LN Sticks With Danish

Live Nation has appointed head promoter Jesper Christensen to take over as chief exec of its Danish operation, following the death of former company chief Flemming Schmidt.

Schmidt died Feb. 16 near Copenhagen after an 18-month battle against cancer.

During the last 10 months of Schmidt’s illness, Live Nation Denmark was headed by Carl Pernow, the company’s Swedish-based president of its Nordic operation.

“After 10 years with the company, I look forward to continue and maintain Live Nation’s effort to put Denmark on the international concert market,” Christensen said of his new position.

“Together with a strong team and good partners, it will be exciting to embark on a new chapter where we are going to present a lot of great experiences for the Danish audience.”

Commercial director Jonas Hoegh-Christensen will be taking on a wider role as vice president, enabling Jesper Christensen to also carry on his role as head promoter.

The company’s office in the Frederiksberg borough of Copenhagen now has 25 full-time staff, arranging about 300 concerts per year.

It will also run Copenhagen’s new multi-purpose arena for the City of Copenhagen and the Real Dania and city and port authority.

Securing the contract to run the arena was Schmidt’s last major project before illness kept him from work.

The acts Live Nation is bringing to Denmark in the coming months include One Direction, Bruce Springsteen, Pink, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode, Robbie Williams, Roger Waters, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.