AEG Presents is debuting a one-day alternative music festival at The National Bowl, Milton Keynes.

Forever Now will launch on 22 June next year and will be the UK sister event of US festival Cruel World, with lineup details to be revealed next week. Tickets start at £85 (€102).

Dedicated to post-punk music, fashion and literature, the gathering will feature two music stages, as well as a third stage, The Echo Chamber, hosted by music journalist John Robb.

“We are delighted to present a festival that reflects the rich heritage of artists in the alternative music field,” says AEG UK CEO Steve Homer. “The day will feature some amazing artists, unique sets, and collaborations not seen on a UK stage before. As the birthplace of alt counterculture, the UK is the perfect home for a festival to pay homage to alternative creative artistry.’’

The Echo Chamber stage will explore the artistry, movement and culture through in-depth discussions with renowned artists.

“If you feel a nostalgia for an age yet to come whilst still seeking the classic and have a curiosity for the next wave, then this will be a day to get immersed in,” says Robb.

Manchester’s Outbreak Festival will form part of the lineup for AEG’s new Lido Festival in Victoria Park

Presented by AEG’s Goldenvoice division, the promoter behind Coachella and Stagecoach Festival, Cruel World is held annually at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Its fourth iteration is slated for 17 May 2025, headlined by New Order and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Other acts will include The Go-Go’s, Devo, OMD, Death Cult, Garbage, Madness, ‘Til Tuesday, She Wants Revenge and Alison Moyet.

Earlier this year, AEG partnered with Yungblud to launch one-day festival BludFest, also at Milton Keynes Bowl. Prices were capped at £49.50 for the multi-genre event, which was headlined and curated by the singer-songwriter.

Meanwhile, the firm has revealed that Manchester’s Outbreak Festival will form part of the lineup for its new Lido Festival in London’s Victoria Park next summer. Described as “the biggest outdoor event led by hardcore acts that the UK’s ever had”, the 13 June gathering will be topped by a UK exclusive performance by Turnstile, as well as acts such as Alex G, Sunny Day Real Estate, Danny Brown, Fleshwater, Have A Nice Life and Knocked Loose.

The inaugural London edition will be followed by a two-day event at Outbreak’s usual home of Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on 14-15 June, headlined by Knocked Loose & Alex G.

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The CEO of AEG Presents UK, Steve Homer, has previewed the promoter’s tour pipeline and opened up on its expanding venue portfolio and burgeoning business outside live music.

The company has confirmed 2025 runs with acts including Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Kylie Minogue, Tyler, the Creator, Chase & Status, The Offspring, Olly Murs and The Darkness, with further announcements expected before the end of the year.

Speaking to IQ, Homer believes the firm is “in good shape” for the year ahead.

“The framework of our year is looking very solid at the moment, so that’s encouraging,” Homer tells IQ. “There’s still more arena and stadium stuff to come before the end of the year and other, more perennial theatre tours going out. But 2025 feels like it’s in good shape at the moment. You never count your chickens, but it feels quite promising.”

A personal highlight for Homer will be The Darkness’ 29 March concert at OVO Arena Wembley, which will see the rockers supported by Ash.

“It’s a little bit déjà vu, because I’ve worked with them right from the start and the Permission To Land tour that I did with them over 20 years ago had Ash as support,” he says. “Now it’s come full circle and they’re back supporting them on this tour.”

“The catchment area for Watford is staggeringly big, so to be able to do a Watford and a London show is not going to be difficult”

Earlier this month, AEG announced that Watford Colosseum is officially open for bookings ahead of its 2025 relaunch. The company and Watford Borough Council have signed contracts for the venue, which has a capacity of 2,345 standing/1,189 seated.

It follows its successful relaunch of The Halls Wolverhampton, which reopened in May last year with a special show by Blur.

“Wolverhampton has exceeded its target for live music,” explains Homer. “We’ve had some really strong shows with things like Paul Weller, Liam Gallagher & John Squire and Richard Ashcroft. We’ve also got Bob Dylan coming to do two shows in a couple of weeks and The Prodigy coming before the end of the year, so it’s back on the map.”

He continues: “We’re looking to do an opening series [at Watford] in the same way that we did with Wolverhampton, which will be September ’25. Watford is an interesting one as it had been closed for quite a while, but we’re very much on the front foot in terms of addressing the diary and going out there and selling it. Even though it’s quite close into London, the catchment area for Watford is staggeringly big, so to be able to do a Watford and a London show is not going to be difficult.”

In London, Homer reports that Indigo at The O2 is on track to post its busiest year yet with around 230 shows, while business at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo has also remained strong despite the reopening of O2 Academy Brixton (“It’s great to have Brixton back and we’re not seeing a downturn in shows in Hammersmith, which is positive,” he adds). AEG’s 4,400-cap live music venue within the Olympia London scheme, meanwhile, is in line to enter the fray by 2026.

“Other parts of the venue business are not quite as strong,” notes Homer. “The corporate side needs a bit of work. It’s not as exciting as live music, but it’s what pays the bills. So there’s some work to be done there for us, because that market has been variable, to say the least. But on the whole, it’s feeling like it’s in healthy shape.”

“There’s a real focus on keeping the business growing at every opportunity, but music is always the main thing”

Homer also touches upon AEG’s expanded remit outside of music, including its comedy and entertainment division.

