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MCD on course for second busiest year as Oasis and Dua Lipa concerts due
Concert promoter
MCD Productions
is on course for the second busiest year in its history, according to its managing director
Denis Desmond
. It will sell around 2.5 million tickets in 2025, he said
Mr Desmond said that business 'is very solid' and that the gross ticket sales would be between €212 million to €225 million, based on average prices of €85 to €90 per ticket.
The bumper ticket sales for 2025 follows trade industry journal Pollstar reporting that MCD last year sold a record €238.5 million in ticket sales.
Last year was the company's busiest year which was boosted by sell out shows from Taylor Swift and Coldplay.
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Mr Desmond said that upcoming gigs by Dua Lipa in the Aviva and Olivia Rodrigo in Marlay Park are sold out adding that Croke Park shows by Oasis and Robbie Williams along with Electric Picnic are also sell outs.
Mr Desmond said that MCD would sell slightly less tickets in 2025 than 2024 due to a reduced number of shows compared to last year.
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Beyoncé had just finished a six-date, sold-out run in London and Mr Desmond said that would have come to perform in Dublin but was unable to do so due to stadium unavailability in the capital.
'Beyoncé is only touring Europe in June and Croke Park is not available until August because of the games being played. She would have come to Dublin otherwise. The economics of big shows at the moment means multiple dates at the same venue and there was nowhere available,' he said.
He said that Beyoncé played Croke Park eight years ago 'and I'm sure she will come back here again to perform in three or four years time'.
MCD Productions is owned by LN Gaiety Holdings Ltd which is a joint venture between Mr Desmond's Gaiety Investments and Live Nation.
Mr Desmond also questioned why the likes of sporting events such as the upcoming US College and NFL football games receive State subsidy but live entertainment doesn't.
'Live entertainment events generate a huge return for the exchequer in terms of the spend on restaurants, transport and hotel bednights.'
Mr Desmond made his comments on Monday when asked to comment on accounts for MCD Productions Ltd which show that it made a post tax profit of €3.53 million in 2022.
