Country music again takes centre stage in the UK this weekend with the return of Country to Country (C2C), as the genre’s remarkable international growth shows no sign of plateauing.

Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson headline the 2025 edition of Europe’s biggest country festival, which returns to London’s The O2, OVO Hydro Glasgow and Belfast’s SSE Arena from 14-16 March.

Created by AEG Europe and SJM Presents in collaboration with the Country Music Association (CMA), the event launched in London in 2013 and has expanded to other markets including Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia.

“It’s such an incredible brand and is the market leader,” The O2’s GM and VP Steve Sayer tells IQ. “Each year the programming gets bigger and better and it’s one of our favourite events of the year. The bill is as big as it’s ever been and as in previous years, you’re going to see programming right across the O2 site.

“From our perspective, we’ve seen country music really take off in the UK in the last few years, in no small part, because of the success of C2C. It’s an important genre in our programming strategy and country music is only going to grow over the coming years.”

“Brands are completely ingrained in what we do. The artists are as engaged as the fans are”

The CMA hosted a presentation at The O2 today (14 March) entitled Brand Power of Country Music in the UK, which explored the rise in country consumption and the consumer loyalty of country music fans. The panel was attended by leading UK and US promoters, agencies, record labels and management companies.

It noted that in 2024, country streams surpassed 1 billion for first time in the UK in Q3, while five of the top 15 tracks of last year were country songs. Since Q4 2022, country music streams in the UK have grown 159%.

UTA agent Sean Hendrie spoke about opening mindsets of brands to country and it being “an untapped genre” which has now gone mainstream, with brands involved in country space now including Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret, Primark, Louis Vuitton, Shein and Levi’s.

“Brands are completely ingrained in what we do,” added AEG Presents UK promoter and C2C booker Rachel Lloyd. “The artists are as engaged as the fans are.”

Furthermore, the audience for Bauer’s Absolute Country Radio was up 50% year on year, while Global’s Smooth Country reported a 650% rise in female listeners aged 15-24.

“C2C has laid a lot of the foundations for what we’re now doing at Hyde Park”

Almost 30 country acts will visit the UK for headline tours in 2025, including Brothers Osborne, Kip Moore, HARDY, Alana Springsteen, Darius Rucker, Kane Brown, Old Dominion, Dasha, Tyler Childers and Brett Young, as well as Post Malone and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour.

In addition, there are now more than a dozen country festivals on the UK calendar such as Highways, Red Rooster, The Long Road, Towerfest and Maverick. Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen became the first country headliner of AEG’s BST Hyde Park last week.

“C2C has laid a lot of the foundations for what we’re now doing at Hyde Park,” said AEG’s European festivals’ chief Jim King.

Following Wallen’s success, fellow country star Zach Bryan has gone on to sell 130,000 tickets for his two nights at the London concert series this summer.

“It’s tremendous to be a part of that, and a part of the country music journey in the park,” added King, who said he expected country to become even more ingrained at BST in 2016.

“It’s not just about the programming,” stressed King, “we’re fully committed to this genre, not just at BST but at other events we’ll be running in the future.”

“Year after year, the passion grows, the audiences get bigger and the atmosphere more unforgettable”

Last weekend saw AEG and Semmel Concerts stage the German edition of C2C, attracting 9,000 fans to Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin from 7-9 March.

The site-wide festival featured 51 international artists, including the likes of Dylan Gossett, Dasha, Lainey Wilson, Tucker Wetmore, Chase Matthew, Tanner Adell, Nate Smith, Shaboozey, Chayce Beckham and Avery Anna, attracting coverage in several media media outlets for the first time.

“The impressive growth of the country genre in Germany was more than evident at the festival in Berlin,” says Semmel’s Sina Hall. “The enthusiasm of the fans shows how much country music has now arrived in the mainstream – and with growing momentum.

“Year after year, the passion grows, the audiences get bigger and the atmosphere more unforgettable. This festival has proven once again that country is not just a niche in Germany, but a movement that is constantly growing.”

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.

Charli XCX dominated the 2025 BRIT Awards, picking up five honours including Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (for Guess ft. Billie Eilish).

The CAA-represented singer-songwriter also won the fan-voted Dance Act and BRITs Songwriter of the Year, which had been announced earlier this week.

“CAA couldn’t be happier to see Charli recognised in this way following a stand-out year where Charli flew the flag for British music around the globe,” says the agency in a statement to IQ. “Charli has always been a special pioneering artist, so the five BRIT wins – ten years into her career is fully deserved and I’m sure she is just getting started. Congratulations to her and the whole team.”

Saturday night’s ceremony at The O2 in London was broadcast in primetime on ITV and ITVX, and streamed on YouTube for fans outside of the UK. Performers included Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, Sam Fender, JADE, Ezra Collective with special guest Jorja Smith, Lola Young, The Last Dinner Party and Rising Star winner Myles Smith.

“I’m delighted that Charli was recognised on the biggest stage, she has had a phenomenal year and it’s only right she comes away with the accolades to match”

Other award winners included JADE (Pop Act), Sam Fender (Alternative/Rock Act), Ezra Collective (Group of the Year), Sabrina Carpenter (BRITs Global Success), Chappell Roan, Good Luck, Babe! (International Song of the Year), Stormzy (Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act), Raye (R&B Act), Fontaines D.C. (International Group of the Year), The Last Dinner Party (Best New Artist), Chappell Roan (International Artist of the Year) and A.G. Cook (Producer of the Year).

The evening also included a tribute to the late One Direction star Liam Payne following his death last October. Host Jack Whitehall addressed the audience before a video montage was shown.

