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LONDON — ASM Global and the Music Venues Trust (MVT) are expanding their partnership and support to grassroots music venues and scenes in the U.K.
Starting in December, ASM Global, the venues and live entertainment giant, will strengthen its ties with the MVT through a number of new initiatives to help raise awareness and funds for the grassroots music scene where future stars start their live journeys.
Part of the new initiative will encourage music fans to learn more about the work the MVT does for the independent and emerging music scene, as well as opportunities to donate directly to the MVT both inside of the venues, or during the ticket onsale process.
In the U.K., ASM Global operates a number of large arenas, including London’s OVO Arena Wembley, the AO Arena in Manchester, Leeds’ First Direct Arena, the Utilita Arena in Newcastle and more.
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The two companies have collaborated previously across a number of topics, including training opportunities across health and safety, mental health and wellbeing and marketing. In 2023, Enter Shikari pledged £1 from every ticket sold on their U.K. arena tour to the MVT’s Lifelife fund, which included a show at the OVO Wembley. Next year, Katy Perry’s Lifetimes tour will hit the AO Arena in Manchester, with £1 from every ticket being donated to the MVT to distribute amongst their members.
This is the latest step by the entertainment and live industry to help tackle the growing problem of venue and nightclub closure. In 2023, the MVT reported that the number of grassroots music venues declined from 960 to 835, a fall of 13% and resulted in a loss of as many as 30,000 shows and 4,000 jobs.
Last month the British Government called upon the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on all tickets sold for stadium and arena concerts in the market to help support smaller venues. “We believe this would be the quickest and most effective mechanism for a small portion of revenues from the biggest shows to be invested in a sustainable grassroots sector,” the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said in a report on Nov. 14.
Some artists have taken it upon themselves to lead the conversation. In September, Coldplay announced that they would be donating 10% of all proceeds from their 10-night run at Wembley Stadium next August to the MVT and grassroots scene. Tickets for Sam Fender’s current run at arenas in the U.K. and Ireland – including ASM’s First Direct Arena in Leeds – include a similar £1 donation to the MVT.
Speaking to Billboard in September, Mark Davyd, CEO of the MVT, said that their door is very open to any artist or company on this topic. “I want this to become the new normal – I don’t think that’s stupidly ambitious. There are lots and lots of examples of industries – all properly functioning industries – to reinvest to get future gains. As soon as you start talking about it as an investment program into research and development, I don’t think companies should be resistant to that but should be thinking, ‘that makes perfect sense.’”
Cult classic in your eardrums.
Nelly is hitting the road in 2025 for a global tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut studio album, 2000’s Country Grammar. The 56-date outing is slated to kick off on March 21 with a gig at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand before hitting Australia, Canada, Europe and North America.
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The “Hot in Herre” rapper will be joined by a number of collaborators and friends on the tour, including Ja Rule, Eve, St. Lunatics, Fabolous, Jermaine Dupri and Chingy on various stops, with additional surprise guests to be named later. In a statement, Nelly said, “Yo, ‘Where Da Party At Tour’ we are taking this tour worldwide — I got my folks with me Ja Rule, Jermaine Dupri, Eve, the St. Lunatics, and Fabulous — so you know it’s ⬆️ all 2025… LETS GOOOOO..!!! Da Party AT…!!”
The Live Nation-promoted tour will be Nelly’s most extensive outing to date, with the general onsale for all countries slated to kick off on Friday (Dec. 13) at 10 a.m. local time here. Tickets will also be available through a variety of presales beginning on Tuesday (Dec. 10) starting at 10 a.m. local time.
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The 2025 tour — Nelly’s first road run since opening for Janet Jackson on her 2023-2024 Together Again — will travel to Canada beginning in April, before hopping to Europe in May and June and kicking off a U.S. run beginning July 23 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA; the American run is slated to wind down on Sept. 19 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, AR.
