Spanish Concert Industry Celebrates Record Year

Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images – Shakira
The Columbian superstar performed in Madrid, Spain, July 3, 2018

The €333.9 million figure represents a 24.1 percent increase from 2017, when the APM recorded €269.2 million – which had already marked a significant increase on 2016’s results, thanks to the VAT cut introduced that year.

The Spanish live music industry has been improving it performance for the past five consecutive years, after hitting rock bottom in 2013 (€158 million). The main reason for this low point was the VAT increase to 21 percent in 2012. The 2017 cut had brought the rate back down to 10 percent.

Tour highlights in 2018 included Guns N’ Roses, whose July 1 show at Barcelona’s Estadi Olímpic sold 48,649 tickets and grossed $4.37 million, and Iron Maiden, whose July 14 show at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano sold 48,689 tickets and grossed $4.80 million, according to Pollstar box office reports.

Other highlights included Latin artists like Luis Miguel, who played eight dates in Spain, including two at Madrid’s WiZink Center. Promoted by Live Nation, the shows sold 21,919 tickets and grossed $2.08 million.

At her July 3 WiZink Center show, Shakira sold 15,810 tickets and grossed $1.51 million. Across five Spanish shows last year the star played to 71,000 total spectators, according to APM’s figures. 

When Alejandro Fernández performed at the Madrid venue on July 18, he grossed $729,145 with ticket sales of 9,740. The gig was promoted by Planet Events, which was recently acquired by Live Nation.

WiZink Center – WiZink Center
When the 17,500 maximum capacity auditorium is packed

The most successful tour to hit Spain in 2018 was Bruno Mars, who attracted 110,000 people to his two shows at Barcelona’s Estadi Olímpic  and Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano, according to APM. The concerts were promoted by Doctor Music, which was recently acquired by CTS Eventim.