Organisers of Morocco’s Mawazine-Rhythms of the World say the event’s 20th edition pulled in more than 3.75 million visitors over nine days – maintaining its position as one of the world’s largest music festivals.

Organised by local non-profit organisation Maroc Cultures. the event took place between 20-28 June across multiple venues in Rabat and Salé, including a 200,000-cap OLM Souissi main stage.

Featuring a mix of free and ticketed shows by over 100 artists, international acts included Will Smith, 50 Cent, Kid Cudi, Becky G, Lost Frequencies, WizKid and Aespa – the event’s first female K-pop headliner. Meanwhile, the festival’s Salé stage was dedicated entirely to domestic talent. Leading Arab acts Nancy Ajram, Sherine Abdel Wahab and Kadhem Saher also performed at the festival.

Last year’s edition was attended by 2.5m festivalgoers, according to Maroc Cultures

In addition, indoor shows by Michael Kiwanuka, Slimane and Lila Downs, among others, were held at the 1,800-cap Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat.

The festival, which launched in 2001, returned in 2024 following a five-year absence and has previously hosted the likes of Rihanna, Mariah Carey, The Weeknd, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Travis Scott, Kylie Minogue, Usher, Rod Stewart and Calvin Harris.

Last year’s edition was attended by 2.5m festivalgoers, according to Maroc Cultures.

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A new 4,500-cap indoor arena in Nigeria is set to be launched as part of plans to develop the country’s first “comprehensive” venue network.

Located in the arts and crafts village of the capital Abuja, the flagship scheme is being headed by entertainment brand Mefa, in partnership with the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).

The privately-funded project, which is expected to be completed in 2026, will host up to 250 events a year and has been hailed as “the beginning of building a domestic touring ecosystem for live entertainment, sports and cultural events”. It is slated to be the first of six new venues planned across the country.

Speaking at the Abuja venue’s groundbreaking ceremony, Mefa founder Yinka Obebe told reporters: “Mefa was born out of necessity, out of frustration that our creatives lacked spaces worthy of their genius.

“This arena is a tribute to the incredible artists, dancers, producers, and fans who deserve world-class venues in their own country. We are not just building a structure, we are building hope, pride, and prosperity.”

The Nation reports the first phase rollout will extend to venues in the cities of Enugu, Kaduna, Jos and Port Harcourt.

“It pains me that we lack arenas to enjoy our world class talent”

Nigerian culture minister Hannatu Musa Musawa described the “state-of-the-art” Abuja development as a “defining moment” for the country, which has produced global stars such as Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid.

“As a Nigerian, it pains me that we lack arenas to enjoy our world class talent,” she said. “I shouldn’t have to travel to Ghana or Rwanda to witness world-class performances in world class venues.”

In a separate project, it was announced last year that Live Nation and Oak View Group are among the backers of Africa’s first purpose-built arena. The $100 million, 12,000-cap arena is scheduled to open in Lagos, Nigeria, at the end of 2025.

IQ‘s newly published Global Arena Guide 2025 notes that the most consistently used venue for international-standard indoor concerts in Nigeria is currently the Eko Convention Center in Lagos. A banqueting hall, the space is reconfigured for concerts and accommodates up to 6,000 standing. It has hosted events headlined by Gunna, Roddy Ricch, Tyla and Megan Thee Stallion in recent years.

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The rise of Afrobeats has been extraordinary in recent years, with talent from Africa headlining festivals around the world and selling out stadia throughout Europe. But with such success driving unrealistic artist expectations, Tochi Louis investigates how the professionals helping African acts export their talent are reassessing their strategies in an effort to maintain momentum.

Afrobeats has taken the global stage by storm. Its boisterous beats and celebratory spirit have pulled diverse crowds across major markets worldwide. What was once tucked away in the world music niche is now selling out stadiums and arenas, competing with Western genres for top billing.

Once confined to intimate clubs and halls, Afrobeats has ascended – arena by arena, stadium by stadium – onto the world’s grandest stages. In 2023, Burna Boy shattered expectations, becoming the first African artist to sell out London’s 80,000-capacity Olympic stadium – a feat made possible by the foresight of Ropo Akin, the mastermind behind Whytelion, who has also played a role in shaping the live profiles of Afrobeats juggernauts like Adekunle Gold, Flavour, and Fireboy DML. His belief in what once seemed impossible has helped carve a new chapter in Afrobeats’ global conquest.

When Burna Boy faced a travel ban early in his career, Akin fought in court to secure his visa, confident about exportability of the then 23-year-old’s talent abroad. What began as a leap of faith in 2014 – booking Burna for four-figure-capacity shows – has since evolved into an unprecedented reign as the most successful live act in Afrobeats history. “We weren’t just trying to show up – we needed to make a statement,” Akin recalls. “And that meant going all out with the vision, so that people could take African music seriously.”

Since then, Afrobeats’ global takeover has unfolded with a string of record-breaking tours, none more lucrative than Burna Boy’s I Told Them tour, which grossed $15.5m across 15 shows – the highest-grossing Afrobeats tour ever, according to Touring Data.

