Touring
Page: 10
LONDON — Following the controversial ticket sale for Oasis’ reunion dates in the U.K. and Ireland this coming summer, the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) has said that Ticketmaster may have “misled” fans over pricing for the shows.
In August 2024, the Gallagher brothers announced their reformation for 19 stadium shows, their first since their split in 2009. The tour will begin on July 4 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, before heading to North America, Asia, Latin America and Australia in the ensuing months
The ticket sale process drew huge demand, but some fans complained of unclear pricing for tickets after long waits for the opportunity to purchase passes. An update to the CMA’s ongoing investigation highlights that Ticketmaster UK may have breached consumer protection law, by “Labelling certain seated tickets as ‘platinum’ and selling them for near 2.5 times the price of equivalent standard tickets, without sufficiently explaining that they did not offer additional benefits and were often located in the same area of the stadium.”
Trending on Billboard
The update adds that demand meant that cheaper tickets sold out first, but that the release of more expensive tickets for similar places in the stadiums meant that “many fans waited in a lengthy queue without understanding what they would be paying and then having to decide whether to pay a higher price than they expected.”
More than 900,000 tickets were sold for Oasis’ long-awaited reunion tour, but the pricing strategy proved controversial when standard standing tickets advertised at £135 plus fees ($174) were re-labelled “in demand” and changed on Ticketmaster to £355 plus fees ($458).
Following the furore, Oasis issued a statement saying they had no “awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used” in the sale of tickets for the initial dates. The CMA launched an investigation in September to examine whether Ticketmaster had used “unfair commercial practices” to pressure fans into paying higher prices for tickets.
Ticketmaster denied the use of the so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ method, with the company’s U.K. director Andrew Parsons telling MPs in February, “We don’t change prices in any automated or algorithmic way.” He added that all prices are determined by artist teams and promoters SJM Concerts, MCD Promotions and DF Concerts, all of which have links to Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s owners.
The report acknowledges that since the opening of the investigation, “Ticketmaster has made changes to some aspects of its ticket sales process,” but that the CMA “does not currently consider these changes are sufficient to address its concerns.” The report does not directly comment on the alleged ‘dynamic pricing’ model, but cites other concerns around clearer sale practises.
The CMA says that, “Following a formal investigation, the CMA is now consulting with the ticketing platform on changes to ensure fans receive the right information, at the right time.”
In a statement to Billboard U.K., Ticketmaster U.K. said, “We strive to provide the best ticketing platform through a simple, transparent and consumer-friendly experience. We welcome the CMA’s input in helping make the industry even better for fans.”
Downing Street responded to the report (via the BBC) by repeating a quote given by culture, media and sport secretary Lisa Nandy following the news that the government announced plans to cap the value of resold tickets for live events like music. “The chance to see your favourite musicians or sports teams live is something that all of us enjoy… But for too long fans have had to endure the misery of touts hoovering up tickets for resale at vastly inflated prices.
“We’ve also seen cases where a lack of transparency has meant customers have been caught unawares by last minute price rises for high demand events.”
For years, singer-songwriter Sierra Hull has checked two bags of music gear for free as part of a longstanding Southwest Airlines policy allowing two free checked bags per passenger. But when the troubled, cost-cutting airline announced March 11 that it would strike the musician-friendly perk, the bluegrass mandolinist was outraged.
“The policies they’ve changed over the last year or so have made it tougher for musicians,” Hull says. “Now there’s going to be an extra several hundred dollars for most bands just to get where they’re going. Festivals are going to have to start paying the bands even more for the band to even say yes — which means they’re going to have to raise the ticket price.”
The Southwest announcement, coming when touring costs are “definitely staggering,” as one top agent puts it — particularly buses, hotels, food and fuel — has frustrated artists prepping for spring and summer tours, especially in Nashville. “We’ve got dozens of people on the crew that utilize that airline regularly. Most people have one to two bags,” says Bill Orner, manager of Billy Strings, who’s scheduled to headline arenas, festivals and amphitheaters this summer — most of them after Southwest’s policy takes effect May 28. “Think of the financial implications on any given tour. I guess they’ve got a reason for it, but [it’s] certainly not ideal.”
