Festival behemoth Superstruct Entertainment has announced that Ritty van Straalen is leaving the company on 1 November 2024.

Van Straalen has been the firm’s strategic advisor in the Benelux for the past year and was previously CEO of ID&T when it partnered with Superstruct in 2021.

Van Straalen first joined Dutch promoter ID&T in 2002, becoming a director of the dance music group a few years later and moving to New York to open its US office in 2013.

After three years away setting up his own business, he returned to ID&T as chief operating officer in 2019, before becoming CEO and steering ID&T through the pandemic.

At the height of the pandemic, ID&T signed a partnership agreement with Superstruct, which helped steer the company into a “safe haven” after a tough period that saw the company take out several loans, slash its workforce, and cancel its festivals, including Mysteryland, Defqon.1, Awakenings, and Milkshake.

“ID&T and Superstruct are entering the next phase of their development, and this feels like the right time to move on”

Van Straalen’s decision to leave Superstruct comes soon after it was acquired for €1.3bn by global investment giant KKR, with private equity firm CVC securing a stake in the firm earlier this week.

“After more than 20 years in various leadership roles and boards with ID&T and other international businesses, it is time to start a new chapter in my life,” he says. “ID&T and Superstruct are entering the next phase of their development, and this feels like the right time to move on.”

“Over the past few years, we have been able to continue building the company together with Superstruct, adding beautiful festival brands and various service companies to the portfolio. I look back with great pride on all we have achieved and am confident about the future of all our festivals. The future is open for me – I am looking forward to embracing a new challenge.”

Roderik Schlösser, Superstruct’s CEO, adds: “Ritty’s passion for the industry and dedication to our festival brands have not only contributed to the success of our business but also inspired others. Superstruct is grateful for Ritty’s strong commitment and valuable contributions over the years. We wish him every success with his future endeavours.”

Superstruct owns and operates over 80 music festivals across 10 countries in Europe and Australia, including Wacken Open Air, Parookaville, Tinderbox, Sónar, Øya, Benicàssim, Kendal Calling and Boardmasters. It was founded in 2017 by Creamfields founder and former Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton and Roderik Schlosser while at Providence Equity, which previously owned Superstruct.

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The 17th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses, in association with Futures Forum, was revealed in IQ 129, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.

To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2024’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Gerbine began working for MOJO in 2015 as an intern at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Thriving in the role, she was offered a position as festival and booking assistant. In 2018, Kim Bloem asked her to become project coordinator and team up with her on her roster, while in 2021, she also started working for Leon Ramakers, adding shows like The Stones and Bruce Springsteen to her CV.

You’ve worked through the ranks at the company to become a promoter in your own right. What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
There have been multiple highlights throughout my career so far. The most memorable show I’ve worked on was the Rolling Stones in 2022. We had to cancel the show 30 minutes before stage time while fans were already in the stadium, because of Covid in the band, only to re-do the show three weeks later all over again. It was a massive team achievement that asked a lot from all of us in an already crazy year but for sure It’s one to remember. Then there are smaller highlights like booking my first show in Amsterdam (and immediately upgrading because of the good sales) or promoting my first sold-out main hall show for 1,400 fans. For me, getting the promotion to promoter has been the biggest highlight. Getting full trust and time from a company to go and do it on your own has been the biggest compliment I’ve ever received.

Who on your roster should we all be looking out for in the year ahead?
I’m really excited about promoting Mark Ambor. He has shown massive growth over the last six months and made The Netherlands one of his strongest markets. Being involved from such an early stage in his career has been really special. It’s so nice to know the entire team personally and I can’t wait to see where his growth will bring him.

As a promoter who is developing emerging talent, are there any particular events, forums or platforms that you visit to try to discover the next big act?
I’m focusing on TikTok as a platform a lot. I feel artists use this way more than their other social media platforms. It always feels like scouting acts there gives me a headstart to get involved with artists in an early stage of their career.

What advice would you give to anyone who is trying to find a job in live music?
Don’t focus on a certain job or company too much but try to find the right boss for you. Wherever you work, you need someone around you to give you chances and room to grow and learn to get to the place you want to go. The right person to work for might be worth more than a certain title that comes with a job.

Where is your favourite venue?
I don’t really have one to be honest. It totally depends on the artist and the kind of show.

“Don’t focus on a certain job or company too much but try to find the right boss for you”

What events, tours or festivals are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
I always love festival season as it’s always an overload of (re-)discovering new acts. As part of the Pinkpop programme committee, I’m really looking forward to next year. Although we just had the 2024 edition, the festival is really developing into a new audience and it’s exciting to gradually see the programme and new generation of visitors find each other.

You’re obviously enjoying learning about the business as your career progresses. How would you encourage the next generation to choose the live music sector for their chosen career path?
It’s a business where you give a lot of yourself but you get so much back. By doing your work you create special moments for fans, and often for artists too.

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I don’t have an assigned mentor, but I have great colleagues and I’m surrounded by years of experience and love for the business.

And what about meeting new contacts in the business – are there any conferences, festivals or other events that you have attended that been useful for networking?
It’s so helpful to go abroad and meet people face to face. If you start to work on artists you are truly passionate about it really helps you to find ‘your people’ and agents out there.

As a New Boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
In a business where everybody is giving so much, it’s so important to remember we are all passionate people looking for the same thing. I’d like to believe we all truly have the best interest at heart for artists and fans, but let’s not forget the passionate people behind the scenes too. Let’s keep it human.

What would you like to see yourself doing in five years?
I’d like to say I’m still at Mojo. I’m confident a lot of the acts I’m working on right now are able to grow to arena-level acts in the next few years. I hope I can get them to the stage they deserve to be on.

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FKP Scorpio has bolstered its international operations with the appointments of Rauha Kyyrö and Rense van Kessel as presidents touring & artist development.

Founders of Finland’s Fullsteam and the Netherlands’ Friendly Fire, respectively, Kyyrö and Van Kessel have worked with more than 3,000 artists combined since entering the business in the early 2000s.

The duo have been appointed to FKP’s international board and will be in charge of developing the group’s artist booking and promoter activities across Europe.

“Rauha and Rense’s work has been a vital part of our success for several years now”, says FKP boss Folkert Koopmans and CEO Stephan Thanscheidt. “Their new roles as presidents touring & artist development are the next step in strengthening our natural growth and diverse portfolio, with the aim of being the best partner for artists and music fans alike.”

In addition, the firm has recently appointed new directors in Finland (Aino-Maria Paasivirta, head promoter, Fullsteam Agency), Netherlands (Lauri van Ommen, head of promoted shows and Age Versluis, head of touring, Friendly Fire) and Germany (Inga Esseling and Ben Rodenberg, directors touring, FKP Scorpio).

Founded by Koopmans in 1990, Germany-headquartered FKP is part of the global CTS Eventim Group and works with acts such as Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Noah Kahan, Foo Fighters, Sam Fender, Kraftwerk, Phoebe Bridgers, James Blunt, George Ezra and Mumford & Sons.

