Touring
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If 2023 was the year of Taylor Swift, 2024 could be the year of the superfan.
While Swift’s The Eras Tour proved that music fans are willing to spend large sums and travel far to see their favorite artist, for years promoters have improved their revenues by selling premium experiences to concerts and festivals. Whether it’s dynamically priced seats close to the stage, VIP access or a revamped cocktail offering, there are more options for fans willing to pay more to enjoy the sights, sounds and hospitality of live music. Expect an even greater emphasis on this in the new year.
The focus on superfans isn’t confined to live music. The CEOs of Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group both started the year by highlighting a desire to better serve superfans. In the recent past, that may have meant NFTs and newfangled web3 offerings. Today, superfans buy multiple copies of albums (both LP and CD) and merchandise, often directly from the artist’s web store. Streaming services could soon be getting into the game, too, by offering “superfan clubs,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek suggested in a Jan. 24 open letter.
But live music has a unique ability to upcharge for premium experiences — and add to companies’ bottom lines in the process. Tickets for superstar acts have proven to have remarkably resistant to price increases. In 2023, the average price of a Taylor Swift concert ticket on Stubhub was nearly $1,100. Drake, Morgan Wallen and Beyonce prices averaged about $450, $390 and $324, respectively.
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Emphasis on superfans makes sense in an era of higher priced primary tickets that capture value that would otherwise go the secondary market. Artists are increasingly willing to charge more up front rather than lose money to re-sellers. Still, the typical secondary ticket is still almost twice the price of a primary ticket, Live Nation president and COO Joe Berchtold said during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. Currently, about 9% of Live Nation’s amphitheater business comes from premium offerings such as VIP boxes, added president and CEO Michael Rapino. He thinks that should be 30% to 35% instead. To get those numbers, Live Nation is upgrading the concert experience.
This year, Live Nation plans to spend $300 million of its $540 million of capital expenditures on revenue-generating projects. The top four projects — including Foro Sol in Mexico City and Northwell Health at Jones Beach on Long Island — will account for $150 million of the $300 million. The other half includes several projects in the tens of millions of dollars such as VIP clubs, viewing decks, rock boxes and new bar designs, said Berchtold. Those “tactical improvements,” as he called them, can produce a return on investment in the 40–50% range.
Putting more emphasis on revenue-generating enhancements will boost the bottom line in 2024. Following a stadium-heavy touring slate in 2023, Live Nation will put more tours in owned and operated amphitheaters and arenas that allow the company to capture fan spending on parking and hospitality. Stadium shows have higher average ticket prices, Rapino explained, but amphitheater and arena shows produce higher per-person spending. In other words, the venues are smaller but have better margins for the promoter. As a result, Live Nation expects higher adjusted operating income in the second and third quarters. “We’re going to have a fabulous year,” said Rapino.
Dynamic pricing — seats closer to the stage are priced far above seats further away — is just getting started outside of the United States and presents “a great growth opportunity” as it expands from Europe to South America and Australia, said Rapino. There’s room for growth in the United States, too, as dynamic pricing extends beyond the top artists and into amphitheaters and other concerts. “We still think that’s a multi-year opportunity to continue to grow our top line plus [our] bottom line,” he said.
The price-conscious fan isn’t forgotten as concerts increasingly cater to big spenders. Live Nation offers a lawn pass for amphitheaters called Lawnie Pass — the 2024 edition costs $239 each and offers lawn admission to multiple shows at select amphitheaters — and sold an unlimited pass for select clubs called Club Pass in 2022. And company executives have repeatedly stated that a benefit of dynamic pricing is that higher prices for in-demand seats allow for lower prices for seats further from the stage.
But from live music to music streaming, companies are searching for ways to beef up their margins. As such, expect the market to continue segmenting into higher-value and lower-value fans.
Peso Pluma canceled his three upcoming Latin American tour stops, including his first appearance at the Viña del Mar International Music Festival slated for March 1.
A spokesperson for the singer confirmed to Billboard that the Mexican star would not play his three scheduled Latin American dates – including stops in Perú and Paraguay — for undisclosed “personal reasons.” In addition to his Viña del Mar date, Pluma was also scheduled to perform on Saturday (Feb. 24) in Asunción, Paraguay and on March 2 in Lima. Paraguay news outlets, including ABC Color, reported the cancelation of his show there, citing “logistic issues.”
However, an official press release sent by Viña del Mar’s press office includes a quote from Peso’s reps which states: “We are sorry to communicate that due to personal reasons, Peso Pluma will not perform in the concerts/festivals slated for Viña del Mar, Lima and Asunción. We hope to return soon to these territories to give them the experience you deserve.”
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In Viña del Mar, Peso Pluma’s headlining slot will be taken over by María Becerra, who was originally scheduled as the second performer of the evening. Becerra is currently on a hot streak, having released a single with Enrique Iglesias, and is prepping for her first stadium show in Argentina. Argentine rapper Trueno will step in to take Becerra’s place as the second act performing on March 1 at the festival.
Peso Pluma’s Latin American tour has been fraught. He was originally scheduled to perform in Paraguay in December of 2023, but that date was later moved to Feb. 24. And, earlier this year, lawmakers in Chile had called for his removal from the Viña del Mar slate of performances, citing concerns over his music “normalizing narcoculture” in the country.
Viña del Mar organizers refused to remove him from the festival. Now, however, Pluma himself has canceled all three shows.
This is not the first time the Mexican singer has canceled performances. Last September, Peso Pluma called off a Tijuana show due to threats from drug cartels. Subsequently, another five shows in Mexico were canceled. Peso Pluma’s upcoming U.S. dates are going on as planned, according to his spokesperson, including performances at Coachella in April.
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.