if availability is scarce because you’ve got a World Cup or European Championship or whatever, and you’re having to turn business away, that’s not so good. But 2025 is looking like a bumper year, and our stadium shows have done spectacular business – we sold out Lana Del Rey in a matter of hours. We expected it to sell out, but the speed of it was incredible. But she’s been away for a while, particularly from Scotland, and when you have an artist like Lana with that amount of depth in terms of the music, she appeals to a broad range of people.”

He continues, “The best thing I’ve witnessed recently is that despite the cost-of-living crisis that has hit fans financially, people have finally started to value live music, which for years, I don’t think was the case. People used to expect cheap ticket prices. But now, I think fans realise that a large proportion of the money goes on the costs of the artists putting on a great show, and that means they are more prepared to pay, because they know Lana Del Rey is going to put on a spectacular performance, for example, or Taylor Swift is going to be a great show. But it’s still a major part of what we do to keep ticket prices affordable by scaling them.”

However, it seems that in Scotland, the industry is getting that balance right. “We’re in a very healthy position, at the moment,” he says. “People never baulk at the prices for West End theatres, so it’s heartening to see a change in the way fans are acknowledging that prices for concert tickets are reasonable. The litmus test is ticket sales, and people are buying the tickets.”

“We sold 1.4m tickets, just in Scotland, in 2024”

Indeed, Ellis reports that across all sectors of business, DF Concerts had a record year in 2024. “We sold 1.4m tickets, just in Scotland,” he reveals. “We’re selling more tickets at club-level than ever, as there’s a rich vein of emerging artists coming through. But heritage acts are also selling well. The Charlatans, Shed Seven, and the Stranglers are great examples of bands who sell out every time. That’s encouraging to see because logically you might think the numbers would dwindle, but they’re not, so there must be new people coming to see them. The Kooks are a great example of a band that keep getting 16- to 18-year-olds coming to follow them.

“And of course, a lot of the Oasis sales were young people who have never seen the band before, so the fact they are appealing to a younger generation of people is great, because they obviously are not losing the older fans. So we’re really looking forward to those shows in August at Murrayfield.”

Professionalism
While a chunk of the credit for Scotland’s emergence as one of Europe’s most robust live music markets inevitably goes to Ellis and the DF Concerts team, other promoters in the country have also helped raise the level of the country’s stature on the international stage.

“It’s really competitive because it’s a small market with several national promoters. But a good gauge of how the business has grown is that there are now England-based promoters who do shows in Scotland as well. So you cannot low ball an offer, because there will be someone else who will step up. I don’t think anybody is constantly crossing swords, because there is plenty of business to go around. But it is competitive, and that helps the health of the overall market.”

“The newer promoters we’ve brought in, Chris Beltran, Chris Loomes, Ellen McEleney, are really motivated and hungry”

Nevertheless, it’s a friendly rivalry, as Ellis counts rival promoters Paul Cardow (PCL), Mark Mackie (Regular Music) and Donald MacLeod (Triple G Music) among his friends. What pleases Ellis the most, however, is the development of DF’s own promoting stable.

“The newer promoters we’ve brought in, Chris Beltran, Chris Loomes, Ellen McEleney, are really motivated and hungry; they’re bringing a freshness not just within the company but to the industry as a whole, and it’s gratifying to know we have a generation that is developing a whole swathe of new acts.

“It’s also good for the old guard like me, Dave Corbet, Dave McGeachan, and Craig Johnston (although I shouldn’t call Craig old), because we can help guide those people in our team while also benefitting from the fresh ideas they bring to the table.

“It’s definitely brought a vitality to DF in the last two or three years, and to see people like Chris Loomes doing his first Academy show; Ellen doing her first Barrowlands and Academy shows; and Chris Beltran having his first Hydro show with Fontaines D.C. and then The Snuts in the same week… it’s really positive for the future of DF and the future for Scotland’s music scene.”

He continues, “That’s now one of the things I really want to concentrate on – guiding these younger people to help develop their careers, teaching them the ethics of the business and impart what us older people have learned over the years. But I think because most of the staff have grown with the company, from doing King Tut’s bands and local bands, their own roster of acts is growing. I see that with Craig Johnston, who promotes Lewis Capaldi and Sam Fender, who can now do stadiums. It’s great to see the acts grow, but it’s equally as pleasing for me to see the people in our team grow as well.”