Meanwhile, artists like Wizkid and Davido have also packed iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden, Accor Arena in Paris, The O2 in London, and more – each sold-out night asserting that Afrobeats is no longer knocking on the door of global music but has kicked it wide open.

“It was a fight to get Africa out of the world-music pigeonhole and into mainstream pop areas”

Stronger
Major moments in Afrobeats’ live business are becoming more frequent, and the time gap it takes for an artist to move from breakout to selling out iconic venues keeps shrinking. While Wizkid needed 11 years, and both Davido and Burna Boy took eight each, Rema filled The O2 just four years after his breakout, and Asake achieved the same in just one year – a testament to how fast the genre and its audience is growing.

Robomagic founder Rob Hallett, who began promoting African artists in the 1990s, working with legends like Youssou N’Dour, King Sunny Adé, and Papa Wemba, recalls the stark contrast between then and now. “It was a fight to get Africa out of the world-music pigeonhole and into mainstream pop areas,” he reminisces.

Afrobeats’ ascent may seem like an overnight success, but Hallett notes, “We spent many years until the Nigerian scene started happening.”

In the 2000s, the rise of Afrobeats – distinct from Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat but undeniably influenced by it – ushered in a new era of global reception. Where Afrobeat (without the ‘s’) carried activism at its core, Afrobeats embraced life, love, and hedonism. This found its watershed moment in 2017 when Wizkid became the first Afrobeats artist to sell out London’s Royal Albert Hall.

That historic night opened the floodgates for Nigerian artists on international stages.

In the same year, Yemi Alade sold out Le Trianon in Paris, while Wizkid topped off the year headlining the UK’s Wireless Festival. By 2018, Tiwa Savage became the first African female artist to sell out London’s Indigo at The O2. These moments weren’t isolated triumphs; they were milestones that pushed the genre into mainstream consciousness and saw artists like Ayra Starr and Burna Boy play The Pyramid stage at Glastonbury in 2024.

“Whenever we approached festivals, Afrobeats artists were often turned away”

The rise of Afrobeats has also led to Afro-leaning festivals and concerts, such as Afro Nation, Oh My Fest in Amsterdam, DLT Brunch in Malta, Jerk X Jollof in Detroit, and others with a heavy lineup of Afrobeats artists.

“Whenever we approached festivals, Afrobeats artists were often turned away,” recalls Josh Koram of Afro Nation. Originally debuted in Portugal, Afro Nation is now in its fifth year, spanning three continents, with recent editions in Detroit, Miami, Ghana, and more on the horizon. Others include Oh My! Festival in Amsterdam, DLT Brunch in Malta, Jerk & Jollof in Detroit, and festivals featuring Afrobeats-heavy lineups, such as Promiseland in Australia.

However, this global boom has fostered a culture of hype that often outpaces reality. The genre’s live business has grappled with signs of stagnation over the past year, as the initial surge in success starts to plateau. As Hallett puts it, “It’s stalling,” explaining, among other things, that a lack of collaboration among top-tier artists is a critical barrier to the sustained growth of Afrobeats. “Everyone wants to be king,” he explains. This mentality – while celebrating individual success – has stifled the movement’s collective progress.

In parallel, Clementine Bunel at Wasserman Music admits, “There were so many different success stories happening at once, then artists began replicating each other’s success – choosing the same venues: Brixton, then the O2, then Wembley, etc.” While this was a testament to the talent pool, it led to predictability, which unfortunately dulled demand.

Bunel agrees that Afrobeats’ live business has reached a ceiling and must rethink fresh approaches to re-excite audiences.

Andy Anderson, head of North America at Mavin Records, echoes those sentiments, citing inflated expectations as a major threat to the Afrobeats live business. He notes it’s a costly misconception to assume that streaming success directly translates into packed arenas. “You have to build touring brick by brick,” he cautions, while also emphasising the economic strain on concertgoers. “A $40 ticket isn’t just $40,” he explains. “There’s parking, drinks, babysitting – and then it becomes a $150 night out.”

“It’s about finding a sustainable rhythm. It’s not a downturn – it’s reality. And that’s a good thing”

Bunel believes that solutions may lie in diversifying live performance opportunities. “We have to cross over into festival circuits,” she explains. Festivals expose artists to new audiences beyond their core fans, and breaking through this plateau requires embracing crossover opportunities that build new audiences.

“Touring is about economies of scale,” Anderson comments. “Doing one-off arena shows costs too much unless you’re selling out every seat. Yet many artists are diving into venues they can’t fill.” Beyond the toll these missteps take on profitability, they also erode momentum.

For Koram, however, the slowdown in the Afrobeats scene isn’t a crisis but rather a necessary correction. “There was too much being thrown at it,” he reflects. “Now, it’s about finding a sustainable rhythm. It’s not a downturn – it’s reality. And that’s a good thing.”

Indeed, Koram sees this moment as another coming-of-age for Afrobeats, noting, “These artists built themselves without a full industry infrastructure. Now we know the limits. From here, we grow naturally and sustainably.”

He adds, “Where we go from here depends on the continent. It’s about infrastructure – venues.” Sam Gill from Earth Agency echoes this perspective, emphasising the need for quality control to sustain hype. “Artists like Burna Boy are setting the standard with full bands and high production values. Others are learning how to evolve from club gigs to arena stages,” he says.