Trending on Billboard
Although Southwest has yet to announce how much the checked bags will cost after May 28, Brian Ross, manager of Thievery Corporation, Blackalicious and others, estimates that a quartet traveling with two crew members will soon have to pay an additional $35 to $40 for each set of two bags, which adds up to $840 to $960 per round-trip flight. “It’s really bad,” he says. “You get diminishing benefits and increasing fees, and everything is getting like that on airlines.”
A-list touring stars won’t notice an additional $800 to $1,000 in costs, and smaller artists generally drive in vans and buses, meaning mid-level artists who play 1,500-to-2,000-seat theaters will be most impacted by Southwest’s policy change. “It’s a big bummer,” says Kevin Spellman, who manages bluegrass singer Molly Tuttle. He calls Southwest the “airline of choice for the musician community, particularly Nashville artists” — until now — and says artists traveling with a crew of 15 people could lose “a couple thousand dollars” from their bottom line. “If you’re doing really well, you’re trying to aim for 25% of the gross [ticket sales] as your profit margin,” he says. “It starts cutting into it tremendously.”
Reps for Southwest declined to comment, pointing to a company statement at a recent financial conference suggesting the change would lead to “significant new revenue initiatives.” The company took in $73 million from bag fees in 2023, according to the Department of Transportation, a crucial revenue source for an airline that laid off 1,750 employees in February. (Southwest will continue to offer two free bags for “A-List Preferred” customers.)
Some airlines see opportunity in Southwest’s change, although it’s too early to say whether they’ll go after the touring-musician community. On Tuesday (March 25), Frontier Airlines announced it would offer free bags for customers who book flights on its website, as well as “economy bundles” that include a free carry-on and other benefits. Kristi Gordon, owner of Fuzed Travel, which helps negotiate airfare, hotel and vehicle costs for touring artists, predicts top airlines such as American and United will pay close attention to Southwest’s revenue in the first two quarters of 2025 and consider promotions geared to lure the airline’s lost musician customers.
Until then, Gordon advises artists to sign up for frequent-flier programs at a particular airline and build up miles for future discounts. And if she could speak to a Southwest exec who authorized the free-bags policy change? “I would just say: ‘You lost an opportunity to have all the entertainment business.’”
The producers of four independent California festivals are offering a limited edition ticket that provides general admission access to the 2025 edition of each event.
Dubbed the “indepenDANCE Pass” the ticket is on offer for $599, approximately $1,400 less expensive than the cost of buying four separate tickets to each festival. A total of 100 indepenDANCE Passes are currently available, with profits split evenly between each event.
The passes are part of a campaign to bring attention to the state of independent music festivals, which have struggled following the pandemic due to rising costs of goods and services. The founders of each of the four festivals involved with the IndepenDANCE Pass recently gathered for a longform conversation about the state of the independent side of the festival industry.
Trending on Billboard
“Independent festivals have always been about community, and now we’re taking that to the next level,” Same Same But Different co-founder and CEO Brad Sweet says during the talk. “We pour everything we have into creating spaces where people can truly connect, dance freely, and experience something real, and now we’re uniting to create something bigger than any one festival, a collective that strengthens the entire scene and gives our community more access, more connection, and more unforgettable experiences across the festival season. By coming together, we’re making sure independent festivals don’t just survive, but evolve and flourish for years to come.”
Featuring dance, funk, global music and more, Joshua Tree Music Festival happens both this May 15-18 and October 9-12 (the pass is good for just one of the events) in Joshua Tree, Calif. Happening in Lake Perris, Calif. this Sept. 26-28, Same Same But Different has previously featured artists including Griz, Big Gigantic, Polo & Pan and Louis the Child, with the 2025 lineup to be announced in the coming months.
Meanwhile the longstanding house and techno festival Desert Hearts 2025 happens July 3-7 in Flagstaff, Ariz. The electronic-oriented Northern Nights, which has this year partnered with Dirtybird Campout, happens Cook’s Valley Campground in Northern California on July 18-20, with the lineup also to be announced in the coming months.
Forest Hills Stadium in Queens says it’s planning to move ahead with its 2025 concert season, amid reports that the New York Police Department (NYPD) has revoked the venue’s permits due to an ongoing conflict over noise complaints between the stadium and its residential neighbors.
