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Ticket scammers target Swifties ahead of Oz gigs

Australian Taylor Swift fans have lost in excess of A$260,000 (€157,000) in a fake ticket scam for the star’s upcoming concerts in the country.

Swift will perform seven shows in Australia this month, with three nights at Melbourne Cricket Ground (16-18 February) followed by four dates at Sydney’s Accor Stadium (23-26 February). More than four million users attempted to buy pre-sale tickets for the shows last June.

Victoria Police say they have received at least 250 reports of ticketing scams for The Eras Tour since the dates went on sale, including 40 complaints since 30 January this year.

A common tactic has seen scammers hack social media accounts and then use the profiles to sell fake tickets to the victim’s friends. The scammers advertise their tickets “at cost price”, with a story behind why they can no longer attend, and may rush interested parties into buying the tickets and transferring them money.

“As well as the ticket price, they’ll likely ask you to pay the extra fees to change the name on the ticket,” say detectives from the cybercrime squad. “They will often send what they purport to be a screenshot of the email confirmation of having bought the tickets, making the scam look more legitimate. Then, once you’ve transferred the money… the profile will block you.”

“Keep your side of the street clean and protect yourself. Only buy tickets from an authorised reseller”

Det Sgt John Cheyne of Victoria Police’s cybercrime squad warns Swifties: “We know you’re often too in love to think straight when it comes to nabbing a ticket to the Eras Tour, but please, keep your side of the street clean and protect yourself. Only buy tickets from an authorised reseller.”

Swift wraps up a four-night run at Japan’s Tokyo Dome tomorrow (10 February) on the latest stop of her record-breaking world tour.

In December 2023, Eras officially became the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in revenue, and is projected to generate another $1bn at the box office this year,

It was revealed earlier this week that The Eras Tour concert film is arriving on Disney + globally on 15 March, with five additional songs. The streaming service will make available ‘Taylor’s Version’ of the film, which includes the performance of ‘Cardigan’ and four acoustic songs that were cut out of the theatrical release.

In January, The Eras Tour concert film became the highest-grossing concert/documentary film in box office history with more than US$261.6 million earned globally.

 


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Australia’s Good Things fest cut short by ‘freak’ storm

Good Things, Australia’s largest alternative and rock music festival, was cut short on Saturday (2 December) due to a ‘freak’ storm that forced fans to evacuate the Sydney event.

US rock band Fall Out Boy were four songs into their headlining set when an announcement over the PA system urged the crowd to evacuate immediately over fears of an impending hailstorm.

“Hail storm coming with large hailstones and lightning,” the announcer stated. “Could you please orderly evacuate the site. Don’t rush and move away from the structures please.”

As the 20,000-strong crowd headed towards the single exit gate, around 9:30 pm, a sudden torrential downpour set in, leaving punters soaked as they made their way out of Centennial Park.

The storm, which hit parts of Sydney, regional New South Wales and Victoria, is said to have delivered half of Sydney’s average December rainfall in 20 minutes.

“The entire Good Things team strives to deliver the most incredible experiences for all our patrons within our control”

Organisers said the festival would restart after the storm; however, patrons were still waiting at 10.15 pm. In a statement posted to social media after 11 pm, Good Things Festival said the decision to evacuate was made by police, the State Emergency Service and event organisers.

“First and foremost, Good Things Festival paramount concern is the safety of our patrons. The entire Good Things team pour their heart and soul into the festival and strive to deliver the most incredible experiences for all our patrons within our control,” it said.

“Based on the advice from the NSW Police and the SES the Festival organisers implemented a show stop and full site evacuation in line with our approved event management and crowd safety plans.”

The downpour also pushed back the start of play in the second half of the soccer between Sydney FC and Perth Glory at Allianz Stadium at Moore Park.

Good Things is promoted by leading Australian rock promoter Destroy All Lines, which recently announced new festival, New Bloom.

The independent promoter’s upcoming concerts include All Time Low, Dance Gavin Dance, Mayday Parade, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, The Aces, Bloc Party and Interpol.

 


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Woman dies after fall at Robbie Williams concert

A woman has died in hospital following a fall at the end of a Robbie Williams concert in Sydney, Australia.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Robyn Hall, who was in her 70s, fell down six floors of stairs on the upper level of the Allianz Stadium on 16 November.

She was treated at the scene for injuries to her face and head before being taken to hospital in a critical condition, but passed away yesterday after being in an induced coma for several days.