“It’s becoming an ever-more diverse but important part of our business, and it’s bringing in significant numbers,” he says. “Out of the 1,500 shows we did this year, it accounts for around 350 and there’s more planned for next year. The broader entertainment side – involving podcasts and gaming and things like that – is becoming far more part of our core business, rather than like a bolt on.

“One thing I think we’ve done well over the past 18 months is develop the other parts of entertainment that we provide – we’ve also got [AEG artistic director] Lucy Noble developing the classical and orchestral side of things. There’s a real focus on keeping the business growing at every opportunity, but music is always the main thing.”

Meanwhile, US country music superstar Zach Bryan has announced an additional date at AEG’s BST Hyde Park after the first night sold out. The US singer-songwriter will now perform at the event on 28 & 29 June 2025.

Read part one of IQ‘s interview with Homer, where he focuses on the resurgence of guitar music, ticket pricing and the company’s latest London festival Lido, here.

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AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer has talked the guitar revival, ticket pricing and the company’s latest London festival in a new interview with IQ.

The promoter’s 2024 highlights have included concerts with established superstars including Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Billy Joel and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but Homer is also encouraged by the fresh talent moving up the ranks such as Doechii, Clairo, Ezra Collective and Paris Paloma.

“I think we’re in a fairly healthy situation,” he says. “It feels like the developing part of the market is quite solid. There are some exciting acts coming through and also the genres are broadening back out again.”

Moreover, after years in the doldrums, Homer suggests that guitar music is returning to the fore, buoyed by the progress of acts such as Last Dinner Party, Fontaines DC, Wet Leg and Vistas.

“Guitars are coming back,” he observes. “It’s not just about solo acts and sitting in your bedroom producing music on your own, there are more bands emerging – which is encouraging for the industry because that was the mainstay of what it was in decades gone by.”

AEG partnered with Yungblud on the first instalment of the singer-songwriter’s one-day festival BludFest at Milton Keynes Bowl in August, which is set to return next year, and hooked up with entertainment brand Recess to stage Recessland – a celebration of Black British culture – at Dreamland Margate in May. Other notable tours included Blue Man Group and Blade Runner Live.

“It’s a competitive landscape – there are a lot of things vying for audience money”

“It’s been varied and it’s been really positive on the whole,” adds Homer. “We haven’t had as many arena tours this year; we’ve had a lot more success in theatres than in the past, but there are far more arenas and stadium tours again next year.

“It’s a competitive landscape – there are a lot of things vying for audience money – so you have to be cognisant of what you’re booking and putting out in the market. I think next year has already set itself out with the Oasis and Coldplay tours, and there are still more top tier stadiums to be announced. If the level of pencils at stadiums come to fruition – which is looking quite likely – that automatically has an impact on money available.”

Homer also shares his thoughts on the current discourse around whether concert tickets are becoming too expensive.

“The way it’s always worked with us in terms of ticket pricing is that the artist, manager and agent are very aware of what they class as their peer group,” he explains. “You’re asked to check what the other artists playing in that arena or stadium are charging so you get a gauge of where to go. And often, because some artists don’t tour for a long period of time, the ticket price that was relevant for them on their last tour has moved on.

“As we all know, the cost of touring has gone through the roof and keeps increasing. Whether it’s labour, whether it’s equipment, or whether it’s transport, it all has a price and that’s not going anywhere other than up.”

“You’re trying to find a ticket price that works for the customer, so it’s a real balancing act”

He adds that the phase of US acts being deterred from coming to Europe due to the cost of touring has not yet fully subsided.

“We saw a period of time not so long ago, and it still happens a bit, where American artists couldn’t afford to come over because the price they need to charge for the ticket would put fans off, so you’re trying to avoid that,” says Homer. “You’re trying to find a price that works for the customer, so it’s a real balancing act to try and not overprice things and be aware of market forces. It’s tough, though. To try and pitch it right is hard.”

Earlier this week, AEG, which already runs BST Hyde Park, All Points East and Bristol’s Forwards in the UK, as well as Rock en Seine in France, announced the newest addition to its portfolio in Lido Festival, which debuts over two weekends next June in London’s Victoria Park.

Jamie xx is the first headliner to be unveiled and will be be joined on 7 June by a specially curated line-up starring In Waves collaborators Romy, Panda Bear, and John Glacier, alongside Arca, Sampha, DJ Gigola, Shy One, Wookie and livwutang. He will also bring his club residency ‘The Floor’ to Victoria Park for a one-off festival showcase, featuring a three-hour set from DJ Harvey.

Saluting the efforts of AEG’s European festivals CEO Jim King and promoter Oscar Tuttiett, Homer suggests the event is aimed primarily at a Gen-Z audience.

“The acts that are being announced are very much a new breed of artists,” he says. “I’m looking forward to seeing how that develops. To find points of difference in a very congested marketplace is quite an achievement, and looking at the lineup I think they’ve achieved all they set out to do. It’s going to be an exciting addition to the London festival landscape.”

The second part of IQ‘s interview with Homer will be published in the coming days.

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Legendary agent and Independent Artist Group vice-chair Marsha Vlasic collected the prestigious Bottle Award during ILMC 36’s Arthur Awards.