The BRITs 2025 was chaired for a third and final year by Damian Christian (MD and president of promotions at Atlantic Records, part of Warner Music UK), who oversaw the BRITs creative team which included set and stage design by Misty Buckley, BRITs TV Executive Producer Sally Wood and BRITs TV Director Phil Heyes. This year’s BRIT award was designed by British-Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist Gabriel Moses.

“I’m delighted that Charli was recognised on the biggest stage, she has had a phenomenal year and it’s only right she comes away with the accolades to match,” adds Christian. “And congratulations to all the winners, nominees and performers. On a personal note, it’s been an honour chairing the BRITs over the last three years, and I hope we’ve done the industry and our artists proud.”

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.

UK arena bosses have weighed in on the sector’s biggest issues in 2025 – and debated whether the stadium boom is hurting the indoor circuit.

The arena market boasts an abundance of top talent, with upcoming tours by stars such as Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Teddy Swims, Gracie Abrams, Usher, Pulp, Andrea Bocelli, Chase & Status, Bryan Adams, Olly Murs, Katy Perry, Tyler, the Creator, Tom Grennan, The Lumineers, Lil Baby, Jamiroquai, Central Cee, Busted vs McFly and Kylie Minogue.

But with Post Malone becoming the latest A-lister to announce a summer stadium run, joining around 30 artists from Oasis to Beyoncé in headlining music’s biggest stages, does something have to give?

“The fan demand for live entertainment is stronger than ever, and although we are always competing to some extent, there’s no harm in a wider choice for fans across the board,” says Guy Dunstan, SVP and GM at Manchester’s Co-op Live (cap. 23,500), speaking to IQ.

“There will always be differing levels or artists taking to different sized venues, and at Co-op Live we’re even seeing some of the staple outdoor artists like Bruce Springsteen, Eagles and Pearl Jam opt to return to an indoor venue of our scale and size. It’s testament to the strength of the industry, that these events can co-exist.”

Gemma Vaughan, GM of Manchester’s 23,000-cap AO Arena is equally confident there is enough room for everyone.

“Manchester is lucky enough to be a city that’s home to two arenas, a plethora of smaller independent venues and two stadiums that also host live events,” she says. “We’ve been at the heart of Manchester’s music scene since 1995, we’re confident we’ll continue to thrive alongside all of our neighbours.”

“Fans only have a limited amount of discretionary spend”

Indeed, Steve Sayer, SVP and GM at London’s 20,000-cap The O2, says it is shaping up to be a year to remember for both stadiums and arenas.

“With stadium gigs, it tends to be a little bit cyclical: you’ll have a strong year and then the next year isn’t quite as strong, so it could potentially be perceived as having an impact on arena shows,” he contends. “But we’re certainly confident when we look at the diary – and not just this year, but next year as well – that the show count forecast remains strong.”

North of the border however, Rob Wicks, MD of Aberdeen’s P&J Live, admits to harbouring reservations on the subject, stressing: “Fans only have a limited amount of discretionary spend.”

Nevertheless, Wicks, who lists the cost of touring, the cost of living crisis and closures of grassroots venues among his chief concerns for the business, reports the 15,000-cap Scottish arena is still on track for a stellar year.

“The venue sold 31% more tickets in 2024 than it did in 2023 and is on track for a similar increase in 2025, which is really encouraging,” he tells IQ.

John Drury, VP and GM of London’s OVO Arena Wembley (cap. 12,500), sees both sides of the argument, but tells IQ it’s a case of so far, so good.

“There’s no doubt that a rising number of outdoor shows and festivals can widen the market and lead to some challenges in arenas, but so far for us at Wembley we’re not seeing a downside,” he reports. “2024 was a record-breaking year for Wembley and 2025 is shaping up to be as strong, if not stronger. Significantly, we hosted over 50 first-time headline acts last year, which shows the current strength of the arena market in the UK.”

“The arena landscape is really strong in comparison to 2024,” nods Utilita Arena Newcastle GM Caroline James. “Maybe it is already having a positive impact?”

“Anything that brings massive profile to the sector is a good thing – particularly if it reminds people to buy tickets for other gigs!”

Dom Stokes, general manager of Utilita Arena Sheffield (cap. 13,600), shares similar sentiments – suggesting that a rising tide lifts all boats.

“I think it’s positive,” he argues. “Anything that brings massive profile to the sector is a good thing – particularly if it reminds people to buy tickets for other gigs! A strong stadium season can lead to offshoot events in the arenas. In Sheffield, we have often found an opportunity to use our huge space for rehearsals.”

Stokes describes 2025 as a “transitional year” for Utilita Arena Sheffield, which joined the ASM Global venue network last month alongside Sheffield City Hall.

“However, product is strong and the investment planned in both front of house and back of house areas is very exciting,” he adds. “Ticket sales for all our genres are strong, but ticket buyers continue to buy a long time in advance or very late. There doesn’t seem to be very much in between.”

It is a similar story at the 11,000-cap Utilita Arena Newcastle, where James projects a “fantastic year both for private events and live events”, but points out that ticket trends “seem to be all or nothing”.

“Late purchasing is still very apparent,” she advises, adding that an increasing number of events are going to the bigger cities and missing regional venues.

“UK arenas generated £100 million in VAT in 2023: £60m on ticket sales and £40m on ancillary income”

OVO Arena Wembley’s Drury goes into detail on the issues at the top of his in-tray right now as chair of the National Arena Association.

“Since coming back from Covid, costs have continued to rise, which puts pressure on our margins,” he notes. “We’re also of course aware that production costs are also rising, putting the squeeze on from all angles. To add to this, we are concerned that a proposed increase in business rates designed to hit the major warehouse operators of online sales will also affect arenas disproportionately – we feel that an adjustment of the proposed raises should be made for our businesses.

