Touring
Live Nation Shares Bounce on Encouraging Vaccine Trial
Stocks of out-of-home entertainment companies got a boost from biotech company Moderna’s announcement on Tuesday. As markets reacted enthusiastically to a promising coronavirus vaccine trial, shares of concert promoter Live Nation leaped 12.2% to $52.09 on Wednesday (July 15) before closing at $51.84, up 11.7%. On Tuesday, biotech company Moderna published the results of an initial study for a coronavirus vaccine called mRNA-1273. The vaccine “elicits a robust immune response” in all trial participants, said chief medical officer Tal Zaks in a statement, and will enter the next phase — with approximately 30,000 participants — later this month. Jumps in other entertainment companies’ stocks reflect how desperate investors were for good news about markets brought to a...
Ruido Fest 2020 Is Officially Canceled, But Already Has 2021 Dates and a Headliner
Café Tacvba announced as headliner for next year’s edition. Ruido Fest 2020 has officially canceled this year’s edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re very disappointed that we won’t be celebrating with you this summer, but the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic means that our primary focus is everyone’s health and safety,” organizers of the Chicago independent festival said in a statement. As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country, Ruido Fest is moving to Aug. 20-22, 2021, with Café Tacvba announced as a headliner for next year’s festival. The Latinx-focused event’s cancellation joins other fests such as Los Dells, Coachella and Lollapalooza, who all officially canceled their 2020 editions. Launched in 2015, Ruido Fest has feat...
How We Work Now: Sofar Sounds VP City Operations Amanda Presson
In a series amid the coronavirus pandemic, Billboard is asking individuals from all sectors of the music business to share stories of how they work now, with much of the world quarantined at home and unable to take in-person meetings, attend conferences or even go into the office. Submissions for the series can be sent to HowWeWorkNow@Billboard.com. Read the full series here. This installment is with Amanda Presson, vp of city operations at intimate concert series company Sofar Sounds. Amanda Presson: [The shutdown] was such a huge shift for us, because we are so focused on the live event experience and bringing our communities together in person. After we had to halt our core business, our first thought went to, “How do we continue to support artists?” That was such a big part of our miss...
This Metal Band Was Determined to Hit The Road During the Pandemic — Here’s Why It All Fell Apart
“Brother, I’m over it. I got songs to write… Time to focus on other things and how to be the best I can be, and finally be able to concentrate on music for a minute.” That resigned email on Thursday morning (July 9) from Wildstreet frontman Eric Jayk was the final nail in the coffin of the 36-year-old singer’s dream of being the first rock band to bust through the COVID-19 lockdown, and put on the safest, hardest-rocking shows possible for his U.S. fans. With 25 gigs in 30 days booked back in February for their Kings of the World Tour, as recently as June 23 the group sent out a press release announcing that they were hitting clubs across the country at a time when nearly every other live act was either postponing dates until 2021, canceling tours outright or moving...
Why NYC’s Entertainment Commissioner Sees Reopening Music Venues as a Chance to Rethink a ‘Flawed’ System
“It strengthens the argument that we really need to support our local venues, and for us to represent their needs at the table,” says Anne del Castillo. This week, New York City enters phase three of reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the return of hair and nail salons, basketball courts and more spaces in addition to outdoor dining. But for local music venues from (Le) Poisson Rouge to Brooklyn’s Elsewhere — many of which faced rising rents, gentrification and other challenges even before the pandemic began — the road to reopening remains ongoing and uncertain. Anne del Castillo knows this struggle well. The New York City native took over as commissioner of Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) in April 2019, with a foc...
Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones and More U.K. Music Stars Plead With Government for Live Sector Aid
Some 1,500 artists backing #LetTheMusicPlay warn of ‘mass insolvencies’ from ongoing concert lockdowns due to COVID-19. Some of the U.K.’s biggest music stars are pleading with their government to come to the aid of the £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) live music sector during the coronavirus lockdown, warning that government support is vital to prevent “mass insolvencies.” A group of 1,500 artists — including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, The Rolling Stones, Rita Ora and many others — signed a letter to Oliver Dowden, the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, urging the government to create a funding package for the live sector similar to what Germany’s government did last month. “With no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed,...
