Live Nation has announced the launch of South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome, which is set to open in Johannesburg in January 2025.

The company is partnering with Stadium Management South Africa and Gearhouse South Africa on the 10,500-cap state-of-the-art venue in the suburb of Nasrec.

Live Nation’s first permanent venue in Africa, The Dome is adjacent to the FNB Stadium and will serve as a “hub for local and pan-African talent”. It will highlight genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, dance, pop, hip-hop, and R&B – with a solo headline show by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems confirmed for 20 March next year.

“The Dome fills a critical gap in South Africa’s live entertainment scene, creating a unique space that will support pan-African talent,” says Justin Van Wyk, CEO at Live Nation South Africa, which will promote and produce the venue’s events. “The venue will provide new opportunities to connect emerging and established artists with a new demographic of South African fans.”

The Dome can be set up in various configurations including end stage, side stage and centre stage, and has doors that can be opened on both sides – allowing a free flow of people between the interior and exterior spaces and offering a range of viewing points.

The multi-purpose venue can also be used for conferences, exhibitions, banquets and product launches.

“We’re excited about the opportunities this venue will create”

Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA), which will oversee the management of the facility, already looks after South African venues such as FNB Stadium, Rand Stadium, Orlando Stadium and Dobsonville Stadium on behalf of the City of Johannesburg.

“This collaboration with Live Nation and Gearhouse South Africa reflects our shared vision to not only host world-class events but also empower local talent, boost economic growth, and create a vibrant cultural hub in Johannesburg and the Gauteng Province,” says Bertie Grobbelaar, CEO at Stadium Management South Africa.

“We are proud to contribute to a venue that will inspire and connect audiences, artists, and communities across Africa and beyond.”

Ofer Lapid and Nasser Abbas, joint CEOs at Gearhouse South Africa, add: “The collaboration is fuelled by our shared vision, passion, and a commitment to service excellence, and we’re excited about the opportunities this venue will create.”

Live Nation expanded into South Africa in 2016 by acquiring a controlling interest in the country’s largest concert promoter, Big Concerts. Ticketmaster then launched in South Africa in 2022, opening a headquarters in Cape Town, and snapped up ticketing platform Quicket this summer.

The Dome is LN’s second major venue project in Africa to be announced this year. In February, it unveiled plans to open a new 12,000-cap arena in Lagos, Nigeria, in late 2025 with partners including Oak View Group.

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US music and dessert festival Milk + Cookies will be exported to South Africa at the beginning of next year.

Launched in Atlanta in 2016, the annual festival has presented artists such as Gucci Mane, Tory Lanez and Alina Baraz alongside the culinary offerings from the city’s vibrant dessert scene.

The festival is named after the production and marketing company behind it, which was founded in 2009 and has counted Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow, and Summer Walker among its clients.

The debut edition of Milk + Cookies South Africa will be headlined by Haitian-Canadian producer and rapper Kaytranada, marking his debut performances in the country.

He will deliver sets at The Ostrich in Cape Town on 5 January 2024 before heading to Old Park Station in Johannesburg on 11 January 2025.

The festival will be the centrepiece of an eleven-day ‘cultural celebration’ dubbed Milk + Cookie Music Week, featuring concerts, immersive experiences, artist development programmes, and more.

“We believe that South Africa’s dynamic cultural scene and its storied history provide the perfect setting for this milestone event”

Running from 31 December to 11 January, the week will kick off in Cape Town with New Year’s festivities, yacht parties, cultural experiences, and exclusive fashion pop-ups led by local designers.

Throughout the week, performances by local artists and DJs will provide the soundtrack to brunch mixers, fostering creative exchanges between artists from the US, South Africa, and other African countries, according to organisers.

The second-week shifts focus to artist development, offering workshops, panels, and networking mixers designed to nurture South Africa’s emerging music talent.

The festival’s expansion to South Africa follows the success of the first-ever Milk + Cookies Music Week in Atlanta in 2024, which attracted over 10,000 attendees.

