International News: Updates For Brisbane Olympics Stadium; K-pop’s Proving Ground & More

AUSTRALASIA

by Christie Eliezer

AUSTRALIA

Latest Designs For Brisbane Olympics Stadium

Latest designs for the Brisbane Stadium – the 63,000-seat flagship for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic games – show proposals for roof walks and sky-high seats.

These ensure year-round use of the A$3.8 billion ($2.75 billion) facility aside from sports and concerts days, said the Brisbane Courier Mail.

Early designs showed a seating bowl largely undercover and a prominent wrap around rooftop LED screen, and pedestrian bridges linking the Victoria Park location to the CBD which is a six-minute drive or 40-minute walk.

The utilisation of the green spaces of the 64-hectare Victoria Park includes dense native landscaping and open lawns. 

“Activating the parklands year-round attracts more visitors and establishing Victoria Park at the heart of the city’s sport and cultural life,” said Simon Crooks, CEO of the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA).

The GIICA and architects COX, Hassell and Azusa Sekkei have until June 1 to finalise designs.

Live Nation, Sounds Australia, At TGE

Live Nation Australia’s Ones To Watch and music export body Sounds Australia are showcasing seven acts on the Brighton beachfront as part of the Great Escape.

Held 12.30 pm and 5.30 pm May 16, performing are pop-punk duo Teenage Joans, indie-pop voice Charli Lucas, electronic future-soul and gospel purveyor Ngaiire from Papua New Guinea, confessional singer-songwriter Darcie Haven whose first headlining tour saw 90% sell out in 24 hours, Salarymen who are based in London and Sydney, alt-rock trio Loose Content and roots guitarist Flynn Gurry.

LN Australia’s Michelle Lucia, said, “Ones To Watch is about backing artists early and putting real opportunities in front of them at the right time.   Taking this to an international stage with Sounds Australia is a big step forward for the platform.”

Adam Lister Exits Legends Global

Adam Lister, group general counsel of Legends Global (Asia Pacific) for almost nine years, left to set up his own boutique firm Adam H Lister Law.

It will specialise in sport, entertainment and infrastructure investment, which he is regarded as among the most skilled in Australia.

Lister worked in venue and event operations at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena, before serving as legal counsel for ICC Sydney in the Darling Harbour Live consortium on the A$1.5 billion ($1 billion) ICC Sydney PPP project.

Delta Goodrem Headlines European Cruise

Fresh off representing Australia at Eurovision in Vienna, multi-platinum singer songwriter Delta Goodrem is headlining a 12-day luxury voyage through the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean.

 Departing Venice 27 August 2027, the collab between Mushroom Events and cruise agency Destination HQ has three concerts and a Q&A, “offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience her music in an intimate setting.”

NEW ZEALAND

Mick Harvey Named In UNIFIED Move Into NZ

Veteran artist manager Matt Harvey was named senior artist manager, as Australia’s multi-division UNIFIED Music Group expands into NZ.

His roster has electronica pioneers Shapeshifter who’re doing shows behind the 20^th year reissue of their Soulstice album, and indie-psych band Daily J with three dates in Perth behind new single “Space Cowboy” before a September run through Canada, the UK and Europe. 

Rising indie-rock artist Mim Jensen hits the road in NZ following the release of EP, The Muse. The roster rounds off with former Shihad singer Jon Toogood and Māori beatmaker and DJ.

Harvey co-founded drum and bass outfit Concord Dawn before basing himself in Vienna touring the world.

He returned to Auckland 2016 and set up management company Southeast, which includes day-to-day manager Mandy Keighley and a roster with strong live presence.

“This is not just an exciting step for me personally; it’s an opportunity to become part of the long-term infrastructure that supports artists in New Zealand, helping local music resonate far beyond its place of origin,” he said.