Check out the full list of dates for Nelly’s 2025 Where the Party At tour below:
March 21 – Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena
March 22 – Brisbane, AUS @ Eaton’s Hill Hotel
March 25 – Sydney, AUS @ Hordern Pavilion
March 27 – Melbourne, AUS @ John Cain Arena
March 29 – Perth, AUS @ HBF Stadium
April 11 – Halifax, NS @ Scotiabank Centre^
April 12 – Moncton, NB @ Avenir Centre^
April 14 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
April 15 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
April 18 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre
April 20 – Saskatoon, SK @ SaskTel Centre
April 21 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
April 22 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
April 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
May 24 – Oberhausen, DE @ Rudolf Weber-Arena
May 25 – Brussels, BE @ ING Arena
May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
May 28 – Hamburg, DE @ Barclays Arena
May 29 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
June 1 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
June 2 – Frankfurt, DE @ Festhalle
June 4 – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena
June 5 – London, UK @ The O2
June 7 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena
June 9 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro
June 11 – Dublin, IE @ 3Arena
July 23 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
July 25 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
July 26 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 27 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
July 31 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
August 1 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
August 2 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre^
August 3 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
August 5 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
August 6 – Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest*~
August 8 – Oshkosh, QI @ Crossroads 41 Festival*~
August 9 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
August 10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
August 13 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
August 14 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
August 16 – Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*^
August 22 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at Concord
August 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
August 27 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sept. 4 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
Sept. 5 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
Sept. 6 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre*#
Sept. 9 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sept. 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sept. 13 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park
Sept. 14 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Sept. 16 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
Sept. 18 – Birmingham, AL @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
Sept. 19 – North Little Rock, AR @ Simmons Bank Arena
AUS + NZ: Nelly, St. Lunatics, Chingy, Jermaine Dupri
Canada: Nelly, Ja Rule, Chingy, Jermaine Dupri
EU + UK: Nelly, Eve, Fabolous, Jermaine Dupri
US + Toronto: Nelly, Ja Rule, Eve, Chingy, Jermaine Dupri
^Chingy Will Not Support This Date
#Ja Rule and Eve Will Not Support This Date
*Not a Live Nation Date
~Festival Date, No Support
Jay-Z (Sean Carter) has filed his first response in court to a lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, calling the case “extortionate” and arguing that the accuser should be required to litigate such “heinous allegations” under her real name.
In a motion filed less than a day after the shocking case was filed, Carter’s attorneys called the accusations “patently false” and part of “campaign of extortion” by attorney Tony Buzbee, a Texas attorney who has filed a slew of cases against Combs and threatened dozens more.
Allowing Buzbee’s clients to proceed under “Jane Doe” pseudonyms is a just a tactic in a “scheme” to extract settlements from innocent celebrities by falsely tying them to Diddy, Carter’s attorneys argue in the new filing — effectively allowing the attorney to “smear defendant’s good name” while his clients “hide beyond the shield of anonymity.”
“Mr. Carter should not have to defend himself in the brightest of spotlights against an accuser who hides in complete darkness,” writes Jay-Z’s attorney Alex Spiro. “Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him — in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion — of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation, and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades.”
Plaintiffs in sexual abuse lawsuits can sometimes proceed under pseudonyms if there’s a strong risk of retaliation, but such treatment is granted in only rare cases. Already, in several of the other civil actions filed against Combs, judges have required Doe accusers to disclose their names, with one ruling that anonymity is “the exception and not the rule” and another citing the “fundamental unfairness” of allowing only one side to remain hidden.
In his filing on Monday, Carter’s attorneys cite those earlier rulings and argue that Buzbee and his accuser have not met any of the key requirements to litigate her case under a “Doe” pseudonym. In technical terms, he wants the judge to force her to reveal her name, or dismiss the case entirely.
