International News: Record Year In Australia Despite Festival Slip, New Restrictions On Performances In Malaysia & More

AUSTRALIASIA

by Christie Eliezer

AUSTRALIA

Report: Concert Revenue, Crowds, Reach Record Highs

Australia’s concert revenue and ticketed attendance hit record highs in 2024, while music festivals slipped slightly.

Live Performance Australia’s 2024 Attendance and Revenue Report, out Sept. 18, put revenue at A$3.4 billion (US $2.24 billion), up 6.9% increase on the previous year.

Attendance was up 4.6% to 31.4 million. The average ticket price of A$115.12 ($75.86) was also at an all-time high.

Contemporary Music, the largest category, had the biggest spike. Revenue went up 1.8% to A$1.8 billion ($1.18 billion), representing 54% of all formats.

Meanwhile, audience growth of 17.3% to about 14 million marked 44.8% of the total.

The cancellation or year-long hiatus by major events contributed to a 6.7% revenue decline to A$331.2 million ($218.1 million) and attendance fell 0.9% to just over 2 million.

Looking at the limited growth in all sectors – including comedy, classical and dance – LPA Chief Executive Eric Lassen said, “These mixed outcomes highlight the evolving nature of audience behaviour and preferences, as well as challenging economic conditions overall.”

Chappell Roan, Wolf Alice, Top Laneway Bill

After a record performance this year, Laneway returns in 2026 (Feb. 5-15) with a bill including Chappell Roan, Wolf Alice, Role Model, PinkPantheress, Wet Leg, BENEE, Gigi Perez and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers.

In 2025, it drew over 200,000 across six cities and 40,000 at sideshows. It began as a street party to 1,400 in a Melbourne laneway 20 years ago.

Knotfest Takes A Year’s Break

The Australian run of Slipknot’s Knotfest festival is taking a break in 2026. It is a joint venture between Destroy All Lines and TEG, which stated, “This time off will allow us to come back in 2027 with the best Knotfest Australia yet.”

In March, the three-year-old Knotfest had its biggest crowd Down Under, with 90,000. Next year could see a schedule clash, with Destroy All Lines’ inaugural carnival-style metal Park Waves staging 11 dates in February and March.

Teddy Swims For NRL Grand Final, SXSW 

During his largest arena shows on his Oct. 7 to 29 “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Tour” through Frontier Touring, Teddy Swims is also appearing in two major events.

He’s headlining entertainment at the Oct. 5 National Rugby League grand final before 80,000 at Accor Stadium and which has a TV reach of 5.7 million.

During his three-night Sydney run at Qudos Bank Arena, Oct. 14 to 16, Swims is a keynote speaker at SXSW Sydney at ICC Sydney. He and long-time manager Luke Conway discuss his rapid rise to success.

NEW ZEALAND

Gov’t Backs More Events At Eden Park

As part of its new NZ$70 million ($40.9 million) events and tourism investment package, the NZ government is looking at the possibility of more events at Auckland’s Eden Park.

Currently, it is restricted to 12 concerts and 25 night-time events per year. It holds 50,000 for sports events and 65,000 for concerts.

Tourism minister Louise Upston said, “Concerts and major sporting events at Eden Park inject millions of dollars into Auckland’s economy –  but current planning rules could be holding Eden Park back from doing more.

“Last summer, Auckland’s economy received a boost of nearly $32 million ($18.7 million) from several big concerts. These events created jobs and had local hospitality businesses humming.”

Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner told Pollstar, “In the past, restrictions on the number and timing of concerts have limited our ability to maximise opportunities. 

“Major international artists and promoters look for certainty and scale when planning tours.”

More flexible event settings, he added, will mean Auckland – and New Zealand – “will allow us to compete globally for the biggest shows and unlock significant economic, tourism and hospitality benefits for our city and country.

“Increasing the number of concerts not only enables us to attract top-tier international artists but also provides more opportunities for New Zealand talent to perform on the same stage.”

ASIA

by Phil Brasor

JAPAN

World Expo Attendance Surge Brings Its Own Woes

Despite its inauspicious start, the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, seems set to exceed its overall attendance goals a month before it ends on October 13. However, the late surge in attendance may cause problems for people who have already bought tickets but haven’t used them yet.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, more than 1.3 million tickets for the Expo remain unused. In order to control crowds, ticketholders must reserve specific time slots beforehand in order to attend, and as of September 22, almost all the slots are fully booked until the final day of the Expo, which means that some ticketholders may not be able to use their tickets to enter the venue. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition said it would not refund the tickets in such cases. As of September 20, the association had sold 21.86 million tickets, with the number of general visitors so far at 20.54 million.