The Oscars of the international live music business were attended by 470 of the industry’s top brass last night (29 February) in the midst of a sold out ILMC 36, which attracted 1,500 delegates to London’s Royal Garden Hotel.

Awards were handed to 11 winners at ILMC’s ‘Big Bang’ Gala-xy Dinner, with CAA’s Emma Banks reprising her role as host. The top promoter gong went to Steve Homer of AEG Presents, while the Second Least Offensive Agent category was won by Wasserman Music’s Tom Schroeder.

Live Nation’s Andrea Myers was named Most Professional Professional, and Ticketmaster’s Bhavika Patel was crowned The People’s Assistant.

“Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners at this year’s Arthur Awards”

“Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners at this year’s Arthur Awards,” says ILMC MD Greg Parmley. “Congratulations in particular to this year’s Bottle recipient, and live business icon, Marsha Vlasic!”

For more than two and a half decades, The Arthur Awards have been handed out during ILMC.

The shortlist of nominees in each category are decided by a committee of 150 industry professionals. Winners are then decided by a combination of an open vote of all ILMC members and IQ Magazine readers, and a closed panel of judges made up of senior industry figures.

The full list of Arthur Awards 2024 winners was as follows:

THE VENUE AWARD (FIRST VENUE TO COME INTO YOUR HEAD)
Hallenstadion, Zurich

THE PROMOTER AWARD (THE PROMOTERS’ PROMOTER)
Steve Homer, AEG Presents

THE AGENT AWARD (SECOND LEAST OFFENSIVE AGENT)
Tom Schroeder, Wasserman Music

THE FESTIVAL AWARD (LIGGERS’ FAVOURITE FESTIVAL)
Wacken Open Air

THE PRODUCTION SERVICES AWARD (SERVICES ABOVE & BEYOND)
The Tour Company

THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AWARD (MOST PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL)
Andrea Myers, Live Nation

THE ASSISTANT AWARD (THE PEOPLE’S ASSISTANT)
Bhavika Patel, Ticketmaster

THE TICKETING PROFESSIONAL AWARD (THE GOLDEN TICKET)
Bryan Perez, AXS

THE INDUSTRY CHAMPION AWARD (THE UNSUNG HERO)
Andy Franks, Music Support

YOUNG EXECUTIVE AWARD (TOMORROW’S NEW BOSS)
Daniel Lopez, Live Nation España

THE BOTTLE AWARD
Marsha Vlasic

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Leading promoters have spoken to IQ about how the boom in huge stadium tours and outdoor concerts is impacting festivals.

In an industry first, a record five tours – Taylor Swift ($300.8 million), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ($142.6m), Harry Styles ($124m), Elton John ($110.3m) and Ed Sheeran ($105.3m) – grossed more than $100m (€913m) in the first six months of 2023.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Styles, who headlined last year’s Coachella, grossed close to $600m overall with his recently wrapped 2021-23 Love On Tour. And with stadium runs by the likes of Coldplay, Beyoncé and The Weeknd sure to impact the rankings for the second half of 2023, Pollstar declared “the age of the blockbuster tour is upon us”.

With summer historically reserved for festivals, and touring more consigned to colder months, the recent boom in stadium shows puts A-list tours and the outdoor season head to head. With greater financial return than a festival appearance, the ability to play to more fans and complete control over a show’s production, it’s easy to see the appeal.

So with A-list artists increasingly skipping festivals in favour of their own, what’s the impact on festivals, and what does that mean for those lower down the food chain?

“Festivals fulfil a very special role in live music. The variety, value and intensity offered during several days of live music and entertainment is greater than the sum of its parts”

Courrier International reports that attendance at Dreamhaus’ Rock im Park in Germany, which was topped by Kings of Leon, Die Toten Hosen and Foo Fighters, fell to 75,000 this year, having attracted 90,000 in 2022, with expense cited as a factor. According to trade association BDKV, the average price of festival tickets in the country is up 15% on 12 months ago due to rising costs.

FKP Scorpio reported more positive news, with its twin Hurricane and Southside festivals – headlined by Muse, Die Ärzte, Placebo and Queens of the Stone Age – coming close to selling out, pulling in crowds of 78,000 and 60,000, respectively. FKP MD Stephan Thanscheidt accepts that bigger acts often prefer to play solo shows, but believes the festival sector retains a unique selling point in a changing market.

“Festivals fulfil a very special role in live music,” he tells IQ. “The variety, value and intensity offered during several days of live music and entertainment is greater than the sum of its parts – therefore, the demand for well thought-out festivals remains high, even in economically demanding times.”

Eva Castillo, communication director for Last Tour, promoter of festivals such as Spain’s Bilbao BBK Live and Cala Mijas, and Portugal’s MEO Kalorama, says there is no reason both scenes cannot continue to coexist and thrive.

“They go hand in hand and are compatible with each other,” says Castillo. “A festival is an experience that goes beyond music, featuring both well-known and emerging artists in a venue that has its own distinct characteristics.”

“One of the key challenges posed by the rise of big stadium shows is the financial aspect”

Over in Australia, Christian Serrao, co-founder and managing partner of Melbourne-headquartered Untitled Group, says the explosion of outdoor music spectaculars has had a “noticeable impact in flooding the market”, affecting festivals and diverting people’s spend on entertainment.

