No ticket, no problem: Swifties watch from Olympic Hill

Swifties in Munich, Germany took advantage of the topography near Olympic Stadium as approximately 25,000 of them gathered on nearby Olympic Hill, or Olympiaberg, to watch the Taylor Swift show in the stadium for free. They also turned out for Swift’s performance on Sunday. Unlike “Taylor-gating” bans enforced in cities in the US and Australia, the local promoters handed water and blankets to protect from the hot sun out to those watching from the hill.

Live Nation vs DOJ: venue change request

In this week’s edition of the Live Nation antitrust case, Live Nation is seeking to move the case to Washington, DC, arguing that it should be heard in the same court that approved the 2010 merger with Ticketmaster. Live Nation claims the Department of Justice's attempt to litigate in a different venue undermines the original consent decree, which stated that it could only be modified in a DC court. The DOJ has until September 18 to respond to Live Nation's motions.

Live music in the UK is up, but independent festivals still face challenges

UK Music released a report indicating that live music events in the UK attracted 19.2 million tourists in 2023, generating £8 billion in spending, a 33% increase from 2022. The growth was driven by major concerts and festivals, although challenges remain for independent festivals and grassroots venues, which can be seen by the large number of festival cancellations this year. UK Music emphasizes the need for government support to sustain the live music ecosystem and ensure access to music across the country.

Music Forward Foundation awards $50k in scholarships 🧑‍🎓

Music Forward Foundation has awarded five undergraduate students pursuing a career in music & live entertainment with $50,000 in scholarships along with partners Live Nation, Inherit the Nation, and Governor’s Ball. Adina Aaron (University of Southern California), Cristian Meza (New York City College of Technology), Jasmine Gordon (Spelman College), Michael Brown (Howard University), and Raagavi Venkatesh (Drexel University) have each won $10,000 towards their pursuit of education in the concert business.

Copa América catastrophe ⚽

CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, and Hard Rock Stadium are facing multiple lawsuits after security issues at the Copa América final in Miami. The lawsuits claim inadequate security at the gates led to chaos, injuries, and exclusion of ticket-holding fans. A class-action suit and other legal actions have been filed, seeking damages for fans who paid for tickets, travel, and accommodations but were denied entry. Hard Rock Stadium and the football federations are working with Ticketmaster to offer refunds.

Festival insurance doesn’t cover low ticket sales 🤷

Following its abrupt cancellation just days before the Sierra Nevada Music Festival was set to begin on June 21, organizers finally indicated last week that they won’t be refunding any ticket money as all funds had already been used to cover pre-show costs and was “non-recoupable.” In their email to ticket purchasers with the news, the festival lamented that unfortunately, “festival insurance doesn’t cover low ticket sales.” On a positive note, SNMF tickets will be honored at another festival produced by a different group, Reggae on the River, August 2 - 4.

Chris Brown faces two lawsuits after backstage attack in Texas

Chris Brown is being sued for $50 million for the alleged "brutal, violent assault" of four concert attendees backstage after his July 19 show in Fort Worth, TX. Tour promoter Live Nation, Sinko Ceej, Hood Boss and Yella Beezy are also named in the suit. A second lawsuit has been filed by head of back security at Dickies Arena, Frederick R. Overpeck, who is claiming that he got injured while trying to protect Brown and his crew and now can’t work. Overpeck is suing the same group for $15 million.

Latin and country artists cashing in on 2024

Latin and country music artists account for nearly one-quarter of the top 100 highest-grossing tours in 2024 so far, according to Pollstar. Bad Bunny leads with over $200 million in ticket sales, followed by Luis Miguel, Karol G, and Luke Combs, each topping $100 million. Notably, Bad Bunny's average ticket price exceeds $200. Adventura, Kenny Chesney, Zach Bryan, Tim McGraw, George Strait and Tyler Childers round out the top 10 Latin and country artists on the list.

Ticketmaster expands African presence with Quicket purchase

Ticketmaster has acquired South-African ticketing company Quicket to fuel its growth in Africa. Quicket is a self-serve general admission and festival ticketing platform. Ticketmaster has been in South Africa since 2022; the new acquisition will enable them to expand to Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and Botswana, and enable African venues to benefit from Ticketmaster’s global reach and service.

The Bowery Presents 🤝 Broadberry Entertainment Group

The Bowery Presents (an AEG company) has entered into a formal marketing and booking partnership with Broadberry Entertainment Group, a Richmond, VA-based independent promoter. Through the partnership, the duo will jointly book events in their venues throughout the Virginia region including theaters and amphitheaters.

• Sundog Theatre is looking for a General Manager in Staten Island, NY. Salary: $70,000.

• Axios is hiring a hybrid Director of Events, Operations in Alexandria, VA. Salary: $115,000 - $125,000.

• The Orlando Magic is looking for Part Time Event Activation Representatives in Orlando, FL for the 2024 - 2025 season.

Last Week's Results:
53% of BOH readers are watching the Olympics!

Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

• “The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration” will premier with the Chicago Philharmonic at Ravinia Festival on August 30 in Highland Park, IL.

• Neil Young, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews will headline Farm Aid 2024 on September 21 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. This will be Neil Young’s first performance since canceling his tour due to illness.

• Taking a page from Bourbon & Beyond’s playbook, Sting is also taking the headlining slot vacated by Neil Young at Ohana Festival, September 27 - 29 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA.

• Desert Daze will feature Jack White, The Mars Volta, and Liz Phair, October 10 - 13 at Moreno Beach in Lake Perris, CA. 

• The Deftones’ Dia De Los Deftones festival will feature IDLES, Sunny Day Real Estate, HEALTH, and of course The Deftones, November 2 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA. 

• Post Malone will headline the 4th Wild Horses Festival, December 30 also at Petco Park in San Diego, CA.

• Playa Luna announced the lineup for Ocean’s Calling Second Wave in Riviera Cancun, Mexico, including Incubus, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Cage The Elephant and O.A.R, January 19 - 22.

Cancelations

• Slash canceled four S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour dates due to the unexpected death of his stepdaughter, Lucy-Bleu Knight, but resumed on Sunday, July 28 in Toronto.  

• Queens of the Stone Age have canceled more dates due to Josh Homme’s continued medical care, including several European festivals scheduled in August.

• From carrying the torch to commentary to “meeting the people and kissing the babies,” Snoop Dogg is pure gold at the Olympics.

• Celine Dion and Lady Gaga wowed during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday, but like musical guests at the Super Bowl’s Halftime Show, they didn’t get paid. 

• 150 shows later, Billy Joel finally ended his historic Madison Square Garden residency on July 25.

• The $12,000 Harvard Business School class celebrities are fighting to get into. 

• Gorillas at San Diego's zoo are getting too much screen time. 

• How to know when it's time to break up with a client - and how to do it.

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