FKP is also expanding its collaboration with DreamHaus to co-promote the Rock am Ring/Rock im Park and Hurricane/Southside festivals

Its domestic festival portfolio includes festivals such as Hurricane, Southside, Highfield, M’era Luna, Elbjazz and Deichbrand Festival, while international brands include Greenfield (CH), Syd For Solen (DK) , Best Kept Secret (NL), Lido Sounds (AT), Rosendal Garden Party (SE), Live Is Live (BE), Provinssi and Sideways (FI).

In other news, FKP will expand its collaboration with CTS stablemate DreamHaus by forming a strategic partnership to co-promote the Rock am Ring/Rock im Park and Hurricane/Southside festivals together in the future. Previously, DreamHaus and FKP Scorpio had already jointly organised the Tempelhof Sounds Festival in Berlin in 2022.

“We have always valued FKP Scorpio as a partner and are very much looking forward to further expanding our trusting cooperation,” says DreamHaus CEO Matt Schwarz.

The operational planning and implementation of the respective twin festivals will remain unchanged. FKP Scorpio will continue to act as head promoter and main contact at Hurricane/Southside and DreamHaus in cooperation with eventimpresents and Argo Konzerte at Rock am Ring/Rock im Park.

“We have worked closely with DreamHaus as equals from the very beginning,” adds Koopmans. “We face similar challenges at the festivals, and it is only logical that we use synergies to position ourselves even better on the market.”

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Mojo has unveiled new management after announcing that current CEO John Mulder will leave the company on 1 January 2024.

The new leadership team will consist of Ruben Brouwer, with whom Mulder has co-led Mojo since 2017, as well as Ronny Hooch Antink and Kim Bloem.

Mulder says he decided to step down from Live Nation’s Dutch subsidiary to “give the young guard space”.

“Ronny and Kim are two people who have made their mark at Mojo,” Mulder told Entertainment Bussiness. “Ronny was responsible for matters such as operations, catering, productions and permits. He’s got the whole no-band thing under his belt. Not that he doesn’t know anything about it because he knows a lot about music.

“Everything is represented in that triumvirate. I have complete confidence in it”

“Kim is one of our head bookers and brought big names such as Beyonce, Madonna, P!nk and many more to the Netherlands. She brings with her a wealth of substantive knowledge. The two will run the company together with Ruben. Everything is represented in that triumvirate. I have complete confidence in it.”

The 68-year-old will continue his four-year role as Metallica’s European agent. Last year, he also stepped in as production manager for the band, which he hopes to do again in 2024.

Mulder will discuss his career, including being co-initiator of AFAS Live and the Ziggo Dome, at next year’s ESNS (Eurosonic Nooderslag).

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A man was seriously injured during a shooting at I Love Urban festival, which took place at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands, last weekend.

The incident took place around 4:30 am, as the 8,000-capacity festival was coming to a close, a spokesperson said, and several thousand people were still present at that time.

Two suspects, aged 20 and 31, both from Rotterdam, were arrested in the incident and the victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Rotterdam Ahoy announced that it is investigating the shooting incident and how the firearm could enter the building.

“We at Ahoy are very shocked by this situation,” a spokesperson said. “Our concern first and foremost goes out to victims and any employees involved and we will, in collaboration with the organiser, investigate how this could have happened.”

“We at Ahoy are very shocked by this situation”

In a separate incident at the festival, two more men were arrested – one for assaulting a police officer and the other for insulting the police. The first was shocked with a stun gun when he was arrested. According to the police, there is no link between these suspects and the shooting incident that took place earlier.

I Love Urban is organised by actor and comedian Jandino Asporaat. This edition featured artists including Frenna, Jonna Fraser, Bilal Wahib, Bizzey, Idaly, and Poke.

Ahoy said that safety has “our utmost attention… certainly also during upcoming events”. Sunday’s events at the venue were not affected.

It comes a month after the Amsterdam municipality introduced new regulations for event organisers in response to a murder at a local festival.

The new rules require events with a capacity of more than 2,000 people to halt ticket sales one day before the event takes place, among other things.

The restrictions come after a 21-year-old man was stabbed to death in May at Amsterdam-based techno and house festival Solid Grooves, organised by ID&T-backed Apenkooi.

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As a barometer for the health of the international live music industry, the Netherlands is a pretty good bet. The nation’s promoters have bounced back post-Covid, albeit with a series of challenges that their peers internationally will recognise. But Adam Woods learns that a clampdown on tourism in Amsterdam might provide the rest of the nation with opportunities…

Industrious, outward-looking, and well-located in the heart of Europe, The Netherlands isn’t immune to bad times – but when there are good times to be had, you can generally assume the Dutch are getting their share of them.

In August, the Association of Dutch Music Venues and Festivals’ (VNPF) Poppodia and Festivals in Figures 2022 report, showed that 48 key music venues and 55 festivals drew 7.6m visits in 2022, compared to 883,000 in 2021 and 8.6m in the last pre-Covid year of 2019.

And while rising costs and an accompanying spike in ticket prices offer their own challenges, the anecdotal health of the business in 2023 – proclaimed by just about everyone in the industry – indicates that we can probably declare The Netherlands’ comeback to be complete.

Mojo Concerts, the local Live Nation arm and by some distance the biggest promoter in The Netherlands over 55 years, has had another banner year, to add to a barnstorming 2022.

“2023 again is a record year, specifically for stadium shows”

“This whole year has been an amazing year for us again,” says Mojo head promoter Kim Bloem. “Last year was already crazy because in nine months, we had more visitors than we normally had in a year. And 2023 again is a record year, specifically for stadium shows.”

Mojo chalked up 17 of them in 2023, most in Amsterdam’s 55,855-cap Johan Cruijff ArenA (AKA Amsterdam ArenA) – four Coldplays, three Bruce Springsteens, three Harry Styles, two apiece for The Weeknd, Metallica, and Beyoncé, and one for Guns N’ Roses.

“We never have that many stadium shows in one year,” says Bloem, “but for obvious reasons, 2022 was not a good year for those acts – it’s such a huge investment to tour on that level, and with all the uncertainties and travel restrictions still in place, it just didn’t make sense. It was a challenge to get everything lined up, and it’s amazing that it all fitted in so well.”

The Netherlands has form for fitting things in. With a population of around 17.5m in just 41,526 sq km, it is more densely populated than any other substantial country in Europe, and its level of consumer demand puts it firmly on the agenda of any tour of any significance.

Its festivals – Lowlands, Mysteryland, Pinkpop, Amsterdam Dance Event, Awakenings, Best Kept Secret, North Sea Jazz, and the rest – have local appeal and major international pull; and secondary markets such as Rotterdam (while very much ancillary to Amsterdam), have a growing appeal of their own. So, what’s the secret of Dutch success? Joost Aanen, co-founder and CEO of Amsterdam-and Eindhoven-based ticketing platform Eventix, thinks he knows.

“Dutch culture and government governance was always quite lenient here, so festivals developed very early on, and that side of the industry is very experienced”

“What I think is unique about The Netherlands and Dutch culture is that because it’s such a small country, without a lot of natural resources, the culture is very much focused around trading with neighbours,” he says. “It’s always been a country of merchants, with a global orientation.

