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Huge line-ups announced for 2023 festival season

A number of major festivals have announced the first acts for their 2023 editions, signalling a bumper festival season ahead.

In South America, Lollapalooza has revealed lineups for its Chile, Argentina and Brazil editions, all set for March next year.

Drake, Billie Eilish, Blink-182, Tame Impala, Rosalía and Lil Nas X have been confirmed as headliners, with acts including Jane’s Addiction, The 1975, Armin Van Buuren, Jamie XX, Kali Uchis and Tove Lo set to support.

These festivals will mark first-time South American performances for Billie Eilish, a newly reunited Blink-182 and Lil Nas X, and will serve as Drake’s first time performing in Argentina and Chile.

The eleventh edition of Lollapalooza Chile takes place 17–19 March at Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos. The eighth edition of Lollapalooza Argentina takes place on 17–19 March at Hippodromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires. And the tenth edition of Lollapalooza Brazil takes place 24–26 March at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo.

Lollapalooza in South America is produced by Perry Farrell, C3 Presents, Lotus Producciones (Chile), DF Entertainment (Argentina), and Time For Fun (Brazil).

Lollapalooza will mark first-time South American performances for Billie Eilish, a newly reunited Blink-182 and Lil Nas X

Primavera Sound has also given fans a taste of what’s to come in 2023 with the announcement that Depeche Mode will headline the Barcelona and Madrid editions.

Next year’s festival will take place at its usual location of Parc Del Fòrum, Barcelona, on the first weekend (1–3 June).

On the second weekend (8–10 June), the festival will take place in the Ciudad de Rock (City of Rock) in Arganda del Rey, Madrid, for the first time ever.

Primavera Sound has taken place in Barcelona for 20 years and has recently expanded internationally with sister events in Los AngelesChile, Argentina and Brazil.

Elsewhere, Rock Werchter (cap. 88,000) has secured Belgian singer Stromae for next year’s instalment, after he stole the show at this year’s Rock Werchter Boutique.

Belgium’s biggest festival, promoted by Herman Schueremans and Live Nation Belgium, will return to Werchter’s Festival Park between 29 June and 2 July, 2023. More names are due to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, fellow Belgian behemoth Tomorrowland has detailed the third edition of Tomorrowland Winter, which returns to the French ski resort of Alpe d’Huez from 18–25 March.

Rock Werchter has secured Belgian singer Stromae for next year, after he stole the show at this year’s Rock Werchter Boutique

The festival offers sets from more than 100 DJs across eight stages, as well as skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, paragliding and snowmobile rides.

Axwell, Steve Angello, Steve Aoki and Tony Romera join previously announced artists Afrojack, Amber Broos, Amelie Lens, ANNA, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Joris Voorn, Kölsch, Lost Frequencies, Mandy, Martin Garrix, Netsky and Ofenbach on the bill.

In Austria, Nova Rock has already lined up a slate of artists for its next offering, including headliners Slipknot, Tenacious D, Parkway Drive, Bilderbuch and Die Ärtze.

Yungblud, Papa Roach, Motionless in White and Nothing But Thieves are also set to perform at next year’s festival, promoted by Nova Music Entertainment (part of CTS Eventim’s Barracuda Music).

The annual hard rock event will return to Pannonia Fields, Nickelsdorf, between 7–10 June, 2023.

 


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Tomorrowland gets green light for third weekend

Tomorrowland has been granted a permit for a third festival weekend in 2022, which will help to recoup lost revenue from two fallow years.

The organisers previously said that a third weekend would help “cushion the financial hangover” from six cancelled festival weekends, including four in Belgium (Tomorrowland 2020 and 2021) and two in France (Tomorrowland Winter 2020 and 2021).

It has now been confirmed that the province of Antwerp, the region in which the 70,000-capacity festival has taken place since 2005, has granted the organisers permission to hold three separate weekends (instead of two) over the course of next summer.

“We are thrilled,” a festival spokesperson told The Brussels Times. “We can now go ahead with three weekends which will all be in July. These will have the same preparations as if we were doing just two weekends but will allow us to offer more variety.”

“These [weekends] will have the same preparations as if we were doing just two but will allow us to offer more variety”

The decision comes after discussions with local residents and authorities, who have added some conditions – all of which the organisers have accepted.

An earlier closing time will be imposed on some of the parties within the campsites in order to reduce noise after hours. The use of fireworks will also be limited, and the festival will also not use helicopters to transport artists and camera crews.

In addition to the flagship festival, Tomorrowland is also busy preparing for two weekends of Tomorrowland Winter in the Alpe d’Huez ski area between 19–26 March 2022.

The first names for the festival have been announced today (16 September), with Adriatique, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Kungs, Lost Frequencies, Martin Solveig, Ofenbach, Paul Kalkbrenner, Quintino and Yves V all set to perform.

 


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Tomorrowland eyes third festival weekend for 2022

The organisers of marquee Belgian festival Tomorrowland have officially submitted an application for a third festival weekend in 2022 “out of economic necessity”.

According to organisers, the third weekend would help compensate for six cancelled festival weekends, including four in Belgium (Tomorrowland 2020 and 2021) and two in France (Tomorrowland Winter 2020 and 2021).

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the two consecutive cancellations of the Belgian festival alone caused a financial blow of “no less than €25 million”.

“We really have to do this to cushion the financial hangover,” Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told the Belgian newspaper. “Before Covid, there were no plans to start organising three weekends.”

In order for the one-off extra weekend to go ahead, permission is required from the Antwerp region, as well as the municipalities of Boom and Rumst, where the 70,000-capacity festival has taken place since 2005.

