2025 Impact Intl. UK/Euro Honoree: Gary Hutchinson

GARY HUTCHINSON
Executive VP, Global Touring & Content
OVG International

MUSIC (AND STADIUMS) ARE HERE TO STAY

It’s been a record-breaking summer for stadium shows. The world’s biggest artists are treating these venues built for sports spectacle as entertainment temples in their own right, often performing multiple nights in a row, attracting staggering audience numbers. Someone ahead of the stadium tour curve is Gary Hutchinson, executive vice president, global touring and content at OVG International.

“I’ve worked in music since we secured our first shows at Sunderland with Take That and Oasis in 2009, and now 16 years on we see Oasis back selling out stadiums globally, Take That in 2026 will re-run their “Circus Tour” in UK stadiums which again has sold out quickly,” he says. “That’s what I love about music. It will keep going and re-inventing itself again and again – music is here to stay.” (OVG is the parent company of Pollstar.)

Delivering successfully for the many high-profile clients wanting to play buildings like Sunderland’s Stadium of Light or London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium “has been a logistical challenge, but failure to deliver was not an option for any of us, and so the team made it work,” says Hutchinson. “They have prided themselves on giving 100% to every client, and that is the biggest impact you can have.”

The future, even way beyond the UK, is looking bright.

“The Middle East and India generally is a growing market that we are working as part of, this will grow further over the years ahead, and it’s great to see it grow/develop,” he says. “The other is keeping up the great momentum in growth in the arena and stadium business that is booming globally – long may this growth continue – with a wide range of new artists coming through the system. It’s very exciting.”

However, Hutchinson is fully aware that “at the entry-level of our industry, we need to make sure we have that next generation of talent learning and absorbing how the industry works. We all started somewhere, and I’m proud of the work we are doing in this space to bring in a new generation of talent.”