“So, it’s a good foundation to build an entertainment industry. If you look at the Dutch DJs, they also have this global focus. And meanwhile, Dutch culture and government governance was always quite lenient here, so festivals developed very early on, and that side of the industry is very experienced.”

That doesn’t entirely account for the bulletproof demand, however. Friendly Fire promoter Lauri van Ommen believes the market in 2023 might have already outstripped its pre-Covid form.

“I think it may be even stronger than it was,” she says. “A lot of people realised during Covid that they want to go out, they want to enjoy a concert, that it’s their time to relax. And I think people also want to travel again, and The Netherlands is convenient for the UK, for Belgium, for France. It’s so easy to get to.”

But while promoters, venues, and the vast majority of festivals report good times, like most European markets, The Netherlands has certain structural issues to contend with.

“More and more venues have stopped booking support acts because it’s too expensive to have one due to longer working hours, higher wages, and more catering costs”

Last year’s staff drain has not entirely been reversed, with reports of elevated rates for experienced technical professionals. Supplier costs have bitten hardest among areas of the market that can least afford it, including free festivals, and the increasing conservatism of ticket-buyers, while good news for well-known names, has left smaller venues and newer artists struggling for their share of attention.

“At the moment, I think the excitement is mainly at the financial departments of the promoters who promote the big shows and festivals,” says Jacco van Lanen of independent Double Vee Concerts. “Doesn’t matter what the prices are, the people buy tickets.

“On the smaller level, I see more challenges than excitement. More and more venues have stopped booking support acts because it’s too expensive to have one due to longer working hours, higher wages, and more catering costs. The most exciting thing is that there are, luckily, still many very talented young people who are incredibly creative in getting attention and trying to build their way up.”

Promoters
While Mojo remains dominant, the well-told story of the past dozen years or so among the promoters of The Netherlands has been the rise to prominence of a healthy range of big-hitting competitors. These include FKP Scorpio’s Friendly Fire, the independent Greenhouse Talent, and the Dutch-talent-focused Agents After All, which last December became the latest acquisition of the increasingly sizeable All Things Live group. The clear impression is of a market that can accommodate a bit of healthy rivalry.

“It is a competitive market, but it is a good one. It just feels stable,” says Greenhouse Talent head promoter Wouter de Wilde, who believes international agents appreciate a range of choice.

“This year we have had Måneskin and George Ezra, Snoop Dogg, Cigarettes After Sex, Hans Zimmer”

“We see a lot of dropouts coming to us,” he says. “We can offer something different to Live Nation, and we have proven ourselves as a promoter for really big shows.”

This year, Greenhouse promoted Rammstein across two nights at Groningen’s Stadspark in July, selling 110,000 tickets. The same month, the promoter put three Taylor Swift shows on sale for summer next year at Johan Cruijff Arena, 150,000 tickets in total, and promptly sold the lot.

“That’s tremendous business to have as an independent promoter,” says De Wilde, who notes that such demand comes even in the face of rising ticket prices.

Of the other key promoters in The Netherlands, Friendly Fire was founded in 2009 and became part of FKP Scorpio three years later. Like its Dutch competitors, it operates across the board, from clubs to stadiums.

“This year we have had Måneskin and George Ezra, Snoop Dogg, Cigarettes After Sex, Hans Zimmer,” says Van Ommen. “It’s a great year for promoted shows, and we also had a great year for our festival, Best Kept Secret.”

In August, All Things Live also took a majority stake in festival promoter Loveland Events

Dance giant ID&T is another huge presence in the Netherlands and further afield. It was bought by Superstruct Entertainment from owners Axar Capital for an undisclosed sum in September 2021. The promoter has 70 events, including Amsterdam Open Air, Mysteryland, Thunderdome, Awakenings, Defqon.1, Milkshake, and Sensation, as well as two talent agencies and a creative workshop.

Booking agent, management stable, and promoter Agents After All, meanwhile, has operated since 2004, and its 30-strong team is involved in 1,500 concerts annually, to add to festivals such as Royal Park Live, HIER Festival, and Concert at SEA.

In August, All Things Live also took a majority stake in festival promoter Loveland Events, whose events include Loveland Festival, 909 Festival, Music On Festival, and Loveland Van Orange Festival, as well as several ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) events.

Double Vee, founded by Dutch live veteran Willem Venema, is another busy indie, promoting, booking, and co-promoting around 400 to 500 shows a year, varying in capacity from 150-cap rooms to arena shows. Its acts include new international artists like Alix Page, Daisy The Great, Deijuvhs, and L.A. Edwards, and Dutch artists such as Lov3less, Leah Rye, Annelie, and Lotte Walda.

So, where next? Does the post-Covid boom carry on into 2024, or are we in for a slow-down?

“I think if you compare it to 2022 and this year, then of course the big difference you’ll see is the number of stadium shows”

“I don’t know if it’s going to be a quieter year,” says Bloem. “I think if you compare it to 2022 and this year, then of course the big difference you’ll see is the number of stadium shows. My feeling is that it’s going to go back to ‘normal’ again, where you have many big acts touring one year, and then the next you have a bit less but more new talent coming up.

“But that doesn’t necessarily mean a decrease in the number of shows. Since I have been working in the music business, every year there has been an increase, and artists grow quicker into theatres and arenas.”

Festivals
Where festivals are concerned, The Netherlands has some of Europe’s crown jewels. The world’s longest-running electronic music festival, ID&T’s Mysteryland, chalked up its 30th anniversary in August and celebrated by announcing that 80% of the festival’s power consumption would come from green grid power, while the remaining 20% would be largely made up of flexible, sustainably generated energy.

Live Nation’s Pinkpop is the longest-running open-air festival in the world, and this year returned with P!nk, Robbie Williams, and Red Hot Chili Peppers at the top of the bill, drawing 62,500 a day to Megaland in Landgraaf across three days in June.

As well as Pinkpop, Mojo has Lowlands, North Sea Jazz, and Down the Rabbit Hole, and its experience offers an indication of the market’s elastic demand in a tough consumer environment.

“They are not buying a new house or car, they are not making those big investments, but they are spending their money on experiences and memories”

“Costs are hitting everyone, and that has resulted in increased ticket prices this year,” says Bloem. “At the same time, Lowlands and Down the Rabbit Hole sold out in a heartbeat. So, we see and feel that people are spending money on entertainment, restaurants, and going out. They are not buying a new house or car, they are not making those big investments, but they are spending their money on experiences and memories.”

Most Dutch promoters have a stake in the festival business, with the odd exception. “We deliberately don’t organise our own festival,” says Van Lanen at Double Vee. “Mainly because we don’t want to compete in that way with the multinationals. On the other hand, try to find an empty weekend in The Netherlands…”

Greenhouse, whose Ghent-based Belgian arm this year recovered the Ghent Jazz Festival from bankruptcy, organises a yearly concert series called Zuiderpark Live, at The Hague’s open-air Zuiderparktheater.

