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Paléo Festival booker toasts 21-minute sellout

Paléo booker Dany Hassenstein has hailed the Swiss festival’s longstanding bond with its audience after all 200,000 tickets for the 2024 event sold out in just 21 minutes.

The festival will run in Nyon from 23-28 July, featuring acts such as Sam Smith, Burna Boy, Booba, Mika, Sean Paul, Major Lazer Soundsystem, Gazo & Tiakola, PLK, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Patti Smith, The Blaze, Paul Kalkbrenner, Aurora and Royal Blood.

Launched in 1976, the event accommodates more than 35,000 fans daily. Tickets for the Sunday finale, which started at CHF80 (€82), sold out in a record seven minutes.

“We knew from our December pre-sale that demand was very strong,” Hassenstein tells IQ. “All our digital data were showing this same evolution too. I really believe that, together with the very rich lineup, it is our standards and values that makes this success. We have this tremendous level of confidence and loyalty from our guests, and we are doing everything to never put that trust at risk.”

Last year’s event took almost double the time – 41 minutes – to sell out for a bill starring the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Martin Garrix and Placebo.

For 2024, Paléo is expanding its musical horizons with a mix of pop, rock, rap, dancehall, Afrobeats, reggae, electro, opera and funk, welcoming 130 artists in all, as the countdown begins to its landmark 50th festival in three years’ time.

“We have several new features on track, mainly guest comfort improvements but we will also open our stages to other type of performances, such as humour with an in-house show, a performance by French troupe Murmuration and even opera, hosting tenor singer Roberto Alagna,” says Hassenstein.

“It is a fact that hard tickets are on the rise and acts are focusing on headline tours, not festivals”

Organisers introduced of a raft of well-received changes two years ago, including new stages, blockchain ticketing and a cashless payment system, in what was billed as the festival’s biggest makeover in more than 30 years.

“We had huge changes of the general festival set up in 2022 and we will prepare the next big step for our 50th edition in 2027,” notes Hassenstein.

The festival’s traditional ticket exchange, which is designed to combat the black market, will go live on 27 March, while 1,500 daily tickets will be made available from 9am on each morning of this year’s event.

While the debate continues to rage about the availability (or lack thereof) of headliners across the sector, Hassenstein considers the names of those at the top of the bill to still be “undeniably very important”.

“It’s the essence of a music festival,” he says. “Our challenge was mainly our dates being outside of most of the international touring periods. But it is a fact that hard tickets are on the rise and acts are focusing on headline tours, not festivals.”

Looking to the future, Hassenstein indicates that Paléo will always prioritise quality over potential capacity increases.

“Growth in quality will always be our goal, with sustainability and social awareness being part of this growth,” he concludes. “Growth in capacity is not necessarily a healthy ambition and not really a target for us.”

 


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ACT Entertainment to launch new Swiss festival

Swiss promoter Act Entertainment is launching a new boutique music festival in Zurich this summer.

The Waterfront Festival will debut at the Kongresshaus Zurich from 11-20 July, when performers will include Stephan Eicher, Katie Melua. The Boss Hoss and the Gipsy Kings.

“The city of Zurich in summer, with its unrivalled ambience and international flair, is predestined for a great music festival. And I can’t think of a better place for it than the Kongresshaus with the lake literally on its doorstep,” says Act Entertainment CEO Thomas Dürr. “At the Kongresshaus, we have exactly the right platform for a boutique festival, which is becoming increasingly popular with music lovers.”

The event became a reality after Dürr approached new Kongresshaus CEO Michel Loris-Melikoff with his idea of a festival on the Lake Zurich waterfront, after which it is named.

“We have all the prerequisites for a cool festival with 1,500 visitors”

“When Thomas Dürr came to me and said he wanted to organise a new festival in July, preferably at our venue, I didn’t have to think twice,” says Loris-Melikoff. “Music is close to my heart anyway, and in the Kongresshaus we have all the prerequisites for a cool festival with 1,500 visitors.”

Day tickets start at CHF67.20 (€69.80), with further acts to be announced in the coming weeks.

Other events organised in Switzerland by CTS Eventim-backed ACT include Interlaken’s the Greenfield Festival, which will be headlined by Green Day, Bring Me the Horizon and The Prodigy between 13-15 June. Artists such as Sum 41, Machine Head, Babymetal, Dropkick Murphys, Kraftklub and The Interrupters will also feature on the bill.

