Concerts
Page: 18
SYDNEY, Australia — A new campaign that would ensure Australian artists are included on all tours by international acts in these parts has been widely supported by the music industry.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Unveiled last Wednesday, May 1 during the 2024 AAM Awards and announced proper on Friday, the policy bears the name of Michael McMartin, the late, great artist manager who guided the career of Hoodoo Gurus for more than 40 years, and is broken down into three main pillars: every international artist must include an Australian artist among their opening acts; the Australian artist must appear on the same stage at the international artist using reasonable sound and lighting; and the Australian artist must be announced at the same time as the tour so that they benefit from all the marketing and promotion.
The Rule, presented by the Association of Artist Managers, has been met with a resounding “yes.”
Trending on Billboard
Leaders from the music industry’s trade associations and major organizations are backing the initiative in a “virtually unprecedented moment of consensus,” according to AAM, with Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC), APRA, ARIA/PPCA, Select Music, and the newly-formed Music Australia among them. Also, leading concert promoters Michael Chugg, Danny Rogers, Ben Turnbull, and Untitled Group have expressed their support.
The rule had once been widely accepted by the industry after lobbying from artist managers in the early 2000s. However, with Australian acts currently struggling to impact the domestic charts, and a slew of major international tours packaging foreign line-ups in these parts that feature no homegrown support, McMartin used his final public speech at last year’s AAM Awards to call for this voluntary code to be reinstated. McMartin died March 31 of this year following a lengthy illness. He was 79.
“Michael’s rule is imperative,” says Danny Rogers, co-founder of Lunatic Entertainment / St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. “We need unequivocal support at all levels of touring and festivals to ensure that we can find avenues and growth opportunities for our local talent.”
Adds Millie Millgate, executive director of Music Australia, “repairing our industry and increasing the prominence of Australian artists is going to require teamwork and many steps. Michael’s Rule is one such step that will make a huge difference.”
This initiative “has the power to play a vital role in the discovery and visibility of emerging Aussie acts,” reads a statement from Untitled Group, Australia’s largest independently-owned music and events company, which produces Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Wildlands, Grapevine Gathering, For The Love and Ability Fest. “We need to remember that while the live performance industry has its own challenges, there is no industry without a thriving local music culture and healthy grass roots scene. Fostering and platforming local talent must be a core responsibility for promoters – the future of Australian music and the live music sector depends on it.”
AAM, representing more than 300 artist managers, is calling for promoters to work with the industry to devise a voluntary code of conduct. If they do not engage in that process, the AAM warns it will tap government which has multiple levers at its disposal to ensure Australian fans get to explore more local live talent.
“There are instances where local talent can’t be involved but they are in a low percentage of tours,” says legendary concert promoter Michael Chugg, chairman of Chugg Entertainment. “It’s great to see the Australian music industry standing together here and I fully support Michael’s Rule.”
Miranda Lambert is set to blend two of her favorites — music and dogs — when she launches an upcoming benefit concert Oct. 5 in Nashville, all in an effort to raise funds to help animals. The five-time ACM Awards album of the year winner will welcome many of her animal-loving friends and fellow musicians […]
Imagine the scene: One of the greatest pop artists in history is in the middle of the Palais Garnier, the imposing house of the Paris Opera. Then, with her blue eyes fixed on the camera, she says an entirely off-script phrase: “Brazil, I’m coming.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
But back then, in November 2023, there was nothing certain, not even close, for Madonna to take her Celebration Tour to Brazil. On the contrary, it was rumored that this would be an almost impossible mission due to technical reasons.
“At the time, we thought: Why don’t we ask her to record the phrase ‘Brazil, I’m coming soon’ as an extra for the commercial?” says Pedro Smith, head of Strategic Brand Relations at Itaú, the biggest bank in Latin America, whose centenary campaign stars Madonna. “She would express a reciprocal interest in making the show happen if she agreed. Well, she recorded that speech, but we still didn’t have a way to use it!”
It was up to the bank to pull strings to make it happen. But they were running out of time.
Trending on Billboard
“The day after the shoot, we watched her show in Paris and realized that the structure would be complicated to adapt to a large crowd like the one we wanted. Because of this, Guy Oseary [the singer’s manager] poured cold water on us,” Smith says.