Friendly Fire’s portfolio includes Indian Summer and Best Kept Secret, which received an overhaul this year. “For Best Kept Secret, we changed the whole identity, gave it a new look and feel, new website, new logo, and changed the set-up of the festival field,” says Van Ommen. “We also have the Indian Summer festival, which is mainly domestic artists, and we have Tuckerville, Ilse DeLange’s festival, and it’s the last edition this year.”

Tuckerville’s retirement after six editions, attributed to rising costs and the difficulty of remaining accessible to a large audience, nods to challenging times in the broader festival market, and it is not the only one.

“More and more free festivals are disappearing”

Dutch hip-hop festival Oh My! announced in July that it would no longer take place this year, citing the cost-of-living crisis, increased production costs, and last-minute safety and crowd regulations. The ALDA-promoted festival, touted as the biggest urban festival in Europe, was due to take place on 15 July at Almere Beach, in the province of Flevoland, and would have
been the sixth annual instalment. Likewise, DUCOS Productions’ free festival Parkpop in The Hague, which drew 250,000 visitors annually and ran for 40 years, drew a hard line in 2023 in response to the rising costs of production and safety requirements.

“More and more free festivals are disappearing,” says Hilde Spille of Nijmegen-based independent booking agency Paperclip. “They either are not there anymore, like Parkpop, one of the biggest European one-day free festivals, or they are turning into paid festivals.”

Production and talent are not the only inflationary factors. Insurance, for instance, must be increasingly comprehensive in the light of recent extreme weather events and warnings.

But with extreme weather taking its toll on many European summer events this season, some local operators report that policies covering acts of God can now be four times what they previously were.

Accordingly, a number of Dutch festivals were disrupted by the threat of extreme weather in July. Awakenings, a techno festival in Hilvarenbeek, Brabant, promoted by ID&T and attracting more than 100,000 visitors across three days, called off its third and final day in anticipation of severe thunderstorms that didn’t fully materialise.

“When the Ziggo Dome was built, it was envisioned for the big touring artists from the US, maybe the UK. The thinking was that Dutch artists can’t fill this place – and that is not the case”

On the same weekend of 8 and 9 July, Weert-based annual rock festival Bospop, which welcomes around 50,000 people each year, and electronic music festival Wildeburg, a three-day event that takes place in Kraggenburg, Flevoland, were also cut short due to the predicted weather conditions.

Venues
Amsterdam’s 17,000-capacity Ziggo Dome is the largest concert hall in the Netherlands. Last year, it welcomed over 140 events in nine months, and its busy calendar in 2023 is straightforward evidence of the health of the market at its top end, with Fred Again, Diana Ross, Lizzo, Madonna, Dua Lipa, Depeche Mode, and the Arctic Monkeys among those passing through.

“It is the year after the busiest year ever in our history,” Ziggo Dome director of commercial affairs Danny Damman told IQ’s Global Arena Guide 2023. “In 2022, we had over 140 events in nine months – it was a hefty challenge – and we are well on target this year despite having a particularly high number of cancellations, such as Justin Bieber and Celine Dion.”

Inaugurated in 2012, the venue was built with international touring artists in mind, but The Netherlands’ homegrown talent has increasingly risen to meet the challenge.

“When the Ziggo Dome was built, it was envisioned for the big touring artists from the US, maybe the UK,” says Henk Schuit, managing director of Eventim Netherlands. “The thinking was that Dutch artists can’t fill this place – and that is not the case. More and more Dutch artists are filling the Ziggo Dome – both older reunited bands like Acda en De Munnik, who filled it six times, and newer guys like Anton, who’s just turned 21 and played two shows [in December], which is quite healthy, I think.”

“The new generation of creators want to be the boss of their own community, their own ticket sales and so on”

Other developments at the Ziggo Dome also appear to have broader significance. In 2022, the venue added blockchain ticketing specialist GUTS Tickets to its preferred ticketing partners. In addition to preventing unwanted reselling and ticket fraud, blockchain tickets allow for every attendee to claim their ticket as an NFT collectible – while also offering promoters and artists access to the data generated by their audience.

“The Ziggo Dome offers the possibility to people who rent out the arena to have their own ticketing system,” says GUTS Tickets CEO Maarten Bloemers. “And what we see is that the younger artists, the independent artists, tend to choose us. The new generation of creators want to be the boss of their own community, their own ticket sales and so on. I think bi-weekly or weekly we do a show in the Ziggo Dome, and they’re a dream partner of ours, obviously.”

The Netherlands’ other key arenas are the 16,426-cap Rotterdam Ahoy, now 52 years old, and Amsterdam’s AFAS Live – once the Heineken Music Hall – whose Black Box main room can contain up to 6,000. The Ahoy has undergone a total renovation in recent years, as well as introducing a new mid-size arena, the 7,842-cap RTM Stage, at the end of 2020.

“The new stage is also designed to transform into the biggest auditorium in The Netherlands, with a capacity of 2,816 and an XL-seated variant of 4,174 seats,” says Ahoy head of entertainment and sports Arnaud Hordijk.

Events at the Ahoy complex this year include Mojo’s North Sea Jazz festival and Rolling Loud Rotterdam, as well as Rotterdam Reggae and hard techno fest Rotterdam Rave. “We’ve welcomed almost 200,000 visitors for these festivals this summer, which include three new ones compared to last year,” says Hordijk. The Ahoy is also busy with a range of sustainability initiatives, including 8,700 sq m of solar panels and 1,300 sq m of sedum roofs and, most recently, a plan for an urban water buffer, which allows rainwater to be collected, retained, filtered, stored, and reused for purposes such as window and floor cleaning.

“Of course, when Stromae cancels shows or Adele farts, it’s in the media. But it’s very, very hard to get any attention for new developing artists at the moment”

In a time of big-ticket shows, the fortunes of such venues seem assured. Of greater concern, says Schuit, are those of the smaller players. “The top of the market is getting the visitors, but underneath it’s a little bit of a problem,” says Schuit. “When you have 800,000 visitors to the Amsterdam ArenA, that maybe causes a rupture somewhere else in the channel, maybe lower down the line. I think young musicians starting out are struggling a little bit and have a tougher environment to break through.”

At Double Vee, Van Lanen agrees. “It feels like extremes to both sides. It looks like the major acts can’t deliver enough tickets for everybody who wants to see the show. And the prices are extremely high, so they take most of the money out of the market. As a result, the smaller and newer acts suffer.

“On the other hand, for new acts, it feels like the media also sort of disappeared after Covid. Of course, when Stromae cancels shows or Adele farts, it’s in the media. But it’s very, very hard to get any attention for new developing artists at the moment. I hope this will change soon, otherwise we won’t have acts to fill the medium-sized rooms in a year or five.”

The strength of Mojo contributes to making Ticketmaster the comfortable market leader in The Netherlands, leaving its rivals to find ingenious ways to carve out market share. Eventim recently launched an in-house agency to provide marketing and promotional support to promoters, particularly international ones, seeking to stage one or two shows in The Netherlands.

“If you are touring with a certain production setup and you can take care of that, then we are a perfect fit,” says Schuit. “We know the market; we have the reach. So I think, especially for foreign visitors to The Netherlands, we are a perfect fit to cater to their needs.”