“I think this business is about always trying to stay ahead of the game”

The Future
After four decades in the business, Ellis is reticent to look back at past triumphs. Rather, he is focussed on the future of DF Concerts and ensuring the newest members of staff can also enjoy lengthy careers.

“I think this business is about always trying to stay ahead of the game,” he states. “You’re trying to make sure that you’re bringing through new artists all the time – that’s the key. It would be easy to say, ‘We’ve got a load of big artists now, so we can rest on our laurels.’ But that’s a very short-term view, and certainly myself and the senior staff at DF want to develop younger promoters and make sure there are new promoters joining us, too. Otherwise, us old folk would not be able to feed that pipeline of bringing new acts in development.”

Elsewhere, he says the company mulls over adding extra days to existing events like TRNSMT or using existing festival sites to do stan- dalone headline shows, using the same production infrastructure. “We just need to make sure we’ve got the right content to make that work. But with the solid team we now have in place, we’re able to constantly look for those new opportunities while realising that we cannot add dates to the calendar just for the sake of doing it – there needs to be a gap in the market and a need for it.

“So, the future, for me, will revolve heavily around investing in our teams to keep them young, fresh, and relevant, particularly in areas like marketing, where you have to keep on top of where things are going, be that TikTok or other relevant channels, depending on the show and the talent involved. And we’re lucky enough to have a pool of experienced people who can mentor people.

When you see the crowd really enjoying a show you organised, it gives you a great buzz”

“Bottom line is that we are trying to enhance what we already do well and service the artists much better. More than ever, we need to get in early and nurture the talent – finding out who is the next Last Dinner Party, the next Wet Leg? And making sure you’re supporting those acts early on. That’s where it’s good to be part of the Live Nation family, because that’s brought a lot of benefits to us; a lot of support, especially with US artists where we can deliver the Scottish leg of a global tour.”

On a personal level, Ellis says highlights so far in his career have included working with acts like Paul Simon and Stevie Nicks. “When you see the crowd really enjoying a show you organised, it gives you a great buzz. I just always want to be enjoying doing what I do and that hasn’t changed. It’s a privilege to work with the colleagues and the team that we have at DF Concerts – and our wider colleagues in Live Nation: Phil Bowdery, Stuart Douglas, Lynn Lavelle, Scott [Barton] at Cream, Sam Kandel, Melvin [Benn], Denis Desmond, John Reid, and everybody else.”

He adds that he and wife Fiona are watching what children Joe and Evie might do career-wise, with both perhaps following different routes into music and carrying the Ellis name forward. “Bottom line, of course, is that we just want them to be happy. But they’ve both helped out at festivals and are not afraid to get their hands dirty,” he says. “My daughter is very passionate about sustainability but is also really into artists – she’s tipped me off about a lot of great acts.

“My son, is writing a lot of songs and looks like a rock star, so I can definitely see him going down that songwriter route. Whether he ties in performance with it, we’ll see. But I would not be surprised if at some point we’re putting together a proposal to get him to do a show. And maybe my daughter is running that show…”

Read part one of Geoff Ellis:40 years in music here.

Geoff Ellis will appear at next week’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) on The Open Forum: Setting The Course.

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Launched by Ossy Hoppe in 2004, Wizard Promotions marked its 20th anniversary earlier this year with a rebrand to Wizard Live and a star-studded party to celebrate its milestone.

Here, managing director Oliver Hoppe gives an insight into company operations as he plots Wizard’s future…

Wizard was traditionally known for its hard rock shows but now you’re doing classical gigs with Max Richter and stand-up with Senna Gammour. Is that part of a new strategy?
Obviously, we’ve done a lot of rock and metal over the years, and that’s where our strong suit is. But in general, I get my motivation from thinking that I can sell an artist better than anybody else, so we’ve been diversifying into other genres for a while now.

I don’t think I necessarily need to be a fan of our acts, but I want to feel some passion [in order] to tell a great story for marketing and sell tickets for that artist.

For example, I love working with Böhse Onkelz – I love the momentum, the number of tickets we sell, and the standing of the band in Germany. It’s amazing. But do I come home and ask my wife to open a bottle of red wine while I put on a 40-year-old punk rock CD? Not so much.

Senna Gammour is a good example of a new project for us. She has three books under her belt, and she has a very funny TV programme that is predominantly orientated at women with a migrant, Muslim background. That’s obviously not what we have done historically, but I love working with her, and we have an extended deal for ten dates in 2,000-cap venues in Germany next May.