The following week, legendary businessman Luiz Oscar Niemeyer from Bonus Track, a “key player” in the process, appeared on the scene. For those who are not familiar with the intricacies of the music business, Niemeyer is a pioneer in the international concert market in Brazil, responsible for Paul McCartney’s record attendance at Maracanã in 1993 (and for all of McCartney’s subsequent visits to Brazil) and the performance by The Rolling Stones on Copacabana Beach, among many other historic events.
So there were two players: the biggest bank in Latin America that already had a close relationship with Madonna, and an experienced producer used to dealing with the biggest names in showbiz. But destiny sometimes plays tricks.
“I had already tried to bring Madonna in 2006, without success, and I had already been talking to Live Nation, responsible for the Celebration Tour, but Madonna had that health problem last year, and the tour was postponed,” explains Niemeyer, or “LON” for those closest to him.
At the end of 2023, Madonna returned to action, recorded the commercial and sold out dates in Europe, but Niemeyer, who had gone on vacation at the beginning of the year, also had to deal with his own health. The producer suffered a severe accident, was hospitalized and was out of action. “I broke down completely,” he laughs.
In mid-February (just over two months before the show date), negotiations intensified with Niemeyer back on track. “We became very close [to Niemeyer] and exchanged lots of info, like a task force to make this show possible, because Itaú had a contract with Madonna and Bonus Track, with Live Nation,” says Smith. “It was Saturday, Sunday, sometimes 3 am, and Luiz Oscar and I were in meetings with teams from outside Brazil.”
And the teams for everything related to Madonna, of course, are quite rigorous. “We have to deliver a show complying with the level of production that it presents around the world, naturally adapted for a much larger space. Only when we had the resizing of this structure, sponsorships, television broadcasting and technical issues approved was the deal finally closed,” explains Niemeyer, stressing that leaks about the show that took over the Internet in the weeks before the official announcement did not interfere in the negotiations.
According to him, from the beginning, the idea was that the show at Princesinha do Mar would close the Celebration Tour as “a great gift for Brazilian fans.” “It was a great choice – a Saturday, we have a holiday in the middle of the week, and more people can visit the city,” says Niemeyer.
We hope Madonna enjoys it too.
Olivia Rodrigo apologized to fans on Wednesday (May 1) after learning that her planned Friday night (May 3) show at Manchester‘s troubled new arena, Co-Op Live, had been postponed due to what the venue said are ongoing “technical issues”; Rodrigo’s second show on Saturday as part of the launch of the U.K. swing of her GUTS world tour has also been postponed.
“I’ve been having such a great time in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-going venue-related technical issues,” Rodrigo said on her Instagram Story on Wednesday night. The singer said her team are doing their best to reschedule the shows, adding, “I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon,” she told fans.
According to NME, just two days before the first Rodrigo show the venue announced that the dates had been pushed due to ongoing technical problems at the 23,500-capacity building. The arena was slated to officially open on April 23-24 with a pair of shows by comedian Peter Kay, but they were moved back to April 29-30 due to a failed power test after a half-capacity dry-run event with singer Rick Astley.
Trending on Billboard
In addition, a show by the Black Keys scheduled for April 27 was pushed to May 15 and the Kay shows were moved again (now slated for May 23-24), with Kay expressing his disappointment in an X post in which he wrote, ““My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience. Consequently, they are having to reschedule my two shows yet again (I know I can’t believe it either).”
The technical issues appear to be unresolved, with the venue announcing on Wednesday that a show by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was cancelled just 10 minutes after doors opened. “Due to a venue-related technical issue, tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show will no longer go ahead. We kindly ask fans to leave the area. Tickets holders will receive further information in due course,” read a statement.
Not long later, the venue announced that Rodrigo’s shows were also being pushed back. “Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed. Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase,” read a statement.
After the latest setback with the Rodrigo shows, Manchester Evening News reported that a Co-Op Live spokesperson said the technical issue was related to part of an air conditioning unit falling from the rafters during soundcheck before the Boogie show; nobody was hurt in the incident according to reports.
“During soundcheck, a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, used to direct air, separated from the ductwork,” read a statement from a spokesperson for Oak View Group, the company backing the venue. “There was nobody injured. Although we believe this to be an isolated incident caused by a factory defect, we were not able to verify that all similar nozzles were free of such defects. In conjunction with wider stakeholders, Oak View Group has made the necessary call to ensure the full safety of all visitors to the venue, and to postpone the performance.”