As Schuit points out, The Netherlands is a busy, highly competitive market. But it is also one that carved itself out with hard work and smart thinking – and, as recent years have shown, one that rewards independent spirit.

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Currently undertaking one of the biggest European tours of the year, Schlager superstar Helene Fischer is thrilling audiences with her unique brand of entertainment, mixing her soaring vocals with daring acrobatic performances. Gordon Masson reports on her extraordinary Rausch Live tour…

With more than 715,000 tickets sold, Helene Fischer’s ongoing 71-date marathon around Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands is undoubtedly one of the standout tours of 2023, featuring a swathe of never-seen-before elements, both front of house and backstage.

In addition to singing and dancing, Fischer’s role in the extravaganza sees her performing aerial stunts, accompanied by nine musicians, and a Cirque du Soleil cast that includes a ten-strong dance troupe and ten acrobats, who contribute to a hit-laden show offering ticket holders a three-hour visual and aural feast.

Rausch Live is filling arenas throughout the GSA region, typically in week-long mini-residencies where the production loads in on a Monday, before Fischer and the rest of the cast take to the stage for five dates – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – to sold-out auditoriums where audience demographics cover everyone from kindergarten to great-grandparents.

The tour’s producer and promoter, Live Nation GSA chief executive Marek Lieberberg, is just one of those in awe of Fischer, with whom he is working for the first time.

“We were with our previous promoter for about ten years, but sometimes you need to shake things up, so that’s why we ended up going to Marek and Live Nation”

Indeed, Lieberberg admits he was initially cautious about getting involved in Fischer’s career, despite the fact she is one of Germany’s biggest stars. “German pop music is not my expertise, and I had really refrained from promoting artists in that genre, so I had to ask myself if this was the right thing – would it fit the later days of my career? And was Helene an artist that would match well with Live Nation whereby her career would benefit?” Lieberberg says.

“Contrary to the rumour mill in Germany, I did not approach them; Helene’s manager, Uwe Kanthak, and I met by coincidence. And then, basically, it was down to meeting Helene: getting to know her and allowing her to understand what I’m all about. It was not a matter of us pitching for it, nor putting in an offer.”

Kanthak confirms this, telling IQ, “We were with our previous promoter for about ten years, but sometimes you need to shake things up, so that’s why we ended up going to Marek and Live Nation.”

Having first spoken to Kanthak three years ago, Lieberberg says he and Fischer first met over an informal dinner in Hamburg to explore common ground and figure out if working together would be a good move. “I think it’s very important that the formula of characters and of interests mix well,” says Lieberberg. “Thankfully, we both felt good about it and decided to re-meet and meet again. And through the meals we grew closer and developed an understanding that we would get along well.”

Recalling his initial reticence about Kanthak’s approach, Lieberberg reveals, “I looked at Helene’s previous tours and her versatility, which is absolutely unique. Globally, I don’t see any other artist that combines the capacities of singing, dancing, and acrobatics in the way Helene does. And that mixes in with a genuinely mellow, pleasant, understanding character. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean Helene is not one of the most demanding artists on Earth. But that’s in a good way: she is looking for the Olympic record – faster, wider, higher. And those demands are all directed toward herself.”

“She is one of a kind. She has the capacity to learn and be ramped up to an acrobatic performance level at a very rapid pace. The acrobats are super-impressed by her: she’s very daring”

Resident show director Gabriel Dubé-Dupuis has been working with Helene since 2017 and has been involved in more than 100 shows with the artist. He agrees with Lieberberg, noting, “One of the challenges is that Helene wants to be pushed to her limit and beyond. She is one of a kind. She has the capacity to learn and be ramped up to an acrobatic performance level at a very rapid pace. The acrobats are super-impressed by her: she’s very daring.”

Hitting New Heights
With spectacular pyro, an incredible water installation, a giant robot called Pauline, and breath-taking individual and ensemble performances by Fischer and the acrobats, the production that the artist, Cirque du Soleil, and Live Nation have produced is setting new standards, prompting creative directors from around the world to sit up and take notice.

“The show is exceptional,” states Lieberberg. “It’s a three-hour show, and costume changes aside, there’s not a moment that Helene isn’t present. And she takes her audience very seriously: there is no way she will perform to a click track. Even when she is on the trapeze or is hanging face down or doing a somersault, her singing is always live. And I think that’s why every- body in the entourage and all the acrobats from Cirque du Soleil have learned to respect her.

“It’s Helene who pushes everything and everyone forward. And she has been relentless in that way. Wherever we were – rehearsals in Antwerp or Montreal, it was always Helene asking Cirque du Soleil certain questions. It’s a quest for excellence. It’s a quest for beauty. And it’s a quest for entertainment in a wonderful way, be- cause she embraces the audience every night and makes them feel that they’re so special – that’s something she really cares about.”

Resident show director Dubé-Dupuis comments, “We are tweaking the show on a daily basis because Helene can see little things that she wants to improve. You can rehearse everything except the audience, so there are programming things where Helene wants to hold and pause at certain moments for her fans, for instance.”

“We went to Las Vegas – Helene and her boyfriend, and me with my wife – and when we saw the Cirque du Soleil shows that is what gave us the idea to do something a bit different”

Joining The Circus
Explaining how the concept of involving Cirque du Soleil evolved, artist manager Kanthak says, “We went to Las Vegas – Helene and her boyfriend, and me with my wife – and when we saw the Cirque du Soleil shows that is what gave us the idea to do something a bit different.”

Kanthak says that they arranged an initial meeting with Cirque du Soleil, and as a result, the Helene Fischer Live tour that straddled 2017- 2018 was created in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil Special Events Division.

On the current tour, the Cirque du Soleil elements have taken the show to the next level, necessitating a seriously complex and technical production that requires more than 100 crew members to build and operate.

“It’s our second collaboration with the Helene Fischer team,” confirms Marie-Hélène Delage, creative director for Cirque du Soleil. “Having worked with Helene back in 2017, we know that she’s really strong, and she likes to be challenged – she always wants to try something new. And because her music is at the core of the show, what we create has to be connected to the feeling and emotion of each song.”

In addition to Cirque du Soleil’s 20 performers in the show – split evenly between dancers and multidisciplinary acrobats – the resident show director, Dubé-Dupuis, is a long-time collaborator with the circus troupe, while the personnel can also count on a head coach and an athletic performance therapist “to make sure that everyone stays healthy and can offer the best performance every night,” says Delage. The tour also employs specialist acrobatic riggers, as there are no fewer than 14 automatic winches that Fischer and the other performers fly from during the show.

“We were literally ready to start the race and were waiting for the flag. But then that flag was red, so it was a real shocker”

An Unexpected Break
Despite close to seven weeks of rehearsals, the intricate timing, complexity, and danger of the show was highlighted in dramatic fashion when Fischer had an accident and fractured a rib during final preparations, throwing the entire project into jeopardy.

“It was devastating,” says Lieberberg. “We were literally ready to start the race and were waiting for the flag. But then that flag was red, so it was a real shocker.”

Nevertheless Helene and her team took a pragmatic approach to the setback. Delage reports: “It was just a few days before we were launching the tour. We made the best of a dire situation by analysing, reviewing, and improving the scenario with Helene to ensure flow and finesse when she was ready to perform again.”