“Our one-day festivals face more challenges than camping festivals,” he contends. “We are finding that people are seeking the immersive camping experience, which allows them to connect with nature and create lasting memories beyond music performances.

“One of the key challenges posed by the rise of big stadium shows is the financial aspect. These shows often require a significant investment from attendees, which can take a toll on people’s wallets, especially considering factors like inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, people have become more selective in the events they choose to attend.”

The trend has prompted the firm to think outside the box and make strategic decisions, like booking Nelly Furtado for an exclusive show at its flagship festival Beyond The Valley.

“To ensure the success of our festivals, we focus on creating distinct experiential brands,” adds Serrao. “Our marketing emphasises the unique selling points like location, stage design, art installations, and activities such as workshops. For instance, [the festival] Grapevine Gathering offers a winery experience with live music, vineyards, and wine tasting.

“Some stadium shows cost around $400, comparable to our camping festivals, which provide four days of music, art, and camping—an irreplaceable immersive experience. Festivals set themselves apart from big stadium shows by offering experiences beyond music.”

“Putting on a stadium show doesn’t come cheap… It’s becoming a serious investment for a customer and I do think it will have an impact on festivals”

AEG Presents UK Steve Homer admits to being taken aback by the sheer volume of “high quality stadium shows” around Europe this summer, and feels it is inevitable that others will suffer as a result.

“We’re not talking the odd date – people like Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Arctic Monkeys are doing large numbers of dates, which is really impressive, so I do think it has an impact on available money,” he says. “No matter what people say, the cost of living is a real issue and it’s expensive to go to shows at that level. We’ve all gone through the rigmarole of increased costs from transport, to fuel, to everything else.

“Putting on a stadium show doesn’t come cheap and obviously the ticket price has to reflect that in some way. I think it’s becoming a serious investment for a customer and I do think it will have an impact on festivals.”

The 20th anniversary edition of Live Nation’s Download Festival, however, became the fastest-selling in its history, offering headline sets Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot and Metallica, with the latter playing two unique sets on separate nights. AEG’s London concert series BST Hyde Park also enjoyed a record year, shifting around 550,000 tickets for gigs by Guns N’ Roses, Take That, Blackpink, Billy Joel and Lana Del Rey – plus two nights each from Pink and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

“Download had its best year ever, but that’s a very genre specific event, and British Summer Time is more like a big stadium show than a traditional festival,” argues Homer. “But we may see some of the more boutique festivals struggle if people have been going to these mega stadium gigs and it will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the summer.

“It’s great that these things are happening, but there is a finite amount of money and I think we’ll see the pinch somewhere. Whether it’s smaller festivals, whether it’s theatre tours, people just don’t have the money.”

“The top level is always protected. It’s the small to average level which is going to get affected”

As promoter of Isle of Wight Festival and MD of Solo Agency, John Giddings has a foot in both camps. IoW 2023 was a 55,000-cap sellout, and Giddings, who has worked on Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball and Beyoncé’s Renaissance stadium dates for Live Nation over the past couple of summers, has a hunch is that if anyone loses out, it won’t be the festival business.

“People are prepared to pay a load of money to go to something they know is going to be fantastic, but they might not go to one or two smaller gigs,” he tells IQ. “I haven’t seen much evidence of it yet, but it does worry me to an extent because the top level is always protected. It’s the small to average level which is going to get affected to be honest.”

Elsewhere in the UK, last weekend’s Kendal Calling, which starred Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kasabian, Blossoms and Royal Blood, was a 40,000-cap sellout. Andy Smith, co-MD of the Lake District festival’s promoter From The Fields, says the season appears to have been a mixed bag across the board.

“On the grapevine, I hear a bit of difficulty with the newer shows and the generally less established ones,” says Smith. “If you were just making do previously, it sounds like it’s a struggle now. But if you were doing well previously, it seems to have got better. So it does seem to be more more extreme one way or another.”

“We had some concerns at the beginning of the season, but it had no impact on our ticket sales”

The UK’s Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) previously revealed that its members are on course to attract a total audience of 3.3 million to their events in 2023. The trade body represents the interests of 105 UK music festivals, including GreenBelt, El Dorado, Deershed, Valley Fest, End of The Road, Pitchfork London, Field Maneuvers and We Out Here, and AIF CEO John Rostron says he has seen “no evidence” that big ticket gigs are affecting festival sales.

“What we are seeing with gigs of all sizes this year is a new trend for very last minute sales,” he adds. “It looks very likely that last minute buying is a trend, though ‘last minute’ for festivals tends to be a few weeks before, rather than the day before, as people need to plan their travel, camping and the like.”

Meanwhile, Dany Hassenstein, booker of Switzerland’s Paléo Festival, reports the 2023 Nyon event sold-out in record time, aided by a line-up headed by Rosalia, Indochine, Martin Garrix and Black Eyed Peas.

“We had some concerns at the beginning of the season, but it had no impact on our ticket sales,” he tells IQ. “Probably because there are no stadium shows in our immediate market.”

Recent research by economist Will Page using data from PRS for Music found that the portion of spend on live music by UK consumers had grown hugely when it came to both stadium shows and festivals – from 23% of the total market in 2012, to 49% in 2022.

Evidently, fans are spending more of their money on bigger shows, whether that’s festivals or stadium tours. And with Page noting the club market has also grown over the last decade, where that leaves traditional theatre and arena shows – as part a much bigger pie than 10 years previously – promises to be equally revealing.

