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AEG Presents appoints VP, international touring

AEG Presents has appointed prolific talent booker Jay Belin as VP, international touring.

Belin, who began his career at AEG subsidiary The Bowery Presents, brings more than 17 years of live music experience and will be tasked with executing major concerts across Europe with the company’s global touring division.

Directly reporting to SVPs of global touring Michael Harrison and Simon Jones, Belin will initially be based in AEG Presents’ New York office before relocating to AEG Europe’s London HQ. His roles and responsibilities will focus on European touring operations and projects for global touring clients.

“Jay has been a close friend for many years and I’m so excited for him to join our team as our focus on global growth continues,” says Rich Schaefer, AEG’s president of global touring. “His background in live music touches almost every single part of the ecosystem, which gives him invaluable insight into artist relations and where our business is headed. I expect Jay will quickly become an important asset to our touring artists and promoters around the globe.”

“Jay has been a close friend for many years and I’m so excited for him to join our team as our focus on global growth continues”

Belin cut his teeth booking shows at the Mercury Lounge in New York for The Bowery Presents before spending two years as senior talent buyer at Live Nation, booking venues across New York City, Long Island and New Jersey.

He then spent the next ten years at WME, where he booked domestic and international tours in the agency’s New York and London offices, respectively. He has worked with artists such as Vampire Weekend, Mac Miller, FKA twigs, Nines, Don Toliver, Pulp, Kali Uchis, Joey Bada$$, James Murphy and Zach Bryan.

“AEG Presents is an artist-first organisation and that is something you can’t fake,” adds Belin. “In a world where authenticity still counts for something, Rich’s vision and the team executing it embody that spirit. We all arrived at AEG through a shared love of live music and being a conduit to help artists bring that experience to their fans is an irreplaceable feeling.”

 


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AEG Presents’ Simon Jones: ‘Business is good’

AEG Presents’ SVP of international touring Simon Jones says 2024 is on track to be the “biggest ever” for the global live business.

The Arthur Award-winning promoter is currently on the road across Asia for Ed Sheeran’s  +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour, with dozens of Taylor Swift Eras dates still to come later this year.

And Jones, who is also overseeing this month’s BRITs Week, tells IQ he is especially encouraged by the growth of the industry outside the traditional heartlands of the US and UK.

“Business is good,” he says. “2024 is shaping up to be the biggest ever. For me, Asia continues to be the most exciting region. The globalisation of music genres is something that is outpacing everyone and is ever changing. Blackpink headlining Coachella and BST Hyde Park is a great example of that.

“Also, separately to Blackpink, what is amazing to see is how an act based out of Korea for example can be so huge in Europe and the United States, yet less so in their home region, and the same goes for a select few artists in the UK, where they have a decent solid business in Europe, but explosive in Asia.”

AEG recently co-promoted Sheeran’s record-breaking stadium concerts in Dubai on 19-20 January alongside All Things Live (ATL) Middle East. The current run also encompasses stops in Bahrain, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and India, where AEG Asia Pacific CEO Adam Wilkes is a longtime collaborator on Sheeran with Jones.

“The Dubai shows were collectively the biggest shows in UAE’s history, and a huge flag in the ground”

“The first couple of weeks of the tour has been fantastic,” says Jones. “We did a warm up show at the fantastic Al Dana Amphitheatre in Bahrain, followed by two sold-out shows at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai – 69,500 tickets in total.

“The Dubai shows were collectively the biggest shows in UAE’s history, and a huge flag in the ground proving that putting on major outdoor events in that market can be done, even though the viable venues are so few and far between. Together with our partner in Dubai, [ATL Middle East CEO] Thomas Ovesen, it was a hugely successful return to the region for Ed.

“After the Middle East shows, Ed crushed three sold out shows in Japan too last week, which has shown to be a huge market for him. Now on to sold out shows in Taiwan, Singapore, Mumbai and more over the next two months.”

In total, AEG will stage 26 dates with Sheeran from January to September, as well as 50 sold-out Taylor Swift concerts from May to August, including eight nights at London’s Wembley Stadium in the UK.

“It’s already a busy year but we’re about to launch some major tours for Q3 and Q4 2024, and into 2025,” says Jones, who notes he is closely monitoring developments in the ticketing world.

“Ticketing is an ever dynamic landscape, and the trends in America are slowly but surely going to evolve into most markets around the world over the next few years,” he adds. “We have seen it in South Africa recently, and we will also see even more forward thinking strategies being delivered into more markets that are going to catch up, despite local hesitance. We are going to be right at the forefront of implementing those.”

 


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BRITs Week for War Child reveals 2024 lineup

Aitch, Keane and You Me At Six are among acts confirmed for the BRITs Week 24 for War Child lineup.

The annual charity concert series features intimate one-off performances from big names in some of the UK’s best venues. Since BRITs Week’s inception in 2009, the shows have raised more than £7 million for War Child to help children whose lives have been torn apart by war.

BRITs Week, which is produced by AEG Presents, BPI, Bauer Media Audio UK and War Child, will take place around The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard on Saturday 2 March. Cian Ducrot and You Me At Six will kick off proceedings at London’s Union Chapel and Brighton’s Concorde 2, respectively, on 19 February, and Keane will star at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 20 February.

The following night, 21 February, will see shows in the capital by Baby Queen at Lafayette, Aitch at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and Ash at the 100 Club. while Pendulum will appear at central London’s HERE at Outernet on 23 February.