Lieberberg recalls, “We quickly had to scramble to find substitute dates. Our best-selling city is Cologne, so the fact that we had to reschedule those dates and try to salvage that situation was incredibly challenging. But we kept our composure, analysed our options, and found a solution. I always had a plan B, but I don’t think too many people want to see Marek Lieberberg on the trapeze,” he laughs.

As a result, the tour was put on hold for two weeks, during which Fischer’s injuries quickly healed, meaning that Hamburg’s Barclays Arena became the first dates for the tour.

That enforced downtime gave everyone involved in the production a few days off, while the decision was made to schedule a further five-day rehearsal before the premiere show in Hamburg. “Everyone was a little bit more rested and super-energised, so it actually turned out to be a great way to launch the tour,” adds Delage.

“The postponement was a real challenge because we had to cancel hotels and reschedule everyone going home and coming back when Helene recovered”

Such an unexpected spanner in the works put the skills of tour manager Dave Salt and his team to the test, having to quickly arrange travel for all the international personnel on the road – a major task given that the tour party and crew hail from 23 different countries.

“We had 127 people touring, including the dancers, band, and Cirque du Soleil performers,” says Salt. “So, the postponement was a real challenge because we had to cancel hotels and reschedule everyone going home and coming back when Helene recovered. We use IBERA as our travel agent partner and can access part of their booking system so we can do the bookings directly on a daily basis, which helped,” he adds.

Fischer’s Army
Helping Fischer and the other performers to entertain hundreds of thousands of fans is a small army of live music professionals and experts, giving a very international feel to a production which is, to all intents and purposes, a national tour.

Lieberberg pays tribute to his colleague Robert Fülöp, managing director of Live Nation Theater GmbH and his team for taking the helm in getting the show on the road. “That’s the difference – we are not just the promoter, we are also the producer, who is employing 150 people, putting them on the road, and taking care of them. Anyone can buy a show, but to be part of the creative, organisational, and financial process all in one, is far more complicated.

“Thankfully, we have a wonderful group of international people – the best of the best in the mix. We’ve got the greatest people for video, we’re the first tour to use this fantastic new sound system that doesn’t need delays, and then of course there are the fire elements and the water elements that nobody has seen before. In that respect, we pitched for the best companies and people, and we got them.”

In charge of the various departments is production manager Sebastian Pichel, who is genuinely relishing taking such a ground-breaking show on the road.

“We need 31 trucks for the tour, but once we get to each venue, we maintain a core team of drivers, allowing the others to take on other duties during the week”

“We load-in to each venue on a Monday,” he says. “In the beginning, load-in was 12 hours, but that’s speeding up week to week. We have a core crew of 70 people assisted with up to 100 local crew for load-in at each venue and as many as 150 local crew for load-out.

“Then, on a Tuesday, every element has to be validated for safety, and there’s a full rehearsal with all of the performers, because we have A-, B- and C-trims for the production depending on the height of the roof for each arena.”

Those roof configurations mean that Fischer and the acrobats have to retrain for the different heights, while winches and other automation needs to be reprogrammed, along with the centrepiece water feature.

The mini residency feel to the tour also presents an alternative routine for Pichel’s drivers. “We need 31 trucks for the tour, but once we get to each venue, we maintain a core team of drivers, allowing the others to take on other duties during the week.

“However, we keep our buses and use them for shuttles to and from hotels, while the night-liners can be used by crew to rest during the day if they can find the time.”

Steven Kroon at trucking contractors Pieter Smit says, “We have four drivers that remain with the tour permanently, while the rest we re- call for the duration of the stay in each city and then have them return for load-out.”

“It’s a gigantic show, in many ways”

While all of the company’s trucks are the lowest emission – Euro 6 – Kroon says figuring out how to most efficiently use the fleet can become convoluted. “We try to minimise the empty kilometres, so we can opt to leave the truck and trailer behind and get the driver to travel back to base by train and then have them on another truck. Or they can drive the truck away to the next job if that makes more sense,” he says.

Kroon discloses that while the original plan for the production was 20 trucks, as the company’s drivers picked up equipment from the likes of WICreations and various other vendors, it became apparent that more of the Pieter Smit fleet would be required. “That’s how we ended up with 29 plus the two rigging trucks,” he says. “We have some stadium business this year, too, but Helene Fischer is definitely one of the biggest tours we’ll be working on in 2023.”

However, there could have been more vehicles involved had sound, lights, and video supplier Solotech not taken a chance to become the first tour to use L-Acoustics’ brand-new L Series speakers, which are smaller and lighter than anything else on the market according to the manufacturers.

“L-Acoustics are massively important to the show because we have weight issues everywhere we go – we’re flying 75 metric tonnes. The L-Acoustics speakers allow us to do that without compromising anything else,” says Pichel.

“It’s a gigantic show, in many ways,” says Germain Simon, head of product and technology marketing for L-Acoustics. “It’s gigantic in the technicality of the system, the way it’s deployed, but also involves a lot of acrobats – there’s a lot of things happening in the air, which brings a lot of restrictions, in terms of placement of product.

“It’s the first time that the L Series system has gone on tour in a real-life environment, and it’s started at the maximum – Helene Fischer is using the largest array that we can do, so it’s super-exciting and scary at the same time.”

“If, at the end of the day, the production can save one or two trucks, it’s drastic for them in terms of budget”

Noting that the speakers’ sound quality remains the number-one criterion, Simon notes that the smaller, lighter units – which are still in their pilot phase – offer huge benefits. “If, at the end of the day, the production can save one or two trucks, it’s drastic for them in terms of budget. But it also means that the show consumes less power and has lower emissions as well.”

Pichel notes that the innovative speakers allow better sightlines for the audience – a factor that was taken into account throughout the production design. “We also use robotic remote spotlights so that we don’t have to take out any seats in the arena for the spot operators,” he says.

Heavily involved in the production planning were set and automation wizards WICreations, whose equipment accounts for 14 trucks on the tour, while up to 16 staff from the company are working on the crew each week.

Among the show’s biggest features is a giant water feature that WICreations teamed up with French special effects pioneers Crystal to perfect for touring. Using 800 nozzles assembled in a ring above the stage, the water feature is a pixel-fall system that allows operators to create images with the cascading water – an effect Crystal has been honing in environments such as theme parks in recent years.

Crystal project manager Ysabel Vangrudenberg says, “It’s a 4,000-litre, closed-circuit system, which allows us to recycle the water. We use industrial quality pumps and nozzles to minimise the maintenance, while there’s also a heating system for the comfort of the performers, meaning the water temperature is a constant 33 degrees.”

“We use the water feature immediately before the interval so that we can clear up the splashed water from the rest of the stage”

Taking such an intricate system on tour is no mean feat. The water installation splits into five parts and takes one and a half trucks to transport. And while an onstage waterfall poses obvious hazards to the electricity powering the show, WICreations’ Raf Peeters highlights one of the main challenges that they had to overcome with Crystal’s designers.

