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Coldplay completed their record-breaking four-night run in Abu Dhabi last week, achieving the largest and longest series of ticketed shows in the UAE.
Promoted by Live Nation Middle East and supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, the sold-out Music Of The Spheres shows drew 200,000 fans across the four nights, surpassing the nearly 69,000 people who attended Ed Sheeran’s two sold-out concerts at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium last year.
The shows took place at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium which is now operated by Oak View Group and its Middle East partner Ethara.
Demand for the British band’s Abu Dhabi concerts was deemed unprecedented, with millions of fans attempting to secure a ticket.
Initially planned as a single show, the overwhelming interest led the band to add three additional dates, all of which sold out within hours.
The Middle East, one of the fastest-growing live music markets in the world, will be a key focus of this year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC), with two expert-led panels: The Venue Boom and States of Growth.
“It has been an honour to bring Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour to the UAE”
“At Live Nation Middle East, we take immense pride in creating unforgettable events for the region, and it has been an honour to bring Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour to the UAE,” says James Craven, president of Live Nation Middle East.
“Organising the region’s largest concert series showcased the skill and hard work of our team, and we are deeply grateful for the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Miral, and the dedicated team at Zayed Sports City Stadium.
“We also want to thank the local media for their invaluable role in sharing information with fans and ensuring the event ran seamlessly. We look forward to future collaborations with Coldplay and more exciting artists while continuing to deliver some of the most iconic events in the region.”
Coldplay will deliver another record-breaking show later this week when they perform at the largest stadium in the world, the 100,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in India.
The second of the two Narendra Modi Stadium concerts, on 26 January (Republic Day), will be streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar, it was announced last week.
The band’s Music Of The Spheres tour has already set records as the best-selling and highest-grossing rock tour ever thanks to 10 million tickets sold and grosses over $1 billion to date during its three-year run.
Coldplay are represented by Wasserman Music’s Marty Diamond and Larry Webman in North America and WME’s Josh Javor for the rest of the world.
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Some of the top agents in the international live music business have revealed the emerging market they’re most excited about in 2025.
In the new year straw poll conducted by IQ, four different territories emerged, with Africa topping the list.
Africa
Africa’s potential for growth is perhaps best signalled by the number of live entertainment giants that expanded in the market in the past 12 months.
Last summer, Ticketmaster enhanced its presence in Africa by acquiring its leading ticketing platform Quicket, with the firm’s president Mark Yovich declaring “a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment”.
Meanwhile, parent company Live Nation announced two major venue projects in the territory including South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome (cap. 10,500), which is set to open in Johannesburg this month and a new 12,000-cap arena, opening in Lagos, Nigeria, in late 2025 with the help of Oak View Group.
These venues will fill critical gaps in their respective markets – where infrastructure has been sorely lacking – making touring a more viable prospect.
“I think the new arena in Lagos is a game changer that will result in more opportunities throughout the continent,” WME’s Tony Goldring tells IQ. “I’m most excited about the potential for artists to tour Africa.”
One Fiinix Live’s Jon Ollier is equally excited about the long-term development of Africa’s live music market.
“It is my belief that this market will really mature over the next 10 years and with such a huge population and emerging middle class the opportunities could be endless,” he tells IQ. “The influence that this market has on global recorded music and culture is already profound, so think of the impact it could have on live music!”
UTA’s Jules de Lattre echoes these thoughts, adding: “We are seeing significant recorded music growth fuelled by a rise in paid streaming subscribers. There is huge potential for growth in the region which should in turn impact the development of live infrastructures in major Sub-Saharan countries. I’m excited about all developments in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
“I think the new arena in Lagos is a game changer that will result in more opportunities throughout the continent”
India
India has successfully staked its claim as a global entertainment hub in the past 12 months, enticing a growing number of international stars and festival brands to the country.
Thanks to growing access to the internet and rapidly increasing demand for large-scale events, India’s meteoric growth looks set to continue.
“A few years ago there were hardly any international artists playing shows there…” says WME’s Josh Javor. “Within 12 months you now have Lollapalooza festival, Bandland festival, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Bryan Adams, Cigarettes After Sex and Dua Lipa all with successful shows.”