“We of course already contribute massively to the government coffers: we employ huge numbers locally, contribute millions of pounds to our local communities – studies show £100 per person average spend in the community from each arena show – and also pay a big part in positively impacting the mental wellbeing of our millions of guests.”

Drury also backs trade body LIVE’s calls lower VAT rates in line with many other European countries “where 20% is unheard of”.

“UK arenas generated £100 million in VAT in 2023: £60m on ticket sales and £40m on ancillary income,” he says. “A cut would help the grassroots sector massively but also if we were able to divert a portion of our VAT income back to those most in need in our industry we could and should pretty much become a self-financing industry.

“If, for example, we could plough back 5% of the VAT we raise on tickets as part of a wider VAT cut for our events, that would have meant £3m going back to grassroots in 2023 alone.”

“Grassroots venues are an incredible part of the broader live music ecosystem”

In late 2024, IQ reported the UK live music industry was edging towards a deal which would see more stadium and arena tours agree to include a contribution towards grassroots support after a meeting with culture minister Chris Bryant MP.

The ministerial roundtable followed the government’s plea to the live industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy to support the grassroots music sector in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee’s report.

“What the minister asked for – and was looking for – was momentum,” says The O2’s Sayer. “From our perspective, we’ve always said that grassroots venues are an incredible part of the broader live music ecosystem. We’ve got a collective responsibility to ensure that we can put together a solution that’s equitable and works and actually delivers funds to the venues and the artists that really need that support.

“From what I can see, and the conversations that I’m having, I’m confident there will start to be momentum this year around the levy and hopefully, over time, that will start to generate the sort of funds the grassroots desperately needs.”

The struggles of the grassroots sector are also at the forefront of Vaughan’s mind.

“It’s no secret that rising touring costs are proving challenging across the live entertainment industry, but I think the more relevant question is how does that affect our grassroots musicians and venues?” queries the AO Arena boss. “If these artists are unable to perform, how can they graduate through the talent pipeline and become our next headline act?

“As one of the UK’s largest entertainment venues, we’re extremely conscious of our position, and this is something we’ve been working closely with Music Venue Trust and Manchester’s wider community as a whole. Especially as we turn 30 this year, it’s more prevalent than ever to ensure that we’re protecting grassroots from the top down, or there will be no arena sector for us in the next 30.”

“We’re seeing fans wanting a more focused consumer experience”

On the programming front meanwhile, Vaughan detects a consumer shift in genres, particularly K-Pop, where “Manchester is rivalling the likes of London when it comes to talent and demand”.

“There’s also been a substantial shift in what our fans expects not only from their favourite artists, but venues too,” she continues. “Fans are looking for authentic experiences that go beyond their Instagram stories, they’re wanting connection. Experiential experiences are not to be overlooked, so that will be another key priority for us this year.”

Across the city at the rival Co-op Live, Dunstan is revelling in the arena’s first full year of operation, with UK arena exclusives from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and Robbie Williams on the horizon in H1 2025.

“The appetite for content has been immense,” he observes. “Amongst it, we’re seeing fans wanting a more focused consumer experience, from quality food and drink, to pre- and post-show entertainment, well beyond VIP and hospitality.”

He concludes: “There’s significant attention on arenas and the part they play in the wider music ecosystem; perhaps more than ever, with vital conversations around ticket pricing, support for the grassroots sector, ticket levies and more.

“It’s a very exciting time to be part of the industry, and to work collaboratively to balance the various needs of all levels with an increase in fan experience and expectation. It’s this that rings loudest, with fans rightfully wanting the best possible experience in exchange for their hard-earned money.

“It’s great that things are being shaken up, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of many of these timely conversations and their subsequent changes.”

• ILMC’s annual deep dive into the arena sector, The Venue’s Venue: Anchor Topics, will take place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel at 9.45am on Thursday February 27.

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.

The O2 has expanded its association with Young Voices as the world’s biggest children’s choir prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.

The event, which brings over 60,000 children to the London venue each year, has just marked its 89th show at The O2 since it opened in 2007.

The eight-show stint included a surprise guest appearance by Jacob Collier who sang his song Little Blue with the choir. In addition, the children sang an arranged medley of Bob Marley classics in honour of what would have been his 80th birthday.

Now, the O2 sponsorship fund – established in 2022 by AEG Europe’s SVP of programming Emma Bownes for two schools who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend – has grown to eight London schools.

“Experiencing live music is one of life’s biggest joys, and we are committed to giving even more children the chance to perform so it has been an honour to sponsor eight London schools this year,” says Bownes, who is also a Young Voices Foundation board member. “Over the course of eight days, 60,000 children visited The O2, many experiencing live music and the venue itself for the very first time. We hope this opportunity helps foster lasting memories for the next generation, creating a special bond with our venue that will last a lifetime.”

“Together, we are shaping the future of music – one young voice at a time”

Ben Lewis, CEO of Young Voices adds: “We are incredibly proud to celebrate the pioneering support we have received from The O2, a venue synonymous with world-class performances and unforgettable experiences. Thanks to their generosity and commitment to the next generation of music lovers, 272 students have been given the chance to take part in the Young Voices experience via our Foundation.

“This partnership embodies everything Young Voices stands for: accessibility, inspiration, and the belief that every child should have the chance to raise their voice and be heard. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to The O2 for championing young talent and helping us continue our mission to bring the joy of singing to as many children as possible. Together, we are shaping the future of music – one young voice at a time.”

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.

The O2’s purple patch of first-time headliners is being turbo-charged by artists from across the globe, according to the London arena’s boss Steve Sayer.