“We understand the need to reassure fans over future shows. We are working with artist management and promoters to limit the impact on the opening season schedule,” the statement continued. “Where necessary, we will identify alternate dates, and will continually reassess to provide fans with sufficient notice regarding imminent shows. Should shows be cancelled or rescheduled, fans will be contacted by their point of purchase and offered a full refund where preferred. “
Oak View Group CEO/Chairman Tim Leiweke added, “The safety and security of all visiting and working on Co-op Live is our utmost priority, and we could not and will not run any event until it is absolutely safe to do so. Today was a very unexpected situation but without a doubt the right decision. I deeply apologize for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”
The venue — which at press time still listed the original Rodrigo dates on its site — has shows booked with Keane, Take That, Eric Clapton, Barry Manilow, Nicki Minaj and the Eagles scheduled through the end of the month, followed by planned gigs from the Smashing Pumpkins, Liam Gallagher, the Killers, Pearl Jam, Megan Thee Stallion, Justin Timberlake and Noah Kahan through mid-August.
The venue situated next to the Manchester City football pitch is the largest indoor arena in the U.K. and it is slated to host the 2024 MTV European Music Awards in November.
See statements from the venue below.
Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed. Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase.— Co-op Live (@TheCoopLive) May 1, 2024
Due to a venue-related technical issue, tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show will no longer go ahead. We kindly ask fans to leave the area. Tickets holders will receive further information in due course.— Co-op Live (@TheCoopLive) May 1, 2024
Slightly Stoopid and Cloud 9 Adventures announce details for the 10th edition of Closer to the Sun, their fan-favorite winter concert vacation. The annual event returns to Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive resort on the coast of Mexico, for four days and nights from Dec 11-15, 2024. Closer to the Sun is known […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Bruce Springsteen is back on the road after having to reschedule dates for his world tour to recover from peptic ulcer disease. Now, he and the E Street Band are rocking out around the U.S. all summer on the North American leg of their world tour.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Last-minute tickets are still available for the “Secret Garden” singer’s tour, and you can find cheap seats on Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats (orders of $200+ can get $20 off with code BB2024) and Seat Geek (first purchases are eligible for $10 off order of $250+ with code BILLBOARD10). We spotted Springsteen ticket prices for as low as $56.
Trending on Billboard
If you weren’t able to score travel deals to see the 74-year-old live and in-person, then nugs.net will let you stream Springsteen’s tour from home — and for free. The site has a number of recordings from Springsteen’s current tour available to stream from your laptop, phone, tablet or TV.
Take advantage of nugs.net’s free trial, which will give you access to numerous performances by the “I’m On Fire” singer including past and upcoming performances from his tour. You’ll also have access to more live shows, like Phish’s sold-out concert at The Sphere, plus recorded concerts from the Grateful Dead, Metallica, Pearl Jam and Billy Strings.
Keep reading to learn more about how to stream Springsteen’s shows online.
How to Stream Bruce Springsteen’s 2024 World Tour Online
Want to stream Bruce Springsteen’s tour online? While there isn’t a livestream option, you can stream concerts from the Billboard Hot 100 chart maker as far back as 1978 (during the band’s Darkness tour) on nugs.net, as well as more recent performances including the surprise appearance from Patti Scialfa during his April 4 concert in Inglewood, CA. If you’re already a member of nugs.net, you can sign in and have instant access to on-demand streams as well as professionally mixed audio of concerts to listen at your leisure on your phone, TV or tablet.
Don’t have a subscription? New nugs.net users who sign up now can receive a seven-day free trial that’ll let you watch Springsteen’s tour online for free as well as additional artist performances. Once your free trial is over, you’ll be charged $14.99 a month for a subscription.
If you want to own recordings from the concert, the platform allows you to download audio in MP3 format (from $14.99), which the site claims has been professionally-mixed for the best streaming quality. The live album downloads are then yours to keep.
Stream Springsteen concerts online and get full details here.
Eric Church took people to church at Stagecoach‘s Mane stage on the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., on Friday night (April 26), but not all attendees of his closing set at the festival’s opening night were ready for some religion.