“Some of the venues we use have ice rinks, but if there is any leakage at all from our production onto that ice, it would be catastrophic,” he explains. “We had to assume that we’d always have leaks on the seals between the units, so we included a series of gutters beneath the seals to negate that issue.”

Vangrudenberg notes that the installation, which also features a reflection pool, was designed with minimal connections but needed to be retrofitted with special filters to prevent confetti from blocking the water nozzles. “There’s a real danger of leakage when the unit is dismantled, but we’ve been able to meet that challenge,” she reports.

The results make all the effort worthwhile. “We have 40 different images we can show in the water to suit Helene’s thematic. But those images have to be altered and reprogrammed depending on the venue and the height restrictions we have to meet,” adds Vangrudenberg.

Production manager Pichel applauds those efforts, “Crystal had a steep learning curve to make their installation something that we could use on a tour, but I’ve been really impressed by the way they’ve worked with us to achieve those goals.

“We use the water feature immediately before the interval so that we can clear up the splashed water from the rest of the stage.”

“I am not exaggerating when I say that the concert and the acrobatic performance of Helene Fischer and her team was one of the best I have ever seen”

And embodying Fischer’s desire to pack in as many elements as possible to entertain her fans, the show’s interval sees her technical crew perform another unusual trick.

“The B-stage ‘sails’ into position through the audience during the interval, after it is detached from the main stage,” says Peeters. Not content with that impressive deed, the B-stage splits after its use by Fischer and slowly glides back through the audience to its original position as part of the main stage during Fischer’s visit to the C-stage – a giant industrial robot arm, named Pauline by the production crew.

Playing down the complexity of the automotive robot’s part in the show, Pichel notes, “Pauline is approved for industrial use, but she was not cleared for use in an entertainment role, so it was an interesting process getting that approval.”

Venue Delight
The tour is providing some welcome business for the cities and venues it is visiting, with arena bosses keen to highlight their part in the process.

Steve Schwenkglenks, managing director of the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, which hosted the tour’s first shows following the premiere’s postponement, says, “Helene Fischer is one of Europe’s most successful female pop stars, and we were the first to experience her new show live for the tour opener at Hamburg’s Barclays Arena – five shows that were sold out completely. Helene not only has an incredible voice, but the athletic performance of her at the age of 38 is absolutely admirable. I am not exaggerating when I say that the concert and the acrobatic performance of Helene Fischer and her team was one of the best I have ever seen here at Barclays Arena.”

“There aren’t many German artists left who can sell out five shows in a row”

Those sentiments are echoed by René Otterbein at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart. “It fills us with great pride that we are part of the selection,” he says. “There aren’t many German artists left who can sell out five shows in a row. It was thrilling from the beginning until the end, and we were very happy when we finally made the contract.

“It’s a great honour for the capital city of Stuttgart. The hotels and all the other tourism benefit from the shows and over 55,000 visitors. This encourages us even more that we absolutely need a new big arena for Stuttgart.”

Mirco Markfort of SMG Entertainment Deutschland comments, “We are thrilled to welcome one of Germany’s most successful artists for five amazing shows. Helene Fischer goes above and beyond in order to put on a phenomenal show for her fans, and we are expecting a [fantastic] stage spectacle that will leave everyone in awe. It makes us proud to be able to put Oberhausen on the map of such an extraordinary tour and contribute to increasing the occupancy rate of our city’s hotels and restaurants.”

And in Cologne, which Lieberberg refers to as “Helene’s special city,” Lanxess Arena boss Stefan Löcher underlines this status by noting that she has confirmed seven concerts at the venue. “Hosting the highest number of shows per city on the whole tour in Germany makes us very proud,” says Löcher. “For the arena and for the whole city of Cologne, her visit has a great cultural value since Helene’s shows are always unique and popular. Therefore, we will be welcoming a huge fan base in August and September. Our whole team is looking forward to this exciting time.”

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, promoter Rob Trommelen at Mojo Concerts is counting the days until Fischer’s 13 September show at the Gelredome in Arnhem for what will be the biggest date of her Rausch Live tour. With the stadi- um roof closed, the capacity for the concert has been set at 33,000.

“We sold 22,000 tickets in the first day, and we’re currently about 90% sold for the show,” Trommelen states.

“I did a lot of research on Helene Fischer back in 2017 and discovered that she has a massive following in Holland, mostly in the east and the south of the country”

Having missed out on Fischer’s last visit to his market, Trommelen reveals he’s delighted to be involved this time around, working with Live Nation colleague Lieberberg. “I did a lot of research on Helene Fischer back in 2017 and discovered that she has a massive following in Holland, mostly in the east and the south of the country,” he says. “In the end, the 2018 date went to Greenhouse Talent, so the date in September will be the first time I have promoted Helene – I’m really looking forward to it.”

You Let Me Shine
With several cities now complete, the production crew is steadily becoming more efficient, but on stage, the evolution of the show continues on a day-to-day basis, according to Dubé-Dupuis.

“We are still tweaking things, and I’m confident there are still some surprises to introduce,” he tells IQ. “We have eight weeks off in the summer, then five days of rehearsal before we resume.”

While Dubé-Dupuis believes the tour provides Cirque du Soleil with a platform to develop content for other live shows, he notes that Fischer’s unique talents mean a similar production to Rausch Live would be unlikely.

“Her ambition and work ethic are incredible – if she calls, I am here,” he says. “But if I need her on stage at 4pm, I tell her that I need her at 3:30, because she needs to hug everyone and have a chat with everyone on the crew before she gets to the stage. That’s created a strong bond and a very happy touring party.”

“I must say, in my short period of 50-plus years in this industry, I have not met an artist with such a unique attitude”

It’s also made a certain promoter ecstatic.

“Helene is on stage bang on eight o’clock every night, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And she’s the last person off stage, caring for her ensemble, the crew members, and so forth,” reports Lieberberg.

“I must say, in my short period of 50-plus years in this industry, I have not met an artist with such a unique attitude. She puts herself forward in every which way as the best example – the leader. And she will not ask anyone to do anything that she wouldn’t do herself.

Lieberberg has worked as Cirque du Soleil’s partner in the German-speaking territories for many years, while his history of promoting some of the biggest acts in the world dates back more of those 50-plus years.

Nonetheless, he states, “I don’t think there is a show that can rival this. I must say, I was blown away by Lady Gaga last summer. It’s tricky to make comparisons, but I would say that Helene has reached a new level.”

And harking back to some of the initial conversations he had regarding Rausch Live – and the very different ways that artist manager Uwe Kanthak wanted to market the tour, Lieberberg admits that he is beyond impressed by Fischer’s pulling power.

“We are not playing to Germans in the GelreDome – these are Dutch people who are coming to see the show. So, it definitely translates”

“It was a dogma of Uwe to play five shows per city and to put all the shows on sale at the same time – the Tuesdays and Wednesdays on sale alongside the Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. That was a hurdle, and I have to admit we would have liked to do it a little bit differently. But it was a precondition, so we were happy to go along with it. And, of course, it worked.”

Indeed, Lieberberg pays tribute to Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino for his faith in Fischer. “He was not really familiar with the artist, at first, but he trusted our opinion, and trusted our expertise, and completely endorsed the project.”