“We really have to do this to cushion the financial hangover”

Tomorrowland has taken place across two weekends since the tenth anniversary

On the tenth anniversary of Tomorrowland, two festival weekends were held for the first time instead of one. It was then the intention to do this only in jubilee years, every five editions, but organisers got a permit to hold the festival two weekends a year.

A third weekend would be held one week before the dates already announced, on Friday 15, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July 2022.

A public inquiry on the application will be open until Tuesday 24 October and public objections can be made.

A decision will be made no later than 13 January. As it stands, the proposed weekend is likely to get the backing of Antwerp, Boom and Rumst, who have all indicated that they are not opposed.

In the meantime, Tomorrowland is busy preparing for two weekends of Tomorrowland Winter in the Alpe d’Huez ski area in March 2022.

Tomorrowland isn’t the only festival extending its duration for 2022 – Spain’s Primavera, Croatia’s InMusic and Germany’s Summer Breeze are all expanding next year to celebrate anniversaries.

 


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Tomorrowland doubles up on festivals for 2022

Following a successful debut in 2019, Tomorrowland has announced the return of its winter edition for next March.

Tomorrowland Winter will take place at the Alpe d’Huez ski resort in the French Alps between 19–26 March 2022.

The first names for the festival have been announced today (16 September), with Adriatique, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Kungs, Lost Frequencies, Martin Solveig, Ofenbach, Paul Kalkbrenner, Quintino and Yves V all set to perform.

Tickets for the winter edition will go on sale on Saturday (18 September). Find out more information about the festival here.

Tomorrowland is also set to bring back its annual flagship festival next year, following two consecutive cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 70,000-capacity electronic dance festival will take place from 22–24 and 29–31 July 2022 at its usual location in Boom, Belgium. The line-up for the festival is yet to be announced.

 


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Mixed fortunes for live events as Covid-19 spreads

The live music industry is being affected differently in markets around the world by the continuing spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), with over 110,000 cases now reported worldwide.

Politicians in the UK today (9 March) reiterated that there was no need to cancel large events to prevent further spread of the virus.

At the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) last week, top agents expressed their resolve to carry on with business as usual, with CAA’s Emma Banks saying the agency would not take shows off sale “unless we have to”.

Reacting to a suggestion from Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn that all events over 1,000 capacity be cancelled due to Covid-19, DEAG today announced that “all events will be carried out according to scheduled dates regardless of the number of participants.”

“DEAG will carry out a responsible analysis of each event in close coordination with the respective artists, their partners and of course the local authorities and will make an appropriate decision on a case-by-case basis,” reads the statement.

A spokesperson from German powerhouse CTS Eventim, which operates in 15 markets across Europe, states that Covid-19 is having only “isolated effects” on its business, such as in Italy and Switzerland.

“The majority of our events and functions take place in the summer and in the second half of the year,” continues the Eventim spokesperson. “Based on the current situation, there is no reason to believe that the major festivals will not be held outdoors in the summer. We cannot observe an increased return of purchased tickets.”

“Based on the current situation, there is no reason to believe that the major festivals will not be held outdoors in the summer”

The Italian government recently extended its ban on all public gatherings in the north of the country until 3 April, whereas all events in Switzerland over 1,000 capacity have been banned until 15 March, in a measure deemed “disproportionate” by Swiss Music Promoters Association (SMPA).

In France, a ban imposed on events over 5,000 capacity led to the cancellation of Tomorrowland Winter, set to take place from 14 to 21 March at the Alpe d’Huez ski resort.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have to inform you that the French government has decided to cancel this year’s edition,” reads a post on Tomorrowland Winter’s Facebook page.

“The French government is taking drastic measures regarding the Covid-19 virus in France. Therefore they are enforcing the cancellation of large events, bringing together people from different nationalities on closed festival grounds and event locations.”

Asian tour dates by international acts including Avril Lavigne, Green Day, BTS, Mariah Carey, Stormzy and Khalid are among those to have been called off amid coronavirus concerns.

A joint statement issued by Japanese music bodies reads: “We have decided to cancel or call off the majority of shows, following a recent request to cancel or postpone events from the government.”

The bodies, including Japanese promoters’ association (ACPC), federation of music producers (FMPJ) and association of music enterprises (JAME), state they will work to provide all the appropriate information to the public and “deliver high-quality entertainment again soon”.

Events in the United States have also taken a hit recently, with the cancellations of Austin showcase festival and conference SXSW and the Miami edition of EDM event Ultra Music Festival.

 


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Tomorrowland Winter to debut in 2019

Belgian dance music festival brand Tomorrowland has revealed plans for a new event during the “most magical season of the year”: winter.

Tomorrowland – whose flagship event in Boom is attended by some 400,000 people over two weekends in July – will take over the Alpe d’Huez ski resort in the French Alps for the aptly named Tomorrowland Winter, which promises which promises to serve up “the world’s best and hottest DJs [and] extra attention for tasty food and drinks served in the most unexpected places, all steeped in the decor, magic and atmosphere that makes Tomorrowland so special” for an estimated 30,000 guests on 13–15 March 2019.

“We truly feel that […] in Alpe d’Huez we’ve found just the right partner to realise our dream: a winter edition of our festival,” says Tomorrowland founder Michiel Beers.

“We couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate our 15th anniversary”

“Tomorrowland Winter promises to be very special in all aspects: The stages set up throughout the ski area, including at an altitude of 3,300m, the brand-new main stage, the line-up – and all this in the fairytale setting of the French Alps.

“This edition of Tomorrowland was created by our own dedicated young team in Antwerp and we will be 100% in control of its execution. We couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate our 15th anniversary with the People of Tomorrow and we just can’t wait to welcome them to this enchanting winter wonderland.”

Tickets for the festival, whose theme is ‘the hymn of the frozen lotus’, start at €685, including admission to the festival, four night’s accommodation and a four-day lift and ski pass.

 


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