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Forbes
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Bad Weather And Bad Bunny Threaten A Bad Season For Live Music
Bad Bunny at MET Gala in New York City on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris) Heavy rain and extreme heat mixed with ICE raids and a freeze on U.S. tour dates by Bad Bunny and others suggests that the live music biz may be caught in a perfect storm during this all-important summer season. Michael Stipe's lyric 'Should we talk about the weather? … Should we talk about the government?' resonates more today than when REM's 'Pop Song 89' dropped in 1989, at least when it comes to figuring out the forecast for music fests and live music today. Should We Talk About the Weather? July is expected to bring an historic heat wave to the West Coast, after June's record-setting temperatures rolled across the U.S. from the Midwest to the East Coast and a massive heat wave also hit Western Europe. Tennessee's Bonnaroo festival was cancelled for the first time ever in June, while promoters of an EDM festival in St. Louis called Midwest Dreams pulled the plug a week before the opening day in May after a tornado touched down near the site. If weather cancels a festival or an outdoor show, fans may or may not get a full refund, depending on the policies of the promoter and ticketing company. Bonnaroo issued full refunds even though ticket-holders got to enjoy one full day of the four-day festival before rain and mud swamped it out. When stormy skies stop the show, cancellation insurance can reimburse promoters for large upfront payments (called 'minimum guarantees'), which are paid in-full and in-advance to artists and venues, and may even cover loss of expected food and drink concession profits. But show insurance rates are getting sky high. 'In the 15 years that I have been a concert promoter, the cancelation insurance has gone from just under one percent of my budget to anywhere from four to six percent depending on the loss history in a particular market,' says Danny Hayes, who has been both a top music attorney and festival promoter. 'So Bonnaroo could very likely see a large increase in its its insurance next year as a result of this year's cancellation," Hayes says, "and that can cut deeply into a festival's margin. Maybe you think going from just under one percent to four or five percent of a budget is not that big, but when your margin is 10%-15%, that's huge.' Another crapshoot for live music promoters besides the weather is whether politics may untether foreign artists from the U.S. touring circuit. Should We Talk About The Government? Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio), one of the biggest touring acts today, is side-stepping Stateside stadiums all-together, and has stormed against ICE raids across the US, including on his home island of Puerto Rico. Coming out of Covid in 2022, Bad Bunny was reportedly the most successful touring act in the world, grossing $393.3 million for the year, easily besting Elton John's second place finish at $274 million gross that year. This year the Bunny King will hop onto a 23-date stadium tour with stops in Latin America, Australia, Japan and Europe beginning in November. But first he holds court from July 11 to September 14, 2025 exclusively at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, supporting his new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos), an homage to his beloved Puerto Rico. He says dates in the States are 'unnecessary' for success. But is that right? 'I think quite the opposite,' says Jarred Arfa, head of global music at Independent Artist Group (IAG), which books tours for Billy Joel, Metallica, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Rod Stewart, 50 Cent and other frontline talent. 'The U.S. is still the most lucrative touring market, especially with more acceptance of higher ticket prices than in Europe and other markets.' The profit margin for artists touring in the U.S. can't be beat, as venues try harder than their counterparts overseas to attract top acts to their big stages. 'In Europe, for instance, the costs are higher, you have a lot of municipal concert halls and old soccer stadiums that are behind the times in concert economics as far as how they operate, and they just aren't as flexible or aggressive in seeking talent," says Arfa. "As an artist you'll actually make a lot more money touring in the U.S. than you will anywhere else.' So whether you shout '¡Vive Bad Bunny!' or '¡Maldito Bunny!' you have to admit it's a brilliant marketing move. 'You can say, 'Hey, I'm not coming to the U.S. this year.' But next year, you announce the U.S. tour, and fans are super excited,' says Hayes. 'Is the U.S. market necessary in the short run? Maybe not. But you can't skip the world's biggest market forever.' A top troubador can use touring and ticketing tactics as political truncheons if they want to, but it's tricky. Some remember when Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam in the mid-1990s refused to work with Ticketmaster in protest of the firm's fees and domination of the live music market. But the band lost a lawsuit against the ticketing giant and today the promoter of the band's Dark Matter tour is Live Nation, which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010. 'We had the Ticketmaster thing — didn't work,' Vedder told the New York Times in 2022. "They made it go away. That was a learning experience. It bruised our muscle of idealism. We were young and naïve and thought you could change things. But just taking on the man and being agitators, it might not be the way.' Times are different today, with Bad Bunny and other outspoken celebrities livid at Trump's divisive migrant policy more than Live Nation-Ticketmaster's live music monopoly. But the DoJ's antitrust division is still actively prosecuting Live Nation's merger, which combines ticketing, tour promotion, artist management, and venue ownership all under one roof. And politicians from both sides of the aisle – led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D- MN) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) – are seeking to clobber the massive music conglom to capture voters. Interestingly, Live Nation recently added Richard Grenell, a Trump ally and newly installed president of the Kennedy Center, to its board, which could bode well for Live Nation, and keep ticket prices on the rise. Goldman Sachs says rising ticket prices are the brightest story of the music business this year. The investment bank's influential 'Music In The Air' report, just released in June, lowered its annual projection for global recorded music revenue by $2.5 billion to $31.4 billion but raised its live music revenue expectation by half