“Forest Hills Stadium is moving forward with our 2025 concert schedule as planned and our permitting timeline is on its standard schedule,” reads a statement from the New York venue that was posted to social media on Sunday (May 23). “As happens every season, the vocal NIMBY minority of Forest Hills Gardens are attempting to roadblock yet another enjoyable season of music.”
The statement follows a report from the New York Post published Sunday that claimed the stadium — which has long been plagued by noise complaints from neighbors and in 2023 was hit by a lawsuit from the local homeowners association, the Forest Hills Garden Corporation (FHGC), seeking to shut down its summer concert program — had its sound amplification permits revoked by the NYPD last week due to an impasse in the conflict between the FHGC and the West Side Tennis Club, where the stadium is located. According to the article, the FHGC announced it would no longer grant the NYPD permission to close the streets around the stadium, which the FHGC privately owns, leaving the NYPD with no choice but to revoke the sound permits.
Trending on Billboard
Billboard has confirmed that the FHGC has refused to grant the NYPD permission to close the streets bordering the stadium for its upcoming summer concert season, essentially making it impossible for the department to do its job.
“This is a disagreement between the Forest Hills Garden Corporation (FHGC) and the West Side Tennis Club,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement provided to Billboard. “We understand that many people enjoy these concerts every summer, but we must be able to take appropriate action to keep people safe. We trust that the FHGC and the West Side Tennis Club will be able to reach an appropriate compromise.”
Despite the standoff, the venue says it still intends to move forward with the upcoming concert season that would include performances from Bloc Party, The Black Keys, Leon Bridges, Alabama Shakes, Tyler Childers and two nights of Phish.
In October 2024, a year after the FHGC filed its lawsuit, a judge dismissed five of the seven claims brought by the homeowners association, including claims that the West Side Tennis Club was in violation of its contract with the neighborhood and that it had unjustly profited from the stadium’s growing success. The ruling left only FHGC’s public and private nuisance claims intact, though the judge in the case, Joseph J. Esposito, did not find in FHGC’s favor on the merits of the nuisance claims. He merely held that they had stated a claim sufficient to survive the motion to dismiss, which they must now prove through discovery.
Concert promotion titan AEG Presents bolstered its presence in Music City with the late February opening of its flagship Nashville venue, The Pinnacle, located in the 19-acre, mixed-use Nashville Yards complex. Kacey Musgraves performed at the 4,500-person capacity, 88,500-square-feet concert venue’s inaugural concert on Feb. 27.
“We spent a lot of time going back and forth over who the first artist was going to be,” Mike DuCharme, regional vice president for AEG Presents, tells Billboard. “We loved the idea of having a female artist from Nashville that isn’t straight down the country lane but crosses demographics and music and has fans of all genres. She really hit the mark and did great. And the fact that her voice is so great, you really got a good feel for how the room can sound. There were times you could hear a pin drop, and it was incredible.”
AEG Presents’ new concert hall has been a decade in the works, and is owned by the Yards development, through a partnership between Southwest Value Partners and AEG Real Estate, with AEG Presents operating the venue. The Pinnacle joins a slate of other mid-sized AEG venues that have launched across the country, including Atlanta’s 2,300-capacity The Eastern, Boston’s 3,500-capacity Roadrunner, Brooklyn’s 1,800-capacity Brooklyn Steel, Denver’s 4,000-capacity Mission Ballroom and Los Angeles’ 4,000-capacity Shrine Expo Hall. AEG Presents just announced another addition to its set of venues, with an upcoming 4,000-capacity, as-yet-unnamed venue in Austin, Texas.
Trending on Billboard
“As we build these venues, they get more refined,” adds Brent Fedrizzi, president of AEG Presents’ North American regional offices. “We take 10 things from the last one we did and ask what we can do better. Every market has its own nuances and I think with Pinnacle, it’s the best thing we’ve done.”
The Pinnacle, helmed by general manager Katie Millar, also aids AEG Presents in bolstering its profile further in a town that has been largely dominated by Live Nation venues. Crucially, the venue’s 4,500-person capacity fills a void Nashville’s touring landscape for an indoor venue larger than the smaller clubs or venues such as Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl (1,200-capacity) and Marathon Music Works (1,800 standing room capacity), or the 2,362-seat historic Ryman Auditorium, though not as massive as the up-to 20,000-capacity Bridgestone Arena. Though the 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House’s capacity is close to that of The Pinnacle, the new venue’s various configurations feature both seated and standing options.