 


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Gadget abc swoops for Swiss festival

Switzerland’s Gadget abc Entertainment Group has secured a majority stake in the Stars in Town festival.

The Swiss festival attracts around 60,000 visitors a year over two weekends to Schaffhausen’s Old Town. It will now become part of Gadget’s extensive festival portfolio, which also includes OpenAir St.Gallen, SummerDays Festival Arbon, Seaside Festival, Unique Moments at the National Museum Zurich and Radar Festival.

The companies have partnered for many years, with all contact partners, as well as management and company headquarters, set to remain unchanged in the wake of the deal.

Festival director and board member Adrian Brugger remains a shareholder of Stars in Town with a minority stake and will continue in his role.

“With the integration of Stars in Town, one of the highest-quality festivals in Switzerland, into the Gadget Group, the story that began together a long time ago will gain a new chapter,” says Christof Huber, director festivals & events at Gadget.

“We are very much looking forward to working even more closely with Christof Huber and the entire Gadget team”

Huber has been jointly responsible for booking Stars in Town for a decade and has been a board member since 2015.

“I warmly welcome Adi Brugger and his team to the Gadget family,” he adds. “Over the past few years, they have established Stars in Town as one of the most important festivals in Switzerland. I look forward to developing the festival together with them and to offering all Schaffhausen residents and guests even more exciting artists and an even more intense musical experience.”

Stars in Town will gain direct access to the Gadget network and benefit from expanded opportunities in booking, ticketing, marketing and sponsorship, among other areas.

“We are very much looking forward to working even more closely with Christof Huber and the entire Gadget team,” adds Brugger. “Thanks to this strong support, we will not only lead the festival into a successful future but also further strengthen Schaffhausen as a regional centre for culture and entertainment.”

The festival’s next edition will take place in Schaffhausen from 2-10 August, featuring acts such as Placebo, Passenger, Tom Odell, Status Quo and Editors.

 


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Festival bills ’24: Paléo, Lolla Berlin, Pukkelpop

Switzerland’s Paléo and Lollapalooza Berlin in Germany head the latest festival lineup announcements for 2024, while Belgium’s Pukkelpop is celebrating a speedy sellout.

Paléo Festival Nyon returns from 23-28 July with a bill headed by Sam Smith, Burna Boy, Booba, Mika, Sean Paul, Major Lazer Soundsystem, Gazo & Tiakola, PLK, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Patti Smith, The Blaze, Paul Kalkbrenner, Aurora and Royal Blood.

Expanding its musical horizons with a mix of pop, rock, rap, dancehall, Afrobeats, reggae, electro, opera and funk, the event will welcome 130 artists in all. Its Village du Monde (Village of the World) will focus on the Balkans, featuring around 20 acts.

Set for 7-8 September at the German capital’s Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park, Lollapalooza Berlin will be headlined by Sam Smith, Martin Garrix, Burna Boy, Seventeen, The Chainsmokers, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Shirin David and CRO.

Other acts will include Loyle Carner, Nothing But Thieves, Meduza, Tom Grennan, Kenya Grace, Elderbrook, Joel Corry and Alok.

That same weekend will also see Goodlive’s Superbloom take place at the Olympic Park in Munich, which has unveiled its expanded lineup. Joining Calvin Harris on the bill are Burna Boy, Shirin David, Jorja Smith, Milky Chance, Loyle Carner, Loreen and Chappell Roan.

Previously confirmed acts included Sam Smith, The Chainsmokers, CRO, Louis Tomlinson, RIN, Provinz, Tokio Hotel, Nothing But Thieves, Kenya Grace and David Puentez. For the first time, there will also be readings by renowned authors, including Ilona Hartmann and Phia Quantius, with two crime podcasts also represented.

“Ticket sales are going well: we are certainly further ahead than this time last year”

Meanwhile, Pukkelpop, which will be held in Hasselt between 15-18 August, sold out all combination tickets in less than 48 hours, according to organisers.

The event will star the likes of Fred Again.., Stormzy, Sam Smith, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Charlotte de Witte, Goldband, Raye, Inhaler, Sugababes, The Vaccines, Skrillex, Jorja Smith, The Smile and Denzel Curry.