The 20,000-cap venue hosted more debut headline acts than ever before last year, with 41 artists – including Raye, Charli XCX, Sam Fender and Sleep Token (UK), Karol G (Colombia), Asake (Nigeria), Noah Kahan and Cigarettes After Sex (US), Pendulum (Australia), Arijit Singh and Sid Sriram (India) and IVE (Korea) – among those topping the bill for the first time, representing a 70% increase on 2023.

And 2025 is set to follow in a similar vein, courtesy of the likes of Ateez, Tomorrow X Together (Korea), Zhou Shen (China), JJ Lin (Singapore), Central Cee (UK), Tarkan (Turkey), Tate McRae (Canada), Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams (US) and Babymetal and Ado (Japan).

“We’re definitely seeing this global ecosystem starting to come together,” Sayer tells IQ. “This year looks strong for first-time headliners and a couple of new countries are represented for the first time. That plays back into that globalisation of music agenda that a lot of us have spoken about in the industry and it certainly sets us up well for this year.”

The O2 sold over 2.6 million tickets in 2024 overall – up 3.5% on 2023’s previous high. Other highlights included multi-night stands from acts such as Liam Gallagher, The Killers and Olivia Rodrigo, and staple events like the BRIT Awards and C2C Festival.

“If we look at the number of shows confirmed… we’re slightly ahead of the same period last year”

“It was a record-breaking year,” contends Sayer, the venue’s SVP and general manager. “We maintained our longstanding position as the world’s busiest live music and entertainment arena, with 200 or so arena performances, and had multi-night runs from global superstars. We were delighted.”

In addition, the venue ended 2024 on a particularly high note with two shows by Paul McCartney, with the second performance on 19 December seeing Ringo Starr joining his former bandmate on stage.

“It was an incredible couple of shows, and that second night when both of the Beatles joined together on stage was an incredible moment,” says Sayer. “We were really proud that we were able to host it and everybody who worked on that event felt it was one of the best shows of the year. We are very grateful to our friends at Marshall Arts for working on that one with us and giving us those two amazing nights. It was definitely a night to remember.”

The BRITs return to the complex on 1 March, followed by long-running country music festival Country to Country, which will be headlined by Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson from 14-16 March. A 10-night residency by Usher (29 March-7 May) and six nights with Billie Eilish (10-17 July) are also lined up.

“If we look at the number of shows confirmed, or at strong pencil, we’re slightly ahead of the same period last year, so it bodes well for a slightly stronger year,” points out Sayer. “The year is anchored by some big residencies and there’s also a real spotlight on big female pop acts. Alongside Billie, we’ve got Kylie, Katy Perry and some of the new superstars: Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams and Tate McRae, plus Busted vs McFly doing five shows towards the back end of the year.”

“We’re really proud of the carbon removed shows that were launched last year, and we’d like to secure more of them”

The O2 also made history in February last year by hosting the world’s first carbon-removed arena events at The 1975’s four headline shows, resulting in the extraction and removal of 545.9 tonnes.

“We’ve got to a really good place with our sustainability programme, but we want to take that a stage further,” says Sayer. “We’re really proud of the carbon removed shows that were launched last year and we’d like to secure more of them. That would be part of the solution towards getting The O2 to a net zero position.”

Furthermore, the venue became the first UK arena to achieve ‘Platinum’ Accessibility status with disability charity Attitude is Everything. It also introduced self-serve bars, powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. It also opened a multi-million-pound VIP members club.

“It was a busy year on lots of fronts, but a really strong year,” concludes Sayer. “It’s all about ensuring that we’re fit for the future. We’ve made a number of investments in the last three to four years and work is underway in relation to how we evolve and improve our backstage and green room areas. We also want to look at how we evolve the guest experience more generally.

“Over and above, the target is to deliver on those 200-plus amazing shows that we get in the building each year and giving everybody – the fans, the bands and the brands – a great experience.”

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.

Emma Bownes has been promoted to senior vice president of venue programming across AEG’s European venues.

In her expanded role, Bownes will lead programming strategy and implementation for AEG Europe’s arena portfolio, The O2 in London, Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, Berlin’s Uber Arena, and Uber Eats Music Hall.

With 25 years in the sector, Bownes joined AEG in 2010 and has held multiple roles, ultimately heading the programming team responsible for curating commercially successful and innovative event calendars across AEG Europe’s venues.

She also serves as a board member for the UK charity Music Venue Trust, where she champions grassroots venues and advocates for the next generation of talent.

In 2024, she was appointed an ambassador for the Young Voices Foundation, where she played a key role in sponsoring local schools to participate in performances at The O2, underscoring her commitment to music education and talent development.

“I’m excited by the road ahead and thankful to be part of a fantastic and talented team”

“At AEG, our vision is to be the best-in-class live entertainment business and Emma’s work is fundamental to this,” says John Langford, chief operating officer, AEG Europe.

“Under her direction, we’ve been able to deliver a record-breaking number of shows and ticket sales for multiple years now. Her elevation within the business is reflective of these achievements and the focus we have on continued future growth. Emma’s passion, knowledge, and pursuit of excellence is incredibly inspiring to all those who work with her.”

Bownes adds: “I am incredibly grateful that I get to do what I love every day and do so for some of the world’s most iconic venues, alongside the very best. I’m excited by the road ahead and thankful to be part of a fantastic and talented team.”

AEG has also announced further promotions in the venue programming team. Jo Peplow-Revell has been promoted to director of corporate & special events and Marc Saunders has progressed to head of programming at The O2, reporting to Christian D’Acuna, senior programming director at The O2.

Last year, IQ marked Bownes’s 25 years in the business, quizzing the veteran on her journey to the top and the philosophies that have shaped her career success.

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.

The O2 in London has announced that it has been awarded ‘Commended’ status as ‘A Greener Arena’.