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Steve Homer has given IQ an insight into his plans for the next phase of AEG Presents UK after overseeing a revamp of operations at the firm.

Homer took sole charge of the company’s London office following the departure of former co-CEO Toby Leighton-Pope at the start of 2022. Since last autumn, AEG has made a string of significant hirings including Chris Wareing and Paris Harding from SJM, ex-Live Nation veteran Lee Laborde, Lucy Noble from the Royal Albert Hall and Georgie Donnelly as its first head of comedy, as well as announcing a handful of other new appointments.

Speaking to IQ, Homer says he expects the influence of the new arrivals will not be fully felt until next year.

“It takes a while to get going and settle in and I envisage that, by the autumn, we’ll probably start to be firing on near enough all cylinders,” he says. “So for shows going into ’24, I think that’s when we’ll see a significant change in how we’re performing. That’ll give us a good benchmark, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the autumn brings.”

Former National Arenas Association chair Noble, who joined AEG’s European senior leadership team in late 2022, has been tasked with overseeing content creation as well as the production of new events such as Christmas Classics with the Philharmonia Orchestra, which will take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 15 December.

“The aim was always to try and get someone of superstar status. That was always a hope, but it was never a guarantee”

“We’re branching out into other entertainment facets, so it’s exciting on that front,” says Homer. “We’re challenging ourselves a little bit in terms of [deviating from] our traditional core markets of entertainment.”

AEG is also basking in the glory of the successful relaunch of The Halls Wolverhampton, which reopened with a special show by Blur last Friday (26 May).

“It couldn’t get much better than Blur in terms of a big name to reopen a venue that’s close to a lot of people’s hearts,” enthuses Homer. “They’re doing warm-ups before their run of festivals and then stadiums in London, so it was great to have them as the first act and it was a great show. The aim was always to try and get someone bigger than the venue – someone of superstar status, as it were. That was always a hope, but it was never a guarantee.

“We’d decided the first day we were going to be open was 1 June, so we started to look at who was available and who was around. So when Blur said they were looking at doing some warm-up shows, but it would have to be at the end of May rather than beginning of June, you suddenly start going, ‘I don’t care if the paint is still wet, I’m going to open it,’ because when you get an opportunity like that, you have to take it. Luckily, all the paint was dry and the bars were open, so it was a great one to have.”

“We’ve got 24 shows from now until the second week of July, mostly in The Civic, and the autumn is looking pretty solid”

Formerly the Wolverhampton Civic Halls, the West Midlands venue – which comprises the 3,404-cap The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton and 1,289-cap The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton – had been closed since 2015 while it underwent a multi-million-pound regeneration project in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council.

AEG agreed a 25-year deal with the council to run the complex back in 2019, with Crissie Rushton, who has worked with the venue for more than two decades in various capacities, installed as GM back in March. Concerts by McFly, Sugababes and The Vamps also form part of its opening lineup, with acts such as Seal, James, Future Islands, Royal Blood, Babymetal and Suede slated to visit before the end of the year.

“We’ve got 24 shows from now until the second week of July, mostly in The Civic, and the autumn is looking pretty solid,” he says. “We didn’t open the diary much before December ’22, so a number of tours were already in place for the end of this year. But we’re seeing good usage from all the national promoters, some local promoters as well. There’s a real spread of acts coming in on a weekly basis so we’re feeling pretty confident.

“It never had [its own] sound and lighting before – people used to have to bring it in – so we’ve added another element to it. And there is another balcony which has taken the capacity up to the same as Manchester Apollo for standing shows, so it fits into that theatre level.”

“It was interesting talking to some of my American bosses and trying to explain where Wolverhampton was”

For Wolverhampton native Homer, the venue also has a particular resonance as the site of his first concert – The Clash in 1978.

“The first ever gig I went to was there, and I’ve promoted a load of shows there,” he says. “It’s one of my favourite venues anyway, so when the opportunity came up to have it in our portfolio of venues I just said to everyone, ‘We have to go for this. This is a great room.'”

He continues: “It was interesting talking to some of my American bosses and trying to explain where Wolverhampton was and sharing some of the history but there’s a real appetite for mid-sized venues within the company anyway, so once they understood where it was and how it fitted into the history of venues in the UK, it became easy to get them to agree to go forward. But it means a lot – as I jokingly say, but only half jokingly, it gives me a better parking space near the football ground as well, which is not untrue!”

The Halls Wolverhampton joins AEG’s global network of more than 350 owned, operated and affiliated venues. In the UK, these include the Eventim Apollo London, Indigo at The O2 in London and the new live music venue at Olympia London set to open in 2024. It will also manage the 2,000-cap Watford Colosseum when it reopens that same year.

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“It’s a really interesting time,” says Steve Homer, CEO of AEG Presents UK, an understatement that’s echoed by several major promoters in one of Europe’s largest music markets. “There are some great sales and tours but still some acts out there, that would in previous times be performing much better, are struggling to gain any momentum. It results in a bit of a head scratch for promoters.”