Also in Belgium, the resurgent Gent Jazz Festival is expanding from ten to 13 days and has confirmed André 3000 among this year’s performers. The 5,500-cap series runs from 5-20 July and will also feature names such as Diana Krall, Laufey, Jamie Cullum, Air, Alexis Ffrench, DJ Shadow, Nile Rodgers & Chic and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Ghent-based promoter and booking agency Greenhouse Talent took over the international jazz festival last year after previous organiser – the non-profit Jazz en Muziek – went backrupt at the end of 2022.

“For us, the expansion is an essential intervention to guarantee our survival,” organiser Pascal Van De Velde tells De Standaard. “It is difficult for a festival in our niche and with our capacity to break even, and we did not want to save on costs. So we found the solution in extra days: this allows us to spread the basic costs of the festival.

“Ticket sales are going well: we are certainly further ahead than this time last year.”

AIF reports that 21 UK festivals have now announced a postponement, cancellation or complete closure in 2024

Elsewhere, Smash’s Fuji Rock, which will grace Japan’s Naeba Ski Resort in Tokyo from 26-28 July, has added Peggy Gou and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds as headliners alongside Kraftwerk. Other new additions include Remi Wolf, Hiromi’s Sonic Wonder, Denki Groove, Kid Fresno, Man With a Mission, Sampha, Teddy Swims, Macaroni Empitsu, The Spellbound and Kim Gordon.

And AEG’s BST Hyde Park in London has revealed Morgan Wallen as its final 2024 headliner. The country music superstar will perform on 4 July, completing a lineup which also includes SZA (29 June), Kings of Leon (30 June), Andrea Bocelli (5 July), Robbie Williams (6 July), Shania Twain (7 July), Stevie Nicks (12 July), Kylie Minogue (13 July) and Stray Kids (14 July).

However, trade body the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) reports that 21 UK festivals have now announced a postponement, cancellation or complete closure in 2024.

Cotswolds-based Nibley Festival has announced that this year’s event will be its last, shortly after Bradford’s Bingley Festival announced that its 2024 edition will not go ahead.

Promoters of both festivals have cited rapidly rising production costs as the reason why running their event is no longer viable. Portsmouth rock and metal festival Takedown also recently postponed to 2025, citing “challenging trading conditions” among other factors.

AIF warns that, without intervention, the UK could see over 100 festivals disappear in 2024 due to rising costs and has reiterated the need for temporary support from the UK government to lower VAT from 20% to 5% on ticket sales for the next three years.

“It’s with grave concern that we again sound the alarm to government upon passing this critical milestone,” says AIF CEO John Rostron. “UK festivals are disappearing at a worrying rate, and we as a nation are witnessing the erosion of one of our most successful and unique cultural industry sectors.

“We have done the research: a reduction of VAT to 5% on festival tickets over the next three years is a conservative, targeted and temporary measure that would save almost all of the festival businesses that are likely to fall by the wayside this year and many more over the years to come. We need this intervention now.”

 


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Soldout Productions secures Caribana Fest stake

Switzerland’s Soldout Productions has acquired a majority stake in Caribana Productions, owner of the Caribana Festival brand.

The strategic partnership sees Lausanne-based Soldout joining forces with festival founder Tony Lerch and Samuel Galley, who is also the owner and general manager of Swiss concert promoter Just Because.

Soldout director Julien Rouyer says the collaboration presents fresh opportunities for the agency, in addition to securing a bright and stable future for the festival.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Tony Lerch, Samuel Galley, and the entire Caribana team,” says Rouyer. “This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for Soldout Productions and the Caribana Festival, and we look forward to sharing our vision with fans around Switzerland and the world.”

Julien Rouyer and Samuel Galley will jointly manage the event moving forward

Launched in 1992, Caribana Festival is one of Western Switzerland’s premier music festivals, welcoming 30,000 people each year to its lake of Geneva shore site. Lou Reed, Patti Smith, ZZ Top, Katy Perry, Queens of the Stone
Age, Nickelback, Simple Minds, Morcheeba, Nelly Furtado, Maroon 5, Editors, Sum 41, One Republic, 30 Seconds to Mars, Imagine Dragons, Kodaline, Pixies are among the acts that have performed at the festival down the years.

Soldout aims to build upon the event’s legacy while introducing innovative ideas and experiences, with Rouyer and Galley set to jointly manage the event moving forward.

The 32nd edition of Caribana Festival will take place in Crans (VD), Switzerland, from 5-8 June. The line-up will be announced on 29 February.

