2025 Impact Intl. UK/Euro Honoree: Anna-Sophie Mertens

ANNA-SOPHIE MERTENS
Senior Vice President, Touring, UK
Live Nation UK

‘LEWIS CAPALDI’S COMEBACK AT GLASTONBURY WAS PURE JOY & THE MOST INSPIRING MOMENT OF MY CAREER’

If you’ve been following “The Perfectly Imperfect Rise of Lewis Capaldi,” as Pollstar titled its February 2023 cover story on the Scottish superstar, you’ve witnessed one of the most wholesome full-circle moments in live entertainment this year: Capaldi’s (heavily rumored) surprise appearance at Glastonbury 2025 to perform a short set on the iconic Pyramid Stage.

The June 27 concert under a sunny Somerset sky culminated in an emotional rendition of his Diamond-certified mega hit “Someone You Loved” – the song he hadn’t been able to finish on that very same stage just two years earlier, when a Tourette episode made it impossible. What didn’t change between both performances was his fans singing along every single lyric, and giving it all they had. “I just wanted to come and finish what I couldn’t finish the first time round on this stage,” he said in his delightful Scottish tongue, followed by, “I’m Lewis Capaldi and I’m f***ing back, baby.” And he was right.

“From a personal perspective,” says Anna-Sophie Mertens, Senior Vice President, Touring at Live Nation UK, “seeing Lewis Capaldi’s comeback at Glastonbury was pure joy and the most inspiring moment of my career.” Mertens has been working with Capaldi since day one, helping guide his live strategy alongside his team, and the Glastonbury performance has led to a sell-out UK tour this year, and bigger things to come in 2026, including two Hyde Park performances, and an outdoor run taking him to all corners of the UK.

Highlights from Capaldi’s September UK run include two sold-out shows at The OVO Hydro in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland, three sold out O2’s in London, as well as two sold out nights at the UK’s biggest arena, Manchester’s Co-op Live, Sept. 20-21, which moved 34,252 tickets and grossed $3.1 million.
“2025 was also an incredible year for female artists on arena tours,” says Mertens, who oversaw the debut arena runs from Gracie Abrams and Tate McRae that “helped propel them to the next level, while Billie Eilish broke records with her headline shows. Performances from Olivia Rodrigo, HAIM and Alanis Morissette added to a great year for women in live music.”

The growth of country music in Europe in recent years has been well-documented, and Mertens has had a big hand in that development. Over the past few years, she’s worked on debut headline tours for mega stars like Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen. “It’s taken a lot of strategic thinking and conversations with the artists and their teams, but these shows have been huge moments for the artists, the genre, and the thousands of country fans here,” says Mertens, adding “it’s the fastest-growing genre here right now, and there’s still so much potential to bring more artists over and show them that touring here is worth the investment.”

Mertens is also the creative mastermind behind country and Americana festival Highways, which returns to London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall next May, headlined both nights by Eric Church. According to Mertens, the biggest opportunity in live entertainment right now lies in “the growth of genres that have previously been underserved, including country and Latin, as well as artists like the amazing Diljit Dosanjh (Pollstar, July 2024 cover) who are bringing their music into the mainstream.”

She adds, “More generally, I’m also really excited about how many different artists at varying stages of their careers I have on my roster. Myles Smith is getting ready to release new music and looks set for a huge future, CMAT is taking over the world, and Ariana Grande will make her big return to London next year.”
This industry’s growth is diverse in nature with more artists than ever carving a successful niche for themselves, thanks to the near-unlimited access to virtually all forms of music that fans have these days. Telling an artist’s story in meaningful ways has therefore never been more important in order to stand out from the crowd. It has led to “increasing demand for bespoke marketing and ticketing campaigns for artists these days,” says Mertens, adding, “luckily, our marketing, PR, ticketing and production teams at Live Nation are the best, and collaboratively we deliver above and beyond for the artist.”

Mertens grew up surrounded by music and explains that seeing Prince on his “Rainbow Children Tour” in 2002 was a “profoundly impactful experience. I’ve been hooked on live music – and Prince – ever since.” To this day, she makes an effort to actually watch the shows she promotes. “Seeing the artist connecting with their fans is the most rewarding experience,” she says, “however, not getting to sleep until after midnight when my kids wake up at 5.30 a.m. is less enjoyable!”

It’s one reason Mertens is passionate about supporting women and parents in our industry. She says, “The juggle is real, and the music business needs to offer flexibility and practical solutions. At Live Nation, Lesley Olenik and Michael Rapino launched the Roadie Babies program, which provides financial support for new parents to take their children and a caregiver on business trips. This program has allowed me to travel internationally with my daughter and attend meetings I otherwise may not have been able to do.”