“You can’t hop on a tour bus and play multiple cities across Africa or Nigeria. It’s not possible… yet”

Rush
The dearth of proper performance venues in Lagos, Nigeria – the epicentre of Afrobeats – illustrates the paradox of Afrobeats artists headlining arenas and stadiums across Europe and America, while the home base is lacking. “The top venue in Lagos is Eko Hotel,” Koram points out. “It’s a banqueting hall. Beautiful but not exactly built for live music. Most artists never experience proper venues until they tour abroad.”

Without these foundational infrastructures, many artists are thrust into high-profile tours before they’ve had the chance to develop the stagecraft to match their growing fame. “When an Afrobeats artist first tours Europe, they might already be selling 2,000 to 3,000 tickets. But back home, they’ve never had the chance to build expertise, so you have an issue where the artist’s profile doesn’t match the experience,” Koram explains. The lack of a domestic touring circuit only exacerbates the issue: “You can’t hop on a tour bus and play multiple cities across Africa or Nigeria. It’s not possible… yet.”

Koram continues, “Artists need venues where they can hone their craft. That’s how you build experience to match the hype. For the young artists we work with, we often start by sending them to smaller venues and clubs to learn the trade.”

However, the absence of a requisite live infrastructure back home means that these artists don’t get the same level of seasonal experience that they do in the studio. Touring, after all, is a completely different beast.

This slow-burn approach to development is something Bunel is working around firsthand with The Cavemen.

“We’ve gone back to basics,” she says, “playing small venues, working festivals, doing the right support shows, and gradually stepping up.”

“You need to make sure the fans are on that journey with you”

She recalls a particularly memorable performance in South London, where the crowd had never heard The Cavemen’s music. “The audience circled them, and it was electric,” Clementine recalls. That show proved to be a turning point, where word-of-mouth spread, and soon after, other festival organisers were reaching out to book the band. “That’s the magic of organic growth,” she reflects, “and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the audience build itself.”

Gill corroborates this, having also witnessed how building an audience organically is proving to be an effective business model. “Joshua Baraka’s first show sold out a 250-cap venue in 2024,” he recalls, noting that the artist is now aiming for a 600-cap venue later this year.

“Every show builds upon the last,” continues Gill. This same principle has been applied to artists like Omah Lay, whom Gill worked with from his first 500-capacity show to now playing 5,000-capacity venues across Europe. “You need to make sure the fans are on that journey with you,” he notes, underscoring the importance of delivering a show that justifies the ticket price as the artist’s fan base grows.

African queen
One shining example of strategic and steady growth is Tems. “She’s crushing it, playing rooms that match her strength,” Anderson says. Koram adds, “She’s going to be a fantastic touring artist.”

In a similar vein, Hallett draws attention to the success of Francophone acts like Fally Ipupa, whose recent streak of sold-out concerts is a testament to the increasing global appeal of African music beyond Afrobeats.

Hallett recounts Ipupa selling out the 40,000-capacity Paris La Défense Arena, followed by 10,000 tickets sold in London, 5,000 in Amsterdam, and even more in cities like Dusseldorf and Berlin. “It was hard to get French-language music accepted in international markets. Now people are accepting it,” he says, emphasising how the landscape for African music is widening.

“One thing we have to remember is that Africa is not a country. We don’t box European music in the same way as we talk about African music”

“One thing we have to remember is that Africa is not a country,” Hallett continues. “We don’t box European music in the same way as we talk about African music.”

Gill expands on this point, by underscoring the rise of Afropop acts like Sauti Sol, Bien, Joshua Baraka, etc. “I wouldn’t class any of those as Afrobeats,” he says, noting that their shows attract a different crowd than traditional Afrobeats fans.

For Gill, the growing global acceptance of African music is opening doors for a variety of styles to thrive. He also observes a stark difference in audience dynamics: “I find that there’s quite a wide difference between a Ghanaian audience and a Nigerian audience within the UK, in terms of who’s going to come out to those shows.”

This nuanced understanding of the audience is important when marketing concerts and festivals. Gill states, “We still put up flyers at barbershops with a high footfall of Nigerians or Ghanaian takeout places.” He notes that Afrobeats is a community-driven genre, and marketing efforts must meet the community where they gather.

However, Hallett counters, “We still need more mainstream media appearances to fully break in,” stressing that while community-driven marketing is effective, broader exposure is still necessary for full-scale success.

Nevertheless, Gill promotes the importance of artistic input in these strategies. “The artist has to be engaging,” he says, as fans want to feel a personal connection with the artists they support. This view is complemented by Anderson, who highlights the triangle of trust that exists between artists, promoters, and fans. “The fans are connected to the artist first, while they [fans] are also connected to the promoter,” he explains. This web of connections is what drives the success of African music globally, allowing it to move beyond niche circles into the mainstream. Everyone has an important role to play.

“My biggest challenge is convincing artists and their managers to do the buildup work”

Calm down
Afro Nation’s Koram tables a crucial concern in navigating Afrobeats’ live business: representation. “When you’re dealing with newer acts, sometimes they don’t even have an agent, and the finer details of a deal are missed,” he says. This issue,
which often stems from inexperience or miscommunication, means that once the deal is finalised, important modalities like tax implications, hotels, and other logistical considerations may be overlooked, which has led to many missed opportunities.