The country superstar curated a one-of-a-kind set that he obviously put a great deal of thought into, from the stained-glass backdrop and 16-person choir to the setlist that included covers of “Hallelujah,” “Take Me to the River,” “Stand By Me,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “When the Saints Go Marching In” and even “Gin and Juice.”
“This was the most difficult set I have ever attempted,” Church said in a press release issued after the show. “I’ve always found that taking it back to where it started, back to chasing who Bob Seger loves, who Springsteen loves, who Willie Nelson loves, you chase it back to the origin. The origin of all that is still the purest form of it. And we don’t do that as much anymore. It felt good at this moment to go back, take a choir and do that.”
Trending on Billboard
“For me, it’s always been something with records, with performances, I’ve always been the one that’s like, ‘Let’s do something really, really strange and weird and take a chance.’ Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay if you’re living on that edge, because that edge, that cutting edge, is where all the new guys are going to gravitate to anyway. So if you can always challenge yourself that way, it always cuts sharper than any other edge,” he said.
For much of the set, the only accompaniment was Church on guitar, the choir and his frequent collaborator, Joanna Cotton, but his full band joined at the end for a handful of Church’s tunes, including “Country Music Jesus” and “Springsteen.”
For some fans, the show was a thrilling chance to see a (presumably) once-in-a-lifetime set, while for others, it was too much of a deviation from his regular live show. To be fair, Church has mixed it up on festival gigs before: at the 2019 CMA Fest he did a 17-song acoustic medley, and at last year’s CMA Fest he played a seven-song set that featured some hits with new arrangements and some covers, including Little Feat’s “Sailin’ Shoes,” that left some casual attendees scratching their heads, which surprised Church. “I was shocked because I played the show that I went out there to play,” he told Rolling Stone. “We had a time slot and I went out there to play that slot and try to show a little bit, a peek, as to what I was working on for this tour.”
Some attendees were exhilarated by the one-of-a kind show at Stagecoach:
Others, not so much, with reports on social media of attendees leaving mid-show to to attend Nickelback’s performance at the Palomino stage. Palm Springs Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye described the scene as an “unplugged jam session” that “sent festivalgoers for the exit of the Empire Polo Club starting about 15 minutes in, a sight that could be best described as Moses parting the Red Sea” in his review.
Obviously Stagecoach didn’t learn their lesson from having Eric Church headline Friday night in 2016 and being a complete energy suck because he’s doing it again tonight. The stream not showing any crowd shots because they are probably leaving in droves 🤣— Robert Wedge IV (@rtwedge4) April 27, 2024
Eric Church might be the most disappointing festival headliner ive ever seen??? It’s like a gospel set?? I’m so lost.— kb (@KennethBaker97) April 27, 2024
Representatives for Stagecoach did not respond to a request for comment. A representative for Church said he declined to comment beyond Church’s statement.
Following well-received sets Saturday night (April 29) by Post Malone (who was joined by Dwight Yoakam, Sara Evans and Brad Paisley) and Miranda Lambert (who was joined by Reba McEntire), Stagecoach concludes Sunday with a closing set by Morgan Wallen.
Salma Hayek helped Madonna bring her career-spanning Celebration Tour to a close in Mexico City, where the actress appeared on the Queen of Pop‘s stage during her performance of “Vogue” at the Palacio De Los Deportes Friday night (April 26).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The number had Hayek, dressed in an ensemble inspired by Frida Kahlo, joining in to guest judge the tour dancers’ vogueing. (Hayek portrayed the iconic painter in the 2002 biopic Frida, for which she received an Oscar nomination for best actress.)
Hayek reacted to her experience with Madonna on Instagram in a post on Saturday, writing, “Thank you so much @madonna for letting me be a part of your iconic celebration tour. This unforgettable night goes in my bag of precious treasures.”
Trending on Billboard
Madonna has just one show left on her current itinerary, a free concert on May 4 at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that Visit Rio officials said is forecast to bring in two million fans. Entrance to the show, sponsored by Itaú Bank, is on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event. Fans who can’t attend will be able to watch the show broadcast live on TV Globo.
Mexico City hosted Madonna for a series of five concerts at the Palacio De Los Deportes. Last weekend, on Saturday, April 20, the singer spoke of her love of Mexican culture and Kahlo, telling the audience how she discovered the painter’s art as a young girl.