This year, Coldplay are set to play their biggest-ever shows at the 100,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad while Ed Sheeran will embark on his biggest-ever run in India – underscoring the country’s thirst for A-list artists.
“The record-breaking shows by Coldplay and the development of festival properties like Lollapalooza India, and the growth of the domestic music scene, are a few of the results of the continued investment and development of the live music infrastructure and music industry,” UTA’s Carlos Abreu tells IQ. “I feel that India is a market which we’re going to see growing tremendously in 2025 and beyond.”
“I hope Ukraine will be an emerging market again, that would excite me most if it happened”
Ukraine
“I hope Ukraine will be an emerging market again, that would excite me most if it happened,” Wasserman Music’s Alex Hardee tells IQ.
Amid curfews, bomb threats and a lack of infrastructure due to Russia’s ongoing invasion, Ukraine’s music industry has been defiant in adapting to the unprecedented circumstances.
In August 2023, Atlas programmer Vladyslav Yaremchuk told IQ: “Concerts are happening everywhere, even in frontline cities in shelters, even in trenches.”
The following year, Atlas festival took place for the first time since the Russian invasion in Kyiv’s Blockbuster Mall, with the underground car park to be used as a shelter in the event of an air siren.
On a larger scale, local pop artist Artem Pivovarov performed three sold-out shows at Kyiv Sports Palace, drawing 10,000 attendees each night.
Music Export Ukraine’s Dartsya Tarkovska called his most recent run “a great success story to note in these wild times”.
But while Ukraine rebuilds its domestic business, execs such as YOUROPE’s Christof Huber have encouraged the international live music industry not to forget about the ongoing war.
Central Asia
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, live music executives from the former country have migrated to neighbouring countries leading to an increase in live music activities in Central Asia.
Solo’s Charly Beedell-Tuck tells IQ she’s particularly excited about the growth in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
“Music trends are changing there due to the rapidly growing younger population in these countries (unlike most of Central Europe),” says Tuck.
“Increased migration to these countries is also changing the music patterns in these territories and making it a really exciting place to look at servicing with more shows and live music.”
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Wasserman Music has announced the appointment of three senior executives from WME: Kevin Shivers, James Rubin, and Cristina Baxter.
Shivers and Rubin join Wasserman Music’s executive leadership team, marking the group’s biggest expansion since the company’s 2021 launch.
Los Angeles-based Shivers and New York-based Rubin join Wasserman as EVPs & managing executives, having been WME senior partners in the agency’s music division and co-directors of its hip-hop/R&B team.
At WME, Shivers represented stars including Tyler, The Creator, Kali Uchis, Snoop Dogg, Lil Baby, Kid Cudi, Summer Walker, Kevin Abstract, Solange, and Jimmy Butler, while Rubin represented world-renowned acts such as Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, Solange, Bryson Tiller and Wiz Khalifa.
Los Angeles-based Baxter joins Wasserman as senior vice president, having been a partner in WME’s music division and co-director of its pop and rock teams. Baxter represented acts including André 3000, Kygo, Carly Rae Jepsen, SOFI TUKKER and Kali Uchis.
“Kevin, James, and Cristina are highly respected leaders in the industry who exemplify the values on which our company is built”
All three executives join Wasserman Music effective today. Their rosters following the move have not been confirmed.
“Kevin, James and Cristina are highly respected leaders in the industry who exemplify the values on which our company is built,” says Casey Wasserman, chairman and CEO of Wasserman.
“We’re thrilled to have them join Team Wass during this exciting period of growth for our global music division.”
Wasserman Music president Lee Anderson adds: “I’ve long admired Kevin, James, and Cristina as both professionals and people. It’s gratifying to now refer to some of our toughest competition as our newest teammates and partners.”
Shivers comments: “Wasserman Music is creating an agency for the future – one focused equally on nurturing both the talent they represent and the talent they hire. I look forward to helping further Wasserman’s mission of championing artists like no other.”
Rubin adds: “I’m thrilled to join the very best team in our industry, bar none. With Wasserman’s unmatched resources and services, I look forward to helping my clients’ businesses grow exponentially.”
