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In Ukraine and its surrounding areas, the live event industry has already faced its fair share of setbacks, with numerous cancellations and, unfortunately, many more to come. There is still some good news out there, like exciting festival lineups, NIVA members receiving nationwide recognition, and Dolly Parton becoming the latest member of the blockchain.

State of the Union Address Representatives from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) were invited to attend President Biden’s State of the Union Address last Monday after helping create the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act. Invited members included Dayna Frank (NIVA board president), Scott Hammontree, Ron Ozer, Mark Fields, and Darren Silvis; each attended as guests of their state’s senators. 

Major RenovationsASM Global is taking on the responsibility of operations and management of the historic Olympia London exhibition center as it undergoes major renovations. The redevelopment is expected to be ready by 2024 and will include a 4,400-capacity music venue, a 1,575-seat performing arts theater, and lots more. In non-pandemic years, the venue attracts 1.6 million visitors and hosts over 200 events. 

Third Round of GrantsThe Live Music Society has completed its third round of grants, helping assist 18 small music venues as they recover from the pandemic. The non-profit, which was established just under 2 years ago, has helped 126 venues so far, with grants ranging from $10,000-50,000. 

$112 Million to Aquire Venues In the past year, former WME exec Marc Geiger has raised $112 million through his company SaveLive, a venture established to acquire concert venues and businesses hit hardest by Covid. 

600,000 PassesBelgian dance music festival Tomorrowland is returning in full swing, selling out its 600,000 passes in only 10 minutes. The festival, taking place over the weekends of July 15-17, 22-24, and 29-31, will feature Diplo, Alesso, Marshmello, and DJ Diesel, among many, many others. 

Capitol Records ChinaUniversal Music Greater China (UMGC) is expanding its label operations with the launch of Capitol Records China, a label focused on establishing Chinese music talent. This plan will bring Capitol Records to Asia for the very first time.

Seven Peaks is Moving Following their 2021 cancellation due to local issues around capacity limits, Live Nation’s Seven Peaks Music Festival is moving from Buena Vista, CO to the San Luis Valley, CO. It will be the largest event ever in the rural valley of Saguache County, which has about 6,600 total residents.

Virtual Reality Concert TourBeginning this April, Megan Thee Stallion and AmazeVR will partner up to produce the first-ever virtual reality concert tour. The “Enter Thee Hottieverse” experience will span 10 cities throughout the US, ending in July. Fans can watch the tour in local theaters with VR headsets to experience a multi-song set that moves through a series of environments and custom outfits.  

BandcampVideo-game developer Epic Games, best known for creating Fortnite, has bought Bandcamp, an online music store and community geared toward independent musicians. Bandcamp will serve an important role for Epic, whose vision is to “build out a creator marketplace ecosystem for content, technology, games, art, music, and more.”

Uber ExploreUber is adding a new function to their app called Uber Explore, which will allow customers to browse and book events. Based on a customer’s chosen categories, they will see recommended locations and experiences, including its reviews and directions. Via the Uber Wallet and Payment profile, customers can even buy tickets through the platform. 

BONUS: ACMs x Amazon PrimeThe Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs) was the first-ever major award show to stream live globally last night as they made their debut on Amazon Prime in a sped-up, concert-like format without commercials. Amazon offered a free 30-day trial of Prime for ACM viewers who didn’t already have a subscription. And for those who missed the live stream, Amazon Prime will also be airing a performance-only version of the show, which had 3 stages and was filmed in Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium.

Lyte has open positions in Client Services, Sales, HR, and Marketing. Join Lyte to help build the future of live event ticketing.

Caesars Entertainment is hiring employees in Atlantic City, NJ who are seeking jobs in the Special Events industry.

Houston’s White Oak Music Hall is searching for a Creative Coordinator/Graphic Designer to work with the marketing team and develop necessary graphics for upcoming shows. 

City Winery Boston is looking for a Talent Buyer/Program Director to create a schedule of shows throughout the year.