The certification is awarded by A Greener Festival (AGF), a not-for-profit company and sustainability expert, dedicated to helping events, festivals, and venues around the world to become more sustainable.

The ‘Commended’ status recognises arenas that show ‘demonstrable improvements’ and ‘a significant engagement in reducing negative environmental and social impacts’.

This certification follows a year of sustainability initiatives at The O2. In February, the AEG Europe venue made history by hosting the world’s first carbon-removed arena events at The 1975’s four headline shows, resulting in the extraction and removal of 545.9 tonnes.

The venue has also optimised energy efficiencies within the arena and made ‘significant’ enhancements to waste management, with the full deployment of reusable cups and the installation of new waste sorting facilities both back and front-of-house.

“We’ve made incredible strides at The O2 this year”

On its path to net zero, the 20,000-capacity arena has invested in electric powered vehicles to eradicate its fossil fuel emissions altogether, with works continuing into 2025 with the installation of electric forklifts for use across the full site.

“From history-making moments like our carbon removed events, to the essential works we’ve done behind the scenes to create efficiencies and minimise waste and emissions, we’ve made incredible strides at The O2 this year and we’re proud to have this recognised by A Greener Future,” says Sam Booth, director of sustainability at AEG Europe.

“The path to net zero is one that is constantly evolving, and we’re committed to continued innovation so that we can deliver world-class, sustainable events for our fans, bands, and brands.”

Claire O’Neil, CEO at A Greener Future, adds “We’re really happy for The O2 and want to congratulate their team for all of their efforts to run a greener arena. When one of the most iconic venues takes visible action for a more sustainable live sector it reverberates throughout the industry. With all shoulders to the wheel, we look forward to seeing what will come next!”

In 2022, The O2 became the first arena in England to achieve its Greener Arena certification.

The O2 recently announced record-breaking ticket sales in 2024, with over 2.6 million tickets sold – a 3.5% uplift on 2023’s previously unsurpassed figure.

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.

AEG Europe has announced a record-breaking year for its venues in the UK and Germany.

The O2 in London (cap. 20,000) sold over 2.6 million tickets in 2024, a 3.5% increase from 2023’s previously unsurpassed figure.

The iconic arena also hosted more first-time headliners than ever before in 2024, with 41 artists taking to the stage for the first time, including Raye, Charli XCX, Mirror and IVE – a 70% increase from 2023.

Over 10 million visitors were welcomed to the North Greenwich venue in 2024, across 200+ performances spanning music, comedy, sport and entertainment. Highlights include multi-night stands from global superstars like Liam Gallagher and Olivia Rodrigo, and landmark events such as The BRIT Awards and C2C Festival.

In February, The O2 also made history by hosting the world’s first carbon-removed arena events at The 1975’s four headline shows, resulting in the extraction and removal of 545.9 tonnes.

The venue was also named the first UK arena to achieve ‘Platinum’ Accessibility status with disability charity Attitude is Everything, in recognition of itd commitment to improving accessibility for disabled fans, artists, and staff.

In 2025, The O2 will host a world-first event with Formula 1 in February to mark the launch of their upcoming season, as well as a UK-exclusive residency with global superstar Usher, who will be bringing his tour to The O2 for a 10-night run in April.

AEG Europe has also announced a record-breaking year in Germany with events growth of 11.5% year on year

AEG Europe has also announced a record-breaking year in Germany with events growth of 11.5% year on year.

Barclays Arena, the Uber Arena and the Uber Eats Music Hall hosted over 460 events in 2024 – 53 more than in the previous year.

In 2024, over one million fans attended 150 events at Barclays Arena in Hamburg – a significant increase compared to 132 events in the previous year, which brings the arena back to pre-pandemic levels.

With 176 events and 1.8 million guests, the Uber Arena in Berlin had a record year for the third year in a row. The Uber Eats Music Hall, also in Berlin, counted a total of 137 events in 2024, 30 more than in the previous year.

AEG’s German venues have already announced 200 concerts for 2025 with artists including Ayliva, Kontra K, Usher, Dua Lipa and more.

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.

Indian singer, actor and film producer Diljit Dosanjh has set a new record as The O2’s highest-selling South Asian artist.

The 40-year-old singer delivered three sold-out shows at the London venue as part of his Dil-Luminati Tour, promoted by Live Nation.

Dosanjh has now sold over 60,000 tickets at The O2 across two tours, reflecting the growing influence of South Asian music in the UK. To mark this record-breaking achievement, he was presented with a special award from the venue.

“Diljit Dosanjh continues to push the envelope on what it means to be a global artist, and this tour is truly history in the making,” says Nidhish Varughese, global tour promoter at Live Nation. “From breaking records at The O2, to captivating audiences around the world, his vision and talent are paving the way for South Asian artists globally. We’re honoured to be part of his journey.”

“Diljit Dosanjh continues to push the envelope on what it means to be a global artist”

Marc Saunders, senior programming manager at The O2, adds: “Diljit performed his first headline show at The O2 back in August 2022 and just two years later, we’re now witnessing him sell out three nights, cementing his status as one of the most prolific artists in the world. The Dil-Luminati Tour not only showcases Diljit’s mesmerising charisma and epic stage production, but also stands as a shining example of the deserved success of international and culturally diverse artists.”

The award, which is created with Jesmonite – a sustainable material which can be crushed and reused, features Dosanjh’s tour artwork, along with a piece of The O2’s own tent fabric.

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.

As programmer for The O2 – the world’s busiest arena for more than a decade – Emma Bownes is arguably the most popular arena booker internationally, thanks to her enthusiasm, hard graft, and an ability to solve multiple problems all while flashing that infectious smile. Now, as she celebrates 25 years in the business, IQ quizzes Emma on her path to the top, as well as the philosophies that have shaped her success.