 


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Viagogo settles with Swiss watchdog

Secondary ticketing platform Viagogo has reached a settlement with Switzerland’s largest consumer protection organisation following a six-year legal battle.

The resale firm, whose European headquarters are in Geneva, has allocated 100,000 Swiss francs (€105,000) as compensation for the 807 individuals who lodged complaints against it with the Fédération Romande des Consommateurs (FRC) prior to 5 February 2024.

Viagogo has also agreed to make changes to its Swiss website, indicating its status as a resale marketplace in Switzerland’s three national languages and English, so that consumers are not led to believe they are buying from an official seller.

It must also provide greater transparency over ticket prices and seating information, feature a reduced number of “pop-up” windows to limit pressure on prospective buyers, and clearly identify professional resellers or traders.

In return for these changes, the FRC has withdrawn its lawsuit. However, should Viagogo fail to meet any of the above commitments, the FRC will be free to make another legal complaint.

“In our view, this agreement was the best option faced to a procedure that was getting bogged down and would certainly have taken many more years before a final decision was reached,” says Jean Tschopp, head of the FRC’s legal department. “Our association preferred concrete improvements for internet users in the form of changes brought to Viagogo’s Swiss website instead of waiting several more years for a final decision.

“What’s more, pursuing the legal route wouldn’t have guaranteed a favourable outcome for aggrieved consumers. Even if the courts had found against Viagogo, the victims wouldn’t necessarily have received compensation. In this case, the 807 people concerned will be.”

“We hope and expect the new Digital Services Act, which requires online marketplaces to improve transparency and desist from pressure buying tactics, will be robustly enforced”

The FRC first lodged a criminal complaint against Viagogo with the Geneva public prosecutor’s office in 2017 after receiving more than 100 complaints against the site, relating to lack of transparency over pricing, pressure-selling tactics, and leading consumers to believe they were buying from an official ticket seller.

“While great news, the settlement – made after six years of legal work – highlights the difficulty of hauling uncapped ticket resale sites through the courts,” says Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT) director Sam Shemtob. “For consumers in the EU, we hope and expect the new Digital Services Act, which requires online marketplaces to improve transparency and desist from pressure buying tactics, will be robustly enforced.”

A Viagogo spokesperson says: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Fédération Romande des Consommateurs. As part of this, we have made changes to our Swiss platform to enhance the fan experience for our Swiss customers. Viagogo is a safe, secure and regulated marketplace that is fully compliant in the markets in which we operate.”

The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which was implemented on Saturday (17 February), brought major implications for the online secondary ticketing market, requiring platforms to identify and verify professional sellers, and prohibiting them from using manipulative sales tactics.

The legislation has also introduced annual reports on content take-downs that should help reveal the scale of illegal activity – data on which enforcement agencies and search engines will be compelled to take action.

There have been over 40 legal cases against ticket traders and resale platforms in the EU since 2016.

 


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Montreux Jazz Festival stalwart passes

The Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF) team has paid tribute to European music industry stalwart Jaquelyne Ledent-Vilain following her death at 78.

German-born Ledent-Vilain, who died on 18 January, was an English teacher before meeting MJF’s legendary founder Claude Nobs in 1974.

She is credited with making the Swiss festival “a haven of peace” for artists, and was recruited by Nobs, then director of Warner Elektra Atlantic (WEA) Records, to work for the label.

“She developed a relationship of trust and complementary friendship with Claude,” reads a tribute shared by the event. “She was the rigorous one, he was the artist. By his side, she worked for over 30 years.”

Speaking to Le Temps in 2019, Ledent-Vilain explained: “One day, Claude Nobs’ assistant, whom I knew, called me to tell me that a guy who worked for the festival had just been hospitalised. She then asked me to come and help them out, and I accepted. That’s how I met Claude and also Nesuhi Ertegün, the big boss of WEA International. I really felt like I was discovering another world.

“The fiercest rockers nicknamed her ‘mom’ while Prince greeted her with a mischievous smile and a bow”

“I gave myself six months to see if I liked it. I started doing my homework: every weekend, I brought back stacks of vinyl, and I started reading Billboard magazine like the Bible.”

Ledent-Vilain spent more than two decades living in London during her WEA tenure, but returned to MJF each year to help out in an unofficial capacity.

