Ed Sheeran’s groundbreaking tour stops in South Asia have helped pave the way for other artists to visit the region, promoter Simon Jones tells IQ.

Sheeran, who is represented by agent Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live, brought his globe-trotting – +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour to six cities in India between 30 January and 15 February for his biggest-ever run in the country, organised by AEG Presents Asia and BookMyShow Live.

The dates were preceded by the 34-year-old Brit’s bow in Bhutan, where he made history as the first-ever international artist to perform in the Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge.

Jones, AEG’s SVP of international touring, details how the latter gig – which took place at the 23,000-cap Changlimithang Stadium in the country’s capital, Thimphu, on 24 January – became a reality.

“We were in a bar in Mumbai with Ed and [manager] Stuart Camp the night before his sold out Mumbai show at Mahalaxmi Race Course last year. And he said that he was having such a great time in India that he wanted to come back properly, and do a full tour; in as many places as possible,” recalls Jones. “Our eyes widened when we realised he was being deadly serious, so we took his word for it, went away and delivered one.”

He adds: “My partner on Ed’s tours in Asia, [newly promoted AEG Presents, Europe and Asia-Pacific president/CEO] Adam Wilkes, had built a new relationship with the Bhutan government and Royal Family, and since Covid they have wanted to open up their country more and become a tourism destination, and they had a strong will to attract some major artists to come and play their country.

“They have significant global ambitions, all whilst maintaining their integrity and remarkable status of the worlds first carbon-negative country. After numerous discussions, we explored the options with them and presented it to Jon Ollier and Stuart Camp.”

“The King of Bhutan said that he wanted Ed to be the first international artist to perform in Bhutan”

Tickets started from US$10, although tourists attending the concert had to pay Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) – a $100 daily levy designed to help preserve the country’s unique environment and culture.

“There were lots of logistical hurdles the team had to work through to take on something this ambitious,” notes Jones. “The country is the most mountainous country in the world set amongst the Himalayan mountains, but there’s a lot of trust within the team that we knew that we could all collectively pull it off.

“After many months of planning, and once everyone was in market, and the shows were happening, the whole team truly appreciated how much of an important event it was for Bhutan. Everyone was a part of history. The King of Bhutan said that he wanted Ed to be the first international artist to perform in Bhutan, as he shares the same values as Ed, which is a beautiful thing.”

Sheeran continued to break boundaries as the outing switched to India for stops in Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Shillong and Delhi, playing to more than 120,000 fans. While the singer-songwriter had previously played Mumbai in 2015 and 2017, Jones was convinced a multi-market tour was a viable proposition.

“Wherever Ed wants to go, however unique and ambitious it may sound, we’ll go and deliver it for him, as his partner,” he explains. “This feat had never been done before by an international artist, of this scale with an artist of this magnitude. We were all charting new ground; that’s AEG, Ed and our partners Ashish Hemrajani and Naman Pugalia at BookMyShow [BMS].

“Ed wanted to return as soon as possible after his Mumbai show and to cover as much ground as was feasible. He wanted to take his music to interior India, and we’re glad he did, as the positive impact that the tour has had is going to be felt for a long time. That’s why Stuart Camp and Jon Ollier have been such great partners over the years for us. And also what makes Stuart such a great manager; his unwavering support of Ed’s vision is why he has steered such a successful ship for all of his career, developing so many markets that many other artists do not even think of.”

“We have been hit up by managers and agents asking us how we achieved it, and how they want to replicate it”

Despite hosting the largest stadium shows of the 21st century last month with Coldplay’s two 111,000-cap Music of the Spheres World Tour gigs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India’s prime minister recently spoke of the country’s need to improve its infrastructure to maximise its concert economy, while BMS’ Hemrajani likened the current state of India’s entertainment framework to building an airline without an airport.

Nevertheless, Hemrajani says Sheeran’s visit shows the India market at-large has “come of age”.

“The success and expanse of the tour puts the spotlight on India as a country where major artists can successfully tour multiple cities, much like in other critical must-play global markets anywhere in the world,” he says.

Jones shares his personal experiences of the challenges involved.

“Bengaluru is a fast developing market, and so is New Delhi, but some way behind Mumbai,” he says. “There is infrastructure in the major cities, but building and trucking an outdoor stadium show in Shillong and outdoor sites in remote cities like Chennai, is unfathomably challenging. You can’t easily get replacement parts for when things go wrong, and you can’t very easily come across additional expertise. So when you’re faced with issues, you need a very flexible and understanding artist team, which thankfully Ed’s team are, and also a very equipped promoter and partner team, which our AEG and BMS teams are.

“With all of that said, there were many recces undertaken to ensure we were as prepared as possible with the best possible team working on it.”