As for future plans beyond the 2023 tour, it’s evident that Lieberberg and Live Nation believe Fischer could take her talents to other countries – a fact backed up by September’s stadium show in Arnhem. “We are not playing to Germans in the GelreDome – these are Dutch people who are coming to see the show. So, it definitely translates,” says Lieberberg, noting that if Fischer had some more English-language repertoire, he has no doubt her superstar status could be replicated internationally.

But he concedes that what comes next is truly in the hands of the artist. “After 71 shows, Helene will take a very well-earned break and a leap back into privacy that she deserves (after devoting so much time to being on the road) with her family.”

He concludes, “I must say, this tour is one of the pillars and one of the highlights of my career. I’ve had the privilege of dealing with some incredible artists over the decades, and I’ve also had the great pleasure of falling out with some of the most incredible artist managers. But I’m so pleased that at this stage of my career there is something so unique and so successful to be involved with. That’s what we promoters live for. We work for success, and we strive for perfection. And I’m very, very proud of Helene, her whole entourage, and especially of my team here at Live Nation GSA.”

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Dutch festival Down the Rabbit Hole has dropped the introduction of VIP tickets after a deluge of criticism from fans.

The Mojo Concerts-promoted festival is due to take place between 30 June and 2 July in the Dutch province of Gelderland with acts including Fred Again…, Stromae and Paolo Nutini.

The sold-out festival yesterday (25 April) announced VIP tickets, dubbed Rabbit Royale, which promised faster access to the festival site and access to luxurious toilets and a panorama deck among other things.

A standard three-day ticket for the festival cost €245, with a Rabbit Royale upgrade reportedly costing another €360.

But following the announcement a number of fans expressed displeasure about the offering. “I thought that this festival was an equal experience for all visitors. All rabbits in the same hole. Unfortunately the big money wins,” wrote one fan.

“Clearly we are missing the plank on this so we’re unplugging”

Down the Rabbit Hole responded by cancelling the sale of the Rabbit Royale tickets and contacting fans who had already bought a pass.

“Clearly we are missing the plank on this so we’re unplugging,” wrote the festival in a statement.

The statement continued: “We work with heart and soul to ensure and improve the quality of Down The Rabbit Hole for all visitors wherever possible. Thus there will be more toilets this year, we have renovated a number of stages and tents and the campsites are better organised. At the same time, the festival sector faces great challenges. Costs for staff and materials as well as gages for artists are rising disproportionately, which puts pressure on the affordability of festivals.

“By offering extras in addition to the regular festival ticket that we generate additional income, we catch the price increases and keep the festival tickets as affordable as possible. For example, think of camping at Rabbit Resort, with which we also provide for a need. From that thought Rabbit Royale was also born.

“We’ll see next year if there are other extras that fit well with Down The Rabbit Hole and that makes everyone happy.”

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Nordic live entertainment giant All Things Live is continuing its expansion in Benelux with the acquisition of Agents After All.

Amsterdam-based Agents After All is one of the largest independent companies in the Dutch live entertainment market.

Founded in 2004 by Coen ter Wolbeek, Henkjan Onnink and Lesley Grieten, the 30-strong team is involved in 1,500 concerts annually in the Netherlands.

This includes shows at AFAS Live, Ziggo Dome, Rotterdam Ahoy and Olympic Stadium as well as festivals such as Royal Park Live, HIER Festival and Concert at SEA with 135,000 visitors annually.

Following the purchase, the current owners of Agents After All become partners and co-owners of All Things Live.

“We are excited about joining forces with All Things Live to accelerate our business development and growth as part of a respected partnership with an increasingly strong presence in Europe,” says Norbert Plantinga, managing director of Agents After All. “We look forward to the cooperation and delivering stellar experiences to the artists we have the honour to represent and their audiences.

“We are impressed with the entrepreneurial mindset and business acumen of the Agents After All team”

Kim Worsøe, member of the executive board of All Things Live Group, says: “We are impressed with the entrepreneurial mindset and business acumen of the Agents After All team and look forward to welcoming everyone as part of the All Things Live partnership as we continue to build a stronger platform in Benelux and the European live entertainment market. This expansion of our footprint establishes All Things Live as a leading European player, and we will continue to build our business together.”

All Things Live has been on an acquisition spree in 2022, buying up Antwerp-based management company Musickness and Italian promoter and agency Radar Concerti.

Also in 2022, the group announced the signing of international management firm Then We Take The World and launched an intimate three-day music festival in Copenhagen, Denmark, called Common Ground Festival.

Founded by Waterland Private Equity in 2018, All Things Live’s stable of festivals includes Big Slap in Malmö, Sweden and Weekend Festival in Hämeenlinna, Finland.

The All Things Live group, which mainly consists of promoters, also includes ICO Concerts and ICO Management & Touring (Denmark), Friction, Atomic Soul Booking and Stand Up Norge (Norway), Maloney Concerts, Monkfish and ROA (Sweden) and Busker Agency in Belgium.

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Live Nation’s Mojo Concerts has withdrawn from promoting Parkpop festival, one of the largest and longest-running free-to-attend festivals in Europe.

The Dutch festival has reportedly been in financial trouble for years, with Mojo and the Parkpop organisation picking up the shortfalls “for a long time”.

“A free Parkpop is very difficult these days,” reads a statement from Mojo. “The financial results, the changed festival climate since the pandemic, the increase in costs of materials and artists have prompted Mojo to reconsider its involvement with Parkpop.

“Mojo will continue to support the festival in the background where possible, but due to current developments, Mojo is leaving the organisation. The relations between Parkpop and Mojo are and will remain good, only the cooperation will take on a slightly different form.”

The 40th edition of Parkpop took place in June at new location Malieveld after forty years at Zuiderpark – both of which are located in The Hague.

Organiser Guus Dutrieux of Ducos Productions reports that the most recent edition made losses “in the thousands”.

“A free Parkpop is very difficult these days”

“We caught the shortfalls for a long time and Mojo did too,” he told Algemeen Dagblad. “But of course that will stop at some point. We want to take the time to investigate how Parkpop can be made healthy again. This can be done in several ways and nothing is excluded. The aim is that Parkpop must remain accessible to a wide audience.”

As a result, the festival, which is visited by up to 350,000 people each year, will not take place in 2023.

Following the news, local authorities have weighed in to state the importance of the festival returning, and to pledge their support.

“Parkpop runs like a green-yellow thread through the lives of many residents of The Hague and Hagenezen,” said councillors Richard de Mos and Ralf Sluijs.

“It cannot be that the fortieth edition was also the last. As far as we are concerned, everything is being done to keep this iconic music festival going. Parkpop is too important to the city to just let it die. We will not let that happen.”

The Hague alderman Saskia Bruine added: “If Parkpop comes up with a good plan, we can talk about the 2024 edition. The festival should not be left with a shortage every year. They can simply apply for a subsidy, the conditions for Parkpop are no different than for other festivals. I give them a year to think things through.”

Mojo recently announced that its Dutch hip-hop festival, Woo Hah!, will return next year under a different name and in a new location.

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