“Bringing Milk + Cookies to South Africa is more than an expansion—it’s a celebration of culture, unity, and the universal language of music,” said a spokesperson for Milk & Cookies. “We believe that South Africa’s dynamic cultural scene and its storied history provide the perfect setting for this milestone event. Our festival has always been about more than music; it’s about community, connection, and celebrating the unique cultures that connect us all. We’re excited to join hands with South African artists and audiences to create unforgettable moments together.”

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Ticketmaster has enhanced its presence in Africa with the acquisition of leading ticketing platform Quicket.

The deal will enable Ticketmaster, which launched in South Africa, opening a headquarters in Cape Town in 2022, to further support the growing live events market across the continent.

The partnership with Quicket, known for its self-service platform and event organiser tools, will offer solutions for events of all sizes, with Quicket’s regional expertise in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and Botswana complemented by Ticketmaster’s global reach and service.

It will also enable the expansion of digital technologies, like secure encrypted mobile tickets, across the continent.

“Together, we are igniting a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment”

“Africa is home to some of the most passionate fans in the world who we have the privilege of connecting to the events they love, simply and securely,” says Ticketmaster president Mark Yovich. “Our commitment to delivering top-tier tools for promoters, venues, and artists is unwavering.

“Partnering with Quicket will supercharge our mission to elevate Africa’s dynamic live events to the global spotlight they truly deserve. Together, we are igniting a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment.”

Cape Town-based Quicket, which was founded in South Africa in 2011, will continue to operate as a standalone business unit under the leadership of MD James Tagg.

“The passion for live entertainment is at the heart of African culture,” says Tagg. “Over the past 13 years, we’ve empowered event creators across the continent to deliver exceptional experiences through our ticketing platform. Partnering with Ticketmaster marks a landmark moment in connecting African artists to a global audience and enhancing the experience for local fans and promoters alike.”

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Robbie Williams and Green Day have been revealed as Calabash South Africa’s headliners for the touring festival’s second edition, set for January 2025.

Landing in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, the touring event is stretching to two days across two weekends next year, doubling from its single-day programme in the same cities.

The Big Concerts-promoted outing is set to visit Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium (94,736-capacity) — Africa’s biggest stadium — from 18-19 January 2025 and Cape Town’s DHL Stadium (55,000) from 22-23 January 2025. The festival announced the 2025 event aspires to etch “a new chapter in South Africa’s rock ‘n’ roll legacy.”

UK superstar Williams’ headlining set marks his first gigs in the country since 2006, when he opened his Close Encounters world tour with three sold-out stadium shows in Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban.

The festival will mark Green Day’s inaugural show in the country. In May, the Grammy-award-winning group will embark on The Savior Tour, performing across US stadiums and UK/European festivals throughout the year.

American punk band The Offspring and local rockers Fokofpolisiekar are set to join the Calabash bill with Green Day, with additional acts to be announced for both days.

“We expeect touring to expand across Africa, with new markets and new venues being added to the touring circuit”

Earlier this year, Maroon 5 led the debut of the festival and was joined by local and international artists including Will Linley, Keane, and Ava Max, among others.

The expansion of the festival could signal a new era for international acts visiting the African nation, with Big Concerts CEO Justin Van Wyk telling IQ the future looks bright for the African market.

“We anticipate a boom in new venue development and also expect touring to expand across Africa, with new markets and new venues being added to the touring circuit to bolster the economics for tours,” he says.

Big Concerts, which was acquired by Live Nation in 2016, is promoting shows by James Blunt, Kool & The Gang, and Cigarettes After Sex within the next year.

A new two-day country music festival, the ‘biggest outside the US’, will also take place in Cape Town’s DHL Stadium this October.

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A new two-day country music festival is coming to South Africa this autumn, in what organisers are calling one of the genre’s largest events outside of the US.