Sleaford Mods will perform at London’s Scala on 28 February, before newcomers CMAT and Venbee take to the stage at Bush Hall and Omeara, respectively, on 1 March. The 2024 series will then culminate with BRITs Rising Star 2024 award and BBC Sound poll winners The Last Dinner Party at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge on 4 March.

“The fact that BRITs Week is able to continue for another incredibly strong year is testament to the support that it has endured from all across the industry”

“The fact that BRITs Week is able to continue for another incredibly strong year is testament to the support that it has endured from all across the industry over the years,” says Simon Jones, AEG’s SVP, live music international. “Being able to put these shows together with our partners BPI and War Child is a privilege, and raising very valuable funds especially at this time for such an important charity.

“Our appreciation goes out to all of the managers, artists and labels that continue to support this important industry fixture, and of course to all of the fans who buy the tickets to see these acts in such intimate surroundings.”

Alongside a prize draw to win tickets, a limited number of tickets for each show will go on sale. Joining as partners for BRITs Week 24 is Bauer Media Audio, with its stations Absolute Radio, Hits Radio, Kerrang! Radio and KISS all promoting the series of special gigs.

“I am so excited to announce the lineup for BRITs Week 2024 and thankful to all of the brilliant artists donating their time to raise vital funds in aid of War Child,” says Clare Sanders Wright, senior music manager at War Child. “The past year is one that we will never, ever forget. Children have paid with their homes and their lives for wars they didn’t start. And then, there are the children who don’t make the headlines – children who might be completely forgotten. But there is hope. War Child help children put the pieces back together.

“The money raised from BRITs Week 2024 will help War Child keep children safe. Whether it’s mental health first aid, food, or shelter, War Child work in the hardest-to-reach places to ensure that children and their families have hope for a brighter future. We are so grateful to the artists and our partners for supporting BRITs Week 24.”

 


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IQ Tour of the Year 2022: Ed Sheeran + – = ÷ x

It’s 8.29 pm at Dublin’s Croke Park, 23 April 2022. The sense of anticipation among the 82,000 fans present – here to see Ed Sheeran kick off his fourth world tour, the +–=÷× Tour (AKA the Mathematics Tour) – is building to fever pitch; a giant red and yellow screen in front of the stage has been displaying a ten-minute count down, and there’s just one minute to go.

When it hits zero, the screens go up and Sheeran launches into Tide, the opening track of his fifth studio album, 2021’s =; a joyous frenzy and outpouring of celebration ensues.

“Magic” is how the Irish Examiner describes it; “a show that will live long in the memory,” adds the Independent. “When the music started, to hear and see the audience’s reaction and share their excitement, was really emotional,” says Helen Himmons, +–=÷×’s production manager. “To be standing there experiencing so many original, custom-designed elements all coming together for the first time in front of 82,000 people was exhilarating,” adds Bren Berry of Aiken Promotions, who was responsible for all ten of Sheeran’s Irish dates.

But that night was just the start; over 53 more shows in 2022 Sheeran wowed fans and critics alike and truly put on a show for the ages. From the sheer number of fans that he entertained to some of the groundbreaking production elements and the success of touring such a mammoth show in the challenging post-Covid environment, it’s no surprise that we have awarded Sheeran and his team IQ’s Tour of the Year award for 2022.

Galway Girl(s and Boys)
The anticipation in Dublin wasn’t just because Sheeran is one the world’s biggest pop stars and musical icons or that he has a particularly passionate fanbase in the Emerald Isle (in total he sold 410,000 tickets in Ireland, incredible for an island with less than 7 million inhabitants). It was also the first major outdoor concert in Ireland in three years, following the Covid-19 pandemic. “We sold 225,000 tickets in the first hour,” says Berry, “and if the dates had been available, we could have sold extra shows in Limerick and Belfast.”

But being the first large, outdoor event post-Covid also brought challenges. “The venue, local council, and suppliers all had different opinions about what should happen regarding Covid-19,” adds Berry. “There was also quite a bit of debate in the media about conditions that should be applicable for what was really the first big show in Ireland for three years.” The show – and the tour so far – went off without a hitch though; no mean feat considering its scale.

“We sold 225,000 tickets in the first hour and if the dates had been available, we could have sold extra shows”

And the numbers themselves are mind-boggling. Over 3.1m tickets sold, generating over £200m in revenue. 125 crew spread over three separate teams (plus 80 local crew at each venue); 84 trucks hauling over 56 tonnes of gear; a unique, custom-built stage design that had never been toured before; brand-new, state-of-the-art pyro effects; and even discussions with the UK government at Cabinet level.

Chief architects behind the tour, alongside Sheeran, are artist manager Stuart Camp and agents Marty Diamond from Wasserman Music for North America and Jon Ollier from One Fiinix Live for Europe and the rest of the world.

Revealing the detailed planning for the Mathematics production, Camp says, “We were talking about this show before we completed the Divide tour in the summer of 2019. The in-the-round idea has been knocked back and forth for several years, but this was the time to take the plunge – although the pandemic did throw a curveball, so we did consider going to a more standard end-on show given the uncertainties regarding what touring would look like.”

Explaining why the tour visited the markets and venues that it did across Europe, Ollier tells IQ, “You can only do what you do in the short season of weather window for stadium shows, and that’s sort of what dictated our tour routing in 2022. Certainly, there were no ‘filler’ dates or markets on the European tour leg.”

