Adele’s [custom] World

Adele’s Munich residency, which started August 2 and runs through August 31, is taking place in a custom-built stadium just for her. “Adele Arena” features a $43 million, 721-by-98-foot LED screen and “Adele World,” which includes a re-created English pub and a ferris wheel. The temporary arena was built in 30 days by 700 workers, cost $130 million, and holds 80,000 fans. 95% of it is meant to be reusable. It’s projected to gross over $228 million throughout the 10-show residency.

The Intuit Dome opens in LA

The Intuit Dome, a $2 billion structure in Inglewood, CA, opened last week with a Bruno Mars concert - and some minor ticketing and cashless issues with their app. Once resolved, fans were amazed by the state-of-the-art, privately-funded arena that will be home to the LA Clippers. Not only does every seat have its own power outlet and decibel meter, but there are 1,160 toilets (<– you’ve got to watch this) - more than 3x the NBA average.

The Eras Tour must go on

Taylor Swift’s team worked closely with local authorities to make sure her Wembley Stadium shows could continue following the threats and subsequent cancellations of her shows in Vienna. Each of the five shows in London started earlier than originally planned and some fans had their seats changed - though it's unclear if that had to do with safety or sightlines. Fans who rolled with the changes were treated with a surprise appearance by Ed Sheeran.

Record crowds

Speaking of Ed Sheeran, he continues to set records, this time in Kaunas, Lithuania. The singer’s two shows at Dariaus and Gireno Stadium drew over 81,000 fans, setting the record for highest ticket sales by an international artist in the Baltic states.

The Foo Fighters drew over 50,000 people to their show at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO, making it the “biggest American Foo Fighters show we have ever played in 30 years,” according to Dave Grohl.

Eventbrite profits are up, but team members are down

Eventbrite is laying off 100, despite growing Q2 profits year-over-year. The ticketing company announced $84.6 million net revenue and $59.9 million gross profits for Q2, an increase from $78.9 million and $54.3 million the same time last year, however it is not enough. According to CEO Julia Hartz, “We are taking action to refine the go-to-market strategy and reduce our expense structure to work towards profitability.”

Coast-to-coast noise complaints

Following over 100 noise complaints after the HARD Summer music festival at SoFi Stadium, significant changes have been implemented for future events at the venue. The city of Inglewood, CA has banned stages in the elevated American Airlines Plaza area for future events and has committed to better monitoring and managing events to minimize noise impacts on the surrounding communities. 

On the other side of the country, Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY is also dealing with noise issues. Their issues have escalated from complaints to lawsuits and the venue is asking fans to show their support by signing their petition.

UPDATES: Live Nation vs DOJ

The DOJ has pushed back on Live Nation’s attempt to move the impending antitrust case from NYC to Washington, DC, which LN argues has jurisdiction over the 2010 consent decree; it wants the case to stay in NYC. Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont have recently joined the lawsuit, adding 10 new plaintiffs to the 30 states plus Washington, DC already involved.

Yungblud’s Bludfest “not fit for purpose”

At Yungblud's first-ever Bludfest in Milton Keynes, England, the festival faced severe criticism after chaotic scenes where fans fainted due to long waits in the heat with inadequate facilities and poorly managed security contributing to the unsafe conditions. One fan passed out in line and others complained that they waited so long, they missed several acts. The event was meant to be a celebration for the artist's fans, but instead many are calling it "not fit for purpose".

Sphere revenue growth

Sphere Entertainment reported revenues of $273.4 million in its fiscal Q4, an increase of $144.3 million year-over-year, as well as an operating loss of $71.4 million (up $1 million) and an adjusted operating income of $25.7 million (up $85.5 million). For its fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2024, the company reported $1.026 billion in revenue and an operating loss of $341.2 million, both up from FY 2023. The growth is attributed to strong residencies by Dead & Company and Phish, as well as the NHL Draft, and its interactive “Postcard from Earth” show.

Aerosmith canceled, now what?

Now that Aerosmith canceled their farewell tour due to Steven Tyler's vocal cord injury, can they recoup any of their losses? Paul Bassman from Higginbotham Insurance digs into what may be covered - lost revenue or expenses that were already incurred - if the band had non-appearance coverage. The exact payout will depend on the specific terms of their insurance policy and the circumstances surrounding the cancellation, which will affect how much can actually be recovered.