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Credit: Poland's Fest FestivalLive Events in Eastern Europe

In the past few weeks, multiple acts have pulled their concerts from Ukraine and Russia as the conflict continues to escalate. There are also concerns that international acts will be unable (or unwilling) to visit countries bordering Ukraine and the Eastern European region. The current state of affairs will soon turn dire for the live event industry, as Romanian promoter Dragos Chiscoci explained, “If the situation in Ukraine does not defuse soon, we might be facing a third crippling year for the local live music industry.” 

Last Wednesday, Live Nation announced they would be ceasing business operations in Russia. They are the latest group in the live events industry to publicly denounce Russia’s actions, following Oak View Group along with other artists. Spotify also has closed their Russian offices indefinitely, and even “restricted the discoverability of shows owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media.” Disney and Warner Brothers have similarly committed to halting the release of their films in Russia, and Apple has taken a pause on selling its products. 

Elena Kovalskaya, director of Moscow’s state-run Vsevolod Meyerhold State Theater and Cultural Center, has resigned in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She stated on social media that she was unable to accept her government-granted salary, noting plans to complete her current projects with the theater on a voluntary basis only. A spokesperson for the theater voiced similar disapproval of the invasion and thanked Kovalskaya for her courage. 

The Jonas Brothers have announced a five-night Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM. Set for June 3-4 and June 9-11, the trio plans to stay in one place for a bit following their 40-plus date “Remember This” tour.  

Glastonbury festival, returning for the first time since 2019, has revealed its full 2022 lineup. Taking place June 22-26 in Somerset, the festival will feature headliners Paul McCartney, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, and Diana Ross. Find the rest of the lineup here. 

Rolling Loud Miami, set for July 22-24, features headliners Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. Other big names for the Miami festival include Playboy Carti, Lil Durk, 2 Chainz, and many more, with tickets on sale as of yesterday.

Charlie Jones’ Four Leaf Productions presents the inaugural Versa festival, held at Lincoln Park South Fields in Chicago with headliners Ellie Goulding, Kali Uchis, and Liz Fair. The event billed as the first major women-led multi-day festival in over two decades, includes not only live music, but also comedians, conversations with culture-shifters, and culinary events.  

Additional lineup releases include J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival (April 2-3; Raleigh, NC); LOVELOUD Festival (May 14; Salt Lake City, UT); Insomniac’s Day Trip Festival (June 25-26; Long Beach, CA); Essence Festival of Culture (June 30-July 3; New Orleans, LA); Carolina Country Music Fest (June 9-12; Myrtle Beach, SC).

Are we missing your lineup? Let us know.

Credit: Nicola Gell/Getty Images for SXSWSouth by Southwest kicks off this weekend with some recently announced updates to their 2022 attendance guidelines: requiring proof of CDC-approved vaccines or a recent negative Covid test. 

Making its debut at SXSW, Rolling Stone and their new partner Meta are leading an initiative that hosts “Creator Houses.” Together, the brands will create experiences through Reels, VR headsets, and Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses, allowing attendees to “explore the creative products and tools that support creators’ storytelling ambitions.” The Creator Houses’ next stop will be Coachella in April 2022. 

Further, Dolly Parton will make an appearance at SXSW, partnering with Fox Entertainment’s Blockchain Creative Labs to launch “Dollyverse.” Coming soon after the releases of her original novel and its companion music album, “Run, Rose, Run,” Parton will be in conversation with James Patterson, the novel’s co-writer, followed by a live performance. Notably, the whole event will be live-streamed for free on “Dollyverse” by Eluvio, in addition to offering exclusive Dolly NFTs and more fan-based blockchain experiences. 

 This April, industry vets and legends Barry Dickins and Leon Ramakers will be featured at ILMC’s Dragon Den sessions, sharing stories and reflections on their 50+ year careers.  Ever wished you could make music just by typing? Now you can, with this fun website. 

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