Turning to the actual show itself, Camp says, “We just wanted to do something that we hadn’t done before…to make the show as special and unique as we could.”

That remit fell upon the shoulders of production designer Mark Cunniffe, who notes, “It’s a huge show in terms of industrial presence, but it has a very theatrical feel and attention to detail that give it its unique look.”

But the complexity of the production was daunting, and Sheeran’s agent discloses that the core team initially worked on two concepts, just in case the more ambitious option would not work. “The caution on our part was in our expectations as we emerged from the pandemic,” says Ollier. “Our attitude was simply to have a good crack at it to see what we could achieve.

“We just wanted to do something that we hadn’t done before…to make the show as special and unique as we could”

“We worked on the ‘plan B’, involving a traditional end-on stage, in parallel, flipping between the two concepts as we worked out what was feasible financially as well as logistically and from an engineering perspective. The watershed moment was when Ed decided that he had to deliver the best show possible to the fans because everyone had endured such a lot during the pandemic, and he wanted to give them something they could remember for the rest of their lives. So that’s the moment we dumped the idea of the end-on stage and put all our efforts into the show being in-the-round.

“What everyone has put together is the most ambitious tour I’ve ever worked on; the fact we were trying to pull it off while we were in the pandemic made it all the more complicated but also all the more satisfying.”

And hinting at the groundbreaking nature of the setup, artist manager Camp adds, “By far the most extraordinary feature of the show is the structural cable net system. Whist it’s an existing architectural principle, it has never been toured before and is rightly considered to be the first of its kind in the touring entertainment industry.”

Beautiful People
The complexity of that system was developed over the course of 12 months, with Sheeran’s team working with Cunniffe and Himmons to come up with the initial concept before approaching Jeremy Lloyd at Wonder Works to see if it was possible from an engineering perspective. They then engaged Stage One to see if it could be constructed in such a way to make it tourable – could it be put together in the four days they had at each venue prior to the show, then dismantled and removed within 24 hours?

It was a tough challenge.

“I’ve always wanted to present Ed in the round, as I believe that’s the perfect way to get him closer to as many people in the audience as possible,” says Cunniffe. “Once he was happy with that concept, I busied myself designing a show that didn’t have the obligatory use of a four-post roof system, as that would have obscured the artist’s view of the audience. After a great deal of blue-sky thinking, I came up with a structural support with a cable net system that was as aesthetically pleasing as it was functional. It was also a unique design that hadn’t been toured before.”

Such cable net systems are usually supported by some form of permanent structure, typically a roof. Team Sheeran’s challenge was creating an in-the-round setup with no supporting pillars for the stage, screens, or PA – essentially trying to suspend 56 tonnes of equipment on a temporary rig, and one that was relatively quick to build and dismantle. Thanks to some clever engineering, a lot of innovation, and the construction of many custom elements, Cunniffe and co. made it a reality.

“The watershed moment was when Ed decided that he had to deliver the best show possible to the fans because everyone had endured such a lot during the pandemic”

“What we have is a central round stage with a circular ‘halo’ of video and lighting that rises up from the stage floor and suspends in the air,” says Himmons. “It’s held there by a complex cable net system, which is tensioned between six red ‘masts’ – these masts provide a rigging opportunity for plectrum-shaped IMAG video screens and audio hangs and the bases of them are also used as satellite stages for the band members.”

“To make the show efficiently tourable, an important part of the production design was to ensure that as many processes as possible could occur concurrently,” adds Lloyd. Thus, once the masts and cables were installed, along with some advance equipment, production worked in two teams, on opposite masts, ensuring the structure was loaded as evenly – and as quickly – as possible. Similarly, while all this was going on, the stage was constructed off to one side; when the cable net was done, the stage was simply rolled into place.

The resulting show was the event of the summer for millions of fans – and that will be the case for millions more in 2023, 24 and 25, according to Camp.

“2023 will see us go to Australia and New Zealand – a place so close to our hearts and always a joy to tour in – though also the first shows we have done there since the passing of Michael Gudinski, so it will be very poignant,” states Camp.

“Then we are onto the Americas: North America from April to September before we go for some shows into Central and South America. 2024 will hopefully see us go through southeast Asia and the European markets we weren’t able to visit this year, and I envisage the tour coming to a close in summer 2025.”

That’s music to the ears of the many promoters and partners involved in Sheeran’s career.

Afterglow
Salomon Hazot, of Saloni Productions, has worked with Sheeran “since his first show in a club” and is constantly impressed by how “he does all that is required to make things work.”

His two shows at the Stade de France could have been three, he says, but adding another was logistically impossible – the stadium was booked. But the show was, Hazot says, “really unbelievable. There was such a buzz, many French industry people came to the show to see how it worked.”

Steve Tilley of Kilimanjaro Live first promoted Sheeran back in 2009, and says, “The production was next level and really spectacular – they rewrote the rules on what can be achieved in terms of the way they designed and built the whole setup. Every night, I stood and watched in awe.” He adds that it’s an “absolute joy and an honour to be part of the team and work with Ed – everyone involved behaves with pure class and professionalism.”