• Director of Sales, Engagement - Leap Event Technology seeks a Director of Sales with recent experience mobile app sales or fan data capture tools for live events; focusing on new business, cross-sell opportunities, and long-term partnerships, while aligning solutions to prospects’ challenges and fostering customer success. 

• Director of Sales, Ticketing - Leap Event Technology seeks a Director of Sales with recent experience in event ticketing software sales, focusing on business development, cross-sell and upsell opportunities, and fostering long-term relationships while aligning solutions to prospects’ challenges.

• Ecolibrium, a UK registered climate charity founded by the UK festival industry, is looking for a part time Partnerships Manager with festival industry and environmental sustainability experience in Bristol, UK.

Last Week's Results:
37% of BOH readers attend 1-5 shows for fun each year.

27% go to 6-10.

36% go to 11+.

Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

• The Earl Scruggs Music Festival announced Yonder Mountain String Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Tanya Tucker at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC, August 30 to September 1.

• Midland and Casey Donahew will play the inaugural Feels Like Home Festival on October 19 at the Brownwood Event Center in Brownwood, TX.

• Elton John will perform at City of Hope’s Spirit of Life fundraising gala honoring AEG’s Jay Marciano at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on October 22.

• The ONE Musicfest lineup will include Cardi B, Gunna, Jill Scott, Victoria Monét, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Method Man at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, GA, October 26 - 27. 

• Hip-Hop 101: From New York to The Bay festival will feature Public Enemy, De La Soul and Cypress Hill on November 9 at Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA.

• Eric Church, Toto, Kool & The Gang and Joe Walsh will perform at this year’s VetsAid at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, on November 11 (Veteran’s Day).

• Shaq is back. Shaq’s Bass All Stars Festival featuring DIESEL (aka Shaquille O’Neal) and Dion Timmer is returning to Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth, TX on November 16 for its second year. The festival is produced by Disco Donnie Presents and Medium Rare.

• Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Future, and Shaboozey, will headline the 10th anniversary of Rolling Loud Miami, December 13 - 15 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. 

• Decadence Arizona announced ISOxo, Excision, Dom Dolla, deadmau5, and Tchami and Malaa’s No Redemption collaborative project, for its 10th edition December 30 - 31 at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, AZ.

• My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday is moving from Mexico to Miramar Beach, FL, April 3 - 5, 2025.

Cancellations, Changes

• Riot Fest moves back to Douglass Park in Chicago after announcing that this year’s event would move to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL. The fest takes place September 20 - 22.

• Usher postponed the first three shows of his “Past Present Future Tour” in Atlanta, rescheduling them for December, due to a neck injury. The singer plans to resume the tour in Washington, DC tonight (August 20).

• Australia’s Byron Bay Bluesfest announced that its 2025 edition, scheduled for April 17 - 20, will be its 36th and final festival. No further information was given.

• Sugar Bowl Country Kickoff, scheduled for August 31 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA with Eric Church and Ashley McBryde, was canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

Mid-Year Festival Report

The mid-year festival report by Booking Agent Info offers a detailed look at artist representation across 16 major festivals. Larger agencies like Wasserman (16% market share), UTA (13%), and CAA (12%) dominate the landscape, collectively representing over half of the performers, underscoring their significant influence in shaping line-ups and securing prime slots.

In addition to these giants, genre-specific agencies like MAC Agency in Hip-Hop, Liaison Artists in Electronic/Dance, and Neal Agency in Country have carved out strong positions within their niches.

The “Others” category, representing 37% of the market share, showcases the diversity in representation, including a wide range of smaller agencies and artists who manage bookings in-house. Festivals frequently collaborate with these smaller agencies, particularly in the Electronic genre, and often prioritize booking local artists to engage the communities where events are held. This approach enriches festival line-ups with diverse acts and emphasizes the crucial role that smaller and niche players continue to play in the evolving festival circuit.

• Swifties and Deadheads - separated at birth? What the Eras Tour and Dead & Company’s Sphere residency share, as the concert phenomena of the year. 

• GenZ loves cassettes, but doesn't quite know how they work.

• Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine partner to open an innovative new high school in Inglewood, CA.

• Mastering SMS and email marketing for ticket sales. 

• Burning Man hasn’t sold out (yet) for the first time in a decade. 

• Will we see Dr. Dre competing in the 2028 Olympics?

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