Koram also sheds light on the issue of trust that often arises in the early stages of working with Afrobeats artists. “When an artist first gets to know us, this makes them always think we’re trying to rip them off,” he says, shedding light on the issue of trust that often arises in the early stages of working with Afrobeat artists. This scepticism, though rooted in a lack of experience in the international touring scene, also reflects the broader challenge of navigating the complexities of Afrobeats in global markets. “It’s difficult at the start, but we’ve learned to be thick-skinned about it,” Koram adds.

Ropo Akin advises that the high costs associated with international touring – flights, visas, and other logistics – require a deep understanding of the global market, something that many Afrobeats artists are still adjusting to. For him, “It’s important not to take these things personally but to see them as an opportunity to learn how to balance cultural expectations with the logistical realities of touring.”

Gill’s concerns also involve expectations. “I’ve seen it time and again – artists thinking they can suddenly sell thousands of tickets just because they’re part of a successful genre like Afrobeats,” he says. He warns of the risk and potential ripple effect of overpricing tickets or booking too large a venue too soon. “You lose bets with the promoters and the venue, which makes it hard to secure subsequent festival opportunities. So the approach has to be sensible,” Gill advises.

Bunel also acknowledges the issue of managing artists’ ambitions versus their market readiness.

“My biggest challenge is convincing artists and their managers to do the buildup work,” she says.

“If an artist’s first show doesn’t sell out, it can be hard to convince festivals to book them”

In her experience, there’s a delicate balance between playing too small a venue and overestimating one’s appeal with a larger, overpriced venue. “I’m not a fan of going straight to a big venue at a high ticket price for the first show,” she comments. Instead, she prefers finding the “sweet spot” – a venue that is manageable but has the potential to sell out and create an event that people will talk about. She believes that this approach is vital for gaining the trust of promoters and festival organisers. “If an artist’s first show doesn’t sell out, it can be hard to convince festivals to book them because they’ll see the numbers and know the show wasn’t a success, which makes our job as booking agents tougher” she explains.

Addressing venue choice, Anderson has a pragmatic perspective. “You do arenas when you can tour and do 30 arenas,” he says, underscoring the economics of scale that reduce production costs when spread across multiple shows. He contrasts this with the common misstep of Afrobeats artists attempting a one-off arena show without the draw to fill it. “You still have to build out an arena-sized stage and sound for just the lower bowl,” he explains, highlighting that even a partially filled arena requires full production investment.

The consequences are clear: if ticket sales fall short, promoters quickly peg the artist’s market value, often to their detriment. Anderson cites an example of Ken Carson playing four sold-out nights at Terminal 5 in New York – an approach that saw him sell 12,000 tickets across multiple intimate high-demand events. By generating buzz and selling out quickly, Carson captured the attention of festival promoters.

Ultimately, Anderson warns, “promoters are always watching ticket sales.” They prioritise artists who can drive early-bird purchases and strong presales, which fuel cash flow for major festivals.

As a result, the ability of African artists to match venue size with realistic demand isn’t just about profitability – it directly influences future opportunities and their credibility within the live music circuit.

Get it right
In addition to managing expectations around venue choices and ticket pricing, Bunel highlights the challenge of securing the right partnerships in different territories.

“I’ve found that some promoters can be reluctant to co-promote, especially when they feel they have ownership of the scene,” she reveals. This adds another layer of complexity, as artists’ ambitions may clash with the realities of a brutally competitive scene. “There’s a lot of pride in this business,” she notes. “And sometimes, it feels like the bigger agencies are seen as the ‘bad guys’ who don’t really get the scene.”

“There’s clearly a rise in popularity in particular markets such as Japan – which has large Amapiano dance communities and events”

This tension depicts the fine line between ambition and the need for collaboration, especially when navigating a global market that is still catching up to the growth of African music.

Such growth opportunities were drilled into by Koram who focussed on regions often overlooked in mainstream discourse. “I always thought Asia would be the toughest,” he admits, noting Tyla’s current form in that market as an exception.

Tyla’s agent is Ishsha Bourguet at UTA. “There’s clearly a rise in popularity in particular markets such as Japan – which has large Amapiano dance communities and events, and a new festival called Afrojam that showcases a range of acts,” she says.

In addition to naming Australia and the UAE as markets where the diaspora sees Afrobeats demand growing, Bourguet cites, “India as another huge market, with acts such as CKay earning a platinum certificate, and even South Korea, where Burna Boy went viral, Tyla headlined a festival in 2024, and where K-pop artists are taking inspiration from the genre for their music and styling.”

But for Koram, the Middle East presents a more immediate and dynamic opportunity.

Indeed, with recent visa policy shifts easing entry for African artists, Koram sees a resurgence on the horizon. “I think it’s going to really explode again in the next few years,” he predicts. And his long-term vision extends to South America where significant Black populations create a strong case for Afrobeats.

