x

The latest industry news to your inbox.


I'd like to hear about marketing opportunities

    

I accept IQ Magazine's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Ed Sheeran draws over 81k fans to Lithuania

Ed Sheeran has set a new ticket sales record for an international artist in the Baltic states after drawing more than 81,000 fans over two nights in Lithuania.

The British singer-songwriter brought his +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour to the Dariaus and Gireno Stadium in Kaunas on 3-4 August, presented by AEG Presents, FKP Scorpio and local co-promoter L Tips Agency.

“Ed’s year in 2024 has been full of record breaking shows not just in the Middle East & Asia but now in the Baltics,” says Simon Jones, AEG’s SVP, international touring. “The shows in Lithuania this past weekend were a fantastic return to the region, and he continues on into Eastern Europe and the Balkans doing some of the biggest shows these countries have ever seen. It never ceases to amaze me.”

FKP Scorpio touring director Inga Esseling adds: “We are more than happy to have broken yet another record with the most attended show ever by an international artist in the Baltics. We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to L Tips and all local stakeholders without whom the second music concert ever in Kaunas stadium, as well as 80.000 sold tickets in only two days, wouldn’t have been possible.”

The event was the first international artist show to take place in the newly renovated stadium in Kaunas.

“Ed Sheeran concert in Darius and Girenas stadium is a record breaker for Kaunas city,” says Zalgiris Group head of events department Mantas Vedrickas. “Effects of this show can be felt not only in Kaunas, but in all Lithuania. I strongly believe that this show will be the ground breaker for all international and local upcoming shows.”

Kaunas city director of municipal administration Tadas Metelionis says the shows were a “huge success” and brought additional economic benefits for the region.

“The concerts’ overall impact on the city’s economy is estimated to be around €14 million”

“Not only were the concerts the biggest commercial event in Kaunas’ history, but they also attracted thousands of foreign concertgoers from neighbouring countries, according to preliminary estimates,” says Metelionis. “The concerts’ overall impact on the city’s economy is estimated to be around €14 million. The positive feedback from participants gives us confidence in hosting even more events in the future.”

The shows marked the third time that L Tips Agency, which is one of the largest independent promoters in the Baltic States, had organised Sheeran’s concerts in the Baltics.

“We are happy and grateful for Ed Sheeran’s loyalty because we have already promoted all six of his shows in the Baltics together,” says Gints Putniņš, CEO of L Tips Agency. “It was a big challenge to promote the first shows of this level in the new Kaunas stadium, but with such a great local team and partners like FKP Scorpio, AEG and the city of Kaunas, nothing is impossible.”

Putniņš and other local independent promoters spoke to IQ about the groundbreaking tour earlier this year.

Sheeran, who is represented by agent Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live outside North America, has announced the Mathematics run will conclude next year after extending to a fourth year.

Renowned promoter Salomon Hazot recently praised the “absolutely magnificent” sales for Sheeran’s 2025 French stadium dates, while FKP Scorpio confirmed additional nights in Germany, Belgium, Norway and Sweden after selling more than 600,000 tickets in an hour. The 33-year-old will also play extra shows in Switzerland and Denmark.

PHOTO (L-R): Hannah Chapman (tour, event & production manager, AEG Presents), Jessica Vincent (international touring, AEG Presents UK), Simon Jones (SVP, international touring, AEG Presents), Folkert Koopmans (founder and CEO, FKP Scorpio), Ed Sheeran, Gints Putnins (CEO, L Tips Agency), Inga Esseling (touring director, FKP Scorpio)

 


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

Salomon Hazot hails ‘magnificent’ Ed Sheeran sales

Renowned promoter Salomon Hazot has praised the “absolutely magnificent” sales for Ed Sheeran’s 2025 French stadium dates.

Hazot is staging the singer-songwriter’s +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour concerts at Marseille’s 70,000-cap Orange Vélodrome Stadium (6-7 June) and Lille’s 65,000-cap Decathlon Arena (20-21 June) next year via his partnership with AEG Presents France.

“We sold out each stadium in less than two hours,” Hazot tells IQ. “This is the first time any artist has sold out those towns in one day and added a second night. Beyoncé only did one night. Maybe the biggest French artist, called Jul, could do more, but he did not want to. Nobody else has ever done it.”

With prices ranging from €29-150, Hazot says Sheeran tickets are “the cheapest on the market for the stadium” and points out the absence of VIP and platinum packages.

“It’s not too expensive,” he continues. “You do two nights instead of one, and you grow. It’s more money and you will sell twice as much merch, etc.”

Nevertheless, Hazot admits to being taken aback by the level of demand given the 33-year-old Brit has no new album to promote – his most recent LP was 2023’s Autumn Variations. The tour previously stopped in France in July 2022 for two sold out nights at Paris’ 80,000-cap Stade de France.