“They rewrote the rules on what can be achieved in terms of the way they designed and built the whole setup”

FKP Scorpio chief Folkert Koopmans notes that despite Covid and “the extreme circumstances our society and economy find themselves in, this was probably his best-selling tour ever. The enormous ticket demand ensured the list of concert dates grew longer and longer – there was at least one extra show in almost every tour city.” He adds that the tour was “really something very different and special – working with him and his team feels like travelling with family. He’s never stopped being ‘just Ed,’ which is why his story as an artist is relatable – and he’s worked very hard to be where he is right now.”

In Switzerland, Johannes Vogel, owner and director of AllBlues Konzert AG, says that within hours of the first show going on sale, they announced a second – both sold out incredibly quickly (47,500 for both nights). “The production was not just huge and spectacular – it was made to help Ed deliver the best shows possible,” he says. “The level of intimacy for a stadium show and how close he was to the fans was extraordinary – it felt like being in a club with 50,000 others!”

In Austria it was a similar story – 130,000 over two nights, with 70% of the fans in Vienna being female. “The whole concept was incredible,” says Ewald Tatar of Barracuda Music, “and he’s one of the friendliest artists we have ever met. It’s always very professional working with Ed and his team, and we are very proud to be part of this ‘family’ for Austria.”

“It’s quite extraordinary how Ed beats his own sales records every time, and these shows were no exception, with four shows gone in about 48 hours,” says Xenia Grigat of Denmark’s Smash!Bang!Pow! “It’s spectacular to do an in- the-round show – it’s a treat for fans – but this one was in a different league. And the fact that there’s a lot of the same people working with Ed as when he first started out says a lot about the artist and the work environment he has created – everyone on the team is a pleasure to work with.”

“The production was genuinely incredible,” adds Simon Jones of AEG, who has worked with Sheeran for over 11 years. “It’s an engineering masterpiece, and by going to an in-the-round setup, he reached more people – it lent itself so well to the way he performs, which is so inclusive.” Jones also touches on another important element for the +–=÷× Tour – ticketing. “Ed’s main mantra is to protect his fans from unscrupulous touting and from being taken advantage of. So, we always put stringent anti-secondary measures in place, which require an extra couple of layers prior to purchasing.”

“It’s quite extraordinary how Ed beats his own sales records every time, and these shows were no exception, with four shows gone in about 48 hours”

“I think there’s a real legacy to this tour in terms of the ticketing strategy,” says FKP Scorpio’s Daniel Ealam. “We felt that in a post-pandemic world, there really needed to be a way of doing ticketing at this level in a regimented digital way, so we set about writing a comprehensive Ticketing Principles document with various rules for our ticketing partners to adhere to, to protect Ed’s fans. Our ticketing partners in the UK at Ticketmaster, Eventim, See, Gigantic, and AXS really bought into the idea that our tickets needed to stay with the person who bought it, unless sold through an official face-value reseller. This was rolled out throughout Europe and ran really smoothly.”

To fulfil that wish, CTS Eventim’s EVENTIM. Pass was put to the test, with its digital and personalised ticket abilities. “We used EVENTIM.Pass exclusively for the first time in ticket sales for Ed Sheeran’s European tour,” says Alexander Rouff, CTS Eventim’s COO. “After the start of presales, more than 1m digital tickets for the tour were sold in eight countries within a very short time.”

He explains, “The ticket purchased via EVENTIM.Pass can only be accessed on the smartphone using the EVENTIM.App – it is securely stored there, and the associated individual QR code for admission authorisation is only displayed shortly before an event. This and other security features largely prevent unauthorised resale, forgery, and misuse.”

The new system worked “100%” claims Rouff.

Indeed, there was only one attempt at fraud, and “it was detected and prevented by the missing security features of the ticket.” For fans of paper tickets, the company also offered EVENTIM. Memory Tickets. “The Memory Ticket for Ed Sheeran’s tour design was very well received by fans,” adds Rouff.

The A Team
Taking such a mammoth production on the road demands that Sheeran has two advance systems – basically the six red masts, cable net systems, and the satellite stages for the band. These leapfrog each other, so each advance team prepares every other venue. “But there was only one version of the universal production – sound, lights, video, automation, performance stage – so that was loaded in and out for every show,” adds Himmons.

Making sure the production equipment gets from A to B to Z is Global Motion who have been working with Sheeran since he first started playing arenas a decade ago.

“Getting back to work, post-Covid, has been great, but it’s been a bit of a nightmare in terms of finding people who want to work – it’s still not back to normal,” says Global Motion director Adam Hatton. “However, for a huge tour like this, the solution is all in the planning and thankfully team Sheeran are fantastic at that.”

Hatton reports that while for most clients concerned about sustainability, the advice is to simply take less gear on the road, for the huge spectaculars, like Mathematics, that isn’t always possible. “We decided to sign up to DHL’s sustainability programme which offers ways to offset carbon, as well as using electric trucks, etc, where possible.”

“For a huge tour like this, the solution is all in the planning and thankfully team Sheeran are fantastic at that”

And applauding the brains behind the Mathematics Tour, Hatton adds, “The show is extremely impressive – seeing a stadium show in the round is amazing. There were huge logistical issues to overcome to get this show on the road, but when you see the result, it makes everything worthwhile, and it’s been a pleasure to be involved with everyone who has made the tour possible.”

Working hand-in-hand with Global Motion were the trucking partners, who arguably faced the tour’s biggest dilemmas thanks to Brexit making the landscape even more complicated in what was already a Covid-challenged environment.