Baxter says: “Wasserman Music has built more than just an agency. It’s a new kind of artist representation company that is innovative, unwaveringly client-focused, and designed to expand opportunities for people of all backgrounds in our industry.”
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As we enter what could be a historic year for international touring, the challenges faced by those in the live music industry are growing exponentially.
“The development with the greatest impact on our daily business remains the increase in costs for virtually everything we do,” states FKP Scorpio’s Stephan Thanscheidt, who contends that such constraints may be thwarting some promoters from rolling out new festival formats and touring concepts.
“Nowadays, events need to be sold out to be successful, so there is little room for experimentation and error,” he continues, stating that many other festival organisers are “suffering.”
However, noting that Scorpio’s success allows the company to push ahead with new ideas, he adds, “We are excited about the continued success of event formats such as family entertainment and exhibitions. We have numerous exciting projects in the pipeline and are eager to develop this sector across Europe.”
Looking ahead to 2025, optimism abounds, with nearly everyone that IQ spoke to for this report predicting a blockbuster 12 months.
“There’s going to be a ton of great traffic next year,” says Wasserman Music EVP and managing executive Marty Diamond, citing the growing fanbases of Raye, Tyla, Isabel LaRosa, Zach Templar, Tom Odell, and Alex Warren as some of the most exciting projects going into 2025. “In the context of the big stadium and arena tours, obviously, the success and comeback of Oasis is incredible, and I think it might ignite a resurgence of great rock music again, as there are certainly some really great rock bands emerging.”
Move Concerts’ Rodriguez concurs, “2025 is looking good for us. So far, we have a solid number of shows lined up. Those announced include Katy Perry dates – that kicked off strong – and we’re also partnering on Ado with Concerts West, who quite frankly, convinced us to take the risk with them, and sales kicked off beyond our expectations.”
“Within the traffic patterns that we’re seeing, the weak are not going to survive”
However, noting the scarcity of availabilities, given the volume of tours next year, Diamond warns, “You have to really be purposeful about who’s on the road, why are they on the road, and what vehicles of support are out there for them on the road. Because, within the traffic patterns that we’re seeing, the weak are not going to survive.”
Identifying some of the trends that the industry might want to keep an eye on in 2025 progresses, Live Nation’s John Reid says, “The growth of Latin artists across Europe is clear, with Spain acting as a gateway to the rest of the continent. Karol G’s record-breaking sold-out shows at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium is a perfect example of the appetite for Latin music.
“Country and Americana genres are also gaining in popularity across the globe, with multiple headliners selling out arenas, and I’d expect that growth to continue through 2025 and beyond.”
That rings true with Christian D’Acuña, senior programming director at The O2 in London. “One of the most exciting trends in recent years is the rise of various genres of music from all over the world, with Afropop, Latin, K-pop, and South Asian artists performing and selling out shows at The O2,” he reports. “In 2025, I expect that to continue, with the likes of Ateez, Maluma, and Ado all confirmed in our diary, with more to come.”
Reid also points to responsibility for the environment becoming more prominent. “Sustainability is a top priority for many of today’s artists and fans. Through our Green Nation initiative, we are focused on helping preserve the live music experience for generations to come – leveraging our festivals and venues to power events with renewable energy, rolling out reusable cup schemes, or working with partners to deliver environmental education and awareness programmes on site for concertgoers, to name a few.”
D’Acuña is on the same page, stressing that sustainability has become a major consideration for venue operators. “Earlier this year, we hosted the world’s first carbon-removed events with The 1975,” he recalls. “The pilot events saw the extraction and removal of 136.46 tonnes of residual carbon per show, equating to 545.9 tonnes across the four-night residency – the equivalent yearly electricity usage of 395 average homes! As a venue, we are now in a position to offer out the model to other artists, so my hope is that we get a good uptake for carbon-removed shows in 2025 and beyond.”
“Culture has become a powerful driver of mass tourism, transforming cities into global cultural destinations”
While the cost of touring will continue to be a significant obstacle for many acts at the mid-tier and emerging talent level in 2025, the opportunities for AAA-list talent have never been better, with stadia operators cashing in on the many megatours confirmed for the year ahead, and new markets, such as Saudi Arabia and cities in Asia, putting together offers that further enhance the revenue streams for those at the top of the talent food chain.