“The guy is so huge now here – to sell 130,000 tickets in Lille and 140,000 in Marseille – it’s embarrassing how big he is!”

“He’s just coming in the middle of nowhere, selling dates in summertime in France,” laughs Hazot. “The guy is so huge now here – to sell 130,000 tickets in Lille and 140,000 in Marseille – it’s embarrassing how big he is. I’m a good promoter but it’s not because of me, it’s because of him!”

A stalwart of the European live music business, Hazot has worked with artists such as Björk, Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Bruno Mars, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd and Robbie Williams in his home market. He partnered with AEG two years ago, having previously created and managed Garance Productions, Nous Productions and Rock en Seine festival. He also served a stint as VP at Live Nation France and later teamed up with Olympia Production.

Moreover, Hazot suggests the success seen with Sheeran is bucking the overall trend on the French live scene.

“The market is tough right now for any kind of music – R&B, pop, independent, rock, hard rock,” he says. “Of course, we’ll still have bands that sell out quick, but everyone is saying the market is difficult. Festivals cancel and not only because of the weather. It’s like life in general – it is tough for everyone.”

Sheeran, who is represented by agent Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live outside North America, recently announced the Mathematics run will conclude in 2025 after extending to a fourth year. Promoter FKP Scorpio confirmed additional nights in Germany, Belgium, Norway and Sweden after selling more than 600,000 tickets in an hour for the initial dates. He will also play extra shows in Switzerland and Denmark.

 


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

600k tickets sold in 60 mins for Ed Sheeran tour

Ed Sheeran has added extra tour dates to his 2025 European +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour after selling more than 600,000 tickets in an hour.

Due to demand, promoter FKP Scorpio has announced second nights in Germany at Stuttgart’s MHP Arena (28 June), Volksparkstadion in Hamburg (7 July) and Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf (6 September), as well as in Norway at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion (27 July), in Belgium at Antwerp’s Middenvijver Park (7 August) and in Sweden at Strawberry Arena, Stockholm.

Sheeran will set a new concert attendance record with his Norway gigs, with 36,000 fans set to flock to the stadium per night. It has previously hosted up to 31,000 fans. FKP Scorpio Norway’s Tim Salvesen says that organisers have been “overwhelmed” by the response since come since last Friday’s announcement.

“In collaboration with Ed Sheeran’s team and with good help from Ullevaal Stadium, we are really happy to be able to put on another concert next summer,” Salvesen tells VartOslo.

Sheeran will also perform a second show in Zurich at Stadion Letzigrund on 3 August in cooperation with All Blues/TAKK, and a third date at Copenhagen’s Øresundsparken in Denmark on 31 August with Smash!Bang!Pow!

The Mathematics Tour was the seventh highest-grossing tour of 2023, according to Pollstar

Held in support of the singer-songwriter’s = (2021) and  (2023) albums, the 131-date tour launched in Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin in April 2022. The trek was the seventh highest-grossing tour of 2023, according to Pollstar, garnering $268 million from 2.5 million attendees.

“In 2025, Mathematics Tour comes to an end,” said Sheeran in an Instagram post last week. “Gonna be hitting most of the other places we haven’t been to yet, but the first dates to go up will be the rest of Europe, more to follow.”

Local independent promoters recently spoke to IQ about how they are breaking ground in their markets with record ticket sales for Sheeran’s 2024 European dates.

Sheeran is represented by agents Marty Diamond and Ash Lewis at Wasserman for US and Canada, and Jon Ollier at One Finiix Live for the rest of the world.

 


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

Ed Sheeran confirms 2025 European stadium tour

Ed Sheeran’s +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour will officially extend to a fourth year after the star confirmed a final slate of 2025 European stadium dates.

The singer-songwriter, who is represented by Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live outside North America, will play shows in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Denmark next year.

The run is currently due to start at Civitas Metropolitano in Madrid on 30 May and conclude in Dusseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena on 5 September, with further announcements to follow. Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday (10 July).

Sheeran also has upcoming 2024 concerts at Polsat Plus Arena in Gdansk, Poland (12-13 July), Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary (20 July), Park 360 in Hradec Kralove, Czechia (27-28 July), Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuania (3-4 August) and the Hipodrom in Zagreb, Croatia (10 August).

“In 2025, Mathematics Tour comes to an end. Gonna be hitting most of the other places we haven’t been to yet”

In addition, he will perform at Austria’s Frequency Festival (14 August), Ušće Park in Belgrade, Serbia (17 August), Romania’s National Arena in Bucharest (24 August), Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria (31 August) and Land of Tomorrow in Larnaca Bay, Cyprus (7-8 September), as well as headlining Brazil’s Rock in Rio on 19 September.

“In 2025, Mathematics Tour comes to an end,” says Sheeran in an Instagram post. “Gonna be hitting most of the other places we haven’t been to yet, but the first dates to go up will be the rest of Europe, more to follow.”