As the Expo nears its final weeks, the site has become increasingly crowded. It hit a record high of 221,576 on September 20, and remained above 200,000 each day after September 11. The only way that some ticketholders are going to be able to use their tickets is if more people who have reserved slots cancel their reservations. The deputy general of the association said at a press conference on Sept. 23 that the association “had repeatedly urged people to visit early,” and so the lack of reservation slots does not “constitute grounds for a refund.” The condition for a ticket refund is defined as “cancellation due to reasons attributable to the association of for specific cases to which the association agrees.” 

KOREA

DJ’s Family Friendly Show A Success

One of the hottest tickets in Seoul right now is for an Oct. 18 concert by world-renowned EDM DJ Alan Walker. The concert will take place at the Seoul Children’s Grand Park soccer stadium and is open to anyone ages 12 and older, thus making it a “concert for the whole family,” according to Chosun Biz. Presale tickets sold out very quickly, thus proving how popular such family-targeting concerts are in Korea, especially in the Autumn when the weather is cool. In addition, no alcohol will be sold or allowed at the concert. 

Ticket Scammers Come For Film Fest

Ticketing scams have become such a huge problem in Asia that the practice has even affected movie ticket sales. The Asia Business Daily reports that the Busan International Film Festival, which took place in the South Korean port city from September 17 to 26, and is considered the biggest film festival in Asia, has been plagued with ticketing scams for extremely popular film screenings. One victim told police that they had spent 100,000 won (about $720) for a ticket to the opening ceremony and film screening, and never received a ticket. 

Scammers usually promised to transfer the e-tickets to the buyer up to 30 minutes before the designated screening or event took place, but demanded payment transfer upfront. The online ticketing system for the festival did not require identity verification upon entry to the screening venues. 

The festival issued a statement saying it was “not responsible for any disadvantages or problems arising from illegal transactions or personal ticket transfers. Please be sure to purchase tickets only through the official reservation channels.”

The police are now investigating several ticket scams related to the festival, including public chatroom posts that offered tickets to popular screenings. 

MALAYSIA

Stricter Guidelines For Malaysian Concerts

According to The Star, Malaysia’s Communications Ministry recently upgraded its guidelines for concerts by foreign performers. The most significant change was the enforcement of proper dress and behavior. Specifically, the guidelines say that “immodest or excessively revealing” clothing is not allowed. 

The Star reports that while the guidelines target artists and concert organizers, they also cover audience members for concerts as part of the responsibility of the organizers. Concertgoers are not allowed to be “disruptive” by doing things like shouting slogans, throwing things, and espousing religious sentiments. The ministry says that such behavior warrants removal from the venue, while stressing that the purpose of these actions is to ensure that the event can be enjoyed in safety. The guidelines make a point of banning “weapons, alcohol, drugs, and political or religious signs” from concerts.

Specific prohibitions for performers include: men wearing women’s apparel; performers of both genders removing items of clothing during a performance; revealing the chest area and legs above the knees. Organizers are asked to “brief foreign artists on Malaysia’s cultural, religious, and legal expectations before they perform in the country” and must have the artist confirm this understanding. 

In addition, the guidelines state that large concerts of over 5,000 people cannot be held on the eve or the day of an Islamic public holiday unless the organizers obtain prior approval from relevant religious authorities.

The guidelines are important since all concerts must be approved by the ministry’s Unit for Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists, more popularly known as Puspal, which assigns two officers to each approved event to monitor that the guidelines are followed. This team works with local police and can make the decision to activate a “kill switch” to halt a foreign concert if it’s deemed necessary. This mechanism was first used in 2023 during a festival performance by The 1975 after the group’s lead singer criticized Malaysia’s anti-LGBT laws. The kill switch has only been used once, during a concert last May by Korean singer Hyolyn, who, according to The Star, was wearing “revealing clothing.” However, the concert eventually resumed. 

The guideline revision didn’t come out of nowhere. The Star elsewhere reports that concerts will add “nearly RM1.7 billion [$408 million] to Malaysia’s economy this year, with the country fast emerging as one of the region’s most vibrant places for international performances.” According to the Communications Ministry, it is estimated that Malaysia will host about 450 concerts this year, up from 104 in 2002, 335 in 2023 and 408 in 2024. This number includes a fair share of global and regional superstars, including Babymonster, G-Dragon, Jacky Cheung and Craig David. Moreover, it is attracting foreign concertgoers who add millions to the tourism sector.