Concerts
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BLACKPINK is up for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards‘ newly established top K-pop touring artist honor thanks to the success of its Born Pink World Tour. Whether or not the quartet takes home the trophy Sunday (Nov. 19), the group will still give fans a reason to celebrate with a gift just after the Christmas holiday.
Billboard can share the exclusive first look and details for BLACKPINK: A VR Encore coming to fans this holiday season. For BLACKPINK’s first concert in virtual reality, viewers can return to the Born Pink World Tour’s special finale show held in Seoul’s massive Gocheok Sky Dome that featured their Billboard Hot 100 hits such as “Pink Venom,” “Kill This Love” and “How You Like That” live, but also solo performances from Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa.
Emmy Award-winning production company The Diamond Bros. is producing and directing the 70-minute concert custom-made for VR in partnership with Meta. Exclusively available in VR inside the Meta Horizon Worlds’ Music Valley, Meta Quest VR headset owners in select regions get a front-row ticket to the social experience.
“We’re thrilled to embrace the dynamic world of VR because it allows us to reach an even wider global audience and share our music in an entirely new, immersive way,” BLACKPINK said in a statement. “This VR concert is not just a show; it’s an extension of the tour we poured our hearts into. We can’t wait for you to see the magic we’ve created with The Diamond Bros and Meta, and thank you to our incredible BLINKs for your endless support.”
Josh Diamond, director and executive producer at The Diamond Bros, echoes the excitement for the major collaboration. “BLACKPINK is an iconic, groundbreaking group, and being able to capture them in VR in Seoul, South Korea, for the final performance of their Encore tour was incredible,” he says. “We couldn’t be more excited to have partnered with Meta on this amazing opportunity. We can’t wait for everyone to experience it!”
Meanwhile, Vishal Shah, VP of Metaverse at Meta, points out how A VR Encore changes a typical concert viewing.
“Artists like BLACKPINK are transforming how music fans experience performances and connect with their favorite artists,” Shah adds. “We’re excited to feature this creative, social VR experience from The Diamond Bros in Horizon Worlds and can’t wait for Meta Quest owners to take a front-row seat for this amazing show.”
BLACKPINK: A VR Encore premieres in VR on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at 5 p.m. PT in Meta Horizon Worlds. Attendees can RSVP for the event now, with replays available for a month in Meta Horizon Worlds after the concert.
Get your first look at the teaser and concert poster art below, and tune into the Billboard Music Awards Sunday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. ET via BBMAs.watch or Billboard and the BBMAs social channels.
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The tiaras were overflowing at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (Nov. 14). An ecstatic, sold-out crowd came together to witness the latest stop of Chappell Roan‘s U.S. tour, where the rising pop star performed the entirety of her Dan Nigro-produced debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Decked […]
Calling all Barbz! Rolling Loud dropped the lineup for the festival’s forthcoming sixth visit to California on Tuesday (Nov. 14). Led by superstars Nicki Minaj, Lil Uzi Vert and Post Malone, the sprawling list of performers features more than 90 of the biggest and buzziest names across rap, R&B, pop and Latin music. Rolling Loud California 2024 will take over Hollywood Park Grounds in Inglewood, Calif., from March 15 to 17, 2024.
Minaj — a 2023 Billboard Music Awards finalist for top rap female artist — headlines a packed opening day for the festival. On Friday, March 15, Hollywood Park Grounds will be treated to performances from YG & Tyga, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Rae Sremmurd, Sexyy Red, Lil Tecca, Luh Tyler, Lay Bankz, Lil Gnar and JELEEL!
The Friday night performance is one of the first Minaj has confirmed for 2024. The two-time 2024 Grammy nominee is currently gearing up for the release of Pink Friday 2 — the sequel to her 2010 Billboard 200-topping debut studio album — and she’s teased an accompanying tour multiple times. Pink Friday 2 is set to arrive on Minaj’s birthday, Dec. 8.