Held in support of Sheeran’s = (2021) and (2023) albums, the 131-date Mathematics Tour launched in Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin in April 2022. The trek was seventh highest-grossing tour of 2023, according to Pollstar, garnering $268 million from 2.5 million attendees.

Last month, the 33-year-old set a new record in Malta for the largest-ever paid-for concert, with 35,000 fans flocking to Ta’ Qali National Park in Attard – his first-ever performance in the country. Local independent promoters in Bulgaria and Latvia also spoke to IQ about how the tour is breaking ground in their markets.

The full list of 2025 tour dates is as follows:

30 May: Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
6 June: Orange Vélodrome Stadium, Marseille, France
14 June: TBA, Italy, Rome
20 June: Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, France
29 June: MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
5 July: Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany
26 July: Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
2 August: Stadion Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland
8 August: Middenvijver Park, Antwerp, Belgium
16 August: Tarczyński Arena, Wroclaw, Poland
23 August: Strawberry Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
29-30 August: Øresundsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
5 September: Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany

 


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

Ed Sheeran’s UAE shows tipped to make history

Ed Sheeran’s forthcoming Dubai concerts could become the best-selling shows in UAE history, according to All Things Live Middle East CEO Thomas Ovesen.

The British singer-songwriter brings his + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour to The Sevens Stadium from 19-20 January 2024 in what are being called the largest open-air concerts ever to take place in Dubai.

The dates, which will see the 32-year-old perform “in the round”, will be Sheeran’s first in the Middle East since playing the city’s Autism Rocks Arena in November 2017, which attracted a sell-out 23,272 crowd.

“Not since 2017 has the Dubai market hosted such large scale outdoor concerts promoted on merits of ticket sales,” Ovesen tells IQ. “So it’s with great satisfaction we don’t just put on two Ed Sheeran concerts here in January, but again together with AEG Presents get to work with Ed and his management – this time showcasing his incredible 360° production for the first time in the Middle East.”

The events, which will feature support from Calum Scott, are backed by Dubai Calendar and Coca-Cola Arena, with tickets going on sale on Friday (9 November).

“It’s not only a massive event and achievement for Dubai, but one that hopefully reflects also a return to more large-scale outdoor shows”

“With a combined capacity of more than 60.000 tickets these shows could well break the record of the best-selling UAE concert ever. It’s not only a massive event and achievement for Dubai, but one that hopefully reflects also a return to more large-scale outdoor shows and an increased live entertainment offering in our market.”

European live entertainment group All Things Live launched in the Middle East earlier this year following successful collaborations with Ovesen’s TOP Entertainment. Ovesen had previously brought acts including Justin Bieber, The Eagles, Guns ‘N Roses, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and Ed Sheeran to the region, and launched festivals such as RedFestDXB and Fiesta De Los Muertos.

The promoter’s recent highlights included a rare sell-out for last weekend’s Bryan Adams’ concert at Dubai’s 17,000-cap Coca-Cola Arena.

“I think the arena has had a few other sell-out shows this year including Hanz Zimmer and some Arabic and Indian artists,” Ovesen told IQ last month. “But the UAE is a relatively small market with less than 10 million residents and more than 200 nationalities, so it is hard to pick an event or artist that will pull from all the various communities and sell beyond 10,000 tickets.

“It’s rare that shows in the UAE sell out and, indeed, for large-scale shows in the few arenas here. So for an established touring artist who has visited the market many times in the past and played in smaller capacities, to completely sell out Coca-Cola Arena two months prior to the show date is unheard of. Our last sold-out show at the venue was with 50 Cent back in September 2022 and it only sold out the day before the show.”

The Mathematics Tour was the fifth highest-grossing worldwide in H1 2023

The Mathematics Tour was the fifth highest-grossing worldwide in Pollstar‘s H1 2023 rankings, selling just over one million tickets to earn $105.3 million. Back in June, Sheeran broke the attendance record at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium in the USA, pulling in 89,106 people to surpass the 88,491 fans drawn by U2 for their 360° Tour in 2011.

He also broke his own attendance record at Melbourne Cricket Ground in March by playing to more than 100,000 fans on consecutive nights, and New Zealand’s Sky Stadium, where he drew 48,000 fans. He also set a new ticket sales record in Denmark, shifting 160,000 tickets to four shows in the capital city of Copenhagen last year.

Sheeran, who will tour Asia and Europe in 2024, will also headline Rock in Rio Lisbon’s 20th anniversary edition, and is also slated to appear at other festivals including Lucca Summer Festival (Italy), Hurricane & Southside (Germany) and Stavernfestivalen (Norway).

His previous 255 show ÷ (Divide) run from 2017-19 was the highest-grossing tour ever before, generating $776.2 million, before being surpassed by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour earlier this year. Sheeran is represented by Marty Diamond of Wasserman Music in North America and Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live for the rest of the world.

 


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