For the universal production element, KB Event were once again entrusted – the company has been working with Sheeran since 2012. In total, 27 Mega Box Artics and 5 Mega Curtain Side Arctics were required, each with a lead driver and two support leads. But with the tour starting in the Republic of Ireland, moving into the UK, and then touring for three months in mainland Europe, registrations and permits proved tricky to coordinate.

“Because of the Cabotage issues and the solutions we managed to agree with the UK government, all of the trucks on the tour had to be EU-registered vehicles,” says KB Event CEO, Stuart McPherson. “This gave the added complication that all the experienced UK drivers that had worked on previous Sheeran tours had to be sent to Ireland to sit their EU DCPC qualifications before the tour started. This also meant that replacement, standby, and substitute drivers all had to hold EU qualifications, too. This is an issue we have never had to deal with before and presented serious challenges and expenses getting everything in place before the tour started up.”

The proposed routing and show schedules also presented numerous logistical issues, again due to Brexit and the many new rules and regulations now in force regarding cross-border working. To get around this, KB engaged with the UK government and DfT, alongside trade association LIVE and the Road Haulage Association.

After months of negotiation, the UK government decided they would consider a duel registration option, where a company that has registered businesses in the EU and the UK (as long as both held a valid operator’s licence) could switch their EU trucks onto and off a UK operator’s licence. But with this not coming into law until August or September 2022, and the tour starting in April, things looked bleak.

“It’s an engineering masterpiece, and by going to an in-the-round setup, he reached more people”

The power of Sheeran – and the hard work of his transport suppliers – prevailed when a solution was proposed that would see the UK authorities adopt a short-term, temporary fix to get the industry through the summer. “This was accepted and pushed through cabinet just four weeks before the tour started,” says McPherson. “And I can tell you, we all slept a lot better that night!”

With KB Event handling the universal production, the two advanced systems were transported by Pieter Smit. They also faced challenges. “It was extremely difficult to get new trucks in Europe,” reports Steve Kroon, head of sales and relations. “We were lucky that through our extensive network, we found several brands that could deliver trucks with the highest emission class (Euro 6) – we had DAF, MAN, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz.” Kroon reveals it’s the first time the company has toured such a big production using renewable diesel. He adds, “We’re proud to be the first trucking company to have actually entered Sunderland’s Stadium of Light by truck and trailer combination – it was close and narrow, but we did it.”

There were plenty of other issues to solve for an outdoor, temporary, in-the-round setup. To ensure that no waterproofing or covers were required, everything – be it video, lighting, staging, or special effects – had to be IP65 rated. “A lot of time was spent sourcing, and in some cases, manufacturing from scratch, equipment that fulfilled this particular brief,” says Cunniffe.

Furthermore, the nature of stadium pitches or open, soft ground provided another challenge to overcome. “With the outer perimeter of the stage revolving, the entire performance stage has to be completely level in order for it to move,” says Himmons. “As we were not working on flat arena floors this was a challenge, specifically on the greenfield sites we played. And the floors also had to be able to take the weight of the show – some stadiums had underground car parks, directly beneath the pitch, so we had to look at our build process and crane movements, making sure we kept weight evenly distributed during the build, as well as consulting on how to support the floor from below because of the void underneath.”

I See Fire
Pyro was another element where the production and design team wanted to add something new. Tim Griffiths of Pains Fireworks was brought in to create some exciting effects; he didn’t disappoint. The brief, he says, was to “create something spectacular that could be repeated each night within the confines of the set. The incredible floating LED halo was the obvious place for us to mount close-proximity pyros, but the most exciting idea was trying to create a moment at the beginning of the concert using daylight effects. We decided to go for coloured, daylight smoke mines, which are the latest innovation of the past few years. They look stunning when fired in bright daylight and created an incredible rainbow feature four times at the start of each show.”

“Ed has set the bar high now, and I genuinely believe this is the most spectacular and ambitious live show on Earth”

Griffiths also utilised eleven of the latest liquid flame heads from German manufacturer, Galaxis. “The new Galaxis L-Flame was only released last year, and we had ordered the first batch in the UK, used them last summer, and knew that they would look fantastic built into the revolving stage,” he says. “The flame pumps sit under the stage and feed the heads with liquid IPA. The biggest challenge initially was to refine the flame heights and get a consistent flame using smaller nozzles than those supplied to reduce the height and avoid burning the lighting rig.”

Perfect
Although the sell-out tour could have added extra dates in key cities, Camp admits the approach was a little more cautious than it may normally have been. “The live industry was still re-finding its feet when we put our shows on sale for ’22,” says Camp. “I think it was the first stadium tour to go up post pandemic, and we did the same level of business here in Europe as the last tour.”

Confirming the total of 3.1m ticket sales across Europe during 2022, agent Ollier reveals the next tour leg in Australasia will account for another 700,000 tickets. He says, “Of course, a production of this size doesn’t come without its challenges and there are always going to be bumps on the road and nuances, but Ed has set the bar high now, and I genuinely believe this is the most spectacular and ambitious live show on Earth.”

Talking of Sheeran’s development as an artist, Camp adds, “He really has just simply grown in ability and confidence. This is the first tour we have used a band – albeit only for a quarter of the set – but it has bought another dimension and enabled Ed to perform songs that were previously tricky with just one man and a loop pedal.”

Mathematics’ added element of supporting musicians was just one of multiple surprises to entertain and enthral millions of fans.