He continues: “I see many artists wanting to take the leap into playing multi-city interior India tours, now that Ed has paved the way showing that it can work. We have been hit up by managers and agents asking us how we achieved it, and how they want to replicate it. It’s all positive.”

“In Shillong, India, there were so many challenges thrown at us, some that threatened to derail the entire show”

The Arthur Award-winning promoter, who namechecks colleagues Shine Zhou (VP, AEG Presents Asia), Bryan Mosko (tour director) and Dan Mosley (head of production) for their “tireless” efforts on the shows, ranks the Bhutan and Shillong dates – the latter of which saw Sheeran draw close to 30,000 fans to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium – among his career highlights.

“The stadium shows in Bhutan and in Shillong will both be a core memory for me for decades to come,” he says. “I sent many messages to people dropping a pin of my location to show exactly how remote these shows were.

“The Bhutan stadium show was emotional for many reasons not just because of the crescendo of how much work had gone in by everyone on our collective teams to make happen, but primarily because of how plainly obvious how important the show was for the country and its future.

“And in Shillong, India, there were so many challenges thrown at us, some that threatened to derail the entire show, and the collective will to ensure the show happened, made for an ever more special show. I think I have aged ten years in the past three weeks!”

The – +–=÷× Tour also encompassed six sell-out shows in Hangzhou from 24 February-2 March – marking Sheeran’s first visit to mainland China in a decade, which wrapped up last night. Next, he heads to the Middle East for dates at the inaugural Off-Limits Festival in Abu Dhabi (26 April), Lusail Multipurpose Hall in Doha, Qatar (30 April) and Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre in Sakhir, Bahrain (2 May), prior to a catalogue of European gigs from May to August.

Last year saw the hitmaker set multiple ticket sales records the world over, with destinations including Bahrain, the UAE, India, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Baltic States, Malta, Romania and Cyprus.

“It’s something that he’s always wanted to do,” Ollier told IQ in late 2024. “It’s a gift we’ve been given to be able to do it, because not a lot of people can go and play all of those places. We have to plan these things years in advance and potentially doing it right in the midst of the cost of living crisis and war in Europe and all the rest of it, was incredibly challenging.

“If we’d have had more foresight, you’d perhaps sidestep these things, but we went and did it and it was a great success. It is key to his vision, because he wants to get as far and wide and visit as many fans as he possibly can.”

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The 2020-21 period is best forgotten for most, but one of the more positive legacies of the pandemic years for the touring community was the emergence of a wave of new independent booking agencies.

Whether by choice or necessity, the UK gained the likes of Mother Artists, One Fiinix Live, Route One Booking, Marshall Live Agency, Runway Artists and Playbook Artists; the US welcomed Arrival Artists, Mint Talent Group, TBA Agency and Paladin Artists; and the Spanish agency landscape expanded with Rebel Beat Agency.

As we approach the fifth anniversary of the Covid-enforced live music shutdown, almost all are still in operation – at odds with the broader market’s shift towards consolidation – providing an opportune juncture for IQ to take stock with a selection of the indie nation’s key players.

Among the most high-profile new entrants on the scene was One Fiinix Live. Founded by Ed Sheeran agent Jon Ollier in 2020 after nearly six years with CAA, the firm’s acts also include 2Cellos, Calum Scott, Picture This, Black Stone Cherry and Tash Sultana.

Ollier declares himself more than satisfied with its work to date.

“We’re achieving everything that we set out to achieve,” he reports. “I didn’t have a particularly grandiose vision when I started out because I didn’t know whether we were going to be in it for the long haul or whether I was just going to do something for a short period of time to see us through the pandemic before going back into another company.”

“Hopefully the few of us that have set up have been able to show big artists that the service is just as good as other agencies”

One Fiinix expanded its horizons last year with the hirings of US-based agents John Pantle and Bex Wedlake.

“Culturally it is how I envisaged it,” says Ollier. “We have a group of people that pull each other through and fight for each other.”

Natasha Gregory departed Paradigm (now Wasserman Music) in late 2020 to launch Mother Artists with her brother Mark Bent. The award-winning company’s roster includes acts such as IDLES, Amy Macdonald, The Teskey Brothers, CMAT, Ry X, Blair Davie and Foster the People.

“Maybe there are more options outside of the big corporates now, and hopefully the few of us that have set up have been able to show big artists that the service is just as good as other agencies,” muses Gregory. “You need to deliver a good service for your artist and that can be very difficult when you have 80 acts on the roster. I find it easier when it’s a smaller team, but there’s space for everyone.”

Nevertheless, Gregory plays down the impact of the proliferation of indies on the wider agency business.