“Every summer at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jaquelyne took care of the backstage area, where she reunited with longtime friends and looked forward to meeting the new generations,” adds the MJF team. “When introducing herself to artists, she would simply say, ‘I am the backstage girl.’

“Whether they were emerging talents or global stars, all quickly discovered that Jaquelyne was much more than that. During their stay, she was both a protector, a trustworthy ally, a strict coordinator, and a fantastic storyteller. The fiercest rockers nicknamed her ‘mom’ while Prince greeted her with a mischievous smile and a bow. She could tell you many stories about AC/DC, Mariah Carey, or Nina Simone.

“After each concert, Jaquelyne would put down her notebook and gather everyone backstage to applaud the artists when they got out of stage. A gesture that surprised and touched the artists, accustomed to being applauded on stage, rarely backstage. We invite everyone – family, former colleagues, staff, managers, and artists – to come together to applaud, in turn, this great lady who ‘simply loved people’.”

 


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‘End of an era’: Mainland Music founders move on

Three of the four remaining co-founders of Mainland Music have parted ways after more than a decade of operating one of Switzerland’s principal promoting companies together.

Founded in 2012 by Christian Gremelmayr, Derrick Thomson, Marc Lambelet, Martin Schrader and Santosh Aerthott, Mainland organises more than 650 shows annually from its offices in Zurich and Lausanne. In 2019, the company was acquired by Live Nation GSA, when Schrader departed.

With immediate effect, Aerthott and Gremelmayr will join the management of Good News Productions, the Swiss rock and metal promoter backed by DEAG. Along with current managing director Stefan Matthey, the trio will be responsible for driving the expansion of the company. Former Mainland employee and ticketing and marketing specialist, Patrizia Demont, already joined Good News in October 2023.

“We see excellent opportunities in Switzerland and want to continue to grow profitably with Christian and Santosh and expand our range,” says Detlef Kornett, co-CEO and executive board member of DEAG.

Stefan Matthey, managing director of Good News adds: “I am really looking forward to working with Christian Gremelmayr and Santosh Aerthott. They have extensive experience in the live entertainment industry and a strong network of artists and promoters. We have already worked together closely and trustingly on various events in recent years. Together we want to develop new event formats and offer visitors first-class entertainment at many events and concerts.”

“This is the end of an era. I am very proud of what we have accomplished with Mainland Music as a team over the last 10 years”

Meanwhile, Marc Lambelet will turn his focus to Soldout Productions, a Lausanne-based promoter (est 2006) in which he owns shares.

“This is the end of an era. I am very proud of what we have accomplished with Mainland Music as a team over the last 10 years,” says Lambelet.

“My 32-year-old partner in crime Derrick, will carry on running the show on his own. I wish him good luck. I also want to send my congrats to my ex-partners Santosh and Christian. Godspeed to them on their new venture with Good News.

“After 33 years in the live music business, I’m as passionate as ever for a job that is more a lifestyle than proper work. I am looking forward to opening a new chapter in my career.”

Derrick Thomson remains at the helm of Mainland, with upcoming tours including Olivia Rodrigo, Jonas Brothers, Troye Sivan, Rod Stewart, Nickleback and Karol G.

 


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Baloise Session extends partnership agreement

Swiss concert series Baloise Session has announced a four-year extension to its long-running sponsorship agreement.

Basel-headquartered insurance and financial services provider Baloise has partnered with the event for 25 years, and has served as its presenting sponsor since 2013. The new deal runs until 2029.

The 2023 edition of the intimate series, which hosts 15,500 fans annually to the club-like setting of the 1,150-seat Event Hall of the Basel Fair, runs from 21 October to 9 November. Artists include Freya Ridings, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding, Eurythmics Songbook featuring Dave Stewart and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

“We are proud to have had Baloise by our side as a loyal partner for the past 25 years,” says Baloise Session CEO Beatrice Stirnimann. “This sponsoring engagement has allowed us, as an independent event organiser, to make the Baloise Session what it is today: a festival that attracts musicians and visitors from around the world and has gained an international reputation.”

“Thanks to this timely contract extension, we have the necessary planning security to further develop the festival”

Running every autumn for the past 38 years, the Baloise Session has presented acts such as Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Lewis Capaldi and Eric Clapton.

“We want to thank Baloise for the major trust it has placed in our institution over many years,” adds Stephan Werthmüller, chair of the festival board. “Thanks to this timely contract extension, we have the necessary planning security to further develop the festival.”