“Everybody wants the Live Nation money but the independent promoter attention”

You say the role of the promoter is changing. What do you mean by that?
We have so many artists that we’re trying to find summer dates for next year, and everybody wants detailed attention – they want a passionate promoter to be at every show and working like they’re the only artist they have.

But people are working like they’re in a slaughterhouse, getting paid by how many cows they chop in an hour, and we’re finding that every act is pitched to multiple promoters so that management can find the best deal.

So, the demand on the promoter has increased manifold, but in my opinion, that system just doesn’t work anymore. You need to take the time to come up with a clever strategy so that you are best-serving the needs of the artist and their fans.

But that’s difficult when you know that five other people are also being asked to come up with a plan, and even if you present your plan, all that seems to matter for some people is a list of dates and fees.

Everybody wants the Live Nation money but the independent promoter attention. It’s not that the guys at Live Nation or AEG aren’t great promoters – they are. But they can afford to make a loss on a tour, knowing that ancillary incomes (beer sales, etc.) make up for that shortfall.

So what the artists want and what the promoters can deliver are very separate at the moment. It’s not a schism, but it’s two fundamental opposites, and the challenge is to get both right.

Wizard has become one of the most established promoters in Germany, but you’ve achieved it with a pretty small team – do you think that will change in the future?
Come January 1st, we’re going to be 16 people, and I think when I started, in 2012, we were less than eight people. You certainly can’t sustain a promoter with less personnel on the level that we’re working at because everything has become significantly more complex.

So, we rely on freelance help for our bigger projects, especially on the production and touring side of things. But on the smaller-scale stuff, we tend to solve as much as possible in-house because costs have gone up significantly, club and grassroots touring is becoming more and more [difficult] for artists, and the bottom line is getting smaller and smaller.

“I don’t like to blow my own horn, but clients tell me that they like my clear-cut approach”

We tend to work most of the club stuff in-house to save costings on the artist’s side, and that’s also a good training ground for staff. I think for young people to get to know the business and understand the daily problems, to understand artists and tour managers, and find solutions to problems, then being out on tour is the best thing you can do.

What are some of the skills you brought in from your previous career that give you a different approach to business from others?
I don’t like to blow my own horn, but clients tell me that they like my clear-cut approach. I’m good at cutting an issue or a plan or whatever down to digestible bits to make it understandable for everybody.

My former boss forced us to narrow down 80-page presentations to one single page with a graphic and explain a five-year marketing plan with just one page at hand. So that taught me very quickly to strip down the narrative to the important parts.

What is the thing that we need to concentrate on? Why are we doing this in the first place? What is the benefit? At Wizard, it works for decisions on how to approach a tour – what size venues do we want to play; what is the next step after that?

For example, recently we had a discussion where an act was offered €500,000 to play in a certain city. And I sent them a very clear-cut email with three good reasons not to do it. And all band members came to an agreement very quickly. That’s what I learned from my previous career, and it’s been a huge help.

What about the biggest lesson you learned from your dad, Ossy?
Ossy is a fucking genius when it comes to giving an artist the feeling of being understood. I honestly have no clue how he does it – I would really, really love to copy the formula. But I see it every single time he’s at a show when the artist comes off stage.

“We look for talent that cannot be bullied into playing one of the big festivals”

It doesn’t matter if there were 500 people in the room or 50,000 people screaming the artist’s name, you can see their eyes light up when Ossy tells them it was an amazing show; probably the best he’s ever seen them do.

A million people say that to every artist every single day, but somehow, Ossy makes it work. And I don’t know how he does it – I don’t have that magic – and that’s why Ossy still works for us on the artist side: it’s good for him, it’s good for the artist, and it’s good for the company.

You’re diversifying the Wizard roster. What do you look for when it comes to new projects?
To be honest, we look for talent that cannot be bullied into playing one of the big festivals. When it comes to the global deals, we lost Sting, Black Sabbath, U2, and those were big hits for our company. But we managed to have a very healthy middle ground, the 3,000-to-8,000-capacity acts that have helped to keep paying the bills.

Luckily, the big acts we still work with are probably too big for festivals, while at the other end, diversifying to work with acts like Max Richter or Senna Gammour means we hopefully won’t lose them to festival package offers either.