The inaugural Cape Town Country Music Festival is set for 26-27 October at the 60,000-capacity DHL Stadium. Since its first show in 2011, the stadium has hosted international acts including U2, Rihanna, Foo Fighters, and Justin Bieber.

American artists Kip Moore and the Zac Brown Band will lead the programme, with an array of local and international artists set to perform across the two days. US country stars Darius Rucker, the Brothers Osborne, and others will join the lineup, in addition to 10 South African artists.

The festival builds on recent success for country music in the African country, with Moore selling 44,000 tickets across three shows last spring in Cape Town and Pretoria.

“The door is now wide open for the entire country music genre”

“When we went to SA for the first time last year, the surprising part was it felt like a grassroots fan base that had been with us all along. There was a spark in that audience that I’ve been itching to light again,” Moore says.

Local DJ and Heroes Events producer Wimpie van der Sandt, who helped bring Moore to Africa in 2023, is producing the festival. The founder of Afrikaans-broadcasting BOK Radio made history last year as the first South African to receive a Country Music Association award nomination in the international country broadcaster category.

“The success we had last year with Kip Moore in South Africa proved there’s a vibrant and healthy country music scene over here. People in the music industry were sceptical when we explored the market, but we proved the concept and that gave us confidence to build the biggest country festival in the world outside the US,” van der Sandt says.

One of Moore’s managers, Gaines Sturdivant of Red Light Management, will serve as an executive consultant.

“Wimpie and I dreamt up this idea together on a napkin after watching Kip’s jaw-dropping success in South Africa last year. I am incredibly proud of the new ground Kip has plowed for country music and music in general.”

“CTC ’24 is the next iteration, and the door is now wide open for the entire country music genre,” Sturdivant says.

Tickets for the October event go on sale tomorrow, 16 February.

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A concert by Burna Boy in South Africa has been cancelled following a fraud allegation against one of its organisers.

The Nigerian Afro-fusion superstar was due to perform at the 90,000-cap FNB Stadium in Johannesburg this past Saturday (23 September), but the concert was called off in the days leading up to it amid speculation of poor ticket sales.

However, promoter Ternary Media Group says it pulled the plug after CEO Sedote Nwachukwu was accused of stealing R10m (€500,000) from the company.

“Due to pending legal proceedings relating to an upcoming Burna Boy concert in Johannesburg, the event has been postponed,” it says, as per TimesLive.

The firm says it has relieved Nwachukwu of his duties “until further notice” in light of the allegations made by his business partner Gregory Wings, and is cooperating with the authorities. Nwachukwu, who tells Sowetan Live that around 20,000 tickets had been sold for the show, denies stealing the cash and has made a counter-claim against Wings.

A spokesperson for Gauteng provincial police confirms that a fraud case had been opened and was under investigation.

“Production vendors have still not been paid, and as such, it is evident at this point that the agreed production standard needed for this venue size can’t be achieved”

Burna Boy’s management issued a statement to Business Insider Africa regarding the cancellation, blaming promoters for failing to fulfil their “contractual, production, financial, and technical obligations”.

“Sadly, it is with great regret that we must inform you that despite my team’s effort, the show on September 23rd in Johannesburg will be cancelled over the inability of the promoters to fulfil their contractual, production, financial and technical obligations,” says the statement.

“Production vendors have still not been paid, and as such, it is evident at this point that the agreed production standard needed for this venue size can’t be achieved. Deepest apologies to all fans; all ticketing companies must ensure it is fully refunded. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.”

Organisers say the event will be rescheduled for 16 December, but FNB Stadium bosses say a contract is yet to be signed.

This summer, Burna Boy became the first ever African artist to headline a UK stadium, performing the 60,000-cap London Stadium in June.

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A new report has shed fresh light on a failed music spectacular in South Africa that was abruptly cancelled days before it was due to take place, drawing comparisons with the disastrous Fyre Festival.