The emotion and ambition of that opening show in Dublin rolled all over Europe and is set to be repeated across four additional continents before returning to Europe in 2024. As Bren Berry says of that opening night: “You go all in, roll the dice, hold your breath, and hope you hit the jackpot, which of course Ed and his brilliant team have done with this incredible, ground-breaking show. The opening night worked like a dream – the in-the-round atmosphere was electric, and Ed absolutely smashed it out of the park. I can still see the utter delight on his face coming off the stage.” It’s a sight that sets to be replicated a few more times as the rest of the world gets to experience the +–=÷× Tour in all its brilliance and glory.

 

 


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The O2’s Steve Sayer on the K-pop boom

The O2’s VP and general manager Steve Sayer has spoken to IQ about the global K-pop boom after the London venue was lit up pink in honour of Blackpink’s two headline shows.

The 21,000-cap venue’s iconic white tent, and entrance sign were transformed to bright pink for the South Korean girl group’s AEG-promoted concerts on 30 November and 1 December.

The O2 was an early adopter of the K-pop craze, having welcomed BTS in October 2019, who smashed a merchandise sales record previously held by the Rolling Stones. The seven-piece band went on to make history the following year by playing to 120,000 people over two nights at Wembley Stadium, promoted by Live Nation.

“We hosted BTS before most people in the UK mainstream even knew who they were,” Sayer tells IQ. “They had this phenomenal fan base, but it was still relatively cult, and when we had those two shows I remember walking into the venue that morning – it was midweek and it wasn’t a school holiday – and there was this huge queue on the square outside The O2.

“We’ve had a lot of smaller K-pop artists and Asian artists play The O2 over the last 10 years, but that event really set the standard. You now have major artists – Blackpink’s a great example – that have the capability of selling out huge venues.”

“It’s a genre that is clearly only going to grow”

Europe’s largest K-pop festival, Kpop.Flex, sold more than 70,000 tickets in 84 countries for its inaugural edition at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, in May.

Staged by K-Pop Europa in partnership with PK Events, K.Flex was due to make its UK debut at The O2 last month with acts including Winner, Pentagon and AB6IX, alongside the first-ever Kpop.Flex Awards For Emerging Artists. But the event was cancelled following the Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul that killed 158 people. The festival, which returns to Germany from 17-18 June, will now launch in the UK from 22-24 September 2023.

“It was sad that we had to cancel the event recently, but I think everybody understood why,” notes Sayer. “But next year’s K. Flex is going to be brilliant, because there will be big headliners but it will also be an event that breaks some of the up-and-coming K-pop artists.

“In addition to K.Flex, we’ve have a number of other pencils for K-pop artists next year. It’s a genre that is clearly only going to grow and our partners on that event are very much connected with the Korean equivalent of our DCMS, which is actively using it as a way to promote Korean culture globally.”

“To mark Blackpink being the first female K-pop band to headline The O2, it was only right that the whole venue should be turned pink for the first time ever in their honour”

Blackpink recently became the first girl group to gross US$3 million (€2.9m) from a single arena concert in North America, generating $3.297m per night from their two 23,928-cap sellout shows at the Prudential Center in Newark from 14-15 November. The quartet will return to London in 2023 for their UK festival debut at BST Hyde Park on Sunday 2 July.

“We were very excited and proud to start Blackpink’s European arena tour with two historic nights at The O2 – a mere sneak peek into what they have planned for their colossal BST Hyde Park show in July 2023,” adds Simon Jones, SVP of International Touring at AEG Presents. “To mark Blackpink being the first female K-pop band to headline The O2, it was only right that the whole venue should be turned pink for the first time ever in their honour. Iconic!”

Meanwhile, Billboard‘s newly published Year in Touring places BTS as the 27th highest-grossing tour of 2022, generating US$75,489,240 from 458,144 ticket sales for just 11 shows.

BTS’ record label Big Hit Music announced in October that the K-pop superstars were moving forward with plans to fulfil their mandatory military service, ending a long-running debate in Korea over whether they should receive an exemption due to their artistic accomplishments.

 


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AEG’s Simon Jones talks Bieber tour, ’22 prospects

Ticket sales for Justin Bieber’s 130-date Justice world tour have now reached 1.5 million outside North America, according to Simon Jones of promoter AEG Presents.

The 2022/23 global trek, which launched at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena in February, will cover six continents, with additional shows recently announced in Dubai, Bahrain, Sydney, New Delhi, Manila, Amsterdam, London and Dublin.

“We’ve gradually added additional regions over the past six months, and have now added every city that will be included,” Jones tells IQ. “It’s quite the juggernaut covering a lot of ground. I think you can safely say that Justin is one of the top global touring artists in the world.”

The biggest worldwide tour since the Covid shutdown lands in Europe next month with a stop at Italy’s Lucca Summer Festival before continuing on to Scandinavia for shows in August. Bieber then heads to South America, South Africa and the Middle East in September and October, closing out the year in Asia, Australia and New Zealand before moving to the UK in early 2023.

“The most challenging part has been traversing the very slow and gradual opening up of markets in Asia”

“Other than the ridiculous challenge of venue availability in major markets, the most challenging part has been traversing the very slow and gradual opening up of markets in Asia,” explains Jones, who was named Promoters’ Promoter at the recent Arthur Awards.