For talent, if you don’t want to play at any of the five biggest German festivals, then there’s a lot that Wizard Live can deliver, and that’s what we’ve been looking at more and more over the last couple of years.

Can you see a time where Wizard launches its own festival?
Our parent company, DEAG, has some amazing events, but they tend to be very electronic- and techno-based, which doesn’t relate to Wizard’s touring world.

Do I have an idea for a festival that would be sustainable and fit into an oversaturated market that is very much dying at this point in time? I don’t. Not yet, anyway.

What’s the biggest challenge facing Wizard as it goes into its next 20 years?
The question that I’m really asking myself in my role as a promoter is: if my competition is able to offer guarantees that are 100% or 120% of the bottom line, because they can rely on ancillary income, then what is my role and the role of a company like Wizard?

“There’s a gold rush on one side of the business, but on the other side, it’s a bit bleaker”

I think we as promoters have to reinvent ourselves in a world where nobody wants us to make money anymore. I’m not saying everything’s gone to shit, but I think it’s the reality that we have to face that our role is changing.

There’s a dynamic at the moment of things changing, people moving company, a lot of independent people leaving the business. There’s a gold rush on one side of the business, but on the other side, it’s a bit bleaker. At the core of things, I’m not unconcerned. But what Wizard Live stands for is that we find good solutions for people that want to have our opinion and our expertise. We’re very passionate about the things that we do, and I don’t think that the world can do without that.

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Superstruct Entertainment has signed a partnership and investment agreement with Spanish promoter Riff Producciones, it has been announced.

Co-founded in 1994 by Carlos Espinosa and Chris Ortiz, Riff has brought several major international draws to Spain, including Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, Paul Simon, Mark Knopfler, John Fogerty, Iron Maiden and Joe Satriani.

The Andalusia-based firm also books a handful of Spanish artists and organises several festivals including I Like Festival and Eutopía in Cordova, Musicians in Nature in Castilla y León and Blues Cazorla in Jaén.

Superstruct, which has interests in 23 Iberia-based festivals such as Arenal Sound, Benicàssim and Sónar, says it will support the development and growth of Riff with its resources and international experience. Riff’s current team will continue to manage the company.

“We are delighted to add Riff Producciones to our global network,” says Roderik Schlösser, CEO of Superstruct Entertainment.

“This alliance with Superstruct is a recognition of the work and effort of our team over the years”

“Their legacy of excellence and commitment to quality in event production in Spain is unmatched, and together we will be able to continue offering unforgettable experiences to millions of people.”

Espinosa, director of Riff Producciones, adds: “This alliance with Superstruct is a recognition of the work and effort of our team over the years. We share a common vision of raising the standards of live music and we are sure that this union will open new doors to continue creating unique shows in Spain and the rest of the world.”

Last month, private equity firm CVC secured a stake in Superstruct just weeks after KKR’s acquisition of the festival behemoth was given the green light.

Fellow global investment giant KKR, whose interests include music company BMG, acquired Superstruct from Providence for €1.3 billion in June – a deal that was approved by the European Commission last month.

Superstruct owns and operates over 80 music festivals across 10 countries in Europe and Australia, including Wacken Open Air, Parookaville, Tinderbox, Sónar, Øya, Benicàssim, Kendal Calling and Boardmasters. It was founded in 2017 by Creamfields founder and former Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton and Roderik Schlosser while at Providence.

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Disabled musicians experience significant and systemic barriers in the UK music industry, according to a new report from disability music charity Attitude Is Everything (AIE).

The report, titled Next Stage Snapshot, collated responses from 71 Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent artists, many of whom reported experiencing discrimination as they’ve developed their careers. Attitude Is Everything’s third report since 2019 assesses the numerous challenges disabled artists face during project development, delivery, and live performance.

Of the 94% who have performed live, only 60% shared access requirements with their promoter — but just 20% reported feeling confident doing so, despite being protected by the UK’s 2010 Equality Act. The law prevents discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, race, gender reassignment, and other characteristics.

Less than half of the music creators surveyed said they felt confident applying for financial funding, and a mere 10% expressed confidence in self-promoting their artist brand and music.

The report states: “Many disabled music creators are concerned that their music will be seen as secondary to their lived experience of disability.”

Disabled artists reportedly experience a pay gap of £4,000, according to the Musician’s Union’s 2023 Census, further challenging the short- and long-term development of these makers.