On Saturday, March 16, “Circles” hitmaker Post Malone will lead an eye-popping lineup that includes appearances from Summer Walker, Big Sean, $uicideboy$, Larry June, Flo Milli, Pi’erre Bourne, Veeze, BigXthaPlug, Kaliii, Rob49, DC the Don, KenTheMan, 2Rare, Jordan Ward, Maiya the Don and Danny Towers. A mystery guest is listed in the second row of Saturday’s lineup between Big Sean and Larry June. Rolling Loud has yet to hint or reveal who the surprise act might be.
Finally, “Just Wanna Rock” rapper Lil Uzi Vert — who scored yet another Billboard Hot 100 hit with Minaj this year with their “Endless Fashion” (No. 20) duet — is set to close out the festival on Sunday, March 17, alongside a lineup that includes Bryson Tiller, Don Toliver, Ski Mask the Slump God, Chief Keef, NLE Choppa, That Mexican OT, 310babii, Chase Shakur, Sukihana, Ryan Trey, Cash Cobain, Wolfacejoeyy and Rich Amiri.
Billboard chart-topping regional Mexiacan singer-songwriter Junior H will serve as Friday’s special guest, with regional Mexican band Fuerza Regida acting as Saturday’s, and award-winning corridos tumbados trailblazer Natanael Cano as Sunday’s. DJ Scheme, DJ Five Venoms and DJ Stevie J will be tasked with keeping the vibes going and providing a soundtrack for three-day bonanza.
Earlier this year during Mar. 3-5, 2023, the most recent Rolling Loud California lineup — headed by Playboi Carti, Travis Scott and Future — electrified SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
Presale for Rolling Loud California 2024 begins Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. PT, and general onsale begins the following day on Friday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. PT. Fans can click here to RSVP for first access to tickets — and a chance to win free tickets before they go on sale — right now.
Check out the full Rolling Loud California 2024 lineup below:
“They look so good together!” That was just one of the many enthusiastic fan pronouncements overheard during the Los Angeles stop for one of the year’s most anticipated reunion tours: Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné!: Just Me and You Tour 2023.
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The Oakland, California-bred R&B trio — brothers Raphael Saadiq and D’Wayne Wiggins, plus cousin Timothy Christian Riley — also sounded just as damn good as they did in their ‘90s heyday. From the time the group jumpstarted Saturday night’s (Nov. 11) proceedings with “House Party (I Don’t Know What You Come to Do)” from 1991’s House Party 2 soundtrack until exiting arm-in-arm after rocking Inglewood (L.A.), California’s YouTube Theater with the fitting finale “Feels Good,” Tony! Toni! Toné! kept the audience on its feet for nearly two hours. Also getting their groove on during the sold-out, no-phones show: actor/comedian Eddie Murphy, Common and Jennifer Hudson, producer No I.D., NBA legend John Salley and actor Anthony Anderson.
“Where are my Day Ones at … Are you all ready to go on this journey?” queried Saadiq during the first half of the show, which included such hits as “If I Had No Loot,” “Let’s Get Down” and “Whatever You Want,” plus fan faves like “Til Last Summer.” Throughout the evening, the individual talents of each of the titular TTT members was spotlighted.
Wiggins was vocal lead on “Whatever You Want” and “Til Last Summer,” which were sing-along crowd-pleasers, as was his dexterous guitar playing. Riley’s commanding presence on keyboards also drew raves — at one point while playing, he went down on his knees, which prompted Saadiq to note, “That’s new!” Bassist Saadiq’s own tenor-to-falsetto vocals rounded out the trio’s still sublime harmonies as on the classic “(Lay Your Head on My) Pillow.” Also getting their chance to shine were members of TTT’s skilled band and estimable background singers.