“Mr. Carter now is entitled to defend himself against these allegations with benefit of all the protections and mechanisms available to defendants,” Spiro writes in Monday’s motion. “To be sure, attorney Buzbee’s game has been to prevent Mr. Carter from defending himself while punching below the belt. Today, that game is at an end and Mr. Carter’s defense has begun — starting with plaintiff’s unmasking.”
In an email to Billboard on Monday, Buzbee responded to Carter’s motion by saying, “I’m not doing a play by play commentary to every pleading filed in court. We will respond in due course.”
Combs has faced a flood of abuse accusations over the past year, starting with civil lawsuits and followed by a bombshell federal indictment in September, in which prosecutors allege he ran a sprawling criminal operation for years aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.”
Weeks after the indictment, Buzbee joined the fray by holding a press conference in which he claimed to represent 120 individuals who had been victimized by Combs and threatened a flood of litigation. He has since filed more than a dozen such lawsuits, all on behalf of unnamed Doe plaintiffs.
In a shocking complaint filed Sunday evening, Buzbee added Jay-Z as a defendant to an earlier lawsuit that had previously named only Combs. Calling the rapper a “longtime friend and collaborator” of Diddy, the lawsuit alleges Combs and Carter drugged and assaulted the victim during an afterparty following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000.
After being driven to the party and forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement, the lawsuit says, the plaintiff was given a drink that made her feel “woozy” and “lightheaded.” After she went to a bedroom to lie down, the lawsuit claims, she was assaulted by the two stars.
“Another celebrity stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the minor,” the lawsuit reads. “Many others were present at the afterparty, but did nothing to stop the assault.”
The lawsuit came weeks after Buzbee was sued for extortion by an unnamed celebrity who claimed he was threatening to unleash “wildly false horrific allegations” linked to Diddy if the anonymous bigwig didn’t pay up. In Monday’s filing, attorneys for Carter confirmed speculation that the mystery case had in fact been filed by Jay-Z.
“Mr. Carter sought to expose Attorney Buzbee’s latest extortion scheme in a California lawsuit … after receiving a demand letter from Attorney Buzbee,” Spiro writes in the new motion. “Because Mr. Carter called upon the courts rather than paying, he has now been sued. So be it.”
Gracie Abrams isn’t done yet. Just one day after wrapping her stint as an opener on Taylor Swift‘s blockbuster Eras Tour in Vancouver Sunday (Dec. 8), the 25-year-old pop star announced a new run of North American headlining tour dates slated for 2025 in support of her The Secret of Us deluxe edition. In an […]
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Doechii is shining brightly in the limelight, living up to the promise many of her longtime fans knew existed before inking a deal with the Top Dawg Entertainment collective. After tearing down NPR’s Tiny Desk stage in what some say is the best performance delivered on the set, Doechii is delivering anything but “Harriet Tubman Music.”
Doechii, 26, hit the Tiny Desk stage with an all-Black, all-woman backing band who provided powerful sonics to match the Tampa, Fla. star’s charismatic and animated performance. The rapper and singer, born Jaylah Hickmon, first appeared on our radar with her 2020 mixtape, Oh the Places You’ll Go. It was clear then that the “Swamp Princess” was poised for stardom. TDE, as is the label’s custom, has brought the multi-talented Doechii along carefully after signing her in 2021, and it culminated in her acclaimed mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, an explosive mix of Hip-Hop, pop, and R&B music but even that simplifies her artistry.
The Tiny Desk set opened with “BOOM BAP” from Alligator Bites Never Heal, one of many standout tracks from the mixtape. Doechii and the band then launched into a six-song set comprised of songs from the aforementioned mixtape, including a rousing high-energy rendition of “NISSAN ALTIMA” before toning it down and allowing her band and background singers to carry the moment over.
In an emotional closing moment, Doechii took it back to 2020 with “Black Girl Memoir,” neatly wrapping up her set but doing so with a manner of pride about not only her status as a Black woman but specifically as a dark-skinned Black woman from the South.