“Uprooting inaccessible practices in the music industry would enable everyone to flourish,” says Hillary Juma, AIE artist development manager. “We hope that in sharing our members’ voices in the Next Stage Snapshot everyone in our industry who works with Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent music creators (disclosed or non-disclosed) will be inspired to take action with us to make the industry more accessible.

“We all have the power to make change for the better if we build collectively.”

“We can create a music industry that empowers disabled artists to have fulfilling, sustainable and safe careers”

To better support disabled creators, the report outlines multiple domains where improvements can be made. In addition to improvements in funding opportunities and digital marketing, Next Stage Snapshot calls for live promoters to work with venues that provide accessibility to better protect artists’ rights.

AIE continues to champion the charge with its Next Stage initiative, which launched in 2018, by providing workshops, events, and peer-support networks for disabled musicians. Next year, the charity will relaunch the Live Events Access Charter to provide more guidance on how the industry can better support artists’ access needs.

Artist Elle Chante says: “I’d like to imagine a future in which it’s normal for funding opportunities to recognise and support access needs — from application to project end. Where alternative, flexible ways of working and marketing become widely accepted. Where live showcases are supportive of both audience and artists’ needs.

“I truly believe that with more accessible funding and approaches we can create a music industry that empowers disabled artists to have fulfilling, sustainable and safe careers.”

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NN North Sea Jazz Festival director Jan Willem Luyken will step down on 1 November, after almost 20 years in the position.

Luyken started as director in 2006, guiding the transition of the Mojo-promoted festival from The Hague to Rotterdam.

Prior to that, he worked at Mojo as head of marketing and communication for four years.

From 1 November, Luyken will become chief commercial officer (CCO) of Mojo, where he’ll be responsible for the entire commercial policy of the Live Nation-backed company as well as the sponsoring/brand partnerships, hospitality, ticketing and marketing/communication departments.

Irene Peters, who currently holds the position of business director at the Ziggo Dome and has previously worked at Mojo, will replace him as director of North Sea Jazz.

The appointments come amid a changing of the guard at Mojo, with former CEO John Mulder making way for a new leadership team and Lowlands director Eric van Eerdenburg handing over the reins.

“After two decades, however, I felt it was time for a new challenge.”

“It was a great privilege to be the director of NN North Sea Jazz – an absolute dream job; especially for someone who came to the festival as a visitor at a young age,” says Jan Willem Luyken.

“Over the past twenty years, I have worked with heart and soul on this great festival. I am incredibly grateful to my colleagues, partners and everyone who contributed to this, for the collaboration and this unforgettable time. After two decades, however, I felt it was time for a new challenge. As CCO, I look forward to using my extensive experience at MOJO to further develop and strengthen our strategy in the field of marketing, sales and sponsorship.”

Peters started as an intern at the North Sea Jazz Festival and then worked at MOJO until her transfer to the Ziggo Dome in 2010 as Manager HR and member of the management team.

“Building the Ziggo Dome from scratch was a unique experience,” says Peters. “Together with a close-knit and hard-working team and our partners, we have ensured in a short period of time that our venue is known and praised at home and abroad for the ultimate experience for both artists and fans. More than 1,000 shows have now taken place, a great time for a new step. Becoming director of NN North Sea Jazz is a wonderful opportunity in which I can combine my experiences of the past years with my passion for music and where I started as an intern in 1997. As a loyal visitor to the festival, I look forward to the new edition every year. I am really looking forward to this wonderful job.”

Luyken spoke to IQ earlier this year about the secret behind North Sea Jazz Festival’s decades-long legacy.

The 47th edition took place at Rotterdam Ahoy between 12–14 July with 150 acts including Sting, Raye, André 3000, Corinne Bailey Rae, Masego, Sampha, Noname, Jessie Ware and Jamie Cullum.

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Live Nation Spain has upped Nacho Córdoba to head promoter after a decade at the firm.

Córdoba joined the company as a promoter in 2015 and was boosted to senior promoter six years later. In addition, he became the festival director of Live Nation Spain’s rock music event Dcode and supported the booking of Mad Cool – both of which are based in Madrid.

“With over a decade of dedication to the company, Nacho brings a wealth of experience across all areas of the live music business,” reads a statement from Live Nation Spain.

“The leadership team at Live Nation is proud of his achievements and offers full support as he steps into this new role. Nacho has proven himself to be a committed and visionary leader, and he is seen as a key figure in the future of the company.”

