2026 Women of Live: Mitra Darab

Mitra Darab
HYBE AMERICA | President OF HYBE X GEFFEN RECORDS (HXG)

LIFE CHANGEING CONCERT | “Any Madonna concert. From when I was younger to when I got to work with her during my Warner era. She puts on one of the best
live shows ever.”

Mitra Darab – who serves as the manager of Grammy-nominated girl group KATSEYE, as well as the president of HYBE x Geffen Records (HxG) – caught up with Pollstar to chat about the success of the act, her path into the biz and what’s to come.

Pollstar: What are some of your highlights over the last year?
Mitra Darab: Lollapalooza was KATSEYE’s first festival and they made headlines by being the first daytime act to attract the largest crowd in the festival’s history. Another highlight was selling out their first U.S. tour in less than three days.

How did you get your start in the business?
When I was 16 years old, I was looking through the liner notes of a CD and asked a friend what A&R meant. When I found out, from that day on, my goal was to work in the music business. I got my start in the music business from a former boss in the advertising business. She wanted to promote me and I declined because I knew if I stayed in advertising, I would never get a chance to fulfill my dream of working in music. She kindly introduced me to someone in the music business, and the rest is history.

How do you view the state of women in live today?
I think women are the smartest and possess a level of EQ the business needs. More than half of our staff is women. It’s great to mentor and help them grow into thoughtful and well-rounded leaders. I think the present and future are very bright for women to grow in the business.

What’s the philosophy that guides your career?
I love to constantly grow and think differently. It’s the main reason I took this job at HxG. From the moment Michelle An (Interscope co-President) pitched me, I knew it was something I had to be a part of! To build something from the ground up has always been a goal of mine.

What’s next?
HxG is excited to launch our new global girl group. We are so fortunate for the success of KATSEYE, which has opened the door for this new endeavor.