A spokesperson for Venues NSW, which operates the stadium, says the incident took place at around 10.15pm, when the sold-out 40,000-cap show finished and people started to leave.

This is a terribly sad incident and our thoughts and wishes are with the patron and their family during this time”

“Rather than use stairs, the woman attempted to step over seating rows,” says the spokesperson. “She lost her footing and fell. This is a terribly sad incident and our thoughts and wishes are with the patron and their family during this time.”

It is the second tragedy involving a major concert over the past few days after 23-year-old Taylor Swift fan Ana Clara Benevides Machado fainted during Swift’s performance at Estádio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro last Friday, in the midst of Brazil’s record-breaking heatwave. She was rushed to hospital, where she died after suffering a reported cardiac arrest.

Williams, who is currently the subject of a four-part Netflix documentary, was performing in Sydney as part of his Australian XXV Tour, promoted by Chugg Entertainment and Frontier Touring.

The tour, which is celebrating Williams’ 25th anniversary as a solo artist, is due to continue this week with two nights at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.

 


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Australia gains new touring alt-rock festival

Leading Australian rock promoter Destroy All Lines has announced a new touring festival for alternative rock and punk fans.

New Bloom Fest will hit the East Coast of Australia between 15–17 March 2024, visiting Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane, UNSW Roundhouse in Sydney and Melbourne Pavilion.

The inaugural event, co-presented with triple j and Short.Fast.Loud, will be headlined by US rock band Citizen for what will be their first tour of Australia since 2019.

Other North American acts on the bill include post-hardcore bands Movements and Touché Amoré, pop-punk outfit No Pressure, rock band Fleshwater and Canadian grunge duo Soft Cell.

New Bloom Fest is “a festival overflowing with exceptional fresh talent from the alternative and punk scene at home and abroad”

Domestic acts on the bill include Eat Your Heart Out performing at the Brisbane date, Amends in Sydney, Born Free in Melbourne and more.

Promoters have dubbed New Bloom Fest “a festival overflowing with exceptional fresh talent from the alternative and punk scene at home and abroad”.

Destroy All Lines’ festival portfolio also includes Good Things, currently Australia’s largest alternative and rock music festival, which will be headlined by Fall Out Boy and Limp Bizkit this year.

The independent promoter’s upcoming concerts include All Time Low, Dance Gavin Dance, Mayday Parade, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, The Aces, Bloc Party and Interpol.

 


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Two deaths, 70 drug charges after Sydney festivals

Two men in their 20s died and a further 10 people were taken to hospital after attending the Knockout Outdoor festival at Giants Stadium, Sydney Showground.

The victims, aged 26 and 21, died in hospital after being treated by paramedics following the 53,000-cap electronic music event, which took place on Saturday (30 September). Promoted by HSU Events, it featured acts such as Head Hunterz, D-Block & S-Te-Fan, Wasted Penguinz and Darren Styles.

The Guardian reports that police are investigating the cause of both deaths, but were unable to confirm if the men had taken drugs.

“It’s not specifically being treated as a suspected drug overdose,” said Det Supt Simon Glasser, who suggested the warm weather could have been a factor.

“We look at all avenues. Anything could have happened,” he added. “This shows that people can die at music festivals. Drugs can have some horrible consequences. When you mix that with the heat of yesterday, it’s an added risk factor that can cause adverse effects.

“It’s horrible. These events are events to go and enjoy some music and have a lot of fun with mates, so it’s tragic people have lost their lives.”

More than 70 people were charged with drug offences during high-visibility police operations across Knockout Outdoor and Listen Up

Just last week, NSW Health issued a warning to the public of a high-dose MDMA tablet found to contain more than four times the average dose of other MDMA tablets in recent circulation.

More than 70 people were charged with drug offences during high-visibility police operations across Knockout Outdoor and Listen Up, which was held at Centennial Park on the same day. The weekend marked the start of Sydney’s summer festival season.

NSW police say 27 people have been charged with possessing prohibited drug at Knockout, while four people – two men and two women – were charged with supply prohibited drug.

Meanwhile, at the 27,500-cap Listen Up, which hosted acts including Ice Spice, Arrdee, Four Tet and Lil Uzi Vert, 85 people were detected in possession of prohibited drugs, resulting in 37 field court attendance notices, 29 criminal infringement notices and 19 cannabis cautions.

Additionally, eight people – five men and three women – were charged with supply prohibited drug, while two people were arrested for assaulting police, one for wilful and obscene exposure and another for breach of bail.

