The International Live Music Conference’s annual deep dive into the venue sector delved into new markets, capital city residencies and the impact of 2025’s huge stadium summer on arenas.

Oak View Group (OVG) International’s Rebecca Kane Burton, Marie Lindqvist of ASM Global Europe, Live Nation EMEA’s Tom Lynch and Ignacio Taier of Argentina-based Grupo Quality convened for ILMC 37’s The Venue’s Venue: Anchor Topics session at London’s Royal Lancaster, chaired by James Drury.

Kane Burton brought up OVG’s investment alongside Live Nation in Lagos, Nigeria, while Lynch discussed LN’s new live entertainment space, The Dome, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“It’s a huge market with a massive population,” said Lynch. “It’s an emerging market, not without its challenges to build new venues, to open venues, etc, but we’re seeing international artists starting to play there. We’ve got Tems in a few weeks and Central Cee’s going down there, but then a huge domestic talent pool as well. So Johannesburg’s somewhere we see a huge future.”

Lindqvist spoke of ASM’s projects in Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as the UK.

“Italy is a very interesting market for us,” she said. “We’re involved in two new builds outside Milan: one in Bergamo, which will have its first show in a couple of weeks, and another project in Cantù, also in the Milan district. Here in the UK, it’s such a big market if you compare it to the rest of Europe, so we’re opening up in Derby in just a few weeks.”

“There’s been an increase in the amount of tickets that we’re selling and the amount of shows that we’re promoting, so there’s definitely an audience”

Taier, meanwhile, referenced Live Nation and subsidiary DF Entertainment recent 40-year agreement to operate Buenos Aires’ Luna Park.

“There’s a need for more venues everywhere, and Latin America in general,” he says. “We have seen more venues in Colombia, Brazil and other places, so I think that’s a constant.”

He added: “There’s been an increase in the amount of tickets that we’re selling and the amount of shows that we’re promoting, so there’s definitely an audience. The thing is, all costs have gone up, ticket pricing has come down, so there’s a problem there. But in general, tickets are selling, so there’s an opportunity.”

However, Lynch suggested the market was still currently under-served in terms of mid-size venues.

“I sat on [the ILMC] stage on the old hotel five years ago and talked about that gap in 4,000-5,000 cap rooms, and we’ve not really moved on a huge amount,” he observed. “And when we look across Europe, actually, there’s that huge gap still. We’ve got plenty of large scale clubs here in the UK, the US is coast to coast and France is okay. But in every other country, you tend to have 2,000-cap theatres and then an arena, so artists are trying to do two, three, four, night runs to fulfil the needs of their fans and that’s not necessarily very efficient.

“We’ve got a venue in Amsterdam, AFAS Live, and if I could pick AFAS Live up and put it in every major city in Europe, I would do. It’s intimate enough that you’re playing to maybe 2,000-3,000 fans, but you’ve got a big production, you’ve got high ceilings, you’ve got a good PA and it feels like an arena show.”

“A capital city without an arena just doesn’t make sense”

Taier agreed that being able to offer a level of versatility was ever-more important.

“That’s really key nowadays, because we can configure it venue for the amount of people that we expect,” he said. “Therefore we can make sure the fan experience is at its best, and the artist also is performing to a full venue, even if that venue is not really full. We can host general admission ticket shows like parties or [club events to] fully seated shows.”

Lynch also revealed his excitement at Live Nation’s mission to restore Finland’s Helsinki Halli to the arena international touring map. Live Nation has taken on a 20-year long-term lease to operate the venue, which is scheduled to reopen this spring after being mothballed for the past three years due to sanctions on its previous Russian ownership.

“A capital city without an arena just doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Wherever the touring goes, artists want to play in capital cities.”

Be that as it may, the panel raised concerns that certain regional markets were being neglected as major tours increasingly focused on the capitals. Taier said the trend was particularly noticeable in Argentina.

“Many shows go to Buenos Aires, the capital, and they just stay there,” he said. “They don’t come to B-markets or C-markets and that is something that really affects us, but we can understand it. There are a lot of artists that prefer to travel less and do more nights at the same place.”

“You’re creating a barrier between those that can afford and those that cannot – and many young fans cannot”

Lindqvist admitted to fears that some younger fans from outside the capital cities could be priced out of attending as a result.

“You have to buy an expensive ticket, and then on top of that, possibly buy airfare and hotels, so I think you’re just creating a barrier between those that can afford and those that cannot – and many young fans cannot,” she said.

“We all know that you don’t start to go to gig when you’re 30 or 40. You start when you’re a teenager. Building that kind of passion and love for music starts at an early age, and we’re providing a barrier to that. I think we’re going in the completely wrong direction, and we’re also diluting the cultural life in cities that are not the A-markets.”

She added: “Why would a city or a private developer invest in new venues or infrastructure and so forth, if the shows aren’t coming to the city? So I think it’s a worrying development that we need to take seriously.”

Nevertheless, Lindqvist dismissed suggestions the rise of stadium shows could have a negative effect on ticket sales for arena productions.

“I think it’s two separate businesses,” she argued. “Maybe, on the other hand, it’s just creating more buzz around live music and people that get to experience a big stadium show will hopefully go to more arena gigs. We’re having a strong stadium year, but we’re also having an extremely strong arena year in most markets, so I think it’s just good for the industry.”

Summing up, Kane Burton stressed that the industry had a collective responsibility to make sure the right artist was playing the right space.