Vanilla Ice to Perform In Texas Despite Surge in Virus Cases
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is scheduled to perform at the Emerald Point Bar & Grill in Austin, Texas on Friday, according to a social media post from the venue. The concert, dubbed “Independence Day Throwback Beach Party,” will celebrate the Fourth of July holiday on an outdoor stage. This event arrives amid the surge in COVID-19 cases across Texas. According to The Texas Tribune, the number of COVID-19 cases has nearly quadrupled since Memorial Day. As of Wednesday, the state reported 8,000 new cases and 21 additional deaths. 2,481 people in Texas have died from COVID-19, with 168,062 Texans testing positive. There were 3,000 hospitalized in the Houston region, with 800 in intensive care. “We are looking forward to a fun and ...
Jay-Z’s Made in America 2020 Canceled Due to Pandemic
Jay-Z’s annual festival in Philadelphia, Made in America, won’t take place Labor Day weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement Wednesday, the rap mogul’s Roc Nation company said it plans to produce the popular festival in 2021. “2020 is a year like no other. We are in a pivotal time in this nation’s history. Collectively, we are fighting parallel pandemics, COVID-19, systematic racism and police brutality. Now is the time to protect the health of our artists, fans, partners and community as well as focus on our support for organizations and individuals fighting for social justice and equality in our country. Therefore, the Made In America festival will be rescheduled for Labor Day Weekend 2021,” Roc Nation said in a statement. {“nid”:”8528889″,”t...
Cirque du Soleil Files for Creditor Protection
Cirque du Soleil filed for creditor protection in Canada on Monday (June 29) while it develops a plan to restart its business amid the pandemic. The creator of many of the most popular shows in Las Vegas on Monday blamed the “immense disruption and forced show closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Montreal-based circus arts show company temporarily suspended its productions around the world in March because of the new coronavirus outbreak. Cirque du Soleil also announced the termination of approximately 3,480 employees previously furloughed in March. In connection with the filing, Cirque du Soleil said it has entered into a purchase agreement with its existing shareholders TPG, Fosun and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec as well as Investissement Quebec as a debt provide...
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Names Scott Packman Executive VP and General Counsel
On Monday (June 29) Madison Square Garden Entertainment announced it had named Scott Packman executive vp and general counsel. Effective July 1, Packman will be tasked with overseeing and directing all of MSG Entertainment’s legal affairs and managing the company’s legal affairs team, including all corporate, commercial, transactional, litigation, regulatory and day-to-day legal matters. He will report to MSG Entertainment executive chairman and CEO Jim Dolan. Packman comes to MSG Entertainment with over 25 years of legal experience under his belt. Most notably, this includes a 14-year year stint at MGM Holdings/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he served in a variety of leadership roles, including 12 years as general counsel and secretary. During his run at the company, which he ended as senior ...
Concertgoers Seek Ticketmaster Terms of Use Click Rates in Antitrust Class Action
Concertgoers suing Ticketmaster and Live Nation over live event ticket fees believe no one actually reads the terms of service that bind them to arbitration and are asking a California federal judge for discovery that could help them prove the websites’ formats are to blame. Olivia Van Iderstine and Mitch Oberstein in April sued Ticketmaster and its parent Live Nation claiming the companies have a monopoly on live events and therefore can charge “extraordinarily high fees” for tickets. The companies responded in June with a motion to compel arbitration. They argue that in order to buy tickets through their sites users have to affirmatively agree to their terms of service at least three times — and those terms include a mandatory arbitration provision and a waiver of class...
U.K. Competition Regulator Launches ‘In-depth’ Investigation Into Viagogo StubHub Merger
Viagogo’s $4 billion acquisition of StubHub faces further scrutiny after the U.K.’s competition watchdog opened an “in-depth investigation” into the merger. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Thursday (June 25) that Viagogo has failed to address its concerns that the merger could result in a substantial lessening of competition, leading to music fans paying more for tickets. As a result, the regulator has launched a ‘Phase 2’ inquiry into the deal before deciding what, if any action, should be taken. Phase 2 investigations by the CMA are conducted by an independent panel and can last up to 24 weeks (extended by up to eight weeks in special circumstances). If the CMA rules that the merger of Viagogo and StubHub does substantially restrict competition in the U.K.’...