 


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International K-pop festival transported to China

International K-pop festival HallyuPopFest will be exported to China this October, following editions in Singapore, Sydney and London.

The China debut will take place on 21 and 22 October at Wynn Palace, a five-star hotel situated in Macau (informally known as the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’).

NCT Dream and SHINee – both South Korean boy bands formed by SM Entertainment – will headline the Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Hyolyn, Sam Kim, Omega X and Nine to Six will also perform on the first day, while Kard, Verivery, Cherry Bullet and H1-Key join Sunday’s lineup.

“This annual K-pop festival has rapidly become a global sensation”

Attendees can expect an on-site Hallyu Town, as well as red carpet and meet & greet events in addition to the concerts, according the festival’s website. At the time of publishing, HallyuPopFest has yet to release ticketing details.

“Music tourism is on the rise around the world, and this annual K-pop festival has rapidly become a global sensation,” says Linda Chen, president and vice chairman of the company behind Wynn Palace.

“By hosting major international music festivals such as these at Wynn Palace, our goal is to put Macau on the map as a top-tier destination for international events.”

HallyuPopFest first debuted in 2018 with a three-day event in Singapore, before returning to the city-state the following year.

The festival has since expanded beyond Asia, and held its first UK and Australian events in London and Sydney in 2022.

HallyuPopFest is the latest festival brand to be transplanted in China after 88rising recently revealed plans to launch Head in the Clouds festival in Guangzhou this September.

 


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One dead, 12 hospitalised after dance festival

One man died from a suspected drug overdose and 12 people required hospital treatment following a dance music festival in Australia.

Police conducted a high-visibility police operation at Transmission Music Festival, which was held at Sydney Showground on Saturday (11 February). The 18,000-cap event was headlined by Armin van Buuren and featured acts such as AVAO, Jeffrey Sutorius, Will Atkinson and Xijaro & Pitch.

Officers were called to Bankstown Hospital at about 3am yesterday to investigate the circumstances of the death of a 26-year-old man. Police were told the man – who had earlier attended the festival – presented at the hospital just before 1.30am for a suspected drug overdose.

More than 130 people were treated by medical professionals at the venue, with numerous complaints suspected to relate to drug use and heat exhaustion, with at least 12 people transported to hospitals for further treatment relating to drug use, with seven of those patients requiring intubation.

Six men have been charged with drug supply offences and an investigation is underway

Six men have been charged with drug supply offences and an investigation is underway.

NSW Police say the event was determined a high-risk event under the Music Festivals Act 2019, and as such, police were assisted by security officers, NSW Ambulance paramedics and medical professionals to provide a safe and secure environment.

During the operation, police arrested six men – aged between 19 and 33 – who were detected in possession of MDMA. A 23-year-old man was charged with supplying a prohibited drug after he was allegedly found in possession of 253 MDMA tablets, while a 21-year-old man was charged with supplying a prohibited drug and possessing a prohibited drug after he was allegedly found in possession of 149 MDMA tablets.

The other four men were issued court attendance notices for supply prohibited drug and are due to appear at court at a later date.

 


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Bruno Mars to launch Sydney’s Allianz Stadium

Bruno Mars will launch the newly rebuilt Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Australia with two concerts from 14-15 October.

The 45,000-cap AUD$828 million (€564m) venue will replace the original Sydney Football Stadium, which hosted the likes of U2, Robbie Williams and Red Hot Chili Peppers before closing in 2018.

“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome audiences back to Allianz Stadium in the heart of Sydney and who better to lead the opening celebrations than the legendary, record-breaking artist Bruno Mars,” says Paul Dainty, president and CEO of promoter TEG Dainty. “These opening shows will go down in history as not to be missed.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome audiences back to Allianz Stadium in the heart of Sydney”

Mars last performed in Australia in four years ago as part of his 24K Magic World Tour, which was No.5 in Pollstar‘s 2018 rankings after grossing US$167.6m from 75 concerts. The tour was also the fourth highest-grossing of 2017, generating US$200.1m from 121 performances.

The Allianz Stadium, which boasts 42,500 uncovered seats, will host a free community day headlined by Guy Sebastian and Baker Boy as a warm-up event on 28 August. It also has confirmed shows by Justin Bieber on 30 November and Elton John from 17-18 January 2023.

Germany-headquartered Allianz was announced as the venue’s naming rights partner back in March. The company also has partnerships with venues in Germany, the US, Austria, Italy, Brazil and France.

