2024 Impact 50 Honoree: Tara Traub

SVP, GLOBAL TOURING
Live Nation

2024 HIGHLIGHTS: Tours With Lainey Wilson, Tate McRae
FIRST GIG: Intern at Live Nation

Live Nation SVP of Global Touring Tara Traub’s promoter purview reinforces and encapsulates much of the industry trends and mantras seen throughout 2024. For instance, she cites the sold-out European tour from Bell Bottom Country sensation Lainey Wilson, who just kicked off a North American tour, “Country’s Cool Again,” at the end of May and is poised for global success as one of this year’s highlights.

Wilson’s case is one of both growing demand abroad while becoming super-charged at home, as she edges her way to arena dates this summer including dates at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena (and even a stadium play at Chicago’s Soldier Field on June 30, but that’s supporting The Rolling Stones).

“The global demand for Lainey’s tour shows authentic songwriting resonates worldwide,” Traub said in April’s Lainey Wilson Pollstar cover story. “She’s redefining what it means to be a country artist, and we’re honored to support her journey.” Honoring that journey, to Traub, means redefining country music as a global endeavor.

She’s seeing “more opportunity for country artists to tour globally,” accompanied by rapidly increasing demand for the genre worldwide.

Traub joined Live Nation as an intern more than 15 years ago, rising to the Global Touring department and promoting major tours for stars including Harry Styles, Michelle Obama and Melanie Martinez. She gives credit to Live Nation maestro Brad Wavra who she says is a mentor and “hero since I was 15 years old.”

Other successful projects include a “massive” Glass Animals tour across North America and Europe that begins in August, Meghan Trainor’s “The Timeless Tour” that kicks off in September and a sold-out North American tour by singer-songwriter Conan Gray, which includes stops at Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum.

Still more highlights include a global run with Tate McRae, Benson Boone’s “Fireworks & Rollerblades” tour, and Westlife’s first North American tour, which saw the Irish boy band at venues including Radio City Music Hall, the Chicago Theatre and multiple dates in Mexico.