Touring
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Live Nation had another record year in 2023, topping the all-time highs reached in 2022 when artists hit the road in heavy numbers after COVID-19 restrictions shut down the touring business for most of 2020 and 2021.
The concert promoter and ticketing giant had revenue of $22.7 billion in 2023, up 36% from the prior year, thanks to record levels of attendance, ticket sales and sponsorships. Adjusted operating income (AOI) was $1.86 billion, up 32% year-over-year and double the AOI from 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.
As artists went on tour in record numbers, there was ample fan demand to soak up the increased supply of live music. Concert attendance climbed 20.3% to 145.8 million. Attendance in North America rose 16.6% to 81.3 million and international attendance spiked 25.4% to 64.5 million. The biggest attendance gains came from stadium shows — notably Metallica, Beyonce and Luke Combs — which grew 60% to 29 million. The number of concerts — individual shows and festivals — rose 15.3% to 33,629 in North America and 13.5% to 16,430 internationally.
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The rise of K-pop and Latin music, along with Live Nation’s Dec. 2021 acquisition of Mexican promoter OCESA, led to an increasingly international concert business. Live Nation’s top 50 tours had 50% more international acts in 2023 than five years ago, and additional international dates meant tours had 15% more shows on average.
“Our digital world empowers artists to develop global followings, while inspiring fans to crave in-person experiences more than ever,” said president/CEO Michael Rapino in a statement. “At the same time, the industry is delivering a wider variety of concerts which draws in new audiences, and developing more venues to support a larger show pipeline.
The concerts division’s full-year revenue increased 39% to $18.76 billion as demand increased across markets and venue types. At Live Nation’s owned and operated venues — branded as Venue Nation — attendance increased 13% to 55 million and ancillary per-person revenue had double-digit growth. At its amphitheaters, per-person spending increased 10% to over $40. Because Live Nation owns and operates those venues, its bottom line benefits from increased fan spending on items such as beverages, food and merchandise.
At Ticketmaster, revenue rose 32% to $2.96 billion and AOI improved 35% to $1.12 billion. Total fee-bearing gross-transaction value (GTV) rose 30% to $36 billion — North America GTV rose 26% while international GTV jumped 42%. The number of fee-bearing tickets sold increased 17% to over 329 million. New clients accounted for 21 million additional tickets old, with about 80% of those coming from international markets.
The sponsorship and advertising division’s revenue increased 13% to $1.1 billion and its AOI rose 14% to $675.1 million. Led by growth in beverage, technology and financial services sectors, Live Nation’s sponsorship business had over 100 partners with multi-million-dollar, multi-year commitments.
In the fourth quarter, historically a slow period compared to the spring and summer months, Live Nation’s revenue rose 36% to $5.8 billion. The concerts division’s revenue soared 44% to $4.87 billion. The company’s AOI rose 20% to $116.9 million in the quarter.
Looking ahead, “we expect all our businesses to continue growing and adding value to artists and fans as we deliver double-digit operating income and AOI growth again this year, with our profitability compounding by double-digits over the next several years,” Rapino added. Through mid-February, Live Nation has sold 57 million concert tickets, up 6% year-over-year, and Ticketmaster had $13 billion in fee-bearing gross-transaction-volume for events so far in 2024, a double-digit increase. In addition, the company has booked 75% of its expected sponsorship commitments, also a double-digit increase from the prior-year period.
Gunna announced on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that he’ll be embarking on The Bittersweet Tour later this year with special guest Flo Milli. Produced by Live Nation, the 16-date jaunt kicks off on May 4 at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center and includes stops in Chicago, Houston, Miami and more major U.S. cities before wrapping up at Atlanta’s […]
Usher hasn’t forgotten about his overseas fans. Coming off the momentum of his acclaimed Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance, the R&B icon revealed on Tuesday (Feb. 20) that he’ll be heading to Europe in April 2025 with his Past Present Future Tour.
The “Caught Up” singer is set to make stops in London for three shows before heading to Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin.
“EU and UK! I couldn’t forget about U! USHER: PAST PRESENT FUTURE tickets go on sale Thursday, 22 Feb @ 12pm local. Sign up at the link to get the code to the FAN PRESALE starting TODAY @ 10am,” he wrote to social media when announcing the extended trek.