“[AEG Asia Pacific chief] Adam Wilkes and I, and our Asia team have spent many hundreds of hours planning the roll out of the recently launched Asia leg together. The appetite for Justin in that region has been frankly incredible, and we’ve mostly been capitalising on each countries ‘freedom day’ so to speak, so it has been a slow roll out, and thankfully we’re working with a very flexible artist team to help us do that.”

The Justice run is Bieber’s first global outing since 2016/2017’s Purpose world tour, which grossed $257 million, attracting 2,805,481 fans across 141 shows, according to Pollstar. Pre-pandemic, he had been due to tour in 2020 and launched his Changes album with a one-off fan event at the 2,800-cap Indigo at The O2 in London that February.

“The underplay acoustic show that we did in London for the launch of Changes, just before the pandemic hit, showed him to be in a great place: energised and eager to get into the campaign until the breaks were firmly put on for obvious reasons.

“It’s quite amazing to think that that was actually the only live show for the whole Changes campaign. But seeing this Justice tour play out, it’s incredible how much he is at the top of his game right now.”

“It’s no longer the parents buying their kids the majority of the tickets”

AEG’s SVP of international touring, Jones has worked with Bieber since 2015 and points out the 28-year-old Canadian’s audience base has broadened significantly over the years.

“It’s no longer the parents buying their kids the majority of the tickets,” he notes. “You could see that during Purpose that the songs he was releasing were reaching a mass audience. He’s taken those fans with him for his latest two records, and the mass appeal for his latest record will bring with it a slightly older crowd, but the consistent rate that he releases global smash songs reach new fans all the time, including new young fans too.”

While Bieber’s touring career continues to go from strength to strength, Jones admits to concerns over the market as a whole – particularly with regards to acts lower down the food chain.

“Cost of living rises will hit live music as it has every other area, so we are likely to see an increase in ticket prices”

“We have some headaches and challenges to deal with for sure,” he says. “The huge amount of choice out there this year and next, the saturation rate is hitting a point where something will have to give – everyone will need to work harder to make sure we do the business that’s required and fans will want more value for money from shows than ever before.

“Cost of living rises will hit live music as it has every other area, so we are likely to see an increase in ticket prices. That will manifest itself by people becoming much choosier on who they spend their hard earned cash on, so maybe they’ll go to less shows on an average year, but they’ll likely spend more money per head at each show on the bar, merch, etc, as it may subconsciously be their big night out that they plan further ahead for.”

He concludes: “One thing’s for sure, that for the right artist, whether it be AAA*-level artists, for brand new red hot acts, and for the perfectly timed nostalgic plays; the business is still there, and alive and kicking. But extra care and thought from promoters, agents and managers needs to put into all other levels of artists, as nothing can be assumed or expected, or taken for granted, as it’s a very unpredictable landscape at the moment.”

 


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AEG’s Simon Jones on the return of BRITs Week

AEG Presents promoter Simon Jones has given IQ the inside track on this year’s BRITs Week as it returns for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

The annual charity concert series gives fans the opportunity to see leading UK artists perform at intimate venue across London in the run-up to next Tuesday’s (8 February) BRIT Awards at The O2.

BRITs Week 2022 kicked off earlier this week with Anne-Marie at Lafayette, and has gone on to showcase Joy Crookes and Maisie Peters, both at Omeara, Bastille at EartH and Becky Hill at Lafayette.

It continues tonight with Fontaines DC at the 500-cap The Dome before concluding with Mimi Webb at Omeara (5 February), Craig David presents TS5 at Under The Bridge (17 February) and Damon Albarn at Troxy (20 February). A percentage of tickets go into a £5 prize draw, with the remainder going on general sale.

The event has raised millions of pounds for War Child since its inception in 2014, thanks to underplay shows by artists such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Take That, Florence & The Machine, Biffy Clyro , Foals, Royal Blood, Wolf Alice and The 1975, raising millions of pounds for War Child.

“We’re all very thankful that so many people want to play the series, and some indeed come back for multiple shows over the years,” says Jones, AEG’s SVP of music, international. “Everyone who takes part does so very enthusiastically because of the amazing work that War Child continue to do, for children in conflict across the world.”

“It’s just genuinely great to be back doing these red hot shows with amazing artists in small venues”

Here, in a special Q&A, Jones talks us through the evolution of the series…

How did BRITs Week come about?

“BRITs Week started out as a couple of shows at Brooklyn Bowl at The O2 in 2014. As The O2 was the host venue of the main ceremony, Maggie Crowe at the BPI, Milly Olykan, formerly of AEG, and myself concocted the idea to expand the footprint and outreach of the BRITs in the days surrounding the shows, by doing shows in small venues for very established artists. By year two in 2015 we had come up with a great collaboration with all of the major labels, and a collective of the independent labels, whereby they committed to collaboratively book a minimum of one show each year of their established artists in focus that year, with a supporting bill of their up and coming talent.

“At the same time of year, [artist/producer manager] Stephen Budd had a brilliant series of live shows called Passport Back to The Bars, which was a very similar concept, and was raising money for War Child. We all had the same ideas and so we aligned with each other and put everything under one umbrella, and it has gone on from strength to strength ever since.”

How did this year’s line-up come together? 

“It can be very last minute that’s for sure! We had some very early confirmations for this years run, but the bulk of artists confirmed in the last few weeks prior to announcement, which keeps everyone on their toes. Will Smyth, Richard Clarke and Ben Anderson have all done a brilliant job on getting the bill together. Obviously, artists are very graciously giving up their time to play a show, in their packed schedules and normally high touring period, but the prospect of raising a bucket load of cash for War Child in the process is generally the driver for the artists.”