“Thinking about our buildings and thinking about real estate, there’s a massive opportunity,” she concluded. “There’s some huge spaces, right across the world, that just don’t get used in three quarters of a year. What’s good for one city in one space is good for the entire city. So from an ecosystem point of view, I think we should embrace it.”

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ASM Global has pledged its support grassroots venues in the UK via Music Venue Trust (MVT) and an extensive set of new initiatives.

The venue management giant will step up its backing via donations, training and marketing support, with programmes that will roll out on a local level across ASM’s portfolio of UK venues.

OVO Arena Wembley has announced it will match Enter Shikari’s £1 per ticket sold donation to the MVT for their February 2024 show, while ASM will also make equipment and furniture in need of a new home available to grassroots music venues that need it. There will also be opportunities for additional fundraising activity.

“At ASM Global, we are very aware and concerned about the unprecedented cost pressures facing grassroots music venues, and in turn, the knock-on pressures placed on the pipeline of talent for the rest of the live music industry,” says recently announced MVT patron Tom Lynch, ASM’s commercial director and SVP Europe.

“This is an incredibly important first step towards ensuring that when an artist emerges from the grassroots sector, everyone shares in the success they generate once they reach the very top”

“Grassroots music venues are the lifeblood of our cultural fabric and where much of society truly falls in love with music for the first time. As a team, we have always admired the passion and hard work of Music Venue Trust, in providing a voice to grassroots music venues and creating a framework for vital support to keep the music playing.”

ASM will offer access to training either online or in its venues, as well as shadowing opportunities in key areas of operations to support the running of grassroots moving forward. ASM will be able to share guidance and insights received through its pledge to Greener Arena certification across its UK portfolio.

Elsewhere, marketing support will include inclusion in newsletters and linking to venue websites with event and ticketing information. The team will also offer social media support on a local level, as well as signage in venues, highlighting each city’s grassroots music venues, as well as more targeted support for specific venue shows.

“We want to thank ASM Global for being the first arena operators to respond to our call for support from the live music industry to deal with the crisis engulfing grassroots music venues,” adds MVT chief Mark Davyd. “This is an incredibly important first step towards ensuring that when an artist emerges from the grassroots sector, everyone shares in the success they generate once they reach the very top of the industry. We look forward to developing this important relationship.”

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Following on from last week’s popular Festival Forum session, this week’s IQ Focus virtual panel will turn the attention to venues, discussing how the world’s many shuttered music venues can weather the Covid-19 storm, and emerge from life under lockdown.

Chaired by John Langford (AEG Europe), The Venue’s Venue: Building Back, will feature speakers Lucy Noble (Royal Albert Hall/NAA), Olivier Toth (Rockhal/EAA), Oliver Hoppe (Wizard Promotions), Tom Lynch (ASM Global) and Lotta Nibell (GOT Event).

The touring world has changed dramatically since venue professionals came together for the Venue Summit at the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) in March, as doors have been shuttered, countless concerts cancelled and many venues repurposed to help in the fight against the disease.

Panellists will share their strategies on getting through the current crisis, as well as discussing the main lessons they have learned so far

Panellists will share their strategies on getting through the current crisis, as well as discussing the main lessons they have learned so far.

Looking to the future, the venue experts will also reflect on what the recovery process may look like and what will need to be done to keeps fans, staff and artists safe and get business back up and running in the crucial months ahead.

The session is taking place on Thursday 21 May at 3.30 (BST)/4.30 (CET). Get an automatic reminder when the live stream starts via Facebook Live or YouTube Live.

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The International Live Music Conference (ILMC) is now just over a week away and, as more and more chairs and panellists are announced, IQ catches up with some key speakers to hear what they hope to get out of this year’s conference.

Following on from the previous Speaker Spotlight, IQ talks to John Langford, president of the European Arenas Association (EAA) and AEG Europe COO.

Langford is chairing the Venue’s Venue: New builds, new brands panel to discuss what further competition and consolidation we can expect to see in the fast-evolving venue market.

He will be joined by panellists Jolanda Jansen (Rotterdam Ahoy), Brian Kabatznick (Oak View Group), Tom Lynch (ASM Global), Thomas Ovesen (Diriyah Gate Development Authority) and Harry Samuel (LiveStyled).

IQ: What do you expect to be the main talking points at your panel?

JL: I expect there will be lots of talk of new buildings and new markets. New arenas are not cheap, and returns can be limited in competitive markets or marginal locations, so what’s driving expansion and development plans? And what’s the reality of a ‘new arena model’?

Outside of Europe there are some exciting developments and new opportunities. We will look at what’s hot in Asia, the Middle East and Africa and ask whether building venues in those markets will create more demand for touring.

New arenas are not cheap, and returns can be limited, so what’s driving expansion and development plans?

With competition and consolidation in the venue market at an all-time high, has that had an affect on your day-to-day jobs?

Yes, absolutely. I am sure that each of the panel members can talk more to their experiences over the last eighteen months. From mergers to new players in the market, there’s a lot to talk about.

Would it be fair to say the large venue sector is among the most interesting parts of the music business right now?

Personally I believe that the entire live industry is in huge transformation. Specifically on the venue side, what we’re seeing in the large venue sector is mild compared to the storms facing grassroots venues. Business rates, gentrification, Brexit, skills shortages – it’s a minefield out there!

Is there anything else you’re particularly looking forward to at ILMC?

A cold Fightback lager at the end of a long day. All proceeds go to the Music Venues Trust! Beer with a conscience.

The Venue’s Venue panel is taking place at 10 a.m. on Thursday 5 March at ILMC.

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