“Latin people often feel marginalised, but Black Latin communities experience an added layer of invisibility”

He also draws attention to the layered cultural dynamics, “Latin people often feel marginalised, but Black Latin communities experience an added layer of invisibility,” says Koram. Connecting Afrobeats to this diaspora, he argues, will help to unlock both the potential of Latin markets and, by extension, deeper penetration into America, where Latin culture exerts massive influence already. “That’s the key to us unlocking America,” he asserts, pointing to collaborations like Asake’s track with Brazilian star Ludmilla as early signs of what’s possible. He also believes Ayra Starr’s successful festival debut at C6 Fest in São Paulo, Brazil in 2024, is a sign of growing appetite.

Elsewhere, Anderson regards Europe as a particularly favourable terrain for Afrobeats due to its ease of travel and interconnected Schengen countries, which simplify logistics and reduce costs. He notes the growing influence of Paris as the impending global capital of Afrobeats.

Meanwhile, Hallett doubles down on Fally Ipupa’s sold-out streak across multiple French cities like Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes, and Lille. And he also cites Burna Boy’s upcoming headline concert promoted by Robomagic at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France this Easter, in partnership with Akin’s Whytelion/Cokobar.

Bunel flags rising costs, driven by post-Covid touring dynamics, that have made many artists, especially emerging ones, less enthusiastic about playing live. For up-and-coming talent like The Cavemen, her strategy has been to prioritise exposure over immediate profit.

Early on, she opted to bypass promoters and booked shows directly with venues. This allowed the act to fill rooms and generate buzz before working bigger venues with promoters.

Anderson states that it’s not just about strategy – timing, connections, and a bit of luck also play a role. He gives the example of Ayra Starr, who toured with Coldplay for the Australia and New Zealand leg of their Music of the Spheres World Tour. However, beyond the crowds and the prestige, there’s a simple but often overlooked principle: professionalism matters. Being easy to work with, reliable, and adaptable can turn a one-time opportunity into a series of tour dates across continents. And Starr’s initial engagement with Coldplay has since blossomed into more opportunities, with the band’s UK and US tour legs now included in her schedule.

“Africa is going to keep producing the talent. We’ve got such a young, vibrant population”

Ahead of the beat
On Afrobeats’ future, Gill is optimistic, particularly regarding the increasing presence of Afrobeats artists in major European festivals.

“What we’re beginning to see, especially with top-tier artists, is their crossover into major festivals across different countries,” he says. “There are limited slots on these stages, but the reality is that some of the biggest festivals in Europe are now booking some of the biggest Afrobeats stars, and that’s really exciting to see.”

In 2024, events like Wireless and Roskilde booked several major Afrobeats artists, with other events now adding more Afrobeats talent to their lineups, depicting a broader acceptance and integration of Afrobeats into the global music scene.

According to Koram, “Africa is going to keep producing the talent. We’ve got such a young, vibrant population,” he says. But while talent abounds, Akin highlights the importance of building the right infrastructure to support this growing wave of artists. “We need to provide domestic infrastructure. That is the key,” he stresses. “Talent is there, but without the infrastructure, progress may be slow.”

Koram is similarly optimistic and highlights Odumodublvck’s linkup with footballer Declan Rice that gave Afrobeats an interesting facelift. “You’ve got Declan Rice, a white guy, singing that song word for word. Those clips go viral […] and then it’s a big thing,” he says.

“We just need to strengthen the core”

Such virality demonstrates the power of Afrobeats to transcend cultural and language barriers, something Koram has also experienced with artists like Asake, whose music resonates with people across different cultures. “I have my friends from different cultures singing in Yoruba, word for word. I’m looking at them like, ‘You don’t even understand what this guy is saying.’ But it feels good; it sounds good,” he says.

However, both Koram and Akin contend that the future success of Afrobeats requires more than just talent and a passionate fanbase. It also needs a solid framework for artist development.

Koram draws inspiration from the infrastructure seen in other global music machinery like K-pop and Disney, both of which have structured systems for nurturing talent. “We might not need to replicate Disney Club, but we need a structured pipeline where there are people in front of the artist in an actual show environment,” he states, envisioning a model that allows artists to grow gradually, performing in a range of venues from small clubs to massive arenas.

“In London, I know there’s a venue for 500, a venue for 1,500, for 3,000, a venue for 5,000, 10,000 to 15,000, and then there’s stadiums,” he says. “That’s how you build an artist, that’s the process, and we’ve got that in every city, in every country.”

Koram concludes that Afro Nation has already taken steps to establish the infrastructure needed for sustained growth. “We have secured partnerships that will enable us replicate such a solid structure locally” he reports. “And as my colleague, Obi Asika, co-founder of Afro Nation, would say, we just need to strengthen the core.”

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Some of the top agents in the international live music business have revealed the emerging market they’re most excited about in 2025.

In the new year straw poll conducted by IQ, four different territories emerged, with Africa topping the list.

Africa
Africa’s potential for growth is perhaps best signalled by the number of live entertainment giants that expanded in the market in the past 12 months.

Last summer, Ticketmaster enhanced its presence in Africa by acquiring its leading ticketing platform Quicket, with the firm’s president Mark Yovich declaring “a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment”.