Despite a nearly universal amount of praise for the performance, a viewer of the performance by the name of @Mzthangggg took to X and dropped off what many felt was a tasteless insult regarding another acclaimed performance. Doechii was the musical guest for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, rocking the studio set with “DENIAL IS A RIVER” and “BOILED PEANUTS” via a theatrical production that was just as stirring as the Tiny Desk set.
Of the latter performance, @Mzthangggg wrote, “Making those Harriet Tubman music is the cheat code to getting respected in rap,” which led to an epic dragging and charges of colorism.
By now, social media and much of the world realize that Doechii makes great music coupled with stellar performance values and the culture is rallying around her. We’ve got reactions from X listed below.
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Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz / O’Shea Jackson Jr.
According to actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., the son of hip-hop icon Ice Cube, Andrew Schulz went too far with his response to Kendrick Lamar.
The Straight Outta Compton star hopped on X and let Andrew Schulz know he did not feel the comedian’s response to Lamar’s bars on the track “Watch Out Murals” off his latest album GNX.
Schulz took things to the extreme when he described, hypothetically speaking, what he would do to the “luther” crafter if they were in jail together.
“Kendrick’s people and the gang affiliate, you know, everybody, his security, they will kill me, they will destroy me. They’ll find me in the street, they’ll f**king cut me up, they’ll shoot, they’ll do whatever, I’m not a tough guy … But just Kendrick? I would make love to him and there’s nothing he could do about it. Just Kendrick Lamar? I would make love to him. And the only thing that he could do is decide if it’s consensual or not,” Schulz said.
He continued his weirdness by adding, “He’s talking a lot of sh*t, but if it came down to it, I could put him on my lap, I could feed him a bottle … and make love to him if I wanted to.”
Terrence “Punch” Henderson, president of Lamar’s former label, TDE, responded to Schulz’s comments saying, “Wait… wait… I know as a Blackman who’s involved in Hip Hop Music, that we are a bit slow and don’t really understand sarcasm and humor… but did my guy say he want to sleep with Dot??”
O’Shea Jackson Jr. Had Time For Andrew Schulz
In a quote post of a clip of Schulz’s podcast Flagrant with Akaash Singh, Oshea Jackson Jr. called Schulz a “weird n***a” for insinuating that he could take advantage of Kendrick Lamar in a one-on-one fight due to the rapper’s height.
Schulz then responded, “Google ‘No Vaseline’ by Ice Cube,” with Jackson clapping back, “A metaphor about getting f**ked business wise by your manager Is not the same homie. He ain’t call you a b**ch. He ain’t say f**k you. Didn’t even say your name. And your response was buck breaking. S**t was just crazy.” He later shared, “My post was from two days ago. He bring up my dad and I can’t respond? Ain’t no beef. I just didn’t like the statement.”
An X user responded to Jackson, telling him to “let it go” because Schulz is a comedian. The Den of Thieves star responded, “My post was from two days ago. He brought up my dad, and I can’t respond? I have no beef. I just didn’t like the statement.”
Social media also had thoughts about the back-and-forth between Jackson and Schulz. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
Ariana Grande and Wicked were very popular among the Golden Globes voters this year, something the 31-year-old singer-actress celebrated with a heartfelt message on her Instagram Stories on Monday (Dec. 9).
Sharing a post highlighting her own best supporting actress nod — which the Golden Globes announced earlier that morning along with the rest of its 2025 nominations — Grande began, “oh my goodness oh my goodness.”
“I am floored and honored to be recognized by members of the @goldenglobes,” she continued. “crying (of course) … It’s impossible to find my words, but I am simply so deeply grateful for this acknowledgement.”
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In addition to the R.E.M. Beauty founder’s recognition in the best supporting actress category — which she shares with Emilia Pérez‘s Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana, The Brutalist‘s Felicity Jones, The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley and Conclave‘s Isabella Rossellini — Wicked also took home nominations for best motion picture, musical or comedy, and cinematic box office achievement. Co-leading lady Cynthia Erivo is also up for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy, which Grande shouted out in her post.