Mathieu Jaton at Montreux Jazz Festival believes the industry is “at a decisive turning point, marked by an increasingly clear divide between two economic models: the traditional live music business and the big entertainment business.”
He explains, “Fans from all over the world travel to experience ‘Taylor’s experience’ or ‘Adele’s experience.’ This economic model is now more akin to major international sporting events like the World Cup, the Olympics, or Formula 1. Culture has become a powerful driver of mass tourism, transforming cities into global cultural destinations.
“In contrast, some artists, such as Massive Attack, have taken a different direction: prioritising an eco-conscious approach. They strive to drastically reduce the environmental impact of their tours, recognising that audience travel remains the heaviest ecological factor. However, this approach inevitably limits the economic returns generated, unlike the strategies adopted by artists like Taylor Swift or Adele.”
ASM Global’s Marie Lindqvist is one of many to pick up on concerts as a destination trend. “I think we will see more shows being the reason to go to a destination or a city,” she says. “We can tell from our ticketing data that the share of fans travelling in from other countries or regions to Stockholm has increased. Concert tourism is strong.”
UTA’s Obi Asika frames it in a different way.
“There’s lots of high-profile artists with stadium shows lined up for next summer. The elephant in the room –and the question the industry is asking – is how are all these tickets going to be sold? I’m fascinated to see whether the industry has got it right,” he states.
“We’re seeing a renewal in international pop, folk pop, punk rock – indie seems to be growing stronger”
Outlining some of the trends he has noticed for his Rockhal venue, whose location helps to attract fans from its native Luxembourg and neighbouring France and Germany, among others, EAA president Olivier Toth notes that there appears to be some evolution in the popularity of genres. “Hip-hop in our market is slowing down. But now we’re seeing a renewal in international pop, folk pop, punk rock – indie seems to be growing stronger.”
He also reveals that artists are returning to markets quicker than what was once the norm. “It used to be two or three years between shows, but now we’re down sometimes to just one year. And then obviously you also have an evolution in cost structure and cost volume, where ticket prices year-on-year increase, and that can make it tricky to promote the follow-up show.”
Forecasting 2025, John Giddings says he is looking forward to, “The sun shining all summer long (fingers crossed)… There are now more open-air shows than ever, and there were too many cancellations this year.”
And on a more practical note, Age Versluis at Dutch promoter Friendly Fire admits to being delighted that a proposed VAT lift (9 to 21%) no longer seems to be happening. “After Covid setbacks, staffing issues, and rising costs, we are all very happy [about that],” he tells IQ.
For his part, AEG global touring president Rich Schaefer says, “I think we’ll see shorter tours – more multiple-night runs, for sure. I also think we’ll see a slight market normalisation continue in 2025, which makes pricing and venue choices more important than ever before.”
“The largest metric for success is the box office”
Analysing ticket trends, AO Arena’s Gemma Vaughan reports, “2024 saw a reduction in [ticket] transactions but an increase in average transactional value. I think as we move into 2025, we will see more ticket ballots, fair ticketing, face value resale restrictions, and the continued rise of the experience economy across all events.”
Sales are a top priority for Kirk Sommer, global co-head of music at WME, who opines that nurturing artists who catch the public’s imagination has become a real skill. “The largest metric for success is the box office,” he says. “The rate at which some artists are making rapid ascensions at scale has required more focus on making the right strategic developmental decisions while being sure not to miss the moment.”
Sommer’s 2024 highlights included The Killers, Adele, and Billie Eilish. Next year, he says, “I am looking forward to the continued growth of Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, and Lola Young.”
UTA’s Asika concludes, “I’m just interested to see where we’re at as an industry come October 1, after festival season is over. With so many shows and so many tickets in the market, it will be fascinating to see how we did as an industry.”
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WME has promoted 15 individuals to agent across multiple departments and offices.
The newly minted agents in the music department include Lauren Cunningham, who works in the country genre out of Nashville. Cunningham started at the agency as an assistant in 2019 and rejoined in 2021 as an agent trainee.
Yolande Poitras and Jake Wilk, two contemporary music-focused executives working in the Beverly Hills office, have also been promoted to agent.