A head scratch indeed. The UK has found itself facing a unique set of challenges and opportunities in 2022, some thrust upon it and others very much of its own making. On the plus side, as the initial post-pandemic downturn in ticket sales eases, there has been much for the major players to celebrate. Festival Republic, the country’s premier festival promoters, in charge of Latitude, Wireless, and others, comfortably sold out its flagship Reading & Leeds weekend in August. Glastonbury 2022, the first edition of the legendary event since 2019, was a storming, largely rain-free success. All genres have bounced firmly back from the pandemic, too – Homer, who has seen tickets fly off the web for tours by Michael Bublé, Diana Ross, Pet Shop Boys, and Blondie this year, points to Rammstein’s sell-out tour as “a triumph for rock music in a market where people are saying rock is a dying genre. It is so encouraging to see a rock act at the top of their game play sell-out stadium shows.”

Promoters, from the international level of Live Nation and SJM Concerts to the independent likes of Crosstown Concerts, have seen an incredibly busy year, as the post-pandemic backlog of artists wanting to tour has played out. “We are still playing catch up from the pandemic,” says Homer. “The displacement of artists touring over the past two years has skewed the market, and it’s going to take a while to get back to something that can be predicted in the same way, or as close to, as it was before.” He advises a cautious approach. “Taking a no-risk strategy for the next 12 months is a good starting point.”

“The live industry has well and truly bounced back this year and continues to work towards pre-pandemic business, making up for lost time”

Others have thrown themselves headlong into the challenge. In Scotland, DF Concerts had a record-breaking summer, with 33 major outdoor, stadium, or festival events bringing £72.4m into the Scottish economy between June and August, on top of the 1,000 smaller gigs they put on this year. “The live industry has well and truly bounced back this year and continues to work towards pre-pandemic business, making up for lost time,” says DF’s CEO Geoff Ellis. “We were involved in bringing some huge tours to Scotland this summer, including Harry Styles’ Love on Tour; Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world tour; The Hella Mega Tour with Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer; Billie Eilish; Haim; Liam Gallagher; and Calvin Harris all in Glasgow. And we are very proud to have promoted the biggest ever shows by a Scottish artist with two sold-out Hampden Stadium shows for Gerry Cinnamon this year.”

Ellis and DF take much personal satisfaction in the success of his two shows at Falkirk Stadium with The Killers, the first time the venue had been used for such large-scale gigs, and in the Coldplay tour, having worked with the band since they were playing 300-capacity venues including Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s back in 1999. He also lauds their commitment to environmentally friendly touring. “With Coldplay and Billie Eilish, in particular, it’s great to see everything come to life that they are so passionate about when it comes to making touring sustainable,” he says. “It was a real eye-opener and something that I hope more tours take into consideration going forward.”

At another major UK promotion company, Kilimanjaro, CEO Stuart Galbraith looks back on the company’s busiest year ever, with 750 shows on sale at one point. “To then deliver all of those one by one,” he says, “whether it was Craig David, whether it was Simply Red, whether it was Hans Zimmer in arenas, Bring Me The Horizon, just getting through the workload and a similar workload at theatre-level [was amazing]. This summer we had a tremendous return with Belladrum festival, Scotland’s biggest camping festival. We weren’t able to run in 2020 or 2021, so coming back in ‘22 was both challenging but hugely rewarding. Challenging because after not doing it for three years there were many things that were automatic that had been forgotten, but the reception by the audience and the satisfaction to the team at running a sold-out festival was just brilliant.”

“Brexit caused the problems we all knew it would”

Galbraith sees holding onto his team through the pandemic as just as great an achievement as the company’s musical revival. “Not having to lay anybody off during the pandemic,” he says, “we’re very pleased to have been able to keep the team together.” The effects of lockdown did ripple through into 2022, however. “We’ve seen the lasting effects of the pandemic through this summer,” he says. “We’ve got two or three tours left that are rescheduled or re-rescheduled twice, three times rescheduled, and other than that we’re now into new product. The summer had some huge successes but also had some huge challenges. But I’m hoping that we will see next summer be a much more normal marketplace.”

Kilimanjaro saw some form of normality begin to return with the arrival of a copper-topped hero. “One of the first tours that we had to play this summer that was not affected by Covid was Ed Sheeran,” Galbraith says. “We were able to go on sale with Ed in late September last year when there was a period of time where everybody thought that Covid was gone and then to be able to play that tour starting in May and running through to July, and in his case running through September in Europe, it placed itself perfectly, so people didn’t have any Covid effect to deal with.” He, too, repeats the UK promoter mantra for 2022: “It’s been an interesting year.”

Interesting due to its perfect storm of post-pandemic challenges. “Brexit caused the problems we all knew it would,” says Homer, referring to the much-publicised barriers to international touring for UK acts arising from Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. The additional visa, cabotage, and carnet issues have reportedly seen British artists’ international festival bookings fall by 45% since 2019 and increased costs to the point of making European tours unfeasible for smaller acts – Best for Britain CEO Naomi Smith has claimed that Brexit is “strangling the next generation of UK talent in the cradle.” Likewise, international acts have been discouraged from playing the UK by the increased red tape.

“Exchange rates have created the real financial issues for artists”

At the same time, the UK has suffered the same increased production costs due to the Ukraine war-fuelled inflation and post-pandemic labour shortages in the industry that much of the rest of the world has. But they’ve been exacerbated by the government’s lack of support for – often freelance – music industry workers and musicians, and the local cost-of-living crisis being deepened by Liz Truss’s short-lived but disastrous tenure as PM. The collapse of the pound and the ensuing recession following Truss’s mini budget was swiftly followed by the cancellation of UK tours by the likes of Animal Collective, Santigold, and Sampa the Great, citing the economic impossibility of making them work.