“Congratulations to my brilliant, dear sister @cynthiaerivo, and all of our Ozian family on this celebration of our work,” she concluded. “I can’t possibly express my gratitution.”
The first wave of awards recognition comes shortly after Jon M. Chu’s Wicked premiered in theaters on Nov. 22. In the couple of weeks since, the project’s soundtrack album has debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 — the highest ever debut for a big-screen adaptation of a stage musical on the chart — and the film has become the highest grossing movie ever at the domestic box office based on a Broadway musical.
Grande’s performance as Glinda in the film has been specifically recognized by other institutions as well, including the Palm Springs International Film Awards — which is set to award her with the Rising Star Award — and the Astra Awards, which recently crowned her best supporting actress in a tie with Saldana. Of the latter recognition, the “Yes, And?” musician wrote on her Story on Monday, “thank you so so so much for this honor.”
“and yes, @zoesaldana we did it :’) !” she added. “i’m so grateful to share this with you.”
L-Acoustics is the latest entertainment industry leader to open office space at Nashville Yards, the 19-acre AEG-led development project located in the heart of downtown Nashville. Expected to open in the summer of 2025, the Music City professional space will become L-Acoustics ’s major operations and creative hub for the Americas, joining its global hubs […]
Live Nation’s Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City will become a year-round live performance venue with the debut of a custom-designed glass structure for winter concerts starting in late 2025.
The innovative enclosure will seamlessly convert The Rooftop at Pier 17 into a climate-controlled, indoor setting, while preserving the venue’s renowned views of the iconic lower Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge backdrop through floor-to-ceiling glass sidings. The enclosed venue will be able to hold up to 3,000 fans during its winter configuration, and introduce a new VIP balcony level. Each spring, the glass structure will be removed, returning The Rooftop to its signature open-air format for summer performances with a capacity of 3,500 guests.
The announcement coincides with a five-year extension of the partnership between Seaport Entertainment Group and Live Nation to continue programming the award-winning rooftop concert venue as the exclusive booking partner.
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“We appreciate our partnership with Live Nation, which has been successful in helping us bring our vision to life,” said Anton Nikodemus, CEO of Seaport Entertainment Group. “We look forward to The Rooftop at Pier 17 transforming into a year-round concert venue. Our state-of-the-art space will deliver an unparalleled experience for both artists and guests, providing the quintessential New York City live music venue no matter the season.”
The new design allows The Rooftop at Pier 17 to expand its Seaport Concert Series, with an estimated 25 additional performances planned for the late fall and winter months. The Rooftop currently hosts over 60 concerts annually between May through October within its outdoor setup located five stories above the East River.
“With its breathtaking views of New York City and intimate atmosphere, The Rooftop at Pier 17 is truly a special place for live music,” said Stacie George, senior vice president of booking, Live Nation Northeast. “We are excited to extend our partnership with Seaport Entertainment Group and continue collaborating in creating opportunities that further connect artists and their fans in this incredible setting throughout the year on The Rooftop at Pier 17.”
The Rooftop at Pier 17
Courtesy of The Rooftop at Pier 17
The Rooftop at Pier 17 is currently planning its seventh annual concert series in 2025, including Elderbrook (May 1-2); heavy metal bands Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine (May 7); Australian punk band Amyl and The Sniffers (May 15); Peach Pit & Briston Maroney (May 22-23); Reggae Fest Blaze (June 14); country music singers/songwriters Riley Green (July 24) and Cody Jinks (August 13). Tickets for general admission and the venue’s premium Heineken Silver Zone located near the front of the stage, are on sale now at AXS.com, with many more shows to be announced over the coming months.
For more information on upcoming announcements for The Rooftop at Pier 17 visit RooftopatPier17.com and follow @RooftopatPier17 across Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok. The Rooftop at Pier 17 is located at the Seaportat 89 South Street, in New York, NY.
Courtesy of The Rooftop at Pier 17