Poitras has spent over five years in the California office, first as an agent trainee and then as a music agent assistant. She previously worked as an intern at C3 Presents.
WME global co-head of music Kirk Sommer recently gave IQ his verdict on the touring business in 2024
Wilk has been at the agency since 2019, working in a variety of roles including music central floater, agent assistant and agent trainee.
Ella Fox has a similar journey, starting in WME’s Los Angeles office in 2021 and working her way up through music central floater, music agent assistant, music central trainer and agent trainee. The newly minted agent will now be based out of New York City.
In London, Matt Fayers and Crosby Stewart have risen in the ranks to agent. The pair also came up through the agent trainee programme after beginning at WME as assistants – Fayer in 2018 and Stewart in 2021.
WME global co-head of music Kirk Sommer recently gave IQ his verdict on the touring business in 2024 – and predicted his top trends for next year. Read more here.
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Leading WME agent Kirk Sommer has given his verdict on the touring business in 2024 – and predicted his top trends for next year.
As senior partner and global co-head of music at the Beverly Hills-headquartered agency, Sommer – who is currently fundraising for music charity MusiCares – works with a host of superstar acts including Adele, The Killers, Billie Eilish, Arctic Monkeys and Hozier.
And with certain artists rising faster than ever on the live scene in the age of social media, he tells IQ how the sector is adapting its game.
“I have never felt more empowered as an agent,” Sommer tells IQ. “The largest metric for success is the box office. The rate at which some artists are making rapid ascensions at scale has required more focus on making the right strategic developmental decisions while being sure not to miss the moment.”
Sommer, who tips “the continued growth of globalisation, pricing and sustainability” to be the biggest issues for the industry next year, lists The Killers’ “incredible” six-night run at The O2 in London in July and their hometown Hot Fuss Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace among his highlights of the past 12 months. The band will play three more “encore” gigs in Vegas next month.
In addition, Sommer oversaw the two-year Weekends with Adele Vegas residency at the same venue on 23 November, as well as Hozier’s record-breaking four-night stint at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, in June, which marked the first time in the venue’s 101-year history that a single artist had sold out a run of that length.
Elsewhere, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour launched in North America in September.
Sommer is donating a meeting with himself for two people in order to raise funds for music charity MusiCares
“Adele completing her 100-show residency that I had worked on for four years was very special,” reflects Sommer. “Hozier’s historic, record breaking, four-night run at Forest Hills Stadiums was excellent. And the Billie Eilish arena show in the round is the best I have seen.”
Sommer also has high hopes for a number of emerging headliners on the WME roster.
“I am looking forward to the continued growth of Benson Boone, Teddy Swims and Lola Young,” he says. “I have some important and significant tours I’ll be announcing shortly. I’m tremendously proud of the hard work and teamwork my department demonstrated daily and could not be more excited for our collective future.”
Meanwhile, Sommer is donating a meeting with himself for two people in order to raise funds for MusiCares.
The auction, which is open until 3.02pm EST (9.02pm CET) on Wednesday 4 December, is running via the CharityBuzz platform, with the winning bidder to be given the opportunity to speak with Sommer for 45 minutes and explore the dynamics of the live music industry. The current highest bid stands at US$44,500 (€42,500).
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WME parent company Endeavor posted a significant loss for the third fiscal quarter of 2024 but saw revenue gains driven by its talent representation and live sports businesses.
The Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment giant reported revenue of $2.03 billion for Q3, as well as a net loss of $420.4 million – nearly three times larger than the same period last year.
The representation segment was up 11% to $429.2m, attributed to growth in WME’s talent and music businesses and “the continued consumer demand for live music”. This increase was partially offset by decreases in the nonscripted content production business.
WME’s roster includes Justin Timberlake, Adele, Bruno Mars, Pearl Jam, The Killers, Bjork, Foo Fighters, Stormzy, St Vincent, Shakira and Snoop Dogg among others.
The owned-sports segment — which includes TKO, the parent company of wrestling giant WWE and MMA leader UFC, along with Professional Bull Riders, which will soon be sold to TKO — increased revenue by 53% to $735.2m.
