Miquido is changing the AI game for artists*

Curious about AI's impact on the music world? Don't miss Miquido's free webinar, Innovation Waves #2, on May 9th, where you'll explore how AI is changing artist-audience interactions and promoting musical diversity and ethical AI implementation. 👉 Reserve your spot here.

250+ Artists urge passing of the Fans First Act 🎟️

Over 250 artists signed an open letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce urging Congress to pass the Fans First Act, led by Fix the Tix. Artists, including Billie Eilish, Lorde, Fall Out Boy, Diplo, Becky G, Green Day, and Sia believe that ”the current system is broken” and “the relationship between artist and fan, which forms the backbone of the entire music industry, is severed.”

Travis Scott is NOT dismissed

Travis Scott’s request to be dismissed from the hundreds of civil lawsuits filed by Astroworld victims was denied by a judge. The first trial is set to begin next week, on May 6th. Victims have recently issued a new request: they want the trial to be streamed live in order to have "transparency and accountability."

Co-op Live delays

What will be the UK’s largest indoor venue when it finally opens, Co-op Live in Manchester, has had a bumpy start. Several thousand tickets were canceled just before doors to an April 20 test event, the official opening events have been rescheduled twice (now set for late May), and another test event has also been postponed. On top of that, its General Manager has resigned. The Oak View Group arena says they are still testing the emergency communications and procedures.

🐻 Bearsville = Mini Cap

Peter Shapiro and his company, Dayglo Presents, are taking over operations and booking of the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY in June. According to Shapiro, who owns The Capitol Theatre (The Cap) in Port Chester, NY and Brooklyn Bowls in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Nashville and Las Vegas, “Bearsville should be a mini-Cap.” Bearsville is owned by Lizzie Vann.

EU festival sustainability report shows improvement

A Greener Future (FKA A Greener Festival) released its latest Festival Sustainability Report, digging into mobility, food and drink, power and fuel usage, waste and recycling, and carbon emissions from more than 40 events across Europe in 2023. The report found growth in bans of single-use plastics (54% in 2022 to 75% in 2023), decrease in waste per person per day, and an increase in meatless festivals, which in turn reduces carbon emissions. Water use was up, however, likely due to higher-than-average temperatures.

New Main Stage feature

UK news outlet, The Independent, announced that it will launch a new, year-long initiative to support grassroots music venues around the UK, called Main Stage. Each month, the publication will highlight one grassroots venue from each of the 12 UK regions Main Stage, feature the venues on social media, and give each £5,000 worth of ad inventory in The Independent.

Paraguay plans a sustainable arena

Paraguay has proposed a new 15,000-capacity state-of-the-art venue near the nation’s capital of Asunción. Smart Arena aims to be the first sustainable arena in South America, and to draw major global tours. The venue is estimated to cost $200 million and will be part of a 14-acre entertainment hub.

Activation inspiration

With festival season ramping up, brands are also ramping up their sponsorship game, coming up with creative, innovative, and can’t miss activations. Long gone are the days of a table, a backdrop, and a free pen or koozie. Check out some of the unique ways brands are attracting festival attendees at Dreamville (NC), Coachella, and Stagecoach (CA).

New Spotify music-only tier

During Spotify's latest earnings call, CEO Daniel Ek confirmed the introduction of a new music-only subscription tier, catering to users solely interested in music consumption (no podcasts). This move aims to provide more options for users and enhance the platform's value proposition. Additionally, the earnings call highlighted Spotify's continued growth in both users and revenue in Q4, with a focus on investing in content and technology to further solidify its position in the competitive streaming market.

*Sponsored content

• Bonnaroo’s paid externship program is now accepting applications for college students at this year’s festival, June 13 - 16 in Manchester, TN.

• Superfly is hiring a remote, contract Director of Conferences for a new large scale 2025 conference.

• Intellitix is looking for a remote Sales Development Representative (US or Canada). 

• Insomniac is hiring a Director, Elevated Experiences in Calabasas, CA to create environments specific to its festival brands. Salary: $100,000 - $130,000.

Last Week's Results:
94% of BOH readers believe artists should be accountable for starting their shows on time.

Headliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

• Chicago’s Summer Smash will feature Travis Scott, Playboy Carti, and Chief Keef June 14 - 16 at SeatGeek Stadium.

• The Miche Festival lineup will include Kali Uchis, Junior H, Los Ángeles Azules, and Santa Fe Klan, July 13 - 14 at Oakwood Beach on the south side of Chicago, IL.

• Imagine Dragons are heading out on the “Loom” world tour, in support of their upcoming album. The tour kicks off July 30 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ and wraps at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA on October 22.

• Tyler, the Creator, The Killers, Sturgill Simpson, and Post Malone will headline Outside Lands at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA August 9 - 11.

• The Marcus King Band Family Reunion will take place in South Carolina for the first time with The Avett Brothers, Band Of Horses, and of course, Marcus King Band. August 24 - 25 at the CCNB Amphitheatre in Simpsonville.

• Kygo announced part one of his 26-date world tour across North America, Europe and the UK. The first stop is at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO on September 7 and the last is currently scheduled on December 13 in Dublin, Ireland at 3Arena.

• Ohana Festival announced that Pearl Jam will headline the opening and closing nights, along with Neil Young and Crazy Horse as Saturday’s headliner, at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA, September 27 - 29.

• South Star Festival, another new festival from C3, will be headlined by blink-182 and Gwen Stefani, September 28 - 29 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, AL.

• Billie Eilish announced the “Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour” with dates across North America, Australia and Europe, starting September 29 at Centre Videotron in Québec City, QC.

• III Points Miami released phase one of the lineup with Justice, Toro y Moi, and Jamie xx, October 18 - 19 at Mana Wynwood, FL.

Cancellations

• Kid Cudi has canceled his “Insano” world tour after breaking his foot during his Coachella set.

• Backwoods Music Festival, scheduled for June 6 - 9 in Ozark, AR has canceled due to rising production costs and low ticket sales.

• US FTC bans non-compete agreements for nearly all jobs, however two business lobbying groups immediately sued the FTC, questioning its ability to put such a ban in place.

• President Biden officially signed a bill forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok. But ByteDance says it would rather shut down than sell and promises to sue.

• How color impacts moods, feelings and behavior.

• 8 elements needed for a vibrant music scene.

• 10 ways to foster a vibrant workplace.

Questions or comments?

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