The 100,000-cap TribeOne Dinokeng Festival was scheduled to be staged in Dinokeng, near Cullinan, from 26-28 September 2014 – pre-dating the Fyre fiasco by almost three years – but was pulled by organisers after selling just a few hundred tickets.

The project, billed as “Africa’s biggest festival”, was to be hosted by the City of Tshwane and helmed by Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and its partner, pan-African music and entertainment production, content and events firm Rockstar 4000.

Hundreds of artists, including headliner Nicki Minaj, Wizkid, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kid Ink and J-Cole, were set to perform on three main stages at the festival.

But with tens of millions of rands of public money already spent, the event – led by Sony executive (now SME Africa MD) Sean Watson and Rockstar 4000 founder and CEO Jandre Louw – was axed, with promoters saying the host city had failed to meet infrastructure deadlines.

With three weeks to go until the event, organisers said only 4,000 tickets had been sold. It later emerged the actual total was 318

“Site preparation and related infrastructure development required to host the festival… fell behind schedule to a material extent, such that it was no longer realistically possible to stage and deliver the festival to the scale and quality that the organisers had always planned,” said a statement at the time.

However, nine years on, an exhaustive investigation by the Daily Maverick has uncovered more comprehensive details of the failed festival.

According to leaked documents, the mayoral committee pledged up to R20 million (€964,000) in public funds to build the festival’s infrastructure, with an additional R25m (€1.2m) to be paid to a “Sony Joint Venture” – thought to be Tribeone Festivals Pty Ltd, a company registered by Louw in 2012 – for the first year of a three-year, three-festival deal. But despite the city being unable to bear the costs alone, the agreement contained “no specific financial obligations” for the music executives.

Alarm bells rang among city officials in mid-June, around three months before the festival, when the City of Tshwane Group head of communications, marketing and events wrote to Louw expressing fears that their plans appeared to be in disarray – amid concerns over the progress of promised sponsorships and marketing – and ticket prices not even set.

Tickets did not go on sale until 12 August. With three weeks to go until the event, organisers said only 4,000 tickets had been sold (it later emerged the actual total was 318). Nine days after Louw had approached the city to underwrite a further R20m to help cover the financial shortfall, Louw and Watson cancelled the contract on 12 September and allegedly refused to negotiate a postponement or relocation.

Investigators criticised the event as “risky, ill-conceived and poorly executed”

The City of Tshwane went to the high court in a bid to compel the staging of the festival, but withdrew its application after learning that Watson and Louw had already cancelled the entire line-up.

“Emails from a number of booking agents… [indicated] that artists were booked, but that the deposit was still outstanding or that the artist has not received the balance of the amount due,” wrote investigators, who criticised the event as “risky, ill-conceived and poorly executed by inexperienced music executives”, in their forensic report.

Many of the suppliers, other companies and individuals left with unpaid invoices were reportedly told that Tribeone Festivals Pty Ltd had collapsed and could not fulfil its financial obligations.

Sony, Watson and Louw did not respond to DM‘s requests for interviews.

Legal action initiated by the City of Tshwane against Watson, Louw, Sony and Tribeone Festivals Pty Ltd is still pending.

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South Africa’s largest promoter Big Concerts has spoken of its relief after the government finally dropped the country’s remaining coronavirus measures.

Restrictions had included mandatory mask-wearing in indoor public spaces, border checks for Covid-19 and – most pertinently for the live music business – capacity limits of 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 people outdoors.

Live Nation-owned Big Concerts has upcoming dates scheduled with the likes of OneRepublic, David Gray and Foreigner, as well as two huge shows with Justin Bieber at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium (28 September) and FNB Stadium in Johannesburg (1 October).

“The road to economic recovery starts today”

“It was nerve-wracking because our timing was impeccable,” says Big Concerts CEO Justin van Wyk, reports Eyewitness News. “We had just announced Justin Bieber and two weeks later, our scientists announced Omicron. We are ecstatic with this news, it is going to be a great summer. The road to economic recovery starts today.”

According to Reuters, the lifting of measures followed a decline in the number of Covid infections and deaths.