Live Nation Spain recently wrapped a busy summer which featured 10 stadium concerts with the likes of Metallica, Pearl Jam and Travis Scott.

“Nacho has proven himself to be a committed and visionary leader, and he is seen as a key figure in the future of the company”

Most notably, the firm promoted four record-breaking shows with Colombian superstar Karol G at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.

The Live Nation-produced shows sold 240,000 tickets – the highest number of tickets any artist has ever sold in Spain, including Taylor Swift.

She became the first artist to hold four consecutive stadium concerts in Spain and the first artist to have four sold-out nights at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

The Spain run concluded the Mañana Será Bonito Tour, which sold more than two million tickets, grossed $300 million and shattered attendance and revenue records in Europe, the US and Latin America.

Live Nation Spain’s upcoming concerts include Olivia Rodrigo, Paul McCartney, Sum 41, Pearl Jam and Jonas Brothers.

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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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The 17th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses, in association with Futures Forum, was revealed in IQ 129, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.

To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2024’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Sandro found his way into the music industry through an internship at Mainland Music where, determined to follow the promoter route, he started booking artists alongside his regular work. During Covid, he began studying design at the Zurich University of the Arts but kept booking shows. And following the completion of those studies, he returned full-time to Mainland Music.  

You recently completed a degree in design. Did those studies help with your day-to-day work at Mainland Music?
I wouldn’t say it helps me in my day-to-day business, but it certainly helps me in my way of working and looking at things in the music/live industry. In my studies, we learnt to communicate things in a new way. And to think things through again and again. The competition is huge, both for us as organisers or festival promoters and for the musicians/artists. To be successful, you have to break new ground, rethink things and be creative. I think you can definitely learn a lot from design. And I hope I can use these skills in the future.

What one thing would you like artists, fans, and other music industry professionals to learn about your country to persuade them to listen to some Swiss bands and artists?
You should be aware of the diversity in our country. Switzerland has four national languages, but many others are also spoken. This diversity is also reflected in music and culture. It’s always great to see when Swiss artists are successful beyond the country’s borders and inspire people. A great example of this is the Bern-based artist LEILA, for whom I book shows as a booking agent. Growing up as the daughter of bicultural parents (Swiss/Bosnian), she now writes, sings and performs her songs in English and is successful beyond borders.

“Seeing all the people having a great time at a gig you booked is an amazing feeling”

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
I can’t break it down to one moment. Of course, the first sold-out event was a great feeling. Seeing all the people having a great time at a gig you booked is an amazing feeling. But for me, the most mentionable moments are when you can help build up an artist or a band from small bar shows all the way to huge festival gigs.

Where is your favourite venue?
This is a tough one. I once threw myself into the crowd from the balcony of the Volkshaus Zurich. That’s probably why I have to go with the Volkshaus. Otherwise, I always like going to Hafenkneipe for the sweaty pub vibe or to Exil Zurich for great hip-hop shows.

What events, tours or festivals are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
I definitely want to go to Glastonbury next year. I’ve been watching the videos afterwards for years and regret never having been there. But I also always look forward to Swiss festivals like Gurten Festival, especially when you have a few artists playing there. Back in the day, I was a regular visitor at these festivals and a fan of the bands and artists playing there. Now being a part of it is amazing and always makes the Swiss festivals really special.

“It’s always great to see when Swiss artists are successful beyond the country’s borders and inspire people”

You’re obviously enjoying learning about the business as your career progresses. How would you encourage the next generation to choose the live music sector for their chosen career path?
The live music industry is a wild bunch where you can have a lot of fun, but also try out a lot and meet a lot of different people. I’ve worked my way up from an internship to marketing manager to concert promoter and learnt a lot in the process. I really appreciate these paths and have found a job that I can live out with great passion. I rarely or never get up in the morning and think “Shit, I have to work tomorrow”. That’s a luxury that I value incredibly highly.

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I don’t have a mentor, but I would like to mention a few names. Martin Schrader and Santosh Aerthott (former managing directors at Mainland) opened the door into the music industry back then and also gave me a bit of a indie and punk mentality, for which I am still grateful today. Fabio Serafini started at Mainland Music a year before me and he is a great colleague and also just a great friend from whom I have learnt a lot over the last few years. And last but not least Andrej Malogajski, head of touring and festivals at Mainland Music, is a great inspiration for me.

