2025 Impact 50 Honoree: Colin Lewis

COLIN LEWIS
Global Tour Promoter
Live Nation

LAST JOB NOT IN THE LIVE BIZ “Stock boy at a grocery store. (Loblaws represent!)”
LIFE-CHANGING CONCERT: ”Judas Priest at GM Place in 1986.”

Although much of the concert industry relies on tried and true, nearly perennial artists hitting the road year after year to help fill up the show calendar, sometimes it takes exciting surprises, reunions and comebacks we didn’t know were possible to really shake things up.

“Convincing Missy Elliott to return to the stage after nearly 20 years was another major milestone and personal highlight,” says Colin Lewis, SVP of Global Touring at Live Nation. Don’t call it a comeback, as the “Out of This World – The Missy Elliott Experience” was actually the hip-hop/R&B trailblazer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s first headline tour. Produced by Live Nation, the tour launched on Independence Day 2024 and visited 24 cities with an average gross of $1.46 million. The dazzling production went on to win Best Hip-Hop Tour at the Pollstar Awards earlier this year.

“Just as rewarding has been watching my immediate team grow into true industry leaders, breaking records and achieving new levels of success in their own careers,” Lewis says. “This year, one of the most fulfilling accomplishments has been building a vibrant and collaborative environment at Live Nation alongside Omar Al-joulani, Jordan Zachary and others on the team – creating a space where some of the biggest touring artists of the year could thrive.”

An approachable resource, Lewis mentors young professionals, including meeting with aspiring members of the Black Music Action Coalition.

Shattering records in today’s shifting global landscape with ongoing trade wars, economic uncertainty and evolving border restrictions requires “data-driven decision-making and a focus on long-term strategy,” says Lewis, who is definitely looking ahead.

“2025 is already shaping up to be an incredible year,” he offers. “I’m fortunate to be working with four artists playing stadiums around the world, hitting record-breaking sales – I’m still pinching myself. The scale, ambition and impact of these tours are next level.”