“It’s hard to tell whether it’s Brexit, whether it’s a recession, or whether it’s war, but all of them have had a combined effect to make it harder for artists to be on the road,” says Galbraith. “We’re certainly seeing a difficulty at mid-level for international touring acts, especially American acts that we’re potentially paying in local currency but are incurring most of their costs in US dollars. With the exchange rate as it is, and then you add to it supply chain issues, increased costs, etc. You can see that it’s difficult for acts, and certainly we’ve lost some tours at that theatre-level where acts have just turned around to us and said, ‘we can’t afford to come.’ Equally, we’ve got other tours that we’ve been working on for a long time that were waiting to be confirmed that have just now disappeared, again because the global conditions don’t lend themselves to make financially viable touring possible. That’s not the case at stadium-level or to some extent arena-level where there’s obviously profits to be made, but certainly at survival touring-level, it’s very tough.”

“Exchange rates have created the real financial issues for artists,” says Homer. “The dollar rate is so poor currently [that] a lot of US artists are considering [not] touring in the UK and Europe – this could have a real impact on the mid-range to smaller artists.”

“The audiences are here, ready and waiting, and there is a really strong artist pipeline over the next couple of years”

Galbraith also raises concerns over potential power cut measures that the UK government is suggesting to combat the current energy crisis – “as is the case in Germany, I’m sure that most countries will not be prioritising entertainment locations for priority power supplies. Those will go first to hospitals and to domestic residences” – and that insurance policies won’t cover shows cancelled due to Covid.

“I think most people now approach Covid like any other disease, and flu is a good comparator,” he says. “If you’re too ill to sing or you’re too ill to perform, then fine, we lose the show. But just because you’re now testing positive doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily not going to go on. What it does mean, though, is that with every insurance policy having Covid as an exclusion, if somebody can’t sing because they’ve got a cough or a cold or similar symptoms, you’ve got to get a doctor’s note to prove whether they have Covid or not because the irony is, if they’ve got flu, we can claim on insurance, if they’ve got Covid, we can’t.” He does, however, see a silver lining to the UK’s problems in terms of increased demand for local festivals next year. “The pound being so weak in the international markets now, package holidays will be more
expensive,” he says, “so it could be that summer ‘23 becomes a staycation year.”

Indeed, the major UK promoters are all largely optimistic about the coming year. “2023 is looking similar in terms of the scale of shows that we are going to have,” says Ellis. “Already we’ve announced stadium shows with Harry Styles, and Mötley Crüe & Def Leppard; greenfield shows with Arctic Monkeys and Muse; plus TRNSMT and Connect Festival, with more outdoor shows to come. The audiences are here, ready and waiting, and there is a really strong artist pipeline over the next couple of years – there are so many young artists coming up in Scotland at the moment, such as Katie Gregson-MacLeod, Bemz, Cara McBride, Dylan John Thomas, Ewan McVicar, Frazi.er, and so many more, and the genre of music is very varied – from acoustic singer-songwriters; rap and hip-hop; indie, pop, and everything in between. So, it’s looking like we’ll be back stronger than ever in terms of the offering of live music and the number of artists on tour.”

“We’re seeing strong attendances at club nights, showcase nights, and on the pub circuit”

“Demand has come back fine at most levels, with the exception of the older-audience level,” says Galbraith. “Certainly, theatre, musical theatre, and classical [are] slower to come back than contemporary rock and pop. If you speak to any orchestra manager or sinfonia or symphonic hall, they’ll tell you that their attendances are anything between 20 and 30% down still. […] I think the strong [acts] will get stronger, and the weak will get weaker. As people head into what widely seems to be accepted as a recession, instead of going out three or four times in a year or a month, people will go out two or three times or once or twice, and they’ll go out to see their favourites. So, I think you’ll see many stadium tours and arena tours that will do great business, but you will see potentially less of them.”

And the key to breaking through in such an unpredictable climate? Galbraith cites a dedicated approach to digital marketing and good old-fashioned talent. “The best method is to just have good-quality music,” he says. “Quality will out. There are more and more routes to market and methods to find a customer base. We’re seeing strong attendances at club nights, showcase nights, and on the pub circuit. But I think it’s just to continue to write great music and, if you’re able to and you can afford to, then gig and build it that way.” Interesting times, it seems, are best embraced.

Rob Hallett’s Robomagic company went independent again after three years under Live Nation. The longstanding promoter has decades of experience in the industry, as an agent and promoter with Barrie Marshall’s Marshall Arts, Mean Fiddler, and then establishing AEG Live in the UK in 2005, before establishing Robomagic ten years later.

“At the moment, if you choose well, and you get your marketing right, things work well,” says Hallett. “I think the market still seems buoyant.

“I’m old enough to remember the last big recession, and we still got through it as an industry and people will still want to go to shows. People want to be entertained. So, I’m hopeful that we’ll get through this.”

The Global Promoters Report is published in print, digitally, and all content is also available as a year-round resource on the IQ site. The Global Promoters Report includes key summaries of the major promoters working across 40+ markets, unique interviews and editorial on key trends and developments across the global live music business.To access all content from the current Global Promoters Report, click here.