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Tickets will be available through Usher’s website as well as Ticketmaster. Mastercard customers are in luck, as they’ll have early access to tickets starting on Tuesday, too.
“This tour is both a celebration of the past 30 years and a glimpse into the future,” Usher said via press release. “We are just getting started!”
According to Usher, “overwhelming demand” convinced him to expand his original U.S. tour and tack on a slew of extra dates to fulfill fans’ cravings to see him hit the stage.
The global trek will kick off in Atlanta on Aug. 14, and will make stops in D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Toronto and more before wrapping up the North American leg in Houston with a triumvirate of shows to close out November.
Before rocking the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, Usher continued his banner month with the release of his Coming Home album.
The LP scored Usher his highest charting album on the Billboard 200 in over a decade, as his latest studio release bowed in at No. 2 behind Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1 with 91,000 units earned.
Find all of the European Usher: Past Present Future Tour dates below.
April 1, 2024 – London, UK @ The O2 Arena
April 2, 2025 – London, UK @ The O2 Arena
April 5, 2025 – London, UK @The O2 Arena
April 15, 2025 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena
April 22, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
May 1, 2025 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena
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Mexican star Peso Pluma has unveiled the dates for this 2024 Exodo Tour, set to kick off May 26 at the Sueños Festival in Chicago. Produced by Live Nation, the North American leg of the arena trek will include more than 35 shows, with stops in New York, Miami, Dallas, Las Vegas, San Diego and […]
Forget like a virgin — more like a queen! Madonna not only lived to tell, she lived to laugh it off and recover like the pro that she is after taking a tumble on stage during her Sunday (Feb. 18) show at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. In multiple fan-captured videos shared online, the Queen of […]
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s first of two weekends has now sold out of general admission tickets, according to promoter Goldenvoice. Once known for selling out on the same day that the lineup was released, this year, the festival took exactly 27 days, four hours and 38 minutes to sell approximately 125,000 tickets […]
Oak View Group (OVG), the owner and operator of the 11,000-capacity Acrisure Arena near Palm Springs, Calif., has entered into a partnership agreement to manage, program and seek out new sponsorship opportunities for the historic Palm Springs Plaza Theatre, it was announced Tuesday (Feb. 13). Restoration work on the theater will begin in March 2024, with completion expected in fall 2025.
“This agreement between the City, the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation, and the Oak View Group is an economic game-changer,” said Scott Stiles, city manager of Palm Springs, in a statement. “The restoration of the historic Plaza Theatre is a major milestone in the Downtown Revitalization Plan and will bring the world’s best artists and culture to our revitalized downtown.”
John Bolton, senior vp of Oak View Group, added, “All of us at Oak View Group are thrilled to partner with the Plaza Theatre Foundation and its dedicated group of Board of Directors. We look forward to bringing the full breadth and scope of OVG to the table to make this City of Palm Springs asset shine and become a huge community and cultural asset in downtown Palm Springs.”
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Last year, OVG committed to donating $1 million to help fund the restoration of the Plaza Theatre and has agreed to waive all management fees, said Kevin J. Corcoran, vp of the Plaza Theatre Foundation, adding, “We have been impressed with the launch of the Acrisure Arena and the programming, sponsorship, and management expertise they have brought to the very successful first year of operation.”
The agreement provides the City of Palm Springs with a total of 21 days annually to offer public programming at the discretion of the city council. This programming would include the annual state of the city address, cultural and civic programs, and more.
“Oak View Group is internationally admired for their management of significant sporting, convention, arts, and entertainment venues,” said Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation president J.R. Roberts. “We are delighted to have this strong community partner further commit to working with us to provide the expertise that this theatre needs to be a successful economic force in Palm Springs. We are especially thrilled to be working with Palm Springs resident and Oak View Group senior vice president John Bolton on this exciting collaboration. We are delighted that John has agreed to join our hard-working board of directors.”
Content ideas for the theater include concerts, chamber orchestra performances, film festivals, community meetings, conventions, cabaret performances, lectures, music festivals, ideas festivals, children’s programming, charity and fundraising events, and other theater performances and events. OVG will pursue corporate sponsorship to further support the Theatre.
