Live Nation acquires LA’s Spaceland Presents

Live Nation has acquired Los Angeles promoter Spaceland Presents, as well as its three LA-area venues, boosting the global concert giant’s presence in southern California.

Formerly one of the city’s most influential independence concert businesses, Mitchell Frank’s Spaceland Presents produces and books talent for over 1,200 concerts and events annually. It is known especially for its shows at cultural institutions and landmarks including the Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles Natural History Museum and Echo Park Rising.

The company also operates and promotes shows at the Echo (350-cap.), Echoplex (780-cap.) and the Regent Theater (700-cap.), which join the likes of the Wiltern, Palladium, Observatory and Venture Majestic Theatre in Live Nation Clubs & Theaters’ portfolio of SoCal venues.

Spaceland was formerly minority owned by LA live events group Knitting Factory Entertainment.

“Live Nation brings added knowhow, extensive resources and worldwide experience to help expand Spaceland’s growth”

The acquisition is Live Nation’s 11th of 2019, following Singapore’s One Production in January, Canada’s Embrace Presents, Spain’s Planet Events, Tennessee’s Neste Event Marketing, Finland’s Blockfest, Norway’s Tons of Rock and Australia’s Moshtix (through Ticketmaster) in February, Belgium’s Antwerps Sportpaleis and New England’s Levitate in April, and Denmark’s PHD Music in May.

“Live Nation brings added knowhow, extensive resources and worldwide experience to help expand Spaceland’s growth,” says Spaceland Presents founder Mitchell Frank. “It will substantially increase our bandwidth and support our ability to continue to advocate and promote the artists and music we care about through live music.”

Ben Weeden, COO of Live Nation Clubs & Theaters, adds: “We’re looking forward to helping them continue to be champions of artists on multiple fronts, ranging from marketing to performance opportunities, to help an artist grow from small 250-cap. rooms to full potential, whether it’s a 3,000-cap. venue or arena.

“We are excited to have Mitchell and his team join the Live Nation family.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free digest of essential live music industry news, via email or Messenger.

KFE buys into indie promoter Spaceland Presents

Knitting Factory Entertainment (KFE), a multi-faceted Los Angeles entertainment group with interests in venues, restaurants, concert tours, artist management and a number of record labels, has bought into smaller local promoter Spaceland Presents.

“The market is so difficult right now for promoters,” Knitting Factory president and chief executive Morgan Margolis tells Billboard. “There’s [sic] only so many independents left, and we felt like this was probably a good time to join forces.”

The two companies first began working together in 2014 with the opening of LA’s Regent Theater (1,100-cap.). Following the partial acquisition, which sees KFE buy 49% of Spaceland Presents, they will also co-promote (with Moon Block) the upcoming Desert Daze festival in Joshua Tree.

“You look at the amount of venues I have, what he [Spaceland Presents owner Mitchell Frank] has, the number of shows we do,” Margolis says, “you put that into one big pile, and we have the opportunity for some pretty hefty sponsorships that want to be involved in our brands.”

Knitting Factory founder Michael Dorf promoted the Music of David Bowie tribute shows at Carnegie Hall, which were live-streamed by 32,000 people worldwide.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.