Through our stadium partnerships, we are committed to bringing communities together to enjoy an array of sport, international concerts and important cultural events,” said Allianz Australia MD Richard Feledy.

 


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TEG announces formation of TEG Europe

Australasian live entertainment powerhouse TEG has announced the formation of TEG Europe, consolidating the company’s UK-based operations into a single entity.

Based out of London and Bristol, TEG Europe comprises five different divisions: TEG Live Europe, TEG Venues, Propaganda, Ticketek and Ovation.

TEG Live Europe includes the former TEG MJR touring business, which has worked with artists including Snoop Dogg, Sia, Hans Zimmer, 50 Cent, Tom Jones, and Culture Club.

TEG Venues includes 10 owned, operated, co-promoted, and programmed venues throughout the UK, including Tramshed (cap. 1,000) in Cardiff, XOYO (800) in London and The Mill (1,000) in Birmingham.

Propaganda, the UK’s leading indie rock & roll nightclub brand, includes fifteen weekly events across the country, as well as promoted events in the US, Australia, Brazil and Ibiza.

Ticketek, which has 40+ years’ experience ticketing major international events and partnering with some of the world’s best venues, was introduced into the UK in 2020 and already works with some of the country’s premier venues.

“Today’s news represents a crucial milestone in the expansion of TEG and positions us for further growth across Europe”

And Ovation, TEG’s data science and analytics business, provides sports organisations, venues, promoters, content creators, media and tech partners with analytics, data science, research, personalisation, and advanced digital marketing.

TEG already has a significant presence in the UK and Europe, having acquired Bristol-based promoter and venue operator MJR Group in 2019. According to TEG, the company already promotes more than 2,000 shows annually in the country and on the continent.

TEG CEO Geoff Jones says: “Today’s news represents a crucial milestone in the expansion of TEG’s successful integrated live entertainment model into the vibrant UK market and positions us for further growth across Europe.

“By combining these businesses into a single customer-focused operation, we are well positioned to work with new and existing industry partners in the UK and Europe to help grow their businesses while continuing our own growth in the region.”

Concert promotion, ticketing and technology firm TEG operates out of seven countries worldwide with offices in Australia, New Zealand, south-east Asia and the UK.

The group includes TEG Live, TEG Sport, TEG Experiences, TEG Dainty, SXSW Sydney, TEG MJR, TEG Van Egmond, Laneway Festival, TEG Rockefeller, Handsome Tours, Qudos Bank Arena, Ticketek, Softix, TicketCharge, TicketWorld, Ticketek Singapore and Ovation.

 


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TEG names Luke Bould chief commercial officer

Sydney-based live entertainment group TEG has appointed Luke Bould as chief commercial officer.

According to a release, Bould will be responsible for all of TEG’s commercial activity across the group, working with all the company’s businesses to identify and drive growth opportunities globally. He will also oversee TEG’s communications and corporate affairs function.

Bould will operate from TEG’s Sydney office reporting to TEG CEO Geoff Jones. His 25 years’ experience in sport and entertainment comprises senior commercial roles at Cricket Australia, as well as COO and CMO titles at Football Australia.

The seasoned professional is also an experienced non-executive director and has a background in music and filmed entertainment with Polygram in the UK.

More recently he founded Sydney-based management consultancy firm Alacria, where he remains a director.

“Luke has strong track record of delivering commercial growth, digital innovation and creative deals in sport, events, and music”

TEG CEO Geoff Jones comments: “We are excited to welcome Luke in this vital role as we continue to demonstrate the power of the live experience to connect brands with consumers and generate ROI. Luke is a highly experienced executive with a strong track record of delivering commercial growth, digital innovation and creative deals in sport, events, and music. He is a great addition to our senior leadership team.”

Bould adds: “I am delighted to join TEG, a great Australian success story that has become one of the world’s top integrated live entertainment businesses. It is an exciting time for TEG, with enormous growth opportunities, so I am looking forward to leading the commercial development of the business.”

Concert promotion, ticketing and technology firm TEG operates out of seven countries worldwide with offices in Australia, New Zealand, south-east Asia and the UK.

The group includes TEG Live, TEG Sport, TEG Experiences, TEG Dainty, SXSW Sydney, TEG MJR, TEG Van Egmond, Laneway Festival, TEG Rockefeller, Handsome Tours, Qudos Bank Arena, Ticketek, Softix, TicketCharge, TicketWorld, Ticketek Singapore and Ovation.

 


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