From there, after a 10-minute intermission, the Tonys pulled out all the stops. Among the highlights: Saadiq revisiting his work as a solo artist (“Be Here”), as a member of Lucy Pearl (“Dance Tonight”) and as a songwriter/producer behind hits for other artists. That oh-wow trip down memory lane included D’Angelo’s “Lady” and “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” Erykah Badu/Common’s “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” and Solange’s “Cranes in the Sky.” After that, a massive singalong ensued as the group shifted into fourth gear with “It Never Rains (In Southern California),” “Anniversary” and the aforementioned “Feels Good.”
Declared Wiggins of the evening, “It’s been 25 years since we’ve been onstage together. We are family forever!”
Kicking off Sept. 21 in Birmingham, the 25-date Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné!: Just Me and You Tour 2023 itinerary included stops in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas. The trek will wrap later this week when the group returns to its Bay Area stomping grounds: Oakland (Nov. 14-15) and San Francisco (Nov. 17).
It was Travis Kelce‘s turn to show up at a stadium for Taylor Swift on Saturday night (Nov. 11) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Swift cheered Kelce on from several stadium suites at Kansas City Chiefs games over the past several weeks, and tonight the football star was spotted in the VIP tent at Estadio River Plate — with Swift’s dad, Scott, by his side.
The tight end for the Chiefs — who first saw Swift’s Eras Tour at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in July, marking the first public linking between the two — had to miss Swift’s first tour date in Buenos Aires on Thursday; he was attending teammate Patrick Mahomes’ fourth annual 15 and Mahomies Foundation Gala in Kansas City.
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Swift’s next concert in Buenos Aires, originally scheduled for Friday night, was postponed due to “truly chaotic” weather. “I love a rain show but I’m never going to endanger my fans or my fellow performers and crew,” Swift said in a message in an Instagram Stories post.
She addressed the cancelation on stage, as well as the six Grammy nominations she just received, Saturday night during a speech before Evermore‘s “Champagne Problems.”
“I started off my morning by getting the extraordinary news,” Swift said, in reaction to her nods for the 2023 Grammy Awards, which were announced Friday.
“You’re the best,” she told the Buenos Aires crowd, who soon started a chant of “Olé, Olé, Olé” for Taylor. “You continue to be the best.”
But Friday wasn’t perfect. Swift explained, “I get a call from my management, and they had to explain to me that it [the weather] … It’s way worse than we thought. The weather is out of control. It’s absolutely unsafe.”
Due to the weather conditions, Swift will make up Friday’s concert on Sunday night.
See a fan-filmed clip of a Travis Kelce sighting in the VIP tent at Swift’s Saturday night show below.
When Taylor Swift announced in June that she would be performing in Argentina for the first time ever as part of her Eras Tour, tickets to her three shows sold out within hours. Excitement has only grown since then, and finally, on Thursday, Nov. 9, the wait came to an end as 70,000 sang along during her first show, where she performed nearly 45 songs spanning her entire career.
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The show, the first of three at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental (also known as Estadio River) and produced by DF Entertainment (the company owned by promoter Diego Finkelstein), featured Argentine artist Louta and Sabrina Carpenter as opening acts. It began precisely at 8:42 p.m., when Swift appeared on an elevated stage singing “Cruel Summer,” after “Miss Americana” played during the intro. Following the opening performance, she shouted, “Buenos Aires, bienvenidos a The Eras Tour!”
Here are some highlights of the night.
Six Months Camping
Thousands of fans waited impatiently for 3 p.m., the exact time when security was scheduled to open the gates to allow access to the field, the closest location to the main stage. Some Swifties camped outside the stadium for six months to be close to the front of the field, and the minute the gates opened, they sprinted the 100 meters to get the best standing room in the house.
Taylor Gets on Stage
Finally. Swift sets foot on the stage of Estadio Monumental singing “Cruel Summer.” The audience screams, and Taylor speaks to her happiness at being in Argentina for the first time. “Buenos Aires, bienvenidos to The Eras tour!” she shouted. “I am so very lucky because they very first time I decided to visit Argentina, you decided to sell out three shows […] They way you are dancing, the way you are singing, this is on another level.”