AEG Presents is to manage the 2,000-cap Watford Colosseum when it reopens in 2024 following an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment programme.

The appointment, which follows a procurement process run by Watford Borough Council, comes on the heels of AEG’s partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council to revive The Halls Wolverhampton, which will re-open its doors on 1 June.

With many original art deco features, the 10,210 square foot Colosseum can accommodate 2,000 people standing or 1,392 people seated.

“We see great potential for this historic venue that has hosted a long list of big names over the years”

“We are delighted to bring live music and entertainment back to the stage at this much-loved venue in the heart of Watford,” says AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer. “As AEG Presents continues to expand its network of mid-sized venues around the world, we see great potential for this historic venue that has hosted a long list of big names over the years. From live music and dance to comedy, we’re excited to bring world-class artists back to Watford for the local community to enjoy.”

Watford Colosseum and The Halls Wolverhampton join AEG’s global network of more than 350 owned, operated and affiliated venues. In the UK, these include the Eventim Apollo London, Indigo at The O2 in London and the new live music venue at Olympia London set to open in 2024.

Last December, AEG Europe announced a handful of new appointments within AEG Presents UK as part of its growth and development plans across the venues and touring business. The company also hired Chris Wareing and Paris Harding from SJM, named Lucy Noble, previously of the Royal Albert Hall, as its inaugural artistic director and hired Georgie Donnelly as its first head of comedy .

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AEG Presents has confirmed concerts by McFly, Sugababes and The Vamps as part of its opening lineup for The Halls Wolverhampton.

The 3,404-capacity The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton and 1,289-cap The Wulfrun officially reopen in June following a major multi-million-pound refurbishment programme by City of Wolverhampton Council in partnership with AEG.

Gigs by Leftfield and Chris Isaak are also part of the launch month following the opening night with American magicians Penn & Teller on 1 June, with more names soon to be added.

“We have a fantastic line up set for June, befitting of the opening of the iconic The Halls Wolverhampton and the renowned artists we’re thrilled to welcome to this great city,” says AEG Presents UK CEO and Wolverhampton native Steve Homer. “I can’t wait to officially open the
doors and be part of the crowd enjoying these performances. From rock to pop and comedy, there really is something for everyone.”

“This fantastic opening month of shows in June will ensure the new-look venue bursts back into life in style after our multi-million-pound transformation works”

The Halls have been closed since December 2015. Visitors will enjoy more comfortable seats, a greater number of bars and enhanced space to socialise, expanded and revamped toilet facilities, lift access for those viewing from the new balcony level, better access arrangements for disabled visitors, a greater number of accessible viewing points and improved room temperatures through the installation of a new air handling system.

“These are exciting times for this much-loved venue in our city – and is what all the blood, sweat and tears have been for,” adds council leader Ian Brookfield. “AEG Presents’ passion for The Halls and ambition for the future matches our own and this fantastic opening month of shows in June will ensure the new-look venue bursts back into life in style after our multi-million-pound transformation works.

“We’re thrilled to be working with AEG Presents on this, who understand the venue’s rich heritage and share our vision of reimagining an iconic institution that will continue to bring joy to the lives of locals for years to come, helping shape our city centre, creating jobs and boosting businesses by attracting 300,000 visitors a year and adding more than £10 million annually to the local economy.”

AEG, which agreed a 25-year deal with the council to run the venues back in 2019, will also operate the 4,400-cap live music space within London’s £1.3 billion Olympia scheme, which is on track to open in 2024. The firm’s mid-size portfolio also includes the 5,000-cap Eventim Apollo and 2,800-cap Indigo at The O2, both in London.

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AEG Europe has announced a handful of new appointments within AEG Presents UK as part of its growth and development plans across the venues and touring business.

The company has promoted Jacqui Harris to the role of VP and general manager, responsible for all operational functions for the events, touring, marketing and ticketing teams.

In addition, Lucky Thompson is named senior director, events and operations, assuming overall leadership responsibility for the company’s cornerstone events division, which includes Summer Series, C2C, Eden Sessions and Just for Laughs, among others.

Elsewhere, Connie Shao becomes VP and general manager for international touring, tasked with managing the international touring division and operations of its tours and events.

“It’s an exciting time for our business as we break new ground and in turn, build out a people structure that powers the successful delivery of our growth plans”

Plus, Leonie Wakeman is appointed director of commercial operations, with a focus on identifying, developing and implementing new revenue opportunities, while Stuart Dorn is installed as group venue operations director, responsible for AEG Presents venues, such as Indigo at The O2, The Halls Wolverhampton, Eventim Apollo and Olympia London.

“It’s an exciting time for our business as we break new ground and in turn, build out a people structure that powers the successful delivery of our growth plans,” says AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer. “From our recently announced appointment of Lucy Noble as our inaugural artistic director, or our expanded footprint into the world of comedy, to our continued investment in venues like The Halls Wolverhampton or Olympia London… We’re heading into 2023 with strong momentum and I look forward to what’s to come.”

The company says the expansion will bring further opportunities across AEG Europe, with a number of open roles due to open in 2023.

PHOTO L-R: Jacqui Harris, Lucky Thompson, Connie Shao, Leonie Wakeman, Stuart Dorn

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