Born in Peterborough, England, Emma was raised on the outskirts of the city, as her parents moved around with their jobs. “Mum was originally an accident and emergency nurse, before opening a retirement home,” she says. “Dad worked in change management for Thomas Cook, meaning that he was in New York from time to time.” But her parents’ occasional absence for work reasons introduced her to the wonders of live entertainment.

While younger brother Tom has since followed her into live music (as a promoter at Live Nation), there was no family history in the business. However, Emma knew from an early age exactly what she wanted to do. “When you ask people what they want to do for a living, they say, ‘I want to be a footballer,’ or ‘I want to be a ballet dancer.’ Nobody ever says, ‘I want to be a band programmer.’ But my parents’ families were both from Sheffield, and I’d be taken by my grandparents to working men’s clubs when I was a kid.

“There were a few working men’s clubs we used to go but the format was always similar: there’d be bingo, there’d be a turn, and there’d sometimes also be a fish man,” she laughs. “But the turn was what caught my imagination. I remember an act called Betty Bonk, who sang about stabbing her husband and being in prison. My sister looked at my nan and told her she wanted to be a singer. And I looked at granddad and asked who decided who played on stage. He told me it was the committee, so I said to him, ‘I want to be on the committee.’ I was only eight years old, but ever since then, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Having identified her dream job, ten years later Emma enrolled at the University of Hull and instantly ingratiated herself with the campus entertainment committee. “Shortly after I arrived in Hull and became part of the entertainment committee, the entertainment manager left, so I applied and got the job.”

Indeed, Emma’s activities also saw her booking events off-campus. “I co-promoted a drum & bass night called Future Methods. We had everybody – Hype, Grooverider, Goldie, Ed Rush & Optical – it was brilliant: it taught me how to do on-the-ground promoting.”

“I did the maths at the end of the gig, I realised I’d lost money. But it was amazing because who gets to have a bit of a go until they get it right?”

As she embarked on a career that’s been punctuated by moments where she simply presented herself to new employers and won them over, her time in Hull is among those she looks back upon most fondly.

“I don’t even know if those kinds of jobs exist anymore, but I just loved it,” she says. “When you’re the ents manager, you just do it all. You sit there with a calendar when you start in June, you book all the freshers’ gigs and all the club nights and all the things that freshers might go out and get drunk to, like a Halloween party or Jason Donovan or Chesney Hawkes.”

It also provided a steep learning curve. “I remember promoting this gig with a band called Rialto, and I paid them about £800. It went on sale to the students on a Monday, for the show on the Friday, and tickets were literally £2 or £3. It sold out, but when I did the maths at the end of the gig, I realised I’d lost money. But it was amazing because who gets to have a bit of a go until they get it right? And that went for everything I did – booking the band, designing the posters, sticking the posters up, sitting in the box office and selling the tickets. I’d be there for the load-in, I’d be there at load-out, and I’d pay the band. It was just the best fun.”

A New Mission

Emma fell in love with the city of Hull and extended her time there as much as she could. “I was there for eight years in total,” she recalls. “But I realised that if I didn’t move away, I’d wake up one day aged 40 without having done anything different.”

Together with her then flatmate, who had reached a similar conclusion, they moved to London to pursue loftier ambitions. “Luckily, I was on this ents managers’ email chat group where we’d swap information: ‘I booked Atomic Kitten, and it did this many tickets’ – that kind of thing. Someone posted that there was a vacancy at Mission Control, so I applied and got the job.”

“What I discovered was if you call someone and sound cheerful, rather than stressed, it’s a lot easier to have a conversation”

Placed in charge of the agency’s university bookings, it was an ideal stepping stone and also introduced her to the likes of Gary Howard, whose clients these days account for a healthy chunk of bookings at The O2.

“Mission Control had a roster of mostly garage, which I really liked – Artful Dodger, Solid Crew, DJ Luck & MC Neat – and they also did a lot of pop acts like Jason Donovan and Atomic Kitten. So I basically booked their roster for universities.”

Despite landing on her feet in London, Emma admits to finding it tough. “It was a culture shock,” she states. “I didn’t find it easy to start with, but there were some nice people at Mission Control who just tried to show me how it all worked. They taught me how to find acts, how to sign acts, and how to book gigs.”

Nevertheless, after a year, working for the agency was losing its appeal.

“I just wanted to go back to working in a venue,” explains Emma. “I didn’t mind the selling aspect. In fact, randomly, one of my student summer jobs was selling windows – cold-calling people. Because I’m a naturally cheerful person, what I discovered was if you call someone and sound cheerful, rather than stressed, it’s a lot easier to have a conversation… that job taught me things that I’ve used ever since.”

Pacific Career Path

Having made up her mind that venues were her happy place, Emma found herself at Ocean in Hackney. “It opened in June 2001, I started in June 2002, and it shut on 4 December 2004. The only reason I know that is because I, like many people who worked there, absolutely loved the place.

“Being on the board of the Music Venue Trust, I meet people all the time who are in love with their small venues. At Ocean, we all put absolutely everything we could into it: we were there every hour, for the most random of shows.”

“I think they forgot they’d hired me because when I turned up, the theatre dog literally had a bigger desk than me”

Leaning on her experience, Emma concentrated on booking garage and reggae acts, “like Heartless Crew and Sean Paul.” She adds, “We had lots of shows that were promoted by first-time promoters who needed a lot of hand holding because a lot of things could, and invariably would, go wrong.

“Ocean was such a lovely venue, but the problem was people thought that it was hard to get to. That sounds ridiculous now, but promoters used to tell us, ‘No, we want to play in central London.’ If Ocean had opened a few years later, it would probably still be going strong because Hackney’s obviously gentrified and cool now.”