The Nerves of the Moment
Swift kicked off the fourth block of the show with “Champagne Problems,” a track she’s performed hundreds of times before. However, when time came to play it at the Monumental, the superstar lost her place at the piano. Far from making it a negative, she found humor in the situation. “This is what Argentines do,” she quipped.
Two-Minute Ovation
Weeks before, Swift’s fandom, via social media, had agreed to do different actions during her show, including lifting posters in certain songs, or reflecting the Argentine flag with their cellphones. Another planned moment was a two-minute ovation to thank Swift for performing in their country. At that point, Swift took out her in-ears and said, “I can’t believe it.”
Emotion Til the Very End
The show is a roller coaster of emotions. For example, Swift gave her hat to a little girl during “22,” and at one point, she stopped the show completely to listen to the crowd roar. But the end of the show will be memorable to all Argentine Swifties. Screams, applause, wristbands high and our country’s message to Taylor: “Argentina loves you. Come back soon.”
The inaugural Honeyland Festival produced by Live Nation Urban and Endeavor-owned IMG, opens this weekend at Crown Festival Park in Sugar Land, Texas, just outside Houston.
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Headlined by Mary J. Blige, Miguel and Summer Walker (who was announced as a replacement for Jazmine Sullivan last month) the festival combines high-end eats, wine and beer for a two-day experience dedicated to celebrating and elevating Black culture.
“Black customers are underserved in the festival space and want an experience where they can enjoy food and wine and music,” says Kevin Shivers, agent and partner at Endeavor-owned WME who pitched the idea for Honeyland to WME President Mark Shapiro as a “Black Bottlerock,” inspired by Live Nation and Latitude 38’s famous food and wine-centric festival that happens every year in Napa, California.
Shivers, who has booked his artist clients at hundreds of festivals globally, says the idea for Honeyland is to create a similar experience highlighting Black-owned food and wine businesses.
“At many festivals, no matter who is organizing it, white or Black, food is an afterthought, the signage looks bad and guests are drinking out of a plastic cup,” Shivers said. “That’s not a great experience.”
Houston was chosen because of the lack of major festivals in the Texas city, despite being internationally known as the original home of artists including Beyonce, Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion.
“You look at Atlanta or D.C. or any of these other markets and there’s a lot of stuff going on. And we thought Houston was pretty open and we found a great site where attendees can come in and make their way around the festival and enjoy music or drinks on their schedule,” Shivers said.
Additional musical performances listed in the star-studded lineup includes Houston rappers Coco Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Scarface, and Tobe Nwigwe, who will serve as the festival’s “Houston Ambassador.”
Honeyland is being led by Staci Hallmon, IMG’s senior vp, who has previous leadership experience at Walmart, Coca Cola, Disney, Verizon and BET Networks, as well as Essence Magazine where she served as the architect of ESSENCE Festival.
Houston was ranked as the country’s No. 5 culinary destination in the country this year according to Travel + Leisure. Honeyland will highlight Black mixologists, blenders, wine experts and distillers. Single-day general admission ($95), GA+ ($140), and VIP passes ($295) are still available.
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Streaming platform Veeps has introduced a new way to watch artists hit the stage no matter where you are in the world through the new premium subscription service Veeps All Access. The platform is filled with a catalog of on-demand concerts, live music and comedy specials from a wide range of major bands and artists. All Access gives you unlimited virtual entry to all of it for a small monthly (or yearly) price. I had the opportunity to check it out first-hand – here’s what I thought.
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Normally, if I can’t attend a concert in person, I attempt to find live coverage of my favorite artists on tour through TikTok videos, Instagram or clips posted to other social media channels, which ends up being time-consuming and the video and sound quality is never guaranteed. Veeps All Access changes that, and after watching The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie’s Phoenix concert for the Give Up & Transatlanticism 20th Anniversary Tour, I can attest that it’s like having your own private concert movie experience.