“The sweet spot for a lot of touring acts and artists these days is that 3,500 to around 5,500 capacity,” Fedrizzi says. “As we roll these [venues] out, we’re looking at markets that are under-served.”
With The Pinnacle, AEG Presents was equally focused on creating a venue that can serve as a home spotlighting a breadth of musical styles in the city most famously known for country music. Jason Isbell is currently doing a multi-show run of solo concerts, while other artists with upcoming shows include 311, Alice in Chains, Wilco, Warren Zeiders, Zac Brown Band, Adam Ray, Megan Moroney, Jack White, Denzel Curry, JOHNNYSWIM and Santana.
“It’s a venue for everyone, for the community. We’re going to do it all — country, EDM, rock — we’ve already checked a lot of those boxes,” Fedrizzi says. “I think the market was under-served in that capacity, in that configuration. And then obviously even the EDM shows so far, whether it’s been Illenium or deadmau5, that crowd hasn’t really had a place in Nashville to go.”
The venue already has many shows booked through November. In addition to The Pinnacle, the Nashville Yards complex also houses AEG Presents’ regional office, along with the global touring team and Messina Touring Group’s Nashville office will move into Nashville Yards in July. L-Acoustics also announced it will have office space in the complex.
The Pinnacle’s easily accessible location has led to spontaneous concert bookings. “This being an industry town, the artists can actually just come down and see it,” Fedrizzi says.
“They love the production, the sight lines,” DuCharme says. “We’ve taken artists through to tour [when they] are there for other shows and then confirmed shows at shows. The agent will be down there watching another show and be like, ‘Yes, we’re playing here.’”
The venue also boasts top-shelf production and sound, with a K2 L-Acoustics sound system from Clair Global and Solotech lighting/video systems. The multi-level venue also features an upper level balcony and risers with seating.
The venue’s decor reflects the uniqueness of its Music City locale, with Emily Cox of Formation commissioning murals, wallpaper and installations from more than two dozen local Nashville artists to display throughout the venue’s hallways, restrooms, artist rooms and concourses.
The backstage areas received just as much attention as front of house, with multiple dressing rooms, each with its own decor. Artists have protected parking for buses, and just off the main stage is an area with seating for artists’ family and friends. An open-air rooftop patio offers opportunities for industry gatherings and intimate performances.
“It’s an industry town, and we know our peers and the people we work with day-to-day will be in the space,” Fedrizzi says. “How can we make their experience great? Because they may be going to three different shows in a night — how do we make that a great experience? We don’t have that at every single venue we do, because not every venue is in an industry town. We always have a VIP space, but Nashville in particular, we know that our peers and the people that we work with day to day are going to be in the space, so we thought about how we can make their experience appealing?”
“The other thing is, we had Carly Pearce sit in on Russell Dickerson’s show [on March 14],” DuCharme says. “There are so many special guests who sit in with someone else because of friendships, or they ask to do a song. Having a place where those artists can host their guests and have them easily come out to do a song, that has been really well-received.”
Beyond solely concerts, the venue is meant as a multipurpose venue, and is wired for television and broadcast, making it a potential space for various televised and livestreamed events.
“We want to have those ACM and CMA-type events and all those things Nashville is known for,” Fedrizzi says. “When designing the space, we very much contemplated how do we activate the space to complement what is happening in spaces like CMA Fest or the Opry.”
The Jonas Brothers have unveiled the North American dates for their upcoming 20th anniversary tour.
On Sunday (March 23), the sibling trio revealed the U.S. and Canadian itinerary for their JONAS20: Living the Dream Tour, which will see them perform at stadiums and arenas across both countries starting this summer.
The 43-date tour launches on Aug. 10 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and concludes on Nov. 14 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The full list of dates, announced during JONASCON in New Jersey, can be found below.
“We’re beyond excited to hit the road and celebrate 20 years of music,” the Jonas Brothers said in a statement. “Our fans have been with us through every chapter, and this tour is our way of honoring them, the memories we’ve made, and the ones we’ll create together. We can’t wait to make this our biggest, most unforgettable tour yet.”
Tickets for the JONAS20: Living the Dream Tour go on sale March 28 at ticketmaster.com. Opening acts in select cities include Marshmello, The All-American Rejects and Boys Like Girls.