Ever the pragmatist, when Ocean’s shutters came down permanently, Emma wrote to the neighbouring Hackney Empire theatre. “It was run by a guy called Roland Muldoon, and in my letter, I asked if he could please consider me for anything that came up.”

It worked, “But I think they forgot they’d hired me because when I turned up, the theatre dog literally had a bigger desk than me, and after a while, I could see that they didn’t need me, so I started looking for something else.”

Next port of call was the Mean Fiddler Group where she worked as a promoter for the Jazz Café, The Garage, and Borderline. “I did that for a while, and then became the in-house booker at the Kentish Town Forum,” she tells IQ.

Hello, Wembley

In 2007, Mean Fiddler was acquired by MAMA Group, and Emma’s contacts alerted her to unsettling news. “The guy I was going to report to offered my job to two other people before he even met me. Those people both phoned me to ask if I was leaving.”

“I thought I’d blown it because I’d mainly been used to booking small venues, and I wasn’t confident I’d be any good at arena level”

Once again, her proactive writing skills came to the fore. “I sent [Live Nation UK President] Paul Latham an email to point out what I’d achieved at the Forum – it had lost money every year until I’d taken over booking. I made my case and asked if there was anything at Live Nation I could help with. Within a couple of days, Paul called and said, ‘I need you to go to speak to Wembley Arena.’ It turned out their booking manager, Katie Musham, had just moved to The O2.”

Her Wembley interview did not go as smoothly as she hoped, though.

“I was promoting a gig at the Borderline the night before with a band called the 1990s, and it was sold out, so I wanted to be there,” says Emma. “As usual, I sort of ended up doing everything, including running the door, where I had a hand stamp for everyone who came in.

“Anyway, the interview was at 10am with [GM] Peter Tudor, but for some reason I turned up an hour early – they must’ve thought I was really keen – and I thought I’d blown it because I’d mainly been used to booking small venues, and I wasn’t confident I’d be any good at arena level.

“By the end of the meeting, I really wanted the job, even though I felt I’d messed up because I hadn’t prepared enough for the interview. And then, as I was leaving, I saw these hand stamps all down my arm. They must have thought I was batshit crazy.”

Nonetheless, the job was Emma’s, and when Tudor left for pastures new a few months later, new general manager John Drury, whose background was in venue booking, took the reins.

“I’ve been at The O2 14 years now – my longest job by a long shot – and the team has grown quite a lot since I arrived here”

“John was great – he really helped me develop as a programmer,” reveals Emma. “He’d copy me in on emails with promoters he had a relationship with, and then he’d hand on that relationship to me; he’d do the deal in the first year, but then I’d take over to allow him to do all his GM duties.

“That really stuck with me, and it’s something I’ve also tried to do in my time at AEG – I’ll introduce people in the programming team to promoters before handing them over. It can be quite tough because there are people you’ve dealt with for 20 years who you really like and don’t necessarily want to stop speaking to. But ultimately, it benefits everyone, and I learned that from John Drury.

“The other thing about John is his passion and enthusiasm for the job. I was at Wembley when The O2 opened, and clients like Disney and WWE and loads of touring acts were leaving us for The O2, so we had a difficult time. But in 2009, we started to focus on acts that were maybe playing a couple of Brixtons, and we could offer them that next step to a 10,000-ticket gig. We had some great shows – Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, Fleetwood Mac. It was a fight to get them, but whenever something confirmed I’d stick my head around John’s office door, and he was always just so pleased. He was brilliant to work with.”

Greenwich Mean Time

In 2010, Emma brought her Wembley days to a temporary end when she accepted a new role as programming manager at The O2. However, three years later, she was promoted to arena programming director, placing both The O2 and Wembley Arena under her remit.

“I’ve been at The O2 14 years now – my longest job by a long shot – and the team has grown quite a lot since I arrived here,” she observes.

Indeed, for the past five years, Emma has been AEG’s vice president venue booking for The O2 and Europe, adding oversight for the likes of Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, the Uber Arena in Berlin, and the neighbouring Uber Eats Music Hall.

“The venues in Germany have their own bookers, so I don’t get involved in the detail that I do at The O2, where I’m involved a lot more on the diary,” she explains. “Where I can help is when we’re asked for avails at The O2, I can push tours to consider adding Hamburg or Berlin to the routing.”

“I’m not sure how we got through Covid… We’d be rescheduling the same shows three, four, five times”

Highlighting the complexity of the programming process, Emma reveals that in a year when The O2 hosted 180 events, someone tracked 4,000 ‘pencilled’ dates during the process of producing a final diary for that year.

And, of course, those figures multiplied during the Covid years. Looking back on those troubled times, Emma says, “I left the venue like most people, thinking we were going to be closed for six weeks – and even that was tough to contemplate, as I had to home school two kids as well.

“There were essentially five bookers working on the diary at that time: me, Christian [D’Acuña], Marc [Saunders], Anna [Parry], and also Jo [Peplow Revell] who oversaw the corporate and special events. The fact we were no longer in the same room massively complicated things. In normal times, our jobs are a continual information swap in the office [with all of us] on the phone with promoters fighting over the same dates.

“I’m not sure how we got through Covid. Obviously, we had that initial wave where we needed to reschedule everything in the first three months, so we’d all be on the phone with each other to sort that out. But then it just kept going and going, and we’d be rescheduling the same shows three, four, five times.”

With The O2 operating as a makeshift Covid training centre, the venue remained a hub for Londoners, albeit for all the wrong reasons, while the programming team battled to find suitable new dates for hundreds of postponed shows.