“Our owned sports and representation segments delivered solid results driven by continued consumer demand for live events and content”
The events, experiences and rights segment surged to $899.8m (a 145% year-over-year increase) due to On Location’s hospitality business at the Paris Olympics.
“During the quarter, our owned sports and representation segments delivered solid results driven by continued consumer demand for live events and content,” says Ariel Emanuel, CEO, Endeavor. “As we work toward the close of our take-private transaction with Silver Lake, we remain focused on delivering for our clients, partners, and shareholders, maintaining momentum throughout our business, and completing the sale of PBR, On Location and IMG to TKO.”
In April this year, it was announced that Endeavor would be acquired by majority shareholder Silver Lake in a deal valued at $13 billion. The Silicon Valley-based private equity company plans to take Endeavor private next year, as the firm sheds assets.
In October, Endeavor announced an agreement with TKO to acquire Professional Bull Riders, On Location, and event management, digital services, consulting and media rights company IMG in an all-equity transaction valued at $3.25 billion. The deal will increase Endeavor’s stake in TKO by 6% to 59%.
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Colombian superstar Shakira has shattered on-sale records for the Latin America leg of her 2025 Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore) World Tour.
The star sold out 13 stadiums on the continent last week, with nearly 700,000 tickets sold in less than two hours, according to Ocesa.
More than two million fans had registered for the Latin America leg of the tour – the 47-year-old’s first outing since the 2018 El Dorado World Tour.
Due to the demand, new dates have been added for Monterrey’s BBVA Stadium, Guadalajara’s Akron Stadium and Mexico City’s Seguros Stadium.
The 20-date tour will kick off on 11 February 2025 at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and visit Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia.
The stint will see Shakira deliver four stadium dates in her native Colombia at Metropolitan Stadium (Barranquilla), Atanasio Girardot Stadium (Medellin) and two at El Campin Stadium (Bogota).
More than two million fans had registered for the Latin America leg of the tour
It will mark the first time she’s performed in her hometown of Barranquilla in 19 years.
Before heading to Latin America, the star will kick off the North American leg of the tour on 2 November at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
The 17-date stint will stop at arenas across the US before wrapping up on 15 December at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
North America and Latin America are currently the only markets confirmed for the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, which is in support of her LP of the same name that dropped in March – her first new album in seven years.
Following its release, the set landed at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums chart, a feat that made her the first woman to secure No. 1 albums in four different decades. It recently scored a Latin Grammy nomination for album of the year.
Shakira is represented by WME worldwide.
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Colombian superstar Shakira has added a slate of Latin America stadium dates to her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore) World Tour.
The outing will be Shakira’s first since her 2018 El Dorado World Tour, which stopped at stadiums and arenas around the world.
On the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, produced by Live Nation, the 47-year-old will visit Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia.
The 11-date leg will kick off on 11 February 2025 at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and conclude on 19 March at GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico.
The stint will see Shakira deliver three stadium dates in her native Colombia at Metropolitan Stadium (Barranquilla), Atanasio Girardot Stadium (Medellin) and El Campin Stadium (Bogota), which range from 39,000 to 46,000 capacity. It will mark the first time she’s performed in her hometown of Barranquilla in 19 years.
The tour will be Shakira’s first since her 2018 El Dorado World Tour, which stopped at stadiums and arenas around the world
Before heading to Latin America, the star will kick off the North American leg of the tour on 2 November at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
The 17-date stint will stop at arenas across the US before wrapping up on 15 December at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
North America and Latin America are currently the only markets confirmed for the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, which is in support of her LP of the same name that dropped in March – her first new album in seven years.
Following its release, the set landed at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums chart, a feat that made her the first woman to secure No. 1 albums in four different decades. It recently scored a Latin Grammy nomination for album of the year.
Shakira is represented by WME worldwide.
