#157

Beyond Broken đź’”

Today's read ... 6 

minutes

Our hearts are broken by the tragic events at Beyond Wonderland over the weekend. We send our sincere condolences to those affected and wish everyone out there secure, safe events for the rest of the season. 

Credit: KOMOBeyond Wonderland shootingA shooting in the Beyond Wonderland festival campgrounds at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington left 2 dead and 3 injured, including the shooter on Saturday evening. The festival continued Saturday night after sending messages to attendees that the campground where the shooting took place was “closed due to an incident that local authorities have handled. There is no current danger to festivalgoers or the campgrounds.” Sunday morning, the festival announced that the final day would be canceled. Additional information has yet to be released and an investigation is ongoing.

Ticketmaster, SeatGeek to lead all-in pricingTicketmaster and SeatGeek have agreed to begin rolling out upfront, all-in pricing as early as this summer following a meeting with President Biden last week. Ticketmaster will begin all-in pricing in September for ticketed events at its Live Nation-owned venues and festivals throughout the US and SeatGeek will begin to do the same over the summer. Representatives from xBk, Airbnb, the Pablo Center at the Confluence, TickPick, DICE, and the Newport Festivals Foundation also took part in the meeting and either currently provide all-in pricing or will be announcing a new commitment to do so in the coming months. 

Responses from NIVA and NITO.

SaveLife LawsuitOwners of The Alibi, a club in Palm Springs that was an early participant in Mark Geiger’s SaveLive, are suing the project meant to save their business. SaveLive acquired 51% of the venue under the auspices that it would help the owners get back on their feet post-Covid. However, the venue shut down due to issues surrounding its liquor license and now the owners are suing SaveLive for breaches of contract, good faith and fair dealing; interference; and fraud of both the negligent and intentional varieties. 

Politicians see Ticketmaster-hating as a vote-getterStruggling to keep track of all of the proposed ticketing bills? We definitely are. Every time we turn around a new state or federal bill is introduced - a slight variation on the others before it - with a different contingent of politicians sponsoring it. It seems that US Politicians agree that hating on Ticketmaster and loving on Taylor Swift (and her outspoken fans) is helping them gain popularity and they hope, votes. Billboard breaks down each of the introduced bills, who is backing it, and what the backers hope to gain from their support. (Hint: your vote) 

Record-breaking CMA FestCMA Fest broke attendance records with more than 90,000 daily attendees (up 12% from 2022) from all 50 states and 51 countries during its 50th edition, June 8 - 11 in Nashville, TN. The festival raised $2.5 million through ticket proceeds, which will go to the CMA Foundation to benefit high-quality music education initiatives.

Microsoft Theater → Peacock TheaterL.A. Live’s Microsoft Theater will be renamed the Peacock Theater on July 11th. The AEG-owned venue’s new partnership is tied to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, both to be held in Los Angeles, CA and streamed on Peacock. Additionally, the 40,000-square-foot outdoor Xbox Plaza is being renamed Peacock Place and Peacock will launch a branded content studio within L.A. Live.

Breakaway Music Festival secures new fundingIndependent, touring music festival company Breakaway announced a new round of funding, led by RSE Ventures. The company began in 2016 with Breakaway Music Festival in Columbus, OH, has expanded to produce additional multi-day festivals in Charlotte, NC, Kansas City, MO, Grand Rapids, MI, San Francisco, CA, and several immersive experiences in Mexico. With the new funding, the group plans to focus on innovation and continued expansion to 20 Breakaway festivals across the US.

RE:SET Chicago, Riot Fest permits approved with days to goDespite consistent, clamorous calls from the local communities, both RE:SET Chicago and Riot Fest have been unanimously approved by the Chicago Park District last week. RE:SET is the new kid on the block with plans to host the Chicago edition of the traveling AEG Presents festival this coming weekend at Riis Park. Riot Fest is planned for September 15 - 17 in Douglass Park. Opposition to both fests was due to the private use of public lands and disruptions to surrounding neighborhoods.

Free safety platform in the UKHalo Solutions has made its crowd safety, incident, and threat management platform free to small venues in the UK following the new legislation, “Martyn’s Law,” that sets public safety requirements for venues. The bill is in tribute to Martyn Hett who was a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack. Halo (V5) “is able to integrate the monitoring and recording of multiple aspects across a venue, including ticketing, crowd management, crowd density, flow, capacity, staff information, venue checks, security protocols and more.”

The Beyoncé EffectSweden is blaming The Beyoncé Effect for its above average, 9.7% inflation rate since the start of her tour in the country. Her tour led to a surge in hotel and restaurant pricing due to the relatively cheap ticket prices coupled with weak Swedish currency and the limited number of hotels within a 50 km radius of her two sold-out shows in May. Economists hope the effect is short-lived.

 Medium Rare is hiring a Sponsorship Account Director across its sports & entertainment festivals, with a focus on live events. The role can be remote or based in New York City, Los Angeles, or Miami.   The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is looking for a temporary Ticket Operations and Accreditation Coordinator to work on-site in Las Vegas, NV.  The LA Jazz Festival seeks a full-time Production Director to oversee the planning and production of the 29-day festival in the greater Los Angeles, CA area.

Do you check out any of the performances while working an event?

Last Week's Results:

The Canadian wildfires impacted 33% of BOH readers' events.

Headliners, Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements

  • Made In America Festival announced Lizzo and SZA as headliners for the Philadelphia, PA festival during Labor Day Weekend, September 2 - 3.

  • The Cult announced a 2023 US tour to follow their in-progress UK/European tour, starting July 12 in Northfield, OH and ending October 28 in Las Vegas, NV

  • The 1975 have also announced a US tour - their biggest to date, “Still … at their very best tour” - starting September 26 in Sacramento, CA and finishing up at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA on December 2.

  • Taylor Swift added 1 more show to each Latin American city: Mexico City, Mexico (August 27); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (November 19th); and SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil (November 24th). Is she heading to the UK and Europe next?

  • Coldplay will return to Asia and Australia in November as part of its Music Of The Spheres World Tour.

  • Lionel Richie is heading to the Bahamas November 30 - December 4 for Lionel Richie’s Dancing on the Sand, in partnership with Vibee.

  • 2024 passes to Coachella are SOLD OUT (but you can join the waitlists).

February 15 - 17, 2024: FestForums will return to Santa Barbara, CA 

 If you were looking for the Ultimate Summer Reading List we promised last week, here it is. We apologize for the bad link.

 

 The Best Songs of 2023, so far; according to Rolling Stone.

How to prep for a music festival when you don’t know every band playing

 A new iPhone feature caused a bunch of accidental 911 calls during Bonnaroo.

Questions or comments?

Like BOH? Share it with friends!