#213

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Back of House
July 23, 2024

Issue #213

The Paris Olympics sets new records, the Music Votes coalition is launched, and we’ve got updates on the DOJ lawsuit. Plus, LN launches a new summer promo, Playa Luna announces two more Mexico shows, and for all of you Phans out there, we hope you didn’t miss the Tiny Desk concert!

Credit: NPR

Opening Ceremony Security 🔥

The Paris Olympics kick off on Friday with the first Opening Ceremony to be held outside of a stadium, ever. While holding open-air events may be the norm for many event pros, this venue and event is definitely exceptional: The 6km footprint encompasses iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and traverses the Seine River; 300,000 attendees are expected including 100 heads of state. 45,000 police will secure the unconventional venue along with 15,000 French military and up to 22,000 private security.

More Olympics

Speaking of the Olympic games, US companies have spent 18% more on sponsorships for this year’s event compared to the 2021 Summer Olympics. Companies like NBCUniversal, Nike, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Airbnb, and Uber have all upped their marketing games around the, uh, games.

Also up? Ticket sales. As of July 11, 8.6 million tickets had been sold for the Paris Olympics, beating out the 1996 Atlanta Olympics’ record of 8.3 million tickets. The record is expected to surpass that with organizers forecasting 10 million tickets total.

Astroworld woes continue for Live Nation as Ceremony of Roses, the company that provided the carnival rides and games for the festival and is now owned by Sony Music, has sued for “negligence and willful misconduct.” As part of its deal with the festival, Ceremony of Roses “agreed to finance, set up, operate, and tear down the” attractions “for the right to recoup from revenues all of its out-of-pocket costs and 50% of all revenues thereafter.” Once the festival ended abruptly - due to Live Nation’s negligence, the suit claims - the company was no longer able to recoup its $700k of costs nor make a profit.

In other major international sporting event news, On Location has officially been named the hospitality partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to take place in the US, Canada, and Mexico. On Location will offer exclusive ticketing and travel packages and is expected to generate at least $1 billion in sales. Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed, however FIFA claimed it earned “$243 million through the sale of hospitality rights” in 2022 for the World Cup in Qatar which had 64 games vs the scheduled 104 games in 2026.

Music Sustainability Alliance and other industry organizations such as #iVoted, Black Voters Matter, HeadCount, and Rock The Vote have launched the Music Votes coalition to increase voter engagement for the upcoming election. The non-partisan coalition aims to boost voter registration, ensure voters have the proper ID, and increase turnout through data-driven concerts and messaging campaigns.

Live Nation has released a preview of its dismissal arguments in the US Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit alleging that the company uses illegal tying arrangements to operate its amphitheaters. Live Nation asserts that the charges are from a misunderstanding of its business practices and the competitive nature of the live entertainment industry. They also argue that many state-level claims in the lawsuit are time-barred and lack specific details about alleged harm and violations.

Brazilian rock star Ayres Sasaki was tragically electrocuted and died during a live performance at The Solar Hotel in Salinopolis, Brazil on July 13. According to most reports, Sasaki, 35, was hugged by a wet fan while on stage, which triggered a fatal electrical shock. Another report says that he was playing guitar at the time of the electrocution. Local police are investigating the incident.

Ticketing companies are continuing to expand their music discovery channels, striving to be everywhere their potential fans are. Ticketmaster announced a new partnership with Shazam, allowing fans to buy tickets to a concert immediately after Shazam-ing a song. This is in addition to Ticketmaster’s other social integrations with Snapchat’s SnapMap and TikTok. TikTok has also bolstered its ticketing prowess through a new partnership with Eventbrite. Not only can Eventbrite organizers sell tickets directly in TikTok, but TikTok creators can also create events seamlessly on Eventbrite. 

Related: American Airlines now allows its AAdvantage frequent flyers to either use miles to purchase tickets to any event in Ticketmaster’s inventory or purchase tickets with cash and earn airline miles.

Live Nation is once again offering its "Summer's Live" promotion, offering four tickets for $80 to select shows now through July 30, but only for fans who received a special email code. While the discounted tickets may encourage casual fans to go see a show they wouldn’t have considered before, it can frustrate more serious fans who bought early and paid full price. Promotions like this reward concert-goers who wait to purchase last-minute and can be seen as contributors to summer concert slowdown.

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Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

  • KAYTRANADA has announced the "TIMELESS" Tour. It kicked off at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle on Sunday, July 21 and will wrap at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on October 26.

  • The Weeknd is performing a “never-before-seen” one-night only mega-concert at Estádio MorumBIS in São Paulo, Brazil on September 7.

  • Bourbon & Beyond has announced Sting as a headliner for the first night of the September 19 - 22 festival in Kentucky. Sting and his trio Sting 3.0 replace Neil Young who had to cancel his appearance due to illness.

  • Subtronics and Sara Landry are setting sail aboard the 2nd EDSea cruise from Miami to Bimini, November 2 - 6. 

  • Eminem, Muse, and 30 Seconds to Mars will headline MDL Beast’s Soundstorm Festival, December 14 - 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

  • Ocean’s Calling Festival has sold out, but fans will soon have another option with Playa Luna’s newest event, Ocean’s Calling Second Wave, which is headed to Riviera Cancun, January 19 - 22. Lineup has not yet been released.

  • Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will immediately follow the new event when they return to Riviera Maya for their 8th Dave & Tim all-inclusive getaway, January 23 - 26, 2025 at Moon Palace Cancun.

Cancelations

  • Jack Black canceled the rest of the Tenacious D Tour following comments made by band member Kyle Gass during a performance in Australia.

The year may be halfway over, but there are still a lot of important industry events this year. Billboard put together a Music Industry Events Calendar to keep you organized.

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