Trending on Billboard
The Jonas Brothers are also celebrating the release of their upbeat new single “Love Me To Heaven.” The upbeat track serves as the trio’s first new release of the year, following previous collaborations with Marshmello and Rascal Flatts.
In addition to rolling out the tour dates, JONASCON was an extravaganza of all things JoBro. The event features live performances, DJ sets, Q&A panels, fan activations, pop-up surprises, retail takeovers, a Jonas trading post, trivia, games, immersive experiences, an interactive art installation, keynote event, karaoke, a Camp Rock bar, special guests, mini golf and exclusive merch.
Check out the Jonas Brothers’ JONAS20: Living the Dream Tour dates below.
Aug. 10: East Rutherford N.J. (MetLife Stadium)Aug. 12: Washington, D.C. (Nationals Park)Aug. 14: Philadelphia (Citizens Bank Park)Aug. 17: Hershey, Pa. (Hersheypark Stadium)Aug. 21: Toronto (Rogers Centre)Aug. 23: Boston (Fenway Park)Aug. 26: Chicago (Wrigley Field)Aug. 28: Detroit (Comerica Park)Aug. 31: Arlington, Texas (Globe Life Field)Sept. 6: Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium)Sept. 18: Vancouver (Rogers Arena)Sept. 20: Portland, Ore. (Moda Center)Sept. 22: Seattle (Climate Pledge Arena)Sept. 25: San Francisco (Chase Center)Sept. 26: Sacramento, Calif. (Golden 1 Center)Sept. 28: Phoenix (PHX Arena)Oct. 2: Denver (Ball Arena)Oct. 4: Omaha, Neb. (CHI Health Center)Oct. 5: Des Moines, Iowa (Wells Fargo Arena)Oct. 7: Kansas City, Mo. (T-Mobile Center)Oct. 8: St. Louis (Enterprise Center)Oct. 10: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)Oct. 12: Milwaukee (Fiserv Forum)Oct. 14: Nashville (Bridgestone Arena)Oct. 16: Tulsa, Okla. (BOK Center)Oct. 17: Austin, Texas (Moody Center)Oct. 18: San Antonio, Texas (Frost Bank Center)Oct. 19: Houston (Toyota Center)Oct. 22: Tampa, Fla. (Amalie Arena)Oct. 24: Sunrise, Fla. (Amerant Bank Arena)Oct. 26: Orlando, Fla. (Kia Center)Oct. 28: Atlanta (State Farm Arena)Oct. 29: Raleigh, N.C. (Lenovo Center)Nov. 1: Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena)Nov. 2: Indianapolis (Gainbridge Fieldhouse)Nov. 4: Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center)Nov. 5: Charlotte, N.C. (Spectrum Center)Nov. 6: Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena)Nov. 8: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center)Nov. 9: Buffalo, N.Y. (KeyBank Center)Nov. 11: Cleveland (Rocket Arena)Nov. 12: Pittsburgh (PPG Paints Arena)Nov. 14: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
On Friday (March 21), secondary ticketing marketplace StubHub filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the SEC that the company hopes will value it at $16.5 billion.
A pioneer in online ticket re-selling, StubHub had “gross merchandise sales” (GMS) — or the total price customers paid for the transaction and fulfillment — of $8.7 billion in 2024, a 27% increase from 2023. For the year, it sold more than 40 million tickets from more than 1 million unique sellers across 200 countries and territories.
Revenue reached $1.77 billion in 2024, up 29.4% from 2023, while net loss was $2.8 million. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which strips out non-cash expenses, was $298.7 million, down nearly 16% from $353.9 million in 2023. Long-term debt stands at $2.33 billion — nearly eight times last year’s adjusted EBITDA.
Trending on Billboard
Proceeds from the IPO will primarily go toward StubHub’s debt, with the remainder going toward general corporate purposes such as working capital, operating expenses and capital expenses. StubHub said it may use a portion of the proceeds for acquisitions or investments in products or technologies.
StubHub believes it is the leader in secondary ticketing, according to its S-1 filing on Friday. The company has also made a foray into primary ticketing, which generated more than $100 million in GMS in 2024. “We believe our value proposition, providing broadened distribution and superior pricing intelligence through an open distribution model, is well-positioned to attract more content rights holders to use our direct issuance solution,” the company stated in the filing.