“The diverse scene in Switzerland should have a way more diverse industry behind it”

And what about meeting new contacts in the business – are there any conferences, festivals or other events that you have attended that been useful for networking?
As I promote a lot of shows for German artists, the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg is clearly number one for me.

As a New Boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
I have highlighted the diversity in the Swiss music scene above. Unfortunately, this diversity is still lacking in the booking/promoter and also managing positions and this can also be felt in the programme of festivals and venues. Such a diverse scene should have a way more diverse industry behind it.

What would you like to see yourself doing in five years?
For now, I’m really enjoying promoting shows and there’s still a lot to achieve. But I also have to say that booking a whole tour of an artist is another challenge that has given me great pleasure. I would like to experience more of this in the future. I want to develop and realise ideas, both in the area of festival development and also in the development of artists.

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The 17th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses, in association with Futures Forum, was revealed in IQ 129, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.

To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2024’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Gerbine began working for MOJO in 2015 as an intern at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Thriving in the role, she was offered a position as festival and booking assistant. In 2018, Kim Bloem asked her to become project coordinator and team up with her on her roster, while in 2021, she also started working for Leon Ramakers, adding shows like The Stones and Bruce Springsteen to her CV.

You’ve worked through the ranks at the company to become a promoter in your own right. What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
There have been multiple highlights throughout my career so far. The most memorable show I’ve worked on was the Rolling Stones in 2022. We had to cancel the show 30 minutes before stage time while fans were already in the stadium, because of Covid in the band, only to re-do the show three weeks later all over again. It was a massive team achievement that asked a lot from all of us in an already crazy year but for sure It’s one to remember. Then there are smaller highlights like booking my first show in Amsterdam (and immediately upgrading because of the good sales) or promoting my first sold-out main hall show for 1,400 fans. For me, getting the promotion to promoter has been the biggest highlight. Getting full trust and time from a company to go and do it on your own has been the biggest compliment I’ve ever received.

Who on your roster should we all be looking out for in the year ahead?
I’m really excited about promoting Mark Ambor. He has shown massive growth over the last six months and made The Netherlands one of his strongest markets. Being involved from such an early stage in his career has been really special. It’s so nice to know the entire team personally and I can’t wait to see where his growth will bring him.

As a promoter who is developing emerging talent, are there any particular events, forums or platforms that you visit to try to discover the next big act?
I’m focusing on TikTok as a platform a lot. I feel artists use this way more than their other social media platforms. It always feels like scouting acts there gives me a headstart to get involved with artists in an early stage of their career.

What advice would you give to anyone who is trying to find a job in live music?
Don’t focus on a certain job or company too much but try to find the right boss for you. Wherever you work, you need someone around you to give you chances and room to grow and learn to get to the place you want to go. The right person to work for might be worth more than a certain title that comes with a job.

Where is your favourite venue?
I don’t really have one to be honest. It totally depends on the artist and the kind of show.

“Don’t focus on a certain job or company too much but try to find the right boss for you”

What events, tours or festivals are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
I always love festival season as it’s always an overload of (re-)discovering new acts. As part of the Pinkpop programme committee, I’m really looking forward to next year. Although we just had the 2024 edition, the festival is really developing into a new audience and it’s exciting to gradually see the programme and new generation of visitors find each other.

You’re obviously enjoying learning about the business as your career progresses. How would you encourage the next generation to choose the live music sector for their chosen career path?
It’s a business where you give a lot of yourself but you get so much back. By doing your work you create special moments for fans, and often for artists too.

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I don’t have an assigned mentor, but I have great colleagues and I’m surrounded by years of experience and love for the business.

And what about meeting new contacts in the business – are there any conferences, festivals or other events that you have attended that been useful for networking?
It’s so helpful to go abroad and meet people face to face. If you start to work on artists you are truly passionate about it really helps you to find ‘your people’ and agents out there.

As a New Boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
In a business where everybody is giving so much, it’s so important to remember we are all passionate people looking for the same thing. I’d like to believe we all truly have the best interest at heart for artists and fans, but let’s not forget the passionate people behind the scenes too. Let’s keep it human.

What would you like to see yourself doing in five years?
I’d like to say I’m still at Mojo. I’m confident a lot of the acts I’m working on right now are able to grow to arena-level acts in the next few years. I hope I can get them to the stage they deserve to be on.

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