The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation is continuing to raise funds to fully restore the venue, having raised $16 million of its $26 million goal to cover construction costs and contingencies along with startup expenses. The funds will help restore the building to its original state and update it to meet access, technology and equity needs. There are several naming opportunities still available, including a special theater naming option for a single $10 million donor.
Spurred by Kip Moore‘s massive touring success in Cape Town and Pretoria last year, South Africa is set to launch what organizers are calling one of the largest country music festivals outside of the United States.
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Kip Moore and Zac Brown Band will headline the Cape Town Country Festival on Oct. 26-27 at Cape Town’s 60,000-capacity DHL Stadium, which has previously hosted concerts from stars like U2, Foo Fighters, Mariah Carey, Rhianna and Justin Bieber.
“I absolutely love Africa and try to visit every year,” Zac Brown said in a statement. “We’re so excited that we get to perform at South Africa’s first-ever country music festival in October.”
The lineup also highlights American musicians including Darius Rucker, Brothers Osborne, Cam, James Johnston, Morgan Wade and Craig Morgan, as well as 10 local South African artists including Ricus Nel, Riaan Benade, Demi-Lee Moore, Juan Boucher, Appel, Ruhan du Toit, Brendan Peyper, Ivan Roux, West and Cheree. Additionally, Roan Ash, who moved to Nashville in 2022, will return to his hometown for the inaugural festival.
Wimpie van der Sandt of Heroes Events, who is also a DJ at BOK Radio, is producing the Cape Town Country Festival, with Red Light Management’s Gaines Sturdivant, one of Moore’s managers, serving as an executive consultant.
Moore’s headlining slot on the festival follows his successful trio of shows in Cape Town and Pretoria in 2023, where Moore sold 44,000 tickets. Van der Sandt was also instrumental in bringing those shows to South Africa.
The origins of Moore’s involvement with the festival and in building his audience in South Africa reach back to 2020 when Van der Sandt was introduced to Moore’s second studio album, 2015’s Wild Ones. Van der Sandt put Moore’s song “Heart’s Desire” on the radio during primetime hours.
“He said it caught like wildfire and people started calling and emailing trying to figure out who it was,” Moore tells Billboard via phone. “Then he did a deep dive into all my records and started playing lots of album cuts that I’ve always wanted to be singles, like ‘That Was Us’ and ‘The Bull.’ We had hits over there that we never even played live, like ‘Hey Old Lover’ and ‘Tennessee Boy.’ So when we played in South Africa, it was unlike anything I’d ever felt from a crowd. It was magical. And it was all from this one guy taking a chance and spinning my records.”
“The idea [for Cape Town Country Festival] was born from the success we had with Kip. We knew the synergy between South African music and country music — that wasn’t a surprise,” Van der Sandt tells Billboard. “When we saw the success we had with Kip, we knew we had a market. In South Africa, on our radio stations, they are used to Don Williams and Kenny Rogers, older country music. There’s not a lot of radio stations that play country music. We sort of introduced them to the new country and it took off. There were a lot of people that were skeptical about it, and didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Moore adds, “The beauty of what Wimpie did is that he doesn’t have any gatekeepers he has to get through. If he decides he likes something, he’ll roll the dice, take a chance and play it. He’s a true music lover. He’s a prime example that radio can still lead the way — they don’t have to just find out what’s streaming and follow it.”
Moore worked with Van der Sandt and Sturdivant on imagining the lineup. “I brought up Brothers Osborne — because I felt like if people were responding to what I’m doing, they’ll respond to Brothers Osborne. Darius Rucker has played in South Africa before. I said I loved the rawness in Morgan Wade’s voice,” Moore says, noting their previous collaboration, “If I Was Your Lover,” and imagining that they might perform the song together during the festival. “We’re super excited about shining a light on South African artists.”
The festival further evolves Moore’s touring success in the area as well as the vital scene of both country music fans and artists in South Africa. In 2023, Apple Music launched the country music competition series My Kind of Country, which highlighted international competitors. Nearly half of the competitors — including the competition’s eventual winner — hailed from South Africa. Moore says that he and his fest co-organizers are “super excited about shining a light on South African artists.”