One of the major benefits of the streamer, for me, is the option to sit on my couch in comfort, rather than scour the venue for an optimal viewpoint. It also avoids having to stand for long periods of time or squint at a video screen from the nosebleeds. Plus, if I wanted to get up and dance, I didn’t have to worry about annoyed glances that usually come with dancing in packed concert crowds.
The camerawork was incredible, providing top-tier views of the stage and band with close-ups and views I normally would never see standing in the crowd.
I was also unexpectedly able to easily grab merch! No long lines or trying to determine the right moment to commit to standing in line. The virtual merch booth is located in a convenient sidebar within the app — I just clicked on the “Merch” button and was presented with all the available options to purchase right then and there as the show goes on.
When it comes to connecting with other fans like you might at a concert, there’s an optional chat box. When it’s open, a live thread appears with fans commenting and sending emojis. I was watching an on-demand show, but could still send messages or go back and see what everyone had said when it initially aired.
This was my first time seeing the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie perform on this tour, but if you already hit one of the many sold-out tour stops, streaming the show on Veeps All Access is a great way to relive an amazing concert experience on-demand and catch all the moments you might have missed while grabbing a drink or hitting the bathroom.
The platform requires a subscription to access both on-demand and live performances, but it’s completely worth it. A ticket to the show I watched cost $17.99 on its own, so the best deal is to sign up for a monthly Veeps All Access subscription at $11.99/month, which gets you into all the content on the platform for one low price. You can also opt for an annual subscription for $120/year, which saves you $20. Subscribe here or click the button below to start streaming today.
Veeps Subscription: $11.99/month or $120/year
Whether you’re on a budget, the show’s sold out, or you just want to stay home but don’t want to miss your favorite singer perform onstage, Veeps is making it easier than ever to keep seeing live music.
How to Watch Concerts With Veeps All Access
You can livestream or rewatch performances from most Internet-connected devices, like a smartphone, tablet, laptop and TV. The streaming platform has its own dedicated app on Apple TV and Roku and mobile (iOS and Android).
If you’re watching it through your TV, make sure to download the app, or you can use Chromecast or Airplay from your computer or mobile device.
Want to gift a concert or unlimited concerts to a music-loving friend, family member or colleague? You can purchase a gift ticket to any of the shows on Veeps to send to whomever you want, which will be securely sent through email. You can also choose to gift a six or 12 month subscription for them to enjoy that show and many, many more.
Following the tremendous success of such music-driven shows as The Beatles’ Love and Michael Jackson’s MJ One, Cirque du Soleil is partnering with Universal Music Group Nashville for an acrobatics spectacular that will feature country music. The still-untitled touring show will launch in Nashville in July 2024 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and feature music from both contemporary and legendary country artists.
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“Nashville is the perfect location to launch our new show centered around country music,” Cirque du Soleil CEO Stéphane Lefebvre tells Billboard. “It’s a place where the genre has thrived and continues to evolve, making it a natural fit for our new theatrical touring show to debut, celebrating the roots and evolution of country music.”
The show marks Cirque’s first venture using country music. “Working with this new specific music genre challenges our creative team to innovate and come up with unique ways to interpret the music,” says Lefebvre. “It pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in live entertainment. Shows like Love and MJ One have taught us that the synergy between our extraordinary performances and the power of the music can create a powerful and captivating live experience, and we are convinced that pairing our expertise with the country music genre including artists from Universal Music Group’s vast repertoire, will be a successful collaboration.”
Lefebvre says it is too early to specify what songs or artists will be used in the show, but says, “Our goal is to create a captivating musical experience that resonates with our audience on a deep and emotional level. The heart of our show lies in the diverse selection of songs. We have carefully curated a blend of classic and new songs that touch upon a wide range of subjects. From heartbreak to love, good times and bad times, celebration, and friendship, our song choices are a reflection of the human experience in all its complexity.”