StubHub does more business than most of its competitors. Vivid Seats had gross transaction value (GTV) of $3.9 billion in 2024 while Eventbrite, a primary ticketing platform, had GTV of $3.2 billion last year. Ticketmaster, which does not break out its primary and secondary ticketing, had GTV of $34.7 billion.
Launched in 2000 by Erik Baker, StubHub was acquired by eBay in 2007. Baker then launched a competing secondary ticketing platform in Europe, Viagogo, which purchased StubHub in 2020. Ahead of the IPO, Baker owns approximately 5% of Class A shares and 100% of Class B shares, leaving him with more than 90% of the voting rights. Other major holders of Class A shares include Madrone Partners (27.1%), WestCap Management (11.0%), Bessemer Venture Partners (9.6%), PointState Capital (5.6%) and Declaration Partners (5.3%).
Spotify continued its push into the live music business this week with the launch of Concerts Near You, a personalized playlist designed to help artists market and build awareness for their upcoming shows. Company officials say the playlist will update every Wednesday with 30 new tracks from artists performing near Spotify users based on the […]
Before her 2024 world tour had wrapped up, Tate McRae already had thoughts on how to level up her next live outing. “It’s a lot of back and forth and a lot of just brain dumping,” she says of her scattered ideating process with her creative director, Parker Genoway. “I come with a whole bunch of mood boards and random ideas… You dream as big as you can until you get the budget, then you have to narrow it down.”
Fortunately for McRae, that budget expanded, thanks to a massive first quarter of 2025. The 21-year-old singer’s So Close to What, her most mature and introspective album to date, arrived in February and gave McRae her first No. 1 entry on the Billboard 200, with 177,000 equivalent album units earned — which at the time was the largest debut week for a studio album by a woman artist in five months — according to Luminate.
Trending on Billboard
The chart-topping debut — along with a dozen Billboard Hot 100 entries from So Close to What and a high-octane performance of top 20 hit “Sports Car” on Saturday Night Live — helped cement McRae’s leap to pop’s A-list. It also set up her Miss Possessive arena tour, which began in Mexico City on March 18 and was followed by a handful of South American dates. She will head to Europe in May and will begin a North American run in Vancouver in August.
McRae pulled from a wide range of influences for her tour themes, including classic dance showcases. “It’s been really fun to dive into old musicals and old TV shows,” she says, “and bring out Fosse references and old Chicago references, and tap into that geeky musical side I think we all have.”
Meanwhile, Genoway — who collaborated with McRae on her Think Later tour and spearheaded her SNL and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performances earlier this year — points to McRae’s “It’s ok I’m ok” music video as an example of the singer’s opposing aesthetics, showcasing the intersection of grungy and glamorous. McRae says, “I’m referencing rap shows, I’m referencing Kendrick [Lamar] shows, Post Malone shows, and then I want to feel like a glam pop girl. It’s finding a cool in-between.”
The new tour includes a “thrust stage” in the shape of a giant T, and there are also cranes involved. “You try to make people walk in and be like, ‘What are we looking at right now?,’ and create your own world in there,” McRae says. Genoway adds that McRae should “feel like she’s in the middle of everything” surrounding the show, which also includes a B-stage and a mix of stage elevations.
As for McRae’s dance skills, “[Her] technical ability is unmatched,” says Genoway, who works as part of Silent House Productions. “Tate levels everyone up who works with her. She’s going to be at rehearsals late at night and so are you. She’s going to work hard and so are you.”
And although McRae is playing her biggest venues to date, her preshow routine has remained consistent. “I always take one Grether’s Pastille and suck on it,” she explains. Prior to a group prayer and a moment of meditation, McRae will warm up her voice by performing the ad-libs to Rihanna’s “B—h Better Have My Money.” “My dancers probably think I’m f–king crazy,” she says with a chuckle.
This story appears in the March 22, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Shakira‘s series of concerts in Mexico as part of her international tour Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore) marked her highly anticipated return after a seven-year absence and earned the Colombian superstar several unprecedented records. The tour also set a historic precedent by boosting tourism and generating millions in economic revenue across the three major cities of the country, which has the second-largest economy in Latin America after Brazil.