Check out the full Latin American tour dates below:
Feb. 11 — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — Nilton Santos Stadium
Feb. 13 — Sao Paulo, Brazil — MorumBIS Stadium
Feb. 16 — Lima, Peru — National Stadium
Feb. 21 — Barranquilla, Colombia — Metropolitan Stadium
Feb. 23 — Medellin, Colombia — Atanasio Girardot Stadium
Feb. 26 — Bogota, Colombia — El Campin Stadium
March 2 — Santiago, Chile — National Stadium
March 7 — Buenos Aires, Argentina — Argentine Polo Field
March 12 — Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico — BBVA Stadium
March 16 — Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico — Akron Stadium
March 19 — Mexico City, Mexico — GNP Seguros Stadium
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The team behind Adele’s historic German run have told IQ the acclaimed show represents “a milestone in music history” and debated whether it will inspire further residencies.
The singer broke numerous records with her 10-night stint at a giant pop-up stadium in Munich – the largest temporary arena ever built.
More than 730,000 tickets were sold for the exclusive European concerts, held between 2-31 August, which registered the highest attendance of any concert residency outside Las Vegas, according to promoter Live Nation.
Speaking in the latest issue of IQ, Adele’s agent Lucy Dickins and Live Nation GSA CEO Marek Lieberberg do not rule out the possibility of other acts staging similar productions down the line, but stress that it isn’t an easy template to follow.
“Not everyone is of Adele’s scale,” reflects Dickins, WME global head of contemporary music and touring. “I still have yet to see anyone greater than her live. She’s the most unbelievable professional I’ve ever, ever had the pleasure of working with. She’s super-smart, she always knows exactly what she’s doing.”
The “bespoke” outdoor venue boasted a 220m x 30m LED screen, supplied by Solotech, which has been certified by Guinness World Records as the Largest Continuous Outdoor LED Screen (temporary) ever built.
“Before this started, I said: ‘Never before and never again.’ Now, I would say, ‘Never before but maybe again”
Alongside the venue, the 75,000-square-metre Adele World – which included an authentic English pub, a fairground wheel, karaoke, Farmers Markets, merchandise and a typical Bavarian beer garden with live entertainment – attracted 500,000 visitors.
“It’s been very intense because something like this has never been done before. There is no precedent. We could not simply use a blueprint of another project – we had to start from scratch,” says Lieberberg, who co-promoted the residency with Klaus Leutgeb, CEO of Austria’s Leutgeb Entertainment Group.
“Before this started, I said: ‘Never before and never again.’ Now, I would say, ‘Never before but maybe again. We need to analyse the Munich residency thoroughly. All the shows have been spectacular and overwhelming, from Adele’s unique performances to the audience response, as well as the reaction of the media worldwide.
“It’s a milestone in music history, for sure. And it seems too good to waste. But if we ever did something like this again, it has to cater to the specific vision of the artist, like this one has.”
Leutgeb, who organised shows at Munich Messe with artists including Andreas Gabalier, Helene Fischer and Robbie Williams in 2022, had approached Dickins with a series of proposals in the past. However, an updated offer including the suggestion of a purpose-built stadium – illustrated by a sketch from production designer Florian Wieder – persuaded Dickins to take the concept to her brother Jonathan, Adele’s manager, last year.
“I knew questions would be asked, like, why Germany? Why Munich?”
“I knew questions would be asked, like, why Germany? Why Munich?” she says. “Well, she hasn’t played in Europe since 2016, and if you look at Munich, it’s slap-bang in the middle. But the main bit for me was the Oktoberfest is held here. So they have infrastructure to get a lot of people in and a lot of people out. I had all these ideas going around in my head, and I called Jonathan, and he was like, ‘Yeah, it’s interesting.’”
Lieberberg credits support from the very top of Live Nation with enabling the project to come to life – and reserves special praise for the production team.
“We had so many brilliant minds joining forces,” he says. “At these shows, we possibly experienced the greatest open-air sound ever – it was like sitting in a studio with B&O boxes and a Thorens player, and you put on the vinyl. And then you have a world-record LED wall in the shape of a wave, like a film scroll. A tailor-made stadium, all in black, no advertising at all, just with Adele signage. It’s really a piece of art.
“In German, there’s a word for it: Gesamtkunstwerk. A total piece of art, a composition of many parts creating an artwork in itself. And people realise that when they enter into a new environment that is so different from any other arena or stadium. This stadium was made for the show, and the show was made for the stadium.”
The full feature on Adele’s German residency can be read in issue 130 of IQ, which is out now.
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