Meanwhile, parent company Live Nation announced two major venue projects in the territory including South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome (cap. 10,500), which is set to open in Johannesburg this month and a new 12,000-cap arena, opening in Lagos, Nigeria, in late 2025 with the help of Oak View Group.

These venues will fill critical gaps in their respective markets – where infrastructure has been sorely lacking – making touring a more viable prospect.

“I think the new arena in Lagos is a game changer that will result in more opportunities throughout the continent,” WME’s Tony Goldring tells IQ. “I’m most excited about the potential for artists to tour Africa.”

One Fiinix Live’s Jon Ollier is equally excited about the long-term development of Africa’s live music market.

“It is my belief that this market will really mature over the next 10 years and with such a huge population and emerging middle class the opportunities could be endless,” he tells IQ. “The influence that this market has on global recorded music and culture is already profound, so think of the impact it could have on live music!”

UTA’s Jules de Lattre echoes these thoughts, adding: “We are seeing significant recorded music growth fuelled by a rise in paid streaming subscribers. There is huge potential for growth in the region which should in turn impact the development of live infrastructures in major Sub-Saharan countries. I’m excited about all developments in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

“I think the new arena in Lagos is a game changer that will result in more opportunities throughout the continent”

India
India has successfully staked its claim as a global entertainment hub in the past 12 months, enticing a growing number of international stars and festival brands to the country.

Thanks to growing access to the internet and rapidly increasing demand for large-scale events, India’s meteoric growth looks set to continue.

“A few years ago there were hardly any international artists playing shows there…” says WME’s Josh Javor. “Within 12 months you now have Lollapalooza festival, Bandland festival, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Bryan Adams, Cigarettes After Sex and Dua Lipa all with successful shows.”

This year, Coldplay are set to play their biggest-ever shows at the 100,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad while Ed Sheeran will embark on his biggest-ever run in India – underscoring the country’s thirst for A-list artists.

“The record-breaking shows by Coldplay and the development of festival properties like Lollapalooza India, and the growth of the domestic music scene, are a few of the results of the continued investment and development of the live music infrastructure and music industry,” UTA’s Carlos Abreu tells IQ. “I feel that India is a market which we’re going to see growing tremendously in 2025 and beyond.”

“I hope Ukraine will be an emerging market again, that would excite me most if it happened”

Ukraine
“I hope Ukraine will be an emerging market again, that would excite me most if it happened,” Wasserman Music’s Alex Hardee tells IQ.

Amid curfews, bomb threats and a lack of infrastructure due to Russia’s ongoing invasion, Ukraine’s music industry has been defiant in adapting to the unprecedented circumstances.

In August 2023, Atlas programmer Vladyslav Yaremchuk told IQ: “Concerts are happening everywhere, even in frontline cities in shelters, even in trenches.”

The following year, Atlas festival took place for the first time since the Russian invasion in Kyiv’s Blockbuster Mall, with the underground car park to be used as a shelter in the event of an air siren.

On a larger scale, local pop artist Artem Pivovarov performed three sold-out shows at Kyiv Sports Palace, drawing 10,000 attendees each night.

Music Export Ukraine’s Dartsya Tarkovska called his most recent run “a great success story to note in these wild times”.

But while Ukraine rebuilds its domestic business, execs such as YOUROPE’s Christof Huber have encouraged the international live music industry not to forget about the ongoing war.

Central Asia
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, live music executives from the former country have migrated to neighbouring countries leading to an increase in live music activities in Central Asia.

Solo’s Charly Beedell-Tuck tells IQ she’s particularly excited about the growth in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

“Music trends are changing there due to the rapidly growing younger population in these countries (unlike most of Central Europe),” says Tuck.

“Increased migration to these countries is also changing the music patterns in these territories and making it a really exciting place to look at servicing with more shows and live music.”

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Live Nation has announced the launch of South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome, which is set to open in Johannesburg in January 2025.

The company is partnering with Stadium Management South Africa and Gearhouse South Africa on the 10,500-cap state-of-the-art venue in the suburb of Nasrec.

Live Nation’s first permanent venue in Africa, The Dome is adjacent to the FNB Stadium and will serve as a “hub for local and pan-African talent”. It will highlight genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, dance, pop, hip-hop, and R&B – with a solo headline show by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems confirmed for 20 March next year.

“The Dome fills a critical gap in South Africa’s live entertainment scene, creating a unique space that will support pan-African talent,” says Justin Van Wyk, CEO at Live Nation South Africa, which will promote and produce the venue’s events. “The venue will provide new opportunities to connect emerging and established artists with a new demographic of South African fans.”

The Dome can be set up in various configurations including end stage, side stage and centre stage, and has doors that can be opened on both sides – allowing a free flow of people between the interior and exterior spaces and offering a range of viewing points.

The multi-purpose venue can also be used for conferences, exhibitions, banquets and product launches.

“We’re excited about the opportunities this venue will create”

Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA), which will oversee the management of the facility, already looks after South African venues such as FNB Stadium, Rand Stadium, Orlando Stadium and Dobsonville Stadium on behalf of the City of Johannesburg.

