Features
Spain Focus 2024 Index Page
Welcome to Pollstar‘s annual focus on Spain, a country whose amazing selection of outdoor and indoor venues is only topped by its vibrant scene of homegrown talent.
As usual, we’ve attempted to get the lowdown on the state of business across Spain – in a very general sense, seeing that books could be written about the country’s individual autonomous communities and their unique cultural histories.
One thing can be said for certain, though, no matter where in the country you look: Business is at an all-time high, and people are coming to concerts in greater numbers than ever.
Main Story:
A Most Favorable Climate For Live – Business In Spain Is ‘Muy Fenomenal’
By The Numbers:
Five Late Registrants, Four Runner-Ups & A Gold Medalist: Meet Spain’s Top 2024 Touring Artists
Spain’s live business is flourishing with its nearly 48 million inhabitants’ unbridled enthusiasm for live pushing its industry to one of its best years on record. The artists bringing the multitudes to clubs, arenas, stadiums, and green fields are led by homegrown talent, with eight of the top 10 tours, when ranked by ticket sales reported to Pollstar between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, calling Spain their place of origin.
Interviews:
For our annual Spain Focus, Pollstar reached out to the team of Live Nation Spain. Amidst a busy calendar of events, president Pino Sagliocco, head promoter Nacho Córdoba, and Chen Castaño, managing director of Planet Events found the time to respond.
‘The Volume Is Insane’: Q’s With Chris Ortiz, President, Riff Music
Riff Music is one of few independent promoters doing major business left in Spain. Headquartered in Cordoba, Andalusia, the team around co-founders Chris Ortiz and Carlos Espinosa counts 18 full time staff in the office, plus 12 working externally, mostly directly with the artists that are not just promoted, but in some cases also managed by Riff. It is this close involvement in artists live careers, coupled with vast experience of the Spanish and Latin American markets, that allows this independent business to thrive in a live entertainment world dominated by large conglomerates.
‘Spain Is A Country With A Passionate Audience’: Q’s With Neo Sala, CEO, Doctor Music
Pollstar speaks with Neo Sala, founder and CEO of Doctor Music, one of Spain’s longest-standing promoters, and the go-to company for many international blockbuster tours coming through the country. He’s always got his finger on the pulse of live, and despite the challenges this business has had to face over the years, Sala still considers himself lucky to work in it.
Carme Lanuza works at Barcelona Serveis Municipals (BSM), which unifies the provision of municipal services in the Catalan capital, where she oversees Barcelona’s Anella Olímpica, comprising Palau Sant Jordi, Sant Jordi Club and the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, which, together, counted more than 2.1 million visitors in 2023.
‘Success For Us Is Opening Doors For Acts’: Q’s With César Andión, The Spanish Wave
Pollstar reached out to César Andión, head of The Spanish Wave talent factory of Live Nation Spain, who works with some of the country’s most promising artists. He aswered our questions having just returned from The Great Escape Festival in Birghton, UK, where Spain was this year’s focus country.
There’s hardly a country on earth that offers as many stunning outdoor locations as Spain. Clipper’s Music Group has been making good use of them for decades. The festivals in Clipper’s portfolio are one of the main reasons for the company’s continued growth. Pollstar speaks with Juli Guiu Marquina, chair of this third-generation family business, who says, “We are living a moment of significant expansion, and growth in the field of concerts and festivals at national level.”
All the big acts passing through the Spanish capital of Madrid perform at WiZink Center – unless they want to book a stadium. But even that’s changed, according to the building’s GM Manuel Saucedo, who said that some artists, who could fill a stadium, choose to do multiple nights at a state-of-the art arena like WiZink Center these days.