“As you know, I have a great history, a long history with Mexico,” said Madonna, who reportedly met with the Kahlo family at their home in the city neighborhood of El Pedregal.
“When I was a girl,” she said, “I discovered Frida Kahlo. I went to the only museum that existed in Detroit, and there were Diego Rivera murals everywhere, but to be honest, I was more interested in a small picture in a corner, of a beautiful woman with her hair gathered in braids and intense eyes.”
The Celebration Tour kicked off in the fall, after a delayed start due to Madonna’s hospitalization for a serious bacterial infection over the summer.
See a clip of Hayek’s visit to Madonna’s “Vogue” set in Mexico City below.
After telling fans during her Coachella performance with Bizarrap last weekend that she would be touring this year, Shakira has announced the first leg of her 2024 Live Nation-promoted North American tour.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour — named in honor of her new album of the same name — will play 14 arena shows across North America, beginning Nov. 2 in Palm Desert, California, and ending December 15 in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets for the tour will be available beginning Wednesday (April 17) via a Citi presale, with an artist presale beginning on Friday (April 19) at 10 am. The general onsale begins on April 22 at 10 a.m. local time here.
This is Shakira’s first tour since her 2018 El Dorado World Tour, which took her to stadiums and arenas around the world. Shakira first hinted that she would be touring this year during her Q&A at Billboard Latin Music Week and her Billboard cover story last October. At the time, she said she would “definitely” tour in 2024, but provided no details.
Trending on Billboard
Then, last month, following the release of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, she performed in New York City’s Times Square for a crowd of more than 40,000 fans. During her new tour, Shakira is expected to perform her new hits, as well as her iconic global chart stoppers. Find all announced dates below:
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour Dates:
Nov 2 – Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
Nov. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
Nov. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
Nov. 16 – San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
Nov. 17 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Nov. 20 – Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
Nov. 23 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Nov. 25 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Nov. 30 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Dec. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Dec. 8 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Dec. 10 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
Dec. 14 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Dec. 15 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Five of late reggae icon Bob Marley‘s musical scions announced their first joint tour in nearly 20 years on Monday (April 15), an outing they’re calling The Marley Brothers: The Legacy Tour.
Teaming up for their first extended run of joint dates since 2007, brothers Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Ky-Mani and Damian will celebrate their beloved father’s music and legacy on the outing that a release promised would feature both their individual hits and classic Bob Marley songs.
The 22-date Live Nation-promoted North American trek is slated to kick off Sept. 5 with a show at the Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park in Vancouver, then hitting Phoenix, Dallas, Cincinnati, Toronto, Atlanta and Tampa before winding down at Miami’s FPL Solar Amphitheatre on Oct. 5.
Trending on Billboard
April 20 will mark an expansion of screenings of the biopic Bob Marley: One Love, while the 40th anniversary of the “Could You Be Loved” singer’s landmark 1984 greatest-hits compilation Legend will be celebrated next month; in addition, 2025 marks what would have been Marley’s 80th birthday.
Tickets for the tour will start with pre-sales kicking off Tuesday (April 16), including a Citi presale beginning at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday (April 18) at 10 p.m. local time here. A general on-sale will kick off Friday (April 19) at 10 a.m. local time with information available here.
Check out the dates for the 2024 Legacy Tour below.
Sept. 5 — Vancouver, BC @ Festival Lawn at Deer Lake ParkSept 6 — Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts AmphitheaterSept. 8 — Auburn, WA @ White River AmphitheatreSept. 10 — Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at ConcordSept. 11 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union AmphitheatreSept. 12 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort AmphitheatreSept. 13 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta AmphitheaterSept. 15 — Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance AmphitheaterSept. 16 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis PavilionSept. 18 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music CenterSept. 19 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music TheatreSept. 22 — Queens, NY @ Forest Hills StadiumSept. 23 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts CenterSept. 25 — Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare AmphitheaterSept. 26 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity CenterSept. 27 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube LiveSept. 29 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser StageSept. 30 — Laval, QC @ Place BellOct. 2 — Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion Oct. 3 — Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood AmphitheatreOct. 4 — Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union AmpOct. 5 — Miami, FL @ FPL Solar Amphitheatre