#182

Issue #182 | December 12, 2023 

Apparently the key to being named Time’s person of the year is running a marathon while belting out a 3-hour-long setlist every day. Maybe being the top grossing tour of all-time (and counting) helps too. We aren’t 100% sure, but hey, #2024goals.

Credit: Epic GamesTaylor tops $1 BillionIt should come as no surprise that Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is officially the first tour to cross the $1 billion mark, setting the all-time touring record. And it’s not over yet. The gross of $1.04 billion includes the first 60 shows of her tour (through November 11) so it’s pretty safe to say that the bar will keep going up. During this time, she amassed some staggering numbers: 4.3 million tickets sold, average ticket price of $238.95, and an average show gross of $17,321,063. Oh, and in case you’re living under a rock (or have been working in Riyadh) Time Magazine just named her Person of the Year.   

Fans First Act ticketing introducedA new bipartisan ticketing bill co-sponsored by 3 republican and 3 democratic senators has been introduced in the US congress. The “Fans First Act” will ban speculative ticketing and requires sellers to disclose the all-in ticket prices at the start of the purchase, whether they are the original seller, the seat and section location, and clear terms and conditions. This act is lauded by both Live Nation and the Fix the Tix coalition. 

AEG, CTS Eventim bid for See TicketsAEG and CTS Eventim have each submitted bids to purchase See Tickets from Vivendi following an earlier announcement that the ticketing company is for sale. Vivendi hopes to get up to €300 million ($323 million US) for See Tickets, more than triple what it paid for it in 2011 (€96m). While AEG and CTS Eventim already operate in the primary ticket market, the acquisition is thought to help them compete with Live Nation/Ticketmaster.  

London Sphere lifeline?The London Sphere may not be totally dead, despite Mayor Sadiq Khan officially rejecting it last month. Levelling-up secretary Michael Gove has taken control and ordered the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to “pause the process of denying planning permission.” However, MSG may have moved on and begun looking elsewhere.     

Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+Crypto.com Arena and Peacock Theater are the first arena and theater to be certified as Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ by the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI). The AEG-owned venues worked with SIGBI to train employees to “ensure that both venues are advocating for equality and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ employees and customers.” AEG began its partnership with SIGBI in 2019 when it pledged to support the creation of an LGBTQ+ anti-bias training standard.  

The show(s) will go on in MalaysiaThe Malaysian government decided to allow concerts after all, officially agreeing not to ban all concerts following The 1975’s on-stage kiss at Good Vibes festival over the summer. Last month, the government enacted a requirement that all concerts have a “kill switch” to cut power in the event of a rule-breaking act on stage, but were still debating whether to even allow concerts at all. 

100% renewable energy fest plannedMassive Attack is planning a festival 100% powered by renewable energy. The festival, scheduled for August 24 at Clifton Downs in the UK, will use solar power or batteries for all power on site and will make sure food vendors are using locally sourced produce. However, their biggest challenge will be getting fans to the show in a carbon-friendly way; 65 - 85% of emissions for similar sized events comes from audience travel. In an effort to combat this, they will give locals priority when buying tickets, encourage train travel and offer free electric buses from transport hubs. They hope this will be a model for sustainable festivals in the future. 

New SoLa Foundation campus plannedLive Nation has expanded its partnership with SoLa Impact’s SoLa Foundation, enabling it to complete a new campus, the SoLa Tech and Entertainment Center Powered by Live Nation, that will house the Live Nation Next Gen program when it is completed in 2025. The center will “provide technology and entertainment career education access to more than 1,000 students annually” in south Los Angeles, CA. 

Renaissance early resultsNot to be overshadowed by Taylor, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” film is doing big things as well. The concert film brought in $21 million on opening weekend; the first movie in more than 20 years to generate over $20 million during the weekend after Thanksgiving. “Renaissance” is being distributed by AMC, similar to “The Eras Tour”, enabling Queen Bey to take home roughly 50% of box office earnings. However, the film stumbled a bit on weekend 2, with a 75% drop in ticket sales causing it to lose the number 1 spot.  

The Weeknd headlines Fortnite FestivalFortnite Festival debuted last Saturday with The Weeknd headlining along with Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, and others. The venue? Your living room. Or basement; or office; or wherever else you prefer to game. The game, developed by Epic and Harmonix (developer of Rock Band) is free within Fortnite and lets you play from the main stage or just have a jam session with your instrument of choice. Check out the epic lineup.

  Ticketmaster is hiring a Client Services Manager to focus on guest list clients in Charlottesville, VA.  Congo Brands is looking for an experienced, remote Festival Marketing Manager to build out its festival strategy for Alani Nu and PRIME. Cosm is hiring a General Manager for its new immersive sports and entertainment venue in Dallas, TX.

Potato chips while traveling:

Last Week's Results:

80% of BOH readers are decorated for the holidays. We can feel the spirit!

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements

• Hogs for the Cause announced Band of Horses and Shane Smith & the Saints at its 2024 barbecue and music festival and fundraiser, April 5 - 6 at UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA. 

• Duran Duran will headline Cruel World Festival with Blondie and Interpol, May 11 at the Rosebowl in Pasadena, CA.

• Ubbi Dubbi announced a move from April to Memorial Day weekend, May 25 - 26 next year, along with a lineup featuring Afrojack, RL Grime, Alison Wonderland, and Troyboi at Panther Island in Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX. 

• Chris Stapleton and Noah Kahan will headline Railbird Music Festival, June 1 - 2  at The Infield at Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky.

• Electric Forest revealed Pretty Lights, Dom Dolla and John Summit (performing as Everything Always), Subtronics, Excision, and Ludacris. The Rothbury, MI fest takes place June 20 - 23 and has already sold out.

• Def Leppard and Journey will co-headline a summer tour with Steve Miller, Heart, Cheap Trick as support. The tour kicks off July 6 at Saint Louis Busch Stadium in MO, and wraps at Denver’s Coors Field on September 8.

• Mad Cool Festival revealed Pearl Jam, Dua Lipa, and The Smashing Pumpkins will perform during the July 10 - 13 fest in Madrid, Spain.

• Ontario, CA’s Boots and Hearts Festival will feature Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, and Cody Johnson, August 8 - 11 at Burl’s Creek. 

 Taylor Swift trained for “The Eras Tour” by singing her entire set - all 44 songs and 3 hours - while running on the treadmill. Everyday.  The weird, secret world behind potato chip flavors around the globe.  Stunning images of the world’s amazing ice and snow festivals.

 A concert series created to foster mental well-being.  Brighten your feed with cute cloud doodles.

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