Promote Control: Eventim, Live Nation Dominate ‘Landmark Year,’ Local Promoters Also Strong

In terms of both the volume (22,440,838) of tickets sold and the gross value ($1,498,523,633) of tickets sold in 2024, Eventim Live was comfortably dominant in Europe, with Live Nation in second place (13,765,204 tickets, $1,351,649,094 gross).

Despite the dominance of these two heavyweights, there was, however, space for a multitude of smaller operators to stake a claim on significant shares of the market, most notably SJM (UK), Semmel Concerts Entertainment (Germany), FKP Scorpio (Germany), Friends & Partners (Italy), AEG Presents and Vivo Concerti (Italy).

Frithjof Pils, managing director of Eventim Live, cites the enormous success of Germany’s Rock am Ring and Rock im Park as standout events in 2024, but also says that Eventim’s acquisition of See Tickets in June 2024, including its U-Live entertainment arm, gave the company greater heft in the market. He adds that the opening of the Arena Milano in early 2026, which Eventim will operate, will put it in a very strong position.

He also praises Eventim’s network model of working with strong local promoters as being critical to its overall success here. “(Our) structure – with independent, entrepreneurially led promoters in each market combined with international collaboration on global tours – has proven highly effective and is increasingly in demand,” he says. “This boutique-service approach on a global scale allows us to offer tailor-made solutions while expanding internationally.”

John Reid, President, Concerts at Live Nation EMEA, calls 2024 “a landmark year for live music,” pointing to the rise of multi-date shows and residencies as signs of where the business is going. Karol G’s four sold-out stadium shows in Madrid and Vasco Rossi’s seven sold-out nights at Milan’s San Sor stadium – as well as Coldplay’s runaway success in both UAE and India – were all standouts for Reid.

“Building the world’s largest temporary stadium in Munich for Adele’s residency was a unique challenge,” he says of the shows that drew 730,000 fans over 10 nights in August. “The business is always evolving. Residencies are growing in popularity, showcasing the different models available to artists.”
Detlef Kornett is chairman of the Executive Board Group and CEO/International Business Affairs at DEAG Entertainment Group. He says 2024 was a challenging year economically for the sector.

“The economic situation – in the world, in the UK, in Europe and in Germany, especially the difficult business environment for festivals and the concert industry in Europe – have presented us with enormous challenges,” he said.

“Fans are increasingly looking for personalised, authentic and one-of-a-kind experiences – also in regard to venues – so we need to put emphasis on how we create an unforgettable live experience for them,” he says. “We see an increased demand for smaller, intimate events proving this point.”

Sebastien Vuignier of TAKK Productions in Switzerland says rising costs for touring acts can only mean one thing.

“The only viable solution appears to be continually adjusting ticket prices upward,” he says.

There is growing consolidation in the market, but Vuignier insists that the industry as a whole needs to take steps to ensure smaller venues are not washed away as a result.

“These platforms are crucial for emerging acts to climb the ladder,” he said. “Losing them would significantly impact the industry’s future.”
While record labels and music publishers are increasingly concerned about the encroachment of AI on their music rights, some promoters feel this is a technology they can use.

“AI-driven insights (are) helping to predict demand, enhance marketing strategies, and improve operational efficiencies,” says Pils.
Kornett also believes that AI can have enormous benefits here. “AI is going to integrate into our daily business,” he says, “but (we can) also use it as a tool to help us identify trends and needs, in this example for event personalisation.”

Vuignier feels macro cultural changes around live music could have profound implications for retaining consumers and building new talent.
“For festivals, the younger audience seems to prefer seated shows, signalling a potential decline in traditional camping-style festivals,” he cautions. “Additionally, securing headliners is becoming increasingly difficult. Festivals used to offer the best fees, but with arena shows commanding high ticket prices, acts are finding it more profitable to focus on headline shows rather than festival appearances. Stadium acts, of course, are in a league of their own.”

Juli Guiu, President of Clipper’s Music Group, says 2024 was “a difficult year for artistic bookings” in Spain. “The industry is constantly changing and the challenge for us is to understand each moment and the environment so that we can adapt and continue to grow with our artists,” he says. “We believe it is necessary to use the different tools we have at our disposal to be able to develop the careers of both emerging and established artists.”

Pils is not so pessimistic about breaking new acts, pointing to Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Sleep Token as “great examples of artists who have quickly become major players,” adding that the rise of Afrobeats and K-Pop show that music is becoming more international.

“New genres and crossovers are constantly shaping the industry, and global arenas are already booking well into 2026 and 2027, which suggests the next generation of big acts is already here,” “New stars are emerging from all corners of the world,” Pils said.

Guiu suggests there are two (seemingly contradictory) dynamics happening with Spanish audiences that need to be catered to equally.

“In recent years we have seen a growing trend towards larger venues, stadium tours and the emergence of new macro-festivals,” he explains. “However, there is also another consumer trend that seeks closer events, with less crowds and a more personalized user experience.”

Reid feels the broadening tastes of audiences shows there is huge potential for markets and genres to export like never before, pointing to the opening of new

Live Nation venues in Portugal, South Africa and Finland in the past year as indicative of these shifts.

“What remains constant is fans’ desire to connect and their love for live music,” he says. “Trends like Latin, country and Americana are growing, with European audiences embracing these international acts.”

By Eamonn Forde