“This collaboration with Live Nation and Gearhouse South Africa reflects our shared vision to not only host world-class events but also empower local talent, boost economic growth, and create a vibrant cultural hub in Johannesburg and the Gauteng Province,” says Bertie Grobbelaar, CEO at Stadium Management South Africa.

“We are proud to contribute to a venue that will inspire and connect audiences, artists, and communities across Africa and beyond.”

Ofer Lapid and Nasser Abbas, joint CEOs at Gearhouse South Africa, add: “The collaboration is fuelled by our shared vision, passion, and a commitment to service excellence, and we’re excited about the opportunities this venue will create.”

Live Nation expanded into South Africa in 2016 by acquiring a controlling interest in the country’s largest concert promoter, Big Concerts. Ticketmaster then launched in South Africa in 2022, opening a headquarters in Cape Town, and snapped up ticketing platform Quicket this summer.

The Dome is LN’s second major venue project in Africa to be announced this year. In February, it unveiled plans to open a new 12,000-cap arena in Lagos, Nigeria, in late 2025 with partners including Oak View Group.

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Nine people have been killed and many others injured in a stampede at a concert in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The tragedy unfolded during a performance by gospel singer and pastor Mike Kalambay at the 80,000-cap Stadium of Martyrs in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa on Saturday (27 July).

MediaCongo reports the victims included eight women and a 10-year-old child. National broadcaster RTNC says some of those hurt were admitted to intensive care.

In a statement, Kinshasa governor Daniel Bumba blames “overflows and crowd movements” for the disaster, while the BBC reports that photos taken at the event show scenes of overcrowding.

However, organiser Maajabu Gospel claims that only 30,000 people were in attendance – well below the venue’s capacity. The music management company shared its “deep sadness” at the chaos, which it says occurred “while the law enforcement services were trying to neutralise some troublemakers”.

It is the second tragedy to take place at the stadium in less than two years

Offering its condolences to those affected, it says that national police were in charge of security and had more than 2,000 officers on site. It went on to praise the “quick and professional” response from the emergency services, adding that authorities were working “to shed light on the exact circumstances” of the incident.

Justice minister Constant Mutamba says organisers, as well as police in attendance, are being investigated.

The venue, which regularly hosts major events including music concerts and sport, has been closed until further notice. It is the second tragedy to take place at the stadium in less than two years. Eleven people died in October 2022 following a crush at an overcrowded hometown show by singer-songwriter Fally Ipupa, with two police officers among the victims.

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Ticketmaster has enhanced its presence in Africa with the acquisition of leading ticketing platform Quicket.

The deal will enable Ticketmaster, which launched in South Africa, opening a headquarters in Cape Town in 2022, to further support the growing live events market across the continent.

The partnership with Quicket, known for its self-service platform and event organiser tools, will offer solutions for events of all sizes, with Quicket’s regional expertise in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and Botswana complemented by Ticketmaster’s global reach and service.

It will also enable the expansion of digital technologies, like secure encrypted mobile tickets, across the continent.

“Together, we are igniting a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment”

“Africa is home to some of the most passionate fans in the world who we have the privilege of connecting to the events they love, simply and securely,” says Ticketmaster president Mark Yovich. “Our commitment to delivering top-tier tools for promoters, venues, and artists is unwavering.

“Partnering with Quicket will supercharge our mission to elevate Africa’s dynamic live events to the global spotlight they truly deserve. Together, we are igniting a new era of unparalleled growth for African entertainment.”

Cape Town-based Quicket, which was founded in South Africa in 2011, will continue to operate as a standalone business unit under the leadership of MD James Tagg.

“The passion for live entertainment is at the heart of African culture,” says Tagg. “Over the past 13 years, we’ve empowered event creators across the continent to deliver exceptional experiences through our ticketing platform. Partnering with Ticketmaster marks a landmark moment in connecting African artists to a global audience and enhancing the experience for local fans and promoters alike.”

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Robbie Williams and Green Day have been revealed as Calabash South Africa’s headliners for the touring festival’s second edition, set for January 2025.

Landing in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, the touring event is stretching to two days across two weekends next year, doubling from its single-day programme in the same cities.

The Big Concerts-promoted outing is set to visit Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium (94,736-capacity) — Africa’s biggest stadium — from 18-19 January 2025 and Cape Town’s DHL Stadium (55,000) from 22-23 January 2025. The festival announced the 2025 event aspires to etch “a new chapter in South Africa’s rock ‘n’ roll legacy.”

UK superstar Williams’ headlining set marks his first gigs in the country since 2006, when he opened his Close Encounters world tour with three sold-out stadium shows in Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban.

The festival will mark Green Day’s inaugural show in the country. In May, the Grammy-award-winning group will embark on The Savior Tour, performing across US stadiums and UK/European festivals throughout the year.

American punk band The Offspring and local rockers Fokofpolisiekar are set to join the Calabash bill with Green Day, with additional acts to be announced for both days.

“We expeect touring to expand across Africa, with new markets and new venues being added to the touring circuit”

Earlier this year, Maroon 5 led the debut of the festival and was joined by local and international artists including Will Linley, Keane, and Ava Max, among others.

The expansion of the festival could signal a new era for international acts visiting the African nation, with Big Concerts CEO Justin Van Wyk telling IQ the future looks bright for the African market.