Van der Sandt tells Billboard that they have a three-year agreement with the venue, with aims toward making the festival an annual event, on the scale of country music festivals such as Europe’s C2C: Country 2 Country festival and the Tamworth Country Music Festival in New South Wales, Australia.
Tickets for the event go on sale Feb. 16 at ctcfest.net, and will include special payment plans, allowing attendees to purchase tickets and pay over three, six or eight months.
Pearl Jam is proving the band’s still alive — and not with an evenflow of news, but a gigaton of it. The grunge pioneers announced on Tuesday (Feb. 13), that they will soon drop a twelfth studio album titled Dark Matter, and to celebrate the news, released its title track. Hours later, the Seattle band […]
Using our editorial expertise and Boxscore metrics, Billboard has selected 26 venues that artists clamor to play and fans gather at to enjoy. These selections are divided by region and venue type, as well as fan-favorite categories honoring the elements that add magic and energy to local music scenes.
Top West Coast Stadium: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
The Los Angeles NFL venue is the highest-grossing stadium for concerts in the world, according to Billboard’s 2023 year-end Boxscore chart, reporting 19 concerts that grossed $175 million in ticket sales to Billboard Boxscore. SoFi Stadium also nabbed the top-grossing Boxscore of the year with Beyoncé’s three-night run in September, which brought in $45.5 million. Unlike other football palaces, SoFi Stadium was built with concerts in mind, and it already has an eclectic mix of pop, rock, R&B/hip-hop and Latin dates on the books for 2024.
Top Central U.S. Stadium: NRG Stadium (Houston)
Dallas’ AT&T Stadium has long dominated the Lone Star State, but in 2023, NRG Stadium showed it could hold its own. Last year, both facilities landed three Taylor Swift shows, but the latter, managed by ASM, hosted two Beyoncé concerts over Dallas’ one, shifting the balance of power back down to southern Texas and the greater Houston metroplex.
Taylor Swift at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Bob Levey/TAS23/Getty Images
Top East Coast Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
The home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons has dominated Georgia as the region’s must-play stadium since its 2017 opening. In 2023, Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosted its biggest year of concerts ever with multiple dates from Beyoncé, Swift, Ed Sheeran, Karol G, Grupo Firme and George Strait.
Top International Stadium: Foro Sol (Mexico City)
This 30-year-old racetrack and stadium has become Mexico’s must-play venue and the second-highest-grossing stadium in the world. In 2023, Foro Sol generated $145 million in sales from 33 concerts, including a five-show run by Daddy Yankee in November that netted $24 million.
Top International Festival Location: Hyde Park (London)
Ever since AEG took over programming for one of London’s largest green spaces — the Royal Parks Society’s Hyde Park near Buckingham Palace — the concert promoter has transformed the region into a global music destination with its British Summertime Series. Last year’s programming didn’t disappoint with a series of one-day festivals headlined by P!nk, Take That and Bruce Springsteen.
Top U.S. Festival Location: The Gorge (George, Wash.)
The Gorge — a natural amphitheater in rural Washington that overlooks the Columbia River — is a pristine venue for all genres of music. Managed by Live Nation, the Gorge is home to festivals like Beyond Wonderland and Watershed Festival and last year hosted multinight residencies by Brandi Carlile (featuring Joni Mitchell), Dead & Company and more.
Joni Mitchell (left) and Brandi Carlile at The Gorge in George, Wash.
Gary Miller/Getty Images
Top West Coast Arena: Kia Forum (Los Angeles)
The former home of the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers has not had a tenant team since 1999, but in 2012, Madison Square Garden Co. purchased the arena and converted it into a music-only venue with clean sightlines, incredible acoustics and the invite-only Forum Club. Since 2019, the Forum has held the distinction as the highest-grossing arena in California and the third-highest-grossing in the world.
Top Central U.S. Arena: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee)
Few venues have enhanced the musical trajectory of their host city quite like Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee had long been passed over for tour stops in favor of larger cities in the region like Chicago, but the flurry of concerts booked at the arena since its 2019 opening has changed the map for artists trekking across the upper Midwest, particularly for Spanish-language acts, given the facility’s frequent booking of Latin talent. In 2023, Fiserv Forum hosted nine tours that ranked on Billboard’s year-end Top 40 Boxscores chart.