What have been some of your highlights from previous BRITs Weeks?

“Coldplay and Ed Sheeran who both played at Indigo at The O2 in different years were incredible shows. Foals at Shepherds Bush Empire, Idles at 100 Club, The 1975 at The Garage! Laura Marling at St Giles in the Fields was unreal… so many.”

What does it mean to you to see it return given the events of the last two years?

“Last year was a real downer, obviously, not being able to do the series, for obvious reasons, despite coming very close to doing a big streamed event – mainly because the amount of money that is raised for War Child each year is so substantial, and it makes a huge difference to them if it doesn’t happen. But for this year, it’s just genuinely great to be back doing these red hot shows with amazing artists in small venues. BRITs Week has become a real industry fixture each year and we’re all so pleased to have it back.”

Is there anything else you would like to add?

“A big shout out to everyone that has tirelessly worked on the series of shows since 2014 to help deliver amazing shows, to get BRITs Week to where it is, and raising a colossal amount of money for War Child. Maggie Crowe at BPI is a force of nature, an incredible human being, and the strings she pulls knows no bounds, it’s incredible. Milly Olykan of The O2 really was the driving force with Maggie to help start this, Geoff Taylor at BPI has always been extremely supportive and helpful in everything we do. Adrian, Giuseppe, Hannah and everyone at BPI. Each BRITs chairman, and each label head that has helped keep the the series alive. Jim Benner, Sam Briggs, Ben Knowles, Richard Clarke, Sascha Richter, Jamie Johnson, Emily Simms, Sophie McKay, Ben Anderson all of War Child past and present, Will Smyth, Will Dowdy, Ali Castriotis, Anna De Silva, Joseph Wallace, Jess Vincent, Nicole Allen, Katie Cavanah and Natalie Curtin all of AEG Presents. Everyone at DawBell including Charlie, Rachael and Kate who have done an incredible job over the years. Charlie Carrington, Andy Wise, and Agnes at Mastercard and Justin at BIG. And Paul Shulver, Sam Slee, Ella and Nuela the events previous sponsor O2 who were all big early believers and supporters in the project.”

 


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Justin Bieber tour nears one million ticket sales

AEG Presents has revealed Justin Bieber’s 2022/23 Justice world tour is on track to sell more than one million tickets.

The Canadian singer will tour five continents from May 2022 to March 2023, travelling to over 20 countries for more than 90 dates, with extra shows to be announced in Japan, Asia and the Middle East.

A total of 875,000 tickets have been sold since last month’s tour announcement. Thirty-one of the newly announced shows sold out on the morning of the on-sale, with additional nights added in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Mexico City.

To see how fast the tickets are flying out the door is testament to his status as one of the world’s biggest live music draws

“Justin’s return to the international stage is going to be a juggernaut of a run, and to see how fast the tickets are flying out the door is testament to his status as one of the world’s biggest live music draws,” says Simon Jones, SVP, international touring of promoter AEG Presents. “His Justice world tour is expanding further, and is going to comfortably smash through the million ticket mark once we announce the remaining territories.”

The new dates also come on the heels of Bieber’s recently announced 52-date 2022 North American tour, which kicks off in San Diego on February 18.

The tour is Bieber’s first global outing since 2016/2017’s Purpose world tour, which grossed $257 million, attracting 2,805,481 fans across 141 shows, according to Pollstar.

Bieber also headlined Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball with Barclaycard at The O2 in London on Saturday (11 December).

 


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AEG Presents names new SVP, international

AEG Presents has promoted Simon Jones to the newly created role of senior vice-president of music, international.

In the newly created, London-based role, Jones will head up AEG Presents UK’s global concert operations, working with AEG offices in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East to promote a range of artists from club gigs to stadium shows. He reports directly to Steve Homer and Toby Leighton-Pope, AEG Presents London’s joint CEOs.

The creation of the position comes after AEG Presents’ launch in France in January this year, following the company’s acquisition of a stake in leading festival Rock en Seine in 2017.

In 2017, AEG promoted more than 800 live events in the UK, including British Summer Time Hyde Park festival and the recently launched All Points East in Victoria Park, London.

“I’m certain we can keep upping the ante both in the UK and around the world”

“I’ve enjoyed building the international touring arm of our UK office in recent years – it’s a major passion of mine and I’m excited to continue and expand on this even further, with some incredible shows and tours to announce soon,” says Jones, who joined AEG as an intern, working at the then-new O2 Arena. Since then, he has risen through the ranks to become a promoter and senior executive.

“What we have achieved since AEG Presents launched in the UK has been phenomenal and I’m certain we can keep upping the ante both here and around the world. The artists that work with us are always at the core of our thinking when planning tours and shows, and that is reflected in the calibre of artists and their teams that we work with.”

Jones’s current tours include Shawn Mendes’s European tour, the Ed Sheeran South Africa stadium tour, Asian tours for Khalid and Calum Scott, Rodriguez across Australia and New Zealand and UK tours for Anne-Marie, Jess Glynne, Tom Odell and the Vamps.

Recent successes include Ed Sheeran in Asia and the Middle East in 2017–18, as well as Sheeran’s three sell-out stadium shows in Glasgow this year, Justin Bieber’s 2016–17 UK tour, Craig David’s 2017 arena tour and the annual Brits Week series of shows.

 


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