Big Concerts has been involved in nearly every major international live event promoted in South Africa since the 1990s, including the 1992 concert by Paul Simon which marked the end of a 10-year international ban on foreign artists during the Apartheid era.

Live Nation acquired a controlling interest in the Cape Town-based promoter in 2016. The two companies have been working together since mid-2009, when Big Concerts became exclusive promotion partner for all LN tours in South Africa.

Ticketmaster expanded to South Africa earlier this year, opening a new headquarters in Cape Town.

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Ticketmaster is expanding to South Africa, opening a new headquarters in Cape Town.

Sporting teams, artists, promoters, festivals and venues will be able to take full advantage of Ticketmaster’s suite of products and digital ticketing tools.

The official announcement follows Ticketmaster’s highly successful on-sale for Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour, the first-ever major international tour to sell all tickets online in South Africa, and the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on sale which is set to deliver the country’s first-ever 100% digital sporting event.

“As a popular stop for the world’s biggest artists and major international sporting events, South Africa is a natural choice for us,” says Mark Yovich, president of Ticketmaster.

“As a popular stop for the world’s biggest artists and major international sporting events, South Africa is a natural choice”

“Our unparalleled technology and continued investment in innovation will enable our South African team to provide the best ticketing experience to event organisers, venues and fans across the country.”

Justin Van Wyk, managing director of Ticketmaster South Africa, says: “Our local team of experts have been living and breathing live events for 20+ years and are ready to bring their industry-wide knowledge coupled with the world’s largest ticket marketplace to clients and fans here.

“As a country rapidly adopting digital technology, South African fans are sure to embrace Ticketmaster’s industry-leading digital ticketing innovations.”

Ticketmaster’s move into South Africa brings the company’s operations to 31 countries worldwide.

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Cape Town-headquartered Arte Viva Management (Arte Viva) is expanding globally with the launch of a new roster of primarily Southern African acts at this month’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

Founded in 2016, the booking, management and touring agency also has a European office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and counts a collective 60 years of experience among its team, including tour production in territories such as Africa, Latin America and Europe.

Prior to Covid-19, the company focused on in-bound tours for international music clients and had already produced some 20 tours around South and Southern Africa for artists including Adrian Iaies (Argentina), Hildegard Lernt Fliegen (Switzerland), Coco Zhao (China) and Bokani Dyer (SA).

It was also commissioned to produce and manage the Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra tour to SA in 2020 with Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves before its postponement due to the pandemic.

“Southern African music is widely appreciated and enjoyed across the world, and we believe there is significant opportunity to increase international touring”

“The world has been deeply impacted by the pandemic, but one thing that has not changed is the desire for and connection to music that moves the heart, the soul – and often, the feet,” says Arte Viva founder and MD Nikki Froneman. “Southern African music is widely appreciated and enjoyed across the world, and we believe there is significant opportunity to increase international touring. We are immensely proud of this new roster, and we are confident the time is right for expansion and introducing these artists to keen audiences in new territories.”

Arte Viva’s hand-picked roster predominantly features artists from Southern Africa, with genres spanning World-Fusion to SA Jazz, Afro- Soul & Folk, including The One Who Sings, Hope Masike, Abavuki, Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane, Mandla Mlangeni, Thandeka Dladla, The Lady Day Big Band, The Unity Band, Mthwakazi and China’s Coco Zhao – the one international performer selected by the Arte Viva team for his “exquisite singing and sensitively articulated fusion of Jazz with traditional Chinese music”.

ILMC 34 will take place in person from 26–29 April 2022 at its longstanding home, the Royal Garden Hotel in London

Arte Viva’s presence at the event is supported by the South African Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, through its Mzansi Golden Economy programme. Arte Viva has used the funding as an investment injection into the launch of the new roster and says it has the requisite experience in coordinating multiple stakeholders and partners to realise sustainable touring that works for all parties and opens the world stage for ongoing prospects.

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