Top East Coast Arena: Madison Square Garden (New York)
Nicknamed the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden is still the biggest game in town — and on the planet — with hundreds of artists clamoring each year to play the Midtown Manhattan landmark. The Garden has been the highest-grossing arena in North America since the launch of Boxscore in 2005, only failing to grab the No. 1 spot in 2011 and 2012, when a $1 billion renovation restricted the venue’s calendar. In 2023, MSG was the highest-grossing arena in the world, generating $223 million from 116 shows.
Top International Arena: O2 Arena (London)
Since its reopening as a world-class music venue in 2007, O2 Arena has consistently been among the top-grossing buildings in the world. While the former Millennium Dome took second place on Billboard’s Top Venues chart (15,001-plus capacity) in 2023, grossing $220 million to MSG’s $223 million, O2 Arena still has its best years ahead thanks to future bookings from top artists, including Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj and Karol G making appearances this spring.
Top West Coast Amphitheater: Edgefield (Portland, Ore.)
This sprawling family farm in northern Oregon, home to a winery and resort hotel, is a cultural and musical hub of Portland’s live-music scene. Managed and owned by Pacific Northwest brewer and restaurant group McMenamins, Edgefield is both a tranquil and energetic outdoor concert venue and a popular stopover for indie, Americana and electro-pop bands.
Top Central U.S. Amphitheater: PNC Pavilion at Riverbend (Cincinnati)
During Cincinnati’s hot summer months, the breeze rolling off the Ohio River cools this spacious waterfront amphitheater. Located inside the Riverbend Music Center, PNC Pavilion is booked and promoted by leading Ohio entertainment company MEMI, which brings in national tours from acts such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Alicia Keys and Charlie Puth and has been developing homegrown talent in the city since 2001.
Top East Coast Amphitheater: The Orion (Huntsville, Ala.)
Designed by Mumford & Sons member Ben Lovett’s The Venue Group and financially supported by a who’s who of heavyweights including Forest Hills Stadium’s Mike Luba and Red Light Management’s Coran Capshaw, the classically designed amphitheater draws visitors from all over the world but was built specifically for Huntsville residents. The space is open year-round as a popular dining destination and includes a farmers market, art gallery and large meeting space.
Top West Coast Club or Theater: The Regent (Los Angeles)
Located in Downtown L.A.’s old Broadway theater district, the 110-year-old theater — once a home for grindhouse flicks and adult films — today serves as a friendly neighborhood music venue that rarely suffers a dark night. When The Regent isn’t hosting national tours by performers such as Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Matt & Kim and Black Country, New Road, it’s hosting oddball theme nights like Grinch Raves or free movie screenings.
Top Central U.S. Club or Theater: Brooklyn Bowl (Nashville)
Come for the Margo Price concert, stay for the fried chicken from in-house culinary group Blue Ribbon. The Nashville outpost of promoter Peter Shapiro’s Brooklyn Bowl was set to open in mid-March 2020 but pivoted to streaming-only concerts during the pandemic before starting to stage in-person events in June 2021. Since, the venue has successfully united the jam band crowd and the fast-growing Americana and indie country scene under one Nashville roof. Every show is fueled by a culinary program led by head chef Steven Stewart, a student of Nashville’s first father of foodies, Jody Faison.
Top East Coast Club or Theater: Roadrunner (Boston)
AEG partner The Bowery Presents manages Roadrunner, which is located in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood and was built in homage to the city’s former Sinclair venue in Harvard Square. Opened in March 2022 and taking its name from the Modern Lovers song “Roadrunner,” the venue is home to New England’s largest general-admission dancefloor and includes a wrap-around mezzanine for stellar views from above. It also features commissioned artwork from local muralist Felipe Ortiz that complements the venue’s understated design.
Top Residency Venue: Resorts World Theater (Las Vegas)
Located at the Resorts World hotel, Sin City’s newest theater reopened after the coronavirus pandemic with a record-breaking Katy Perry residency. Featuring 900 more seats than the neighboring Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the venue’s size and scale helped it land atop the Boxscore chart for venues under 5,000 capacity for the second year in a row. In 2023, Resorts World Theater grossed $45 million from 90 shows attended by 319,000 fans.