Among the many achievements La Loba accomplished in Mexico with her seventh and most ambitious international tour, the sale of 645,000 tickets for her 11 scheduled concerts stands out, according to figures from promoter OCESA. Of those tickets, 455,000 were for seven shows at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros (March 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, and 30), marking the highest number of performances by any artist at this iconic venue (formerly known as Foro Sol), which has hosted stars like Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and Metallica.
Trending on Billboard
Additionally, 90,000 tickets were sold for her two concerts at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara (March 16 and 17), while another 100,000 corresponded to two dates at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey (March 12 and 13), where the Mexican leg of her tour kicked off.
Ticketmaster México reports that 2.5 million people visited its website to search for tickets to Shakira’s concerts since the tour was announced in the country last October, according to data provided to Billboard Español. This makes her the most searched act on Ticketmaster over the past year, according to the ticketing company.
“Of the 90,000 tickets sold for Estadio Akron, 37,000 were purchased outside the city, which implies tourism,” Gustavo Staufert, general director of the Guadalajara Visitors and Conventions Office (OFVC, by its acronym in Spanish), told Billboard Español, citing figures from OCESA and Ticketmaster México. “If we talk about double hotel occupancy, we’re looking at 40,000 rooms per night, which would generate around 80 million pesos (approximately $4 million) in direct revenue for hotels, and an estimated tourism revenue of 900 million pesos (approximately $44.4 million).”
The tour supporting Shakira’s album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran has generated significant buzz in the Mexican destinations it has reached. Mexico City serves as the epicenter of the Latin American leg, where the seven scheduled shows at the Estadio GNP Seguros are expected to generate an estimated economic impact of 5.5 billion pesos (approximately $275 million), according to data from the CDMX Secretariat of Tourism provided to Billboard Español. “That figure only accounts for lodging, restaurants, and nightlife venues; it does not include revenue from ticket sales,” clarified Mexico City’s Tourism Secretary, Alejandra Frausto, in an interview.
In Mexico City, the show by the “Antología” singer is also generating around 20,000 jobs in logistics, security, transportation, and production, benefiting workers across various sectors such as hospitality, restaurants, and airlines, as well as street vendors and small businesses near the venues, noted Frausto.
According to data from Ticketmaster, between 30% and 40% of attendees at Shakira’s concerts in Mexico travel from another state in the country to one of the three cities hosting the shows. A request for information from Billboard Español to the Nuevo León Secretariat of Tourism and the Nuevo León Tourism Development Corporation (Codetur) regarding the economic impact of Shakira’s visit to Monterrey had not been answered at the time of publication.
A world-class show that “is worth it all”
To follow Shakira’s tour across Mexico, “her pack” goes to great lengths. That’s the case of Édgar Lima, a chemical engineer from Mexico City, who will attend all 11 dates his idol is performing in the country. In an interview with the newspaper Reforma, the young fan shared that he spent nearly 80,000 pesos (about $4,000) just on tickets, adding another 12,000 pesos (approximately $600) for transportation and accommodation in Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Experts point out that hosting shows featuring major music stars like the Colombian superstar not only mobilizes her fans but also brings benefits to the local economy and strengthens connectivity between national and international destinations.
The travel company Despegar, a sponsor of the tour, reported a significant increase in interest for flights and accommodations in the three main Mexican cities included in the tour, with an average growth of 43% during the concert dates (March 12 to 30). “Monterrey stood out with a 66% increase in hotel demand,” the company detailed in a statement.
The company added that most travelers to these cities came from Mexico City, Veracruz, Chihuahua, Mérida, and Cancún. Meanwhile, Frausto noted that Mexico City welcomed visitors from across the country, as well as international travelers from the United States, El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru.
A curious fact brought by the Colombian artist’s visit to Mexico was an increase in hotel and lodging reservations in the three Mexican cities hosting *Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran* coming from Las Vegas. “Tourism and music have always been connected, and Shakira’s return to Mexico is a clear example of how major events drive traveler mobility,” said Santiago Elijovich, VP & Country Manager Mexico at Despegar, as quoted in the statement.
Édgar Lima claims that every peso spent on attending Shakira’s 11 concerts in Mexico is worth it. “I believe she puts on a world-class show, and seeing them all makes me think that every investment is worth it and that every peso spent was the best decision I could make.”