a billion dollars over an earlier prediction, from $37.7 billion to $38.2 billion. The investment bank cites 'stronger pricing power,' finding that average ticket prices rose 40% for stadiums and 37% for smaller venues between 2019 and 2024. Live music has 'proven to be more recession resilient than other forms of entertainment,' the bank says. Top artists are riding high on a rising wave of live music revenue, especially in the U.S. While that's nice work if you can get it, some artists can't get in, especially if they're coming from south of the border. Julión Álvarez', a Música Mexicana megastar, was unable to fly across the Mexican border the day before a gig at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 24. It was a 50,000 ticket sold out show. His work visa was reportedly cancelled without notice. While Bad Bunny and other megastars from outside the continental U.S., like Drake and Partynextdoor, have a ticket to ride, they don't seem to care much. Drake taking in Toronto Raptors v Sacramento Kings at Scotiabank Arena on November 2, 2024 in ... More Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) The Canadian music titans are on tour together in the U.K. and Europe with no confirmed dates in the States for the whole year surprisingly. Some speculate their absence from Stateside stadiums is a political statement. But they haven't taken a stand publicly, like Bad Bunny who, in a video he posted on Instagram, referred to ICE agents detaining Dominican migrants near San Juan as 'm@m@bichos,' a local curse word that Anglo press rather inaccurately translated as 'motherf@%kers.' Colombian superstar Shakira, in a more tranquilo tone than Bunny, expressed dismay about aggressive ICE raids in Los Angeles and canceled concert dates there in June. 'Being an immigrant in the U.S. means living in constant fear," she told the BBC. 'And it's painful to see.' But even with political storms rolling across the U.S., it's hard for any world class act to stay away for long. 'I bet you dollars to donuts Bad Bunny tours the U.S. next summer,' says Hayes. We can only hope the political weather will be milder then. Danny Hayes and Jarred Arfa speak with me at more length about the state of live music on my podcast The Music Law Beat.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
More 999 alcohol calls for London in August than at Christmas
Almost 10,000 alcohol-related emergency calls to the London Ambulance Service (LAS) were made last summer, with paramedics urging people to drink service said it received more emergency calls in June, July and August individually, than it did in December during the Christmas party May and June this year have seen greater numbers for alcohol-related calls than in the previous two years, LAS service's Mark Faulkner said: "We are asking people to look after themselves and their friends. Every avoidable alcohol-related call we attend could take away from someone who might have a life-threatening condition." 'Please drink sensibly' Between June and August in London last year, LAS attended more than 9,700 alcohol-related calls and over 4,700 drug comparison, in December 2024 it received more than 2,600 alcohol-related calls and 1,100 drug-related Faulkner said: "We understand Londoners want to go out and have fun in the height of summer – particularly with the wealth of music festivals and outdoor events that London offers."August brings more alcohol-related calls than the Christmas party season so if you are enjoying the festival season, please drink sensibly."If you suspect that a friend is having a drug overdose, there are steps you can take to help to us them. This includes calling 999, telling us what they've taken and following the instructions of the 999 call-handler."There is no such thing as a reliable drug dealer. You do not know what you are taking and what it might have been mixed with. Even if you have taken the substance before, this does not mean it is safe."
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
AEG and Goldenvoice Hosts High-School and College Students for an Inside Look at the Making of a Music Festival
To educate high-school and college students about career opportunities in the live music industry, AEG and Goldenvoice hosted two career exploration events, AEG Futures, timed to Goldenvoice's popular music festivals Just Like Heaven and Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival. The AEG Futures' Just Like Heaven event took place on May 8 and included remarks by Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo Pasadena City Council Member Tyron Hampton, as well as Jens Weiden, Chief Executive Officer of the Rose Bowl Operating Company. The Head in the Clouds event, took place on May 14 and included opening remarks by Terry Park of The Asian American Foundation, and Jens Weiden, Chief Executive Officer of the Rose Bowl Operating Company. At both events, students were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the festival grounds, located at Brookside at the Rosebowl, to better understand how stage and sound design, festival layout, food and beverage concessions and merchandise and sustainability vendors coordinate to bring a music festival to life. Additionally, students participated in speed mentoring sessions, connecting one-on-one and in small groups with industry professionals Rachel So, Festival Operations Manager at Goldenvoice, and Chavante 'Tae' Flakes, a Talent Buyer at Goldenvoice. These intimate conversations gave students the opportunity to ask questions, explore career paths, and gain confidence in their aspirations. For the final activity, students participated in a Build Your Own Festival challenge, where they were tasked with putting their knowledge to the test by designing and pitching their own music festivals to a panel of Goldenvoice executives. 'These AEG Futures events are a great opportunity to expose students to career opportunities in live entertainment while providing them with a great educational opportunity. It's an incredible experience to have because many are still thinking about what to do when they graduate,' said Michael Ilves, Senior Director, Festivals, Goldenvoice. 'By giving students a hands-on look at how major music festivals come together and offering direct access to industry professionals, we're helping them build real-world skills and envision a future for themselves in this space. Early exposure to career pathways like these can increase students' confidence and help them make more informed decisions about their postsecondary plans.' Both AEG Futures events underscore the company's commitment to investing in the next generation of live entertainment leaders. To learn more about AEG Futures, please visit Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from AEG