This year’s event wraps up with shows by the Eurythmics Songbook featuring Dave Stewart/Joss Stone (7 November), UB40/Gentleman (8 November) and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds/Richard Hawley (9 November). Tickets cost from 80-150 Swiss francs.

“The Baloise Session is a unique music festival that brings people together and offers them magical musical
moments,” says Baloise CEO Clemens Markstein. “We are proud to continue supporting this renowned series of events as presenting sponsor, and look forward to many more years of collaboration.”

 


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The New Bosses 2023: Lotta Widmer, Winterthurer Musikfestwochen

The 16th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses was published in IQ 121 this month, revealing 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.

To get to know this year’s cohort a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2023’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Catch up on the previous interview with Kerem Turgut, senior event programmer and live music booker at Dubai Opera (TU) here. The series continues with Lotta Widmer co-managing director of the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen (CH).

Even though music has always played an important role in Lotta Widmer’s life, she preferred to play and listen to it for herself – or to work behind the scenes. At the age of 16, she started helping out at the local club and concert hall, Salzhaus. After shifts at the bar, checkroom and cash desk, she did an internship at the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, a 12-day music festival in the old town of Winterthur with 60,000 visitors in total, 1,000 volunteers, 50% Swiss artists and nine days of free programming.

After the internship, Widmer secured a permanent position and was from then on responsible for sponsoring and sustainability, while finishing her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering. Doing two festivals in this position, she is now the co-managing director of the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen. She is also on the national committee of PETZI (Swiss federation of music venues and festivals), Salzhaus and is part of Vert le Futur (association for sustainability in the cultural sector).


Do you play any instruments, or have you been in any bands?
I played the piano for over 10 years, sang in the choir for several years and took singing lessons. But I have never played in a band or been on stage, I really prefer working backstage.

Was anyone else in your family involved in music or entertainment, or are you the first Widmer to follow this path?
I am the first in our family to work in this field – although we all like music very much and it has always accompanied us. We all do very different stuff for work.

You have a degree in environmental engineering. How does this impact what you do and how you plan any of the events you are involved in?
Short answer: A lot!
Long answer: With this knowledge (also about the consequences of climate change) I almost have to. I am responsible for sustainability in our team and have calculated the footprint of the festival in 2021. Based on this, we have made an analysis of how we can avoid, reduce and mitigate emissions. But of course, there is much more to sustainability than ecological measures – it is important to me to also look at the social and economic dimensions of sustainability.

“Often, one door opens to another, as long as you keep working at it”

As a New Boss, what would you change to make the live music industry a better place?
Oh well. Of course, change often starts in small steps. But speaking from an organiser’s point of view, we have a resource problem. There is a lack of human and financial resources, which in turn leads to many other problems such as fair fees and salaries, overwork, (mental) health problems, etc. So what would I change? More paid time for more people who currently do a lot of voluntary work.

Lots of people are trying to find a job in the music industry. What advice would you give to anyone trying to get a foot in the door?
Just start somewhere (as a volunteer e.g.) to get a foot in, make contacts and be open. Often, one door opens to another, as long as you keep working at it.

Do you have a mentor, or someone you rely on to turn to for advice?
Mmh, not really one person. Depending on the issue, I have various people in the local community whom I can ask. That’s what I always come back to because it’s impossible to know and be able to do everything. I think that we should also set an example in teams, that asking for help is not a bad thing.

“The most important meeting place for the Swiss music scene is definitely the industry festival m4music”

As a young person working in the highly competitive Swiss market, are there particular events or forums you rely on to help you connect and network with agents and other industry professionals?
The most important meeting place for the Swiss music scene is definitely the industry festival m4music, which takes place annually in March in Zurich. It’s a great place to make contacts. Otherwise, depending on the topic, network meetings of Helvetia Rockt (Swiss coordination office and networking platform for female, inter, non-binary, trans and agender musicians), PETZI (Swiss federation of music venues and festivals) and of course all the festivals and concerts where contacts can be cultivated.

If money was no object, who would be your ideal headline acts for Winterthurer Musikfestwochen?
Billie Eilish, ROSALíA or Stromae.

What one thing would you like artists to learn about coming to perform in Switzerland?
Difficult question. I couldn’t really think of anything else than that the organisers and the audience really appreciate it when bands also come to little Switzerland to play.

 


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