#096

The world’s first Bitcoin festival

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The first-ever arena dedicated to K-Pop is on its way and more Coachella drama around the Kanye replacement t. And a friendly reminder that US taxes are due next Monday - if you need help, Miguel is your guy!

 

Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicNew TaxesCoffee County, the home to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, has quietly advanced legislation that would allow the county to impose taxes on the event’s tickets. This tax, along with the devolving relationship between county authorities and festival organizers, may cause Bonnaroo to eventually relocate.

In Seoul, a new arena dedicated to K-Pop is in the works as announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and South Korean internet company Kakao. With over 18,000 seats, the Seoul Arena is scheduled to complete construction by October 2025. Kakao will have operating rights to the arena for the 30 years following its opening.

American Dream, the New Jersey megamall and entertainment complex, has joined in a deal with Live Nation to book and promote live events for the space. Nearby MetLife Stadium is also recruiting help from LN to add more live performances and fan engagement activities to their roster.

The first round of SaveLive partners have been announced, featuring around 20 mid-size venues around the country. SaveLive, a platform launched in 2020 by Marc Geiger to help struggling concert venues, has raised $135 million in its first round of financing and holds plans to invest in small clubs and build an indie touring network.

The ‘world’s first Bitcoin festival’ took place this past weekend in Miami, Florida. The Sound Money Fest, headlined by Deadmau5 and Logic (who were paid partially or fully in Bitcoin, along with all other performers), was the closing event to the Bitcoin 2022 conference.

Last week, LL Cool J announced Rock the Bells music festival. Set for August 6, 2022, the day-long Hip-Hop cultural celebration will take place in LL’s hometown of Queens, NY, featuring performances from Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil’ Kim, and many more noteworthy names. The event will also include interactive experiences and art exhibits. 

Citing the “oversaturated market” and “ongoing economic crisis,” organizers of This Is Tomorrow announced that the music festival has been canceled for this year. The Newcastle-based event was scheduled from June 3-5 of this year, but will now return “bigger and better” on May 26-28 of 2023.

After receiving some (arguably warranted) blowback after canceling his San Antonio concert to watch the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, Eric Church has announced a

for those who bought tickets originally, with more details to be announced soon. 

A$AP Rocky has released his own line of Canadian whiskey called Mercer + Prince, working with Global Brand Equibities and Gallo to produce the spirit. He explained, “I have been learning about whisky from all over the world for the past decade and wanted to defy the rules to create something unique while honoring and respecting industry traditions.” 

Releasing their first music in 28 years, Pink Floyd announced “Hey Hey Rise Up,” a song whose proceeds will go directly to Ukrainian Humanitarian relief. This comes about three weeks after the group removed its music from streaming services in Russia and Belarus.

SeatGeek is hiring a Senior Strategic Account Manager (remote, USA) to serve as the contact point for third-party events across the enterprise, and much more.

 

Sofar Sounds is seeking a part-time Events Crew in Dallas to represent Sofar, support performing artists, and act as the main point of contact at events.

 

Do you think the Weeknd should be paid as much as Kanye West would have been for Coachella?

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Credit: Luciano PicazoCoachella LineupLess than two weeks before the festival, it was reported that Kanye West - who planned to bring Travis Scott on stage with him - would no longer be performing at Coachella. To replace him, Swedish House Mafia and the Weeknd are stepping up to collaborate as the festival’s Sunday night headliners on April 17 and 24. The duo has worked together on songs such as The Weeknd’s “Moth to a Flame” and a remix of “Sacrifice.” Once the headliners were almost locked in, the Weeknd threatened to pull out upon being offered millions of dollars less than West for his performance. Fortunately, Paul Anschutz, owner of Coachella through AEG, eventually committed to paying the Weeknd the same amount as West - a reported $8 million-plus a $500k production fee. 

High Point University, along with the University of South Florida, is conducting a study to examine event professionals’ experience and leadership roles within the workplace, specific to the festivals and events industry. Their preliminary research has shown strong evidence of the under-representation of women in leadership positions within the festivals and events industry, despite there being a high number of women within this space, and that there is a gender equity and leadership gap that warrants further exploration. They are asking for your participation in that study by completing the survey linked below.

Your participation, knowledge, and experience will provide a valuable contribution to understanding the role and status of event professionals in the festivals and events industry. Respondents will also have a chance to receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this research.

 Read on how you can work to avoid (unintentional) racism online, and learn how to shut down overt online racism when you encounter it. Click to find a free, 15-page wellness guide for on-the-go music professionals!

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