The ‘Wow’ Factor: Sphere (Las Vegas)
Few venues have gained as much attention in a single year as MSG’s Sphere at the Venetian in Las Vegas, a $2 billion music venue built by MSG’s James Dolan. Made famous by its LED exosphere and fully immersive interior cinematic screens, Sphere’s opening run with U2 — a $100 million deal brokered in part by Live Nation’s Arthur Fogel and Brooklyn Bowl’s Shapiro — will be followed by a four-night stand by Phish in April.
Sphere in Las Vegas with its LED exosphere as an eyeball.
David Becker/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Top Bucket List Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Morrison, Colo.)
With a memorable disc-shaped stage cast against a canvas of red sandstone, Red Rocks is North America’s most aspirational venue for both touring artists who long to play the natural amphitheater and fans who travel thousands of miles to attend one of the 200-plus concerts held there annually. Owned and managed by the City of Denver, Red Rocks is one of the few venues of its size that is ticketing-system neutral and nonexclusive to promoters.
Best Concept: The Salt Shed (Chicago)
Opened in 2022 on land previously owned by Morton Salt for nearly 100 years, The Salt Shed features two performance spaces: a 3,500-capacity reimagined indoor shed and a 5,000-capacity outdoor space known as the Fairground that overlooks the Chicago River and Goose Island.
Best Venue Under 500-Capacity: The Rebel Lounge (Phoenix)
This desert oasis of brick, steel and rust has long served as an important tour stop for developing bands traveling Interstate 10. Housed in what used to be the Mason Jar nightclub, The Rebel Lounge is managed by Psyko Steve Presents owner Stephen Chilton and serves as ground zero for Phoenix’s budding music scene with nearly nightly bookings and a loyal following of local supporters.
Local Favorite: Dickies Arena (Fort Worth, Texas)
From its round brick exterior to its western-themed hand-cut tile murals and bronze statues of cowboys and Comanches, Dickies Arena in Fort Worth exudes plenty of Lone Star State pride. And now, less than five years after opening, it is the No. 1 venue in the 10,001- to 15,000-capacity category, grossing $70 million from 110 shows in 2023, according to Boxscore.
Keeping It Indie: First Avenue (Minneapolis)
Authenticity matters to music fans, especially those who want to support independent artists in a rapidly commercializing world. And few venues possess as much authenticity as First Avenue, the anchor nightclub for Minneapolis promoter Dayna Frank, who served as the founding president of the National Independent Venue Association. Frank has run First Avenue since 2009, when she took over the business from her father and longtime owner, Byron, modeling the club’s look, design and attitude after her own experience growing up in the Twin Cities.
Best Food and Music Pairing: Triple Door (Seattle)
Located in Downtown Seattle across from Benaroya Hall on Union Street, Triple Door combines world-class entertainment with a world-renowned menu inspired by local Pacific Northwest ingredients. The Mainstage Theatre features national touring acts, while its MQ Stage & Lounge is considered one the city’s best destinations for happy hour and evening eats. Triple Door’s kitchen focuses on fresh local seafood and Southeast Asian dishes from sister restaurant Wild Ginger.
Most Unforgettable Experience: Snug Harbor (New Orleans)
Located on New Orleans’ jazz-heavy Frenchman Street, Snug Harbor is known for its world-famous Creole cuisine and its hourly jazz sessions featuring local talent from nearly every Big Easy parish. The venue’s food operation is fabled for its giant broiled gulf shrimp, lack of pretension and waiters who won’t take your plate away if you’re drawn to the dancefloor in the middle of supper.
Most Environmentally Friendly: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle)
In renovating the KeyArena at Seattle Center, developer and operator Oak View Group designed it to be the first net-zero carbon arena and the most sustainable professional sports facility in the world. Named and branded in a historic sponsorship deal inked by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the building was North America’s first to generate zero waste from operations — and it uses reclaimed rainwater to create the greenest hockey ice in the NHL.
This story originally appeared in the Feb. 10, 2024, issue of Billboard.