ASIA

by Phil Brasor

The Weeknd In Asia

The Weeknd has announced that the final leg of his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour will be Asia this fall. The tour, which has already been called the highest-grossing series of concerts by a male solo artist, will arrive in Tokyo’s Belluna Dome on September 20, move on to the Jakarta International Stadium September 26 and 27, Singapore’s National Stadium October 2 and 3, Seoul’s Goyang Stadium October 7 and 8, Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium October 11, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium October 30 and 31 and finally Kuala Lumpur’s TM Stadium National November 4. The opening act for many of the dates will be Japanese hip-hop group Creepy Nuts. 

JAPAN

Summer Sonic, Fuji Rock Add To Lineups

In festival news, Japan’s Summer Sonic, which will be held August 14-16 in both Tokyo and Osaka, has added several acts to its roster, including mgk, Bini, December 10, Crystal Waters and The Guest List.

The Fuji Rock Festival, which is being held at the Naeba Ski Resort July 24-26, has also added some artists to its lineup: Loyle Carner, Toro Y Moi and Kneecap.

Historic Osaka Theater To Close

Osaka’s storied Shochikuza Theater, one of Japan’s oldest, will close its doors for good in June. The venue, which is located in the city’s Dotonbori entertainment and retail district, opened in 1923 as a movie theater, and over the years was repurposed for variety shows and even traditional kabuki performances. Since the late 90s it has often presented more intimate concerts for some of Japan’s biggest idol acts. 

At one time, Dotonbori hosted five very popular legitimate theaters, but over the years all have closed due to superannuation except for Shochikuza, which has undergone renovation numerous times. However, the owners, entertainment juggernaut Shochiku, now believe that any further renovations would be too expensive under current economic circumstances and have decided to close it. The building is now scheduled for demolition. 

Veteran kabuki actor Nakamura Ganjiro told KTV News, “Without Shochikuza, an entire era feels like it’s ending. I still hope a theater will return [to Dotonbori] someday.” 

KOREA

Uni Festivals Turn Kpop Proving Grounds

According to the Korea Times, South Korea’s traditional university festivals have become an important proving ground for K-pop acts in recent years. The newspaper reports, “What began as a student-centered tradition has evolved into one of K-pop’s most closely watched live stages, a real-time test of an artist’s public appeal in front of thousands of young spectators.”

University festivals typically take place in May and September. Unlike conventional concerts, which attract fans of the artists being presented, festivals place acts in front of a “broader, less filtered audience.” Universities compete fiercely for A-list performers and so K-pop agencies are very busy juggling their charges’ schedules during what amounts to be a packed season. This means that at the major Korean universities in May there is a solid lineup of major K-pop acts, with many actually competing on the same days. 

In fact, the schools themselves vie for the most prestigious rosters. “Student councils routinely face scrutiny over the steep booking fees for headlining acts,” says the Korea Times, “yet celebrity performances have become practically non-negotiable due to strong demand.” 

The main advantage to the artists is that they will be performing in front of “ordinary students or visitors aleady on campus,” meaning a more generalized audience that they rarely confront through their usual promotional events. Under ideal circumstances these groups can greatly expand their fan base. Collegiate concertgoers tend to be more “trend-sensitive” than dedicated fans, meaning they have more power to sway music lovers who hold no particular allegiances. Moreover, attendees are encouraged to record and “broadcast” the concerts via social media, “delivering the kind of large-scale viral reach that no advertising budget can easily replicate.”

Jonathan Lee To Lead AEG Presents Korea

AEG Presents has announced that Jonathan Lee has been named managing director of the AEG Presents Korea office. Lee previously served as the business development director at WPP Korea, where he was in charge of strategic initiatives, partnerships and M&A transactions. Lee’s task at AEG will be to oversee the company’s strategic growth in the field of K-pop tours. 

In a statement, Lee said, “I’m honored to join AEG Presents at such an exciting time for both K-pop and the Korean live entertainment market. Korea has become one of the most important music markets in the world, with its globally influential fan culture and artist ecosystem continuing to shape the future of live entertainment. I look forward to working with the team to strengthen AEG Presents’ presence in Korea, build meaningful partnerships and create long-term growth opportunities for both artists and fans.”

In addition to his stint at WPP Korea, Lee worked in corporate strategy and international business at CJ ENM, one of Korea’s biggest entertainment companies. He’s a graduate of the University of California, San Diego.