‘We Are Seeing A More Cautious & Selective Audience’: Q’s With Last Tour CEO Yurdana Burgoa

Last Tour deals across festivals, tours and venues, and not just in Spain, but neighboring Portugal, as well, and has recently expanded to Latin America, as well, which is a priority market right now.

Pollstar reached out to Yurdana Burgoa, CEO of Last Tour, to talk about the Group’s various business activities, and get a feel for live trends across Iberia. Aside from a couple of big festival anniversaries Last Tour is celebrating in 2026, Burgoa also talked about the biggest challenges and opportunities in live right now.

Pollstar: How would you sum up the state of business at Last Tour? How does 2026 compare with 2025 so far?
Yurdana Burgoa: Last Tour is in a solid and active moment. 2025 was a very intense year across festivals, tours and venues, and 2026 is showing continuity. The market remains dynamic and demanding, with audiences increasingly attentive to the value and quality of each experience. For us, the focus is on sustainable growth, strong programming and long-term value rather than simply doing more.

What are some of last year’s highlights that made it exceptional?
There were several important moments across the company. Bilbao BBK Live continued to consolidate its position ahead of its 20th anniversary, while Azkena Rock Festival remained a very strong identity-driven project and is now moving towards its 25th edition next year.

Pirineos Sur also had a particularly meaningful year, receiving several major recognitions that underlined its cultural and territorial impact, including its role as a key project for cultural tourism in Aragón. We were also recognised at the Iberian Festival Awards across different events, including awards for Bilbao BBK Live and Pirineos Sur, which was very special because it reflected the strength of several projects, not just one.

Can you give a breakdown of how much of your business takes place in Spain, and how much in Portugal?
Spain remains our main market and the core of our activity, but Portugal is also strategically important, especially through projects such as MEO KALORAMA. We would rather not give a strict percentage breakdown, but working across Iberia is very valuable for us, also in terms of touring, as we are often able to build agreements and routes across both countries. Spain and Portugal are therefore strategic markets for many of the projects we operate. They are also increasingly connected from an audience perspective, with Portuguese audiences attending our festivals in Spain and Spanish audiences travelling to Portugal as well.

What business trends do you observe with particular interest in both markets?
We are seeing a more cautious and selective audience, especially when it comes to ticket purchasing. People are still very willing to attend live events, but they choose more carefully and expect a stronger overall experience. Touring patterns are also changing and becoming less predictable: some tours are now announced more than a year in advance, which was less common before, while others are confirmed and announced only three or four months before the show.

It is a very fluid landscape, and trends can change significantly depending on the artist, the genre and the type of project. At the same time, genre boundaries are becoming less rigid, especially in festivals, where audiences are more open to hybrid programming as long as the identity of the project remains clear.

Any cities or regions in Spain and Portugal that have emerged as real concert markets?
In Spain, the main cities continue to be very important, but there is also growing interest in territories where live music can connect strongly with local identity, tourism and cultural policy. Basque Country is a good example of a territory with a very active cultural ecosystem, together with Navarra and Aragón.

In Portugal, Lisbon remains key, but the market is also evolving around projects that are able to create a clear cultural proposition rather than simply replicate existing models. We see a gradual broadening of the map when the right infrastructure, audience and local support come together.

What challenges remain to your business? Mid-range market, or festivals perhaps?
The biggest challenge is balance. Costs have increased significantly across production, logistics, artist fees and operations, while audiences are also more price-sensitive. The mid-range market is particularly delicate because it does not always benefit from the scale of larger events or the flexibility of smaller ones. Festivals also face pressure to keep improving the experience while maintaining financial sustainability. It is a challenging environment, but it also pushes promoters to be more rigorous and more creative. The geopolitical situation also affects purchasing decisions, and we must remain alert.

Where do you identify the biggest opportunities?
The biggest opportunities are in building projects with a strong identity and a long-term relationship with audiences. We also see potential in venues, year-round programming and formats that go beyond the traditional festival calendar. Data, audience knowledge and international partnerships will also become increasingly important. The opportunity is not only to sell tickets, but to build cultural brands that people trust and return to. In 2025 we had six festivals, in 2026 we will have eight and we keep on growing.

Anything you’d like to add? Upcoming highlights?
2026 is a very special year for us, particularly because Bilbao BBK Live will celebrate its 20th anniversary. That is an important milestone, not only for the festival but also for the relationship it has built with Bilbao, Basque Country and its audience over two decades. We also have ongoing work across festivals, tours and future venue projects, which we will be sharing in due course. Our expansion in LATAM is a real goal, and we are already strong in countries as Colombia. Our priority is to keep developing projects carefully, with ambition but also with coherence.

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