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Issue #218

TickPick just made waves with a record-breaking $250M fundraise, setting the stage for some serious ticketing innovation. Over in Australia, AEG Presents and Frontier Touring teamed up with Playbill Group to amp up live events. Oh, and Deep Purple’s "long goodbye" tour? Still going strong until 2026!

Ferris Wheel Fire

Credit: Str./Picture Alliance via Getty Images

CTS Eventim on the rise 🎢

CTS Eventim announced that its growth "picked up markedly in the second quarter of 2024." The company reported €793.6 million ($882.2 million) Q2 revenue, up 21.1% year-over-year. The number was boosted by its acquisition of See Tickets in June and ticketing the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, with ticket sales accounting for €175.2 million ($195.57 million) in revenue - up 28.5% YoY. Live entertainment revenues also increased in Q2 to €631.1 million ($702.5 million) - up 19.7% YoY.

Suspect in German festival stabbing arrested

A stabbing at a festival in Solingen, Germany celebrating the city’s 650th-anniversary turned tragic when a man violently attacked festival attendees with a knife, killing 3 and injuring at least 8 others. A suspect has been taken into custody by police following a 24-hour manhunt. According to a statement from the Islamic State, which is claiming responsibility for the attack, "He carried out the attack in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere."

TickPick, a “modern transparent” ticket marketplace that is focused on getting fans the best prices - with no fees - has secured the largest fundraise in the ticketing industry to date. Investment firm Brighton Park Capital has invested $250 million into the startup and Rory McIlroy's Symphony Ventures has joined as a strategic investor. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its expansion and innovation in the ticketing industry and enhance its platform for live event goers.

AEG and Onex Partners have finally completed the deal to sell their stakes in ASM Global to Legends for $2.3 billion. The deal, initially announced 10 months ago, was held up by an investigation by the US Department of Justice. The DOJ alleged that Legends violated antitrust regulations by taking control of ASM's operations before the deal was approved, leading to a $3.5 million fine for violating the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. Both ASM Global and Legends will continue operations under their current names.

Also in Germany, a ferris wheel fire at the Highfield Festival at Lake Strömthal near Leipzig injured at least 23 people on Sunday, August 18. According to a social media post by the police, the fire started when “material underneath the ferris wheel caught fire.” It then spread to two gondolas. ​​German rapper Ski Aggu was on stage during the incident and was told to continue performing to avoid a mass panic.

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) reports that 60 UK festivals have now been canceled, postponed, or shut down in 2024 and is calling for government intervention. AIF says that without intervention, over 100 more could be lost this year. In particular, they want a temporary reduction of VAT on festival tickets from 20% to 5%, to support the struggling industry.

It shouldn’t be surprising then, that a recent study by PIRATE.COM revealed that 44% of UK music fans are cutting back on attending festivals this year due to rising ticket prices and overall cost of living pressures. The survey also found that 27% of fans have completely opted out of festivals this year, while almost half of respondents set a spending limit of £200 ($264) or less for a ticket.

Australia's Playbill Group has partnered with Frontier Touring and AEG Presents to form a new venture aimed at expanding their presence in the live entertainment industry. This collaboration will combine Playbill's event merchandising expertise with Frontier Touring's concert promotion capabilities and AEG's global entertainment reach. The partnership is expected to enhance delivery of live events across Australia and New Zealand.

The festival market in Mexico is evolving and Ocesa's head of festivals, Leizer Guss, gives some insight on how they are adapting to it in this article. In particular, he addresses Growth: first-year numbers can be impressive, but sustaining them is challenging; Headliner drought: while not affecting Ocesa much, demand and costs are significant contributors; Touring vs Festivals: artists seem to prefer touring due to higher earnings potential; and the Impact of its acquisition by Live Nation: a nice boost allowing for better artist deals.

Legendary rock band Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan admitted in a recent interview that the band has no intentions of retiring despite their current “The Long Goodbye” tour. The tour has been saying sayonara since 2017 and has dates booked through 2026. According to the singer, “That was a joke, actually, because it was the promoters … someone said, ‘We’ve gotta sell some more tickets.’ And it’s the good old standby, the farewell tour. So I said, ‘OK, we’ll call it ‘goodbye’ tour, but let’s call it ‘the long goodbye’, and let’s make the emphasis on the word ‘long’,’ so it’s kind of an enigmatic phrase.”

  • Live Nation is hiring a remote Privacy Product Manager with 3+ years of experience. Salary: $96,000 - $120,000.

  • FilmFreeway, the world’s leading film festival marketplace, is seeking a remote General Manager to devise its product strategy and oversee general operations. Salary: $180,000 - $220,000.

  • The LA Clippers are looking for a Director, Brand Experience for the new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA. Salary: $120,000 - $130,000.

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Last Week's Results:
64% of BOH readers have seen a show at the Sphere.

Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

  • Becky G will be making 14 stops in predominantly Mexican-American communities across the US on her “Casa Gomez: Otro Capítulo” tour. The tour starts in Chicago, IL on October 11 and ends November 17 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA.

  • Modest Mouse announced their 20 year anniversary tour, “Good News For People Who Love Bad News”. The tour kicks off October 28, 2024, in Honolulu, HI and wraps November 23 in Brooklyn, NY.

  • Goldenvoice and Splash House are bringing back Desert Air Fest, November 15 - 17 at the Palm Springs Air Museum and Palm Springs Surf Club in CA. The festival will feature Jamie xx, Kaytranada, Slayyyter, VTSS, and Club Heat (the newly formed collaborative project from Tove Lo and SG Lewis).

  • Following cancellations due to bankruptcy in 2024, Just for Laughs Festival has announced dates for its 2024-2025 season, starting with November 18 - 28 in Sydney, Australia. The festival will then hit Bermuda (January 22 - 24), Vancouver (February 13 - 22), and will return to Montreal (July 16 - 27) where it originated in 1983.

  • Janet Jackson is hitting Sin City with a 10-date residency at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas starting December 30 and ending February 15. 

  • Fatboy Slim, Major League DJz, and Patrick Mason will join Damian Lazarus at his Day Zero festival, January 11 in Tulum.

Cancellations, Changes

  • Queens of the Stone Age announced the cancellation of their remaining 2024 tour dates, including all festival appearances following Josh Homme’s emergency surgery and subsequent July show cancellations last month. 

  • Macklemore has canceled his Dubai show in October due to the UAE’s role “in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis” in Sudan.

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