“In the midst of the pandemic, we realised there would inevitably be a period of time when the venue would reopen, and we’d face a potential big gap in the diary,” says Emma. “So we came up with the idea of creating a series of events so that when the doors were allowed to reopen, we’d have something ready to go.”

“The best show I’ve ever booked is Monty Python. It was the most exciting show reveal I’ve ever worked on”

As a result, Emma and her team programmed a series of “Welcome Back Shows”, including three nights with Wizkid, Burna Boy, Mo Gilligan’s Black British Takeover and an NHS fundraiser with Gorillaz, to kick-start London’s live music scene when the UK’s first lockdown ended in August 2021.

As emotional as those first shows back at the venue were, it’s actually some of the non-music shows that she cites as career highlights.

Four Yorkshiremen

“The best show I’ve ever booked is Monty Python,” she states. “It was the most exciting show reveal I’ve ever worked on, because when I first went to see [producer] Phil McIntyre, he wouldn’t tell me what the event was. He started asking me loads of ticketing questions while telling me that lots of different promoters were bidding on the show, and he was worried details would leak, so it was better if he didn’t tell me who the act was.

“Because I couldn’t help with his ticketing questions, I went back the next day with Paul Newman from AXS, who was able to answer everything. But Phil still wouldn’t tell us details. There was a photo of John Cleese over his shoulder, so I suggested we hold the dates under a fake name – John Cleese. And he told us under no account should we use that name.

“So, Paul and I were convinced it was Monty Python, but we swore each other to secrecy and ended up holding the dates under the fake name ‘Russell Brand and Friends.’”

Roll forward to the Monty Python launch at a London theatre. “It was one of the most exciting days of my career, because I watched all of the Monty Python guys come on stage, and everyone in the place was going nuts. And then they announced their reunion and said they were going to pull the name of the venue out of a bag – I felt physically sick, but it was just so exciting. And then the shows themselves were incredible.

“The venues in Germany are actually having their busiest year ever. Between the two Berlin venues, they’ll do well over 300 shows

More Laughs

Comedy was central to another achievement for Emma and her team when, in March 2023, they brought the Just For Laughs festival to The O2.

“A friend of mine who I used to work with at Mean Fiddler, Nick Adair, who sadly passed away, was a massive comedy guy, and he used to talk about organising a comedy festival,” says Emma. “Then one year at ILMC, Steve Homer introduced me to Scott Mantell who represents a lot of comedy acts. It was one of those conversations at the bar, where everybody’s really enthusiastic. But during Covid, Scott introduced me to Just For Laughs in Canada. I pitched the idea to them, and then Steve Homer became involved, and it ended up being a three-way co-pro between us, Just For Laughs, and AEG Presents.”

Emma’s blueprint was to take the already successful Country to Country (C2C) concept and adapt something similar for comedy. “I wanted it to have a sort of Edinburgh Festival vibe where fans could walk from one venue to another in 30 seconds. What worked really well was having a load of programming in the Spiegel tent outside the venue that sold out. And we also had 11 sold-out shows in Indigo over the weekend.”

Hopeful that The O2 can host a comedy festival again, Emma notes that the concept is one that could also be replicated in the likes of Hamburg or Berlin – again emulating the success of C2C, which this year visited Berlin, Rotterdam, London, Glasgow, and Belfast.

Not that feeding AEG’s European venues is a necessity. “The venues in Germany are actually having their busiest year ever,” she reports. “Between the two Berlin venues, they’ll do well over 300 shows. We’re lucky to have a group of people who are sharing information that benefits other venues in the group. For example, Christian [D’Acuña], whose focus is on The O2 and the AEG Presents venues, recently persuaded an agent to book a date in Hamburg.”

Indeed, she lauds senior programming director D’Acuña as the most influential colleague she’s ever had. “I don’t really have a mentor, but the most important working relationship I’ve had has been with Christian. I’ve worked with him since May 2012, and I just can’t speak highly enough of him. When he started, he was programming admin assistant and, coming from Apple, he’d never done it before. But by October 2012, I was off on maternity leave, the venue was really busy, and at one point Christian was left on his own and just had to get on with it. Ever since then, any time I have a decision to make, I always check in with him as he’s like the other half of the brain.”

“We’re in this incredible position where we get to come and work in a music venue every day and see all these incredible acts”

With dates at The O2 held as far out as 2031, Emma and her London-based team are as busy as ever, but she still finds time to be on the board of Music Venue Trust, which fits in with her general ethos about venues being more than just places that host shows.

“We’re in this incredible position where we get to come and work in a music venue every day and see all these incredible acts. But venues can be so much more than that,” she says.

“Two years ago, we began to fund schools to help them participate in Young Voices, which has now played The O2 80 times.

“But the sad truth is that not all schools can afford it, so a couple of years ago we sponsored a local school. Then last year, we sponsored two schools. And this year, it’s going to be eight schools. And now other venues have started doing it and so have companies like PRG.

“It’s a really big deal for me: you can’t just be a music venue – there’s so much more you can do, and knowing we’re making a difference to so many children and their families is just great

Balancing Act

With quarter of a century under her belt and now leading the programming team at the world’s busiest arena, as well as its sister European buildings, Emma Bownes is at the top of the game. But she believes there’s still room for improvement.

“I don’t know about personal ambitions, but I’d like to be better at just trying to balance it all,” she concludes. “It probably also sounds cheesy but trying to balance being a good parent and doing this as well as I can is tricky. You always feel like you’re in the wrong place.

“But I do feel lucky, because this company that I work for, AEG, are totally fine with me being at my children’s sports day on Wednesday afternoon, in the knowledge that I’ll be at Olivia Rodrigo on Thursday night. And the night after that. It’s the best job in the world, and I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”

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.