The music will be performed by live musicians and singers instead of licensing the existing recordings. “The live element adds an extra layer of authenticity and energy to the performance, enhancing the emotional connection with the audience,” Lefebvre says. “It will be a celebration of the evolution of country music and we aim to showcase the authenticity of the genre and how it has evolved over time.”
Though running in Nashville instead of Las Vegas, Lefebvre still expects the show to have an international appeal: “Country music also has a global fanbase, and its unique storytelling and melodies can resonate with people from all walks of life… Exploring the world of country music provides us with an exciting artistic challenge as well and the emotional depth, storytelling, and authentic charm of country music can be translated into breathtaking acrobatics, visual spectacles, and immersive storytelling.”
Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG Entertainment) had revenue of $142.2 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, down 3% year over year, as it started its first full fiscal year as a standalone live entertainment company.
MSG Entertainment, which spun off from MSG’s Sphere and MSG Networks businesses in April, had lower event-related revenue and faced a tough comparison to the prior-year quarter. Not only did the prior-year quarter benefit from some concerts that were rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Madison Square Garden enjoyed a 15-show run from Harry Styles from Aug. 20 to Sept. 21, 2022, that grossed $63.1 million from 277,000 ticket sales, according to Billboard Boxscore.
The company saw “significant” merchandise spending from Styles’ fans at those shows, said Dave Byrnes, MSG Entertainment executive vp/CFO, during Tuesday’s earnings call, and per-capita merchandise spending was down last quarter as a result. Fan spending on food and beverage “was up meaningfully” in the latest quarter, however, and MSG Entertainment is seeing “strong in-venue spending from our guests,” he said.
Strong demand for concerts, also seen in Live Nation’s latest earnings results, will help MSG Entertainment achieve a low double-digit percentage increase in event bookings this fiscal year. The company is getting help from a new generation of musicians who have graduated from smaller buildings in its portfolio to its flagship venue, Madison Square Garden. “This fiscal year, there are a number of acts, including Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler Childers and Niall Horan, who previously performed at either The Beacon [Theatre] or Radio City [Music Hall] that will soon headline the Garden for the first time in their careers,” said Byrnes. What’s more, he added, “a number of these first-time acts” are playing multiple nights and experiencing “strong ticket demand for their entire run.”
Beyond the concert business, MSG Entertainment has high expectations for its family shows. The company has 187 planned shows of its Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, up from 181 shows in the prior fiscal year. MSG Entertainment expects paid attendance of about 1 million, bringing the holiday run back to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, Cirque du Soleil’s holiday show is returning after it took the year off in 2022, with 66 shows scheduled across The Theater at Madison Square Garden and the Chicago Theatre.
“We’re currently on sale with more concerts at our venues than we were at this time last year for the second half of fiscal ’23,” said Byrnes, “and of those on-sales, a majority of those tickets are already sold, and sell-through on those shows is currently up [a] high single-digit percentage as compared to the second half of fiscal ’23.”
MSG Entertainment repurchased about 3.5 million shares during the quarter, including repayment of a delayed draw term loan facility from Sphere Entertainment with 1.9 million shares. About 1.6 million shares were repurchased at $31.20 per share as part of the secondary underwritten offering by Sphere Entertainment in September.
Looking forward to the full year, MSG Entertainment reaffirmed its previous guidance of revenue from $900 million to $930 million and adjusted operating income of $160 million to $170 million. It lowered guidance for operating income to $85 million to $95 million, down from $100 million to $110 million.
Shares of MSG Entertainment fell as much as 9.8% to $27.55 on Tuesday morning before recovering to $29.09 by midday, a 4.7% decline from Monday’s closing price.
Fiscal first quarter financial metrics:
Revenue of $142.2 million, down 3% year over year.
Operating loss of $33.4 million, up 196% year over year.
Adjusted operating loss of $700,000, down from a $11.5 million operating profit.
Net loss of $50.7 million, up 183% year over year.