“We anticipate a boom in new venue development and also expect touring to expand across Africa, with new markets and new venues being added to the touring circuit to bolster the economics for tours,” he says.

Big Concerts, which was acquired by Live Nation in 2016, is promoting shows by James Blunt, Kool & The Gang, and Cigarettes After Sex within the next year.

A new two-day country music festival, the ‘biggest outside the US’, will also take place in Cape Town’s DHL Stadium this October.

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Africa’s first purpose-built arena is set to open in Lagos, Nigeria, at the end of next year.

The $100 million arena will have capacity for 12,000 and is projected to host 200 events each year, including concerts, family entertainment, basketball games, UFC fights, boxing matches, WWE shows and more.

The venue will be located on Victoria Island, an affluent area that serves as the main business and financial centre of Lagos.

The consortium delivering the project includes Live Nation, Oak View Group, Tayo Amusan (chairman of real estate company The Persianas Group), the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Yinka Folawiyo (chairman of the Yinka Folawiyo Group), Nigerian investment fund Adino Capital and MBO Capital. The conglomerate today held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site.

“Nigerian artists are some of the most influential in the world right now and yet they have nowhere to play in their home market,” says Oak View Group chairman and CEO, Tim Leiweke. “We want to change that. This consortium, headed by Tayo Amusan, has shown enormous tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit in getting this project off the ground and we are proud to be their partner. The arena will also give major brands – both global and local – the chance to showcase to Nigerian audiences for the first time at over 200 electrifying events per year.”

“Nigerian artists are some of the most influential in the world right now and yet they have nowhere to play in their home market”

John Reid, president of Live Nation EMEA, adds: “We are incredibly excited to be part of the consortium delivering this groundbreaking arena in Lagos. Nigeria and Africa more broadly present massive opportunities to touring artists when it comes to connecting with their global audiences. This brand new 12,000 capacity venue will open up Nigeria to international stars, and Nigerian artists will benefit hugely from having an arena to showcase their talents in front of a home audience.”

While Nigerian superstars such as Burna Boy, Davido and Wizkid continue to fill arenas and stadiums across the world, their home country lacks the venues needed to match their success.

Until now, artists have had to perform at hotel complexes such as Eko Convention Center (cap. 6,000) and Balmoral Convention Center (4,500) in Lagos, according to the Global Arena Guide 2023.

For larger concerts, temporary venues are built in outdoor spaces such as Muri Okunola Park on Victoria Island and Tafawa Balewa Square, a former horseracing track in the centre of the commercial district and the spot where Nigerians celebrated their independence in 1960.

The new Lagos arena will develop ancillary businesses around entertainment and sports and is expected to create over 1,500 direct and indirect jobs.

The first-of-its-kind venue will serve Nigeria’s young and rapidly growing population of over 220 million.

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Ghana has been announced as the latest destination for Move Afrika – the new annual, multi-country tour bidding to change the face of live entertainment in Africa.

Created by international advocacy organisation Global Citizen, the pan-African touring circuit debuted last month in Rwanda with a headline performance by Kendrick Lamar at the sold-out BK Arena in Kigali. The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s creative imprint pgLang will serve as curator of Move Afrika up to 2028.

Each year, additional countries will be added to the tour schedule, which aims to expand to three countries in 2024, and five countries by 2025. Its return to Rwanda has already been confirmed, with Accra, Ghana now also coming on board as a host city this year.

“We are delighted to join Rwanda in becoming the next destination for Global Citizen’s multi-year, multi-market pan-African tour and expect continued impact in the years ahead,” says H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana. “Today, we celebrate this milestone for Ghana. We look forward to future announcements on this growing cohort of Move Afrika destinations.”

Further details, including event dates and lineups, will be announced in the coming months.

“We are honoured to bring Move Afrika to Ghana,” says Global Citizen’s chief vision officer Kweku Mandela. “Our partnership with the Ghanaian and Rwandan governments will showcase the best of African creative talent to the world, while generating economic investment into the local creative economy, which will have a lasting impact across the continent for years to come.”

“We visited Accra for the first time in 2022 and really connected with the people and the culture”

The events are designed to increase demand from international and regional artists to tour the region, and build local capacity, create jobs and scale the live entertainment sector within host cities.

Move Afrika is Global Citizen’s latest effort to address the world’s inequities by creating job and entrepreneurship opportunities through live events. Its previous events in Africa include: Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, which brought Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Usher, Eddie Vedder and Chris Martin to Johannesburg, South Africa in 2018 and Global Citizen Festival: Accra in 2022, which featured performances from Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyakie, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, TEMS and Uncle Waffles.

“We visited Accra for the first time in 2022 and really connected with the people and the culture,” says a statement by pgLang. “Accra will always be a special place for us and we are excited to work with Move Afrika and expand our efforts to Ghana.”

Liz Agbor-Tabi, VP of global policy for Global Citizen, says the organisation is pairing experts with local technical partners to develop expertise in the region.

“We’re doing a lot of work to upskill the talent on the ground,” Agbor-Tani tells Semafor. “We’re showing to the world and investors that there is talent on the continent.”

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