“I’m not sure it’s changed the industry; I’m not sure the industry will ever change,” she tells IQ. “I don’t begrudge or look negatively at how any agency runs, no matter what size. The way I look at it is that there is a place for every person that suits themselves, their character, their needs, their meaning of success and their ambition. And then there are artists that fit into a service that they like in terms of how they want to be looked after and what’s important to them.”

“What the pandemic kicked into gear was the proliferation of indies at the bottom end”

Elsewhere, Runway Artists was set up in the spring of 2020 by former ATC Live agent Matt Hanner, who brought in ex-Primary Talent International veteran Steve Backman the following year.

“One of our big aims was to avoid becoming a small boutique that was largely irrelevant – especially being over in Portsmouth – and that was part of the reason we promptly set up a London office,” remembers Hanner. “We were both coming from established, bigger agencies and were used to operating at that level. The big were getting bigger; the consolidation at the top end of the market was happening, and what the pandemic kicked into gear was the proliferation of indies at the bottom end.”

Other early Runway hires included emerging executives Amy Greig and Dotun Bolaji (now at Primary). Its current artist roster includes …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, A Certain Ratio, Gabriella Cilmi, Future Teens, The Boo Radleys, The Mission, The Wytches and Red Snapper.

“We’ve grown the company, we’ve grown our personnel and we’ve identified younger professional talent who were either a little rough around the edges or had no real experience of the industry,” adds Hanner. “As a result, I think we have kept a seat at the table. We’re up against the ATCs or CAAs of the world when we go in for pitches and I’m not saying we’re winning a lot of them, but that’s the pool we want to be fishing in.

“We’ve also done it within the context of not having any big artists,” he continues. “We’re working a lot with grassroots and developing artists and we have a selection of heritage artists, but nothing huge and so we’re having to cut our cloth accordingly. But we’ve kept going, we’ve kept growing and I think Runway is now a company that people have really heard of which – given the explosion of agencies, especially on the independent side over the last few years – is something to be celebrated.”

“I don’t think you need an international partner to do a good job on an act”

On the subject of overseas partners, Hanner acknowledges the benefits but disputes the assertion they are now essential in the modern agency game.

“I don’t think you need an international partner to do a good job on an act,” he argues. “We represent artists where – even in Europe – we might share them with a Scandinavian agent, for example. We work alongside them and can do a good job for the artist together.

“I think the problem is that it’s a stick to beat people with when you haven’t got an international partner and other people come looking for your artist – the talk of synergies and shared calendars and that sort of thing. And invariably, this is coming from a company that also has a literary department and a screenwriter department and various other things they can dangle in front of you.

“I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all, but if you can pitch internationally then I think it can serve you well in terms of the competition for signing and keeping artists. I appreciate, from a manager’s point of view, why a global pitch would be a sealer.”

Marshall, the British music company best known for its guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets, launched Marshall Live Agency in 2020, helmed by agent Stuart Vallans. Vallans, who represents names like The Meffs, Heavy Lungs, Split Dogs, Pleasureinc, Cucamaras and Carsick, founded boutique agency TRUST. Artists last year and extols the virtues of going it alone.

“It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made: to be able to come and go as I please and run things how I see fit is something that fills me with happiness,” he says.

“Revenues are on the up, ticket sales are increasing across the board and bigger opportunities are opening for bands”

In Vallans’ experience, it is no more difficult to operate as an independent agency in 2025 than when he first started out.

“For us nothing has changed, it’s just been a steady increase in everything we’re doing,” he says. “Revenues are on the up, ticket sales are increasing across the board and bigger opportunities are opening for bands that we’ve been working closely with for several years. A1 forms and withhold tax are still a pain, but it’s part of what we have to do!”

Moreover, Vallans, who is in the process of adding new agents to the TRUST roster, detects a sea change in attitudes among the artist community.

“I think a lot of artists are getting a quite cynical view of big corporates, not only in the agency world but when it comes to all aspects of the industry,” he opines. “We work with so many tight knit teams – often without managers – building artists’ careers based on things we can control rather than hit and hope playlisting, press pitching and posting on socials x amount of times per day. No thanks!

“A lot of bands we work with have been churned out by the corporate system as they weren’t hitting their quota of shows/financial figures. These bands are still in demand and can have careers in music, we’re giving them a home to develop and be the bands that they want to be.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some consolidation at some stage between a few of the agencies, especially some of the one-man bands out there”

Notable happenings in the past couple of years have seen Primary Talent International return to independence following a management buyout, while UK-based indie Earth Agency celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. The sector also suffered a blow with the recent collapse of FMLY.

Looking ahead, Hanner expects further consolidation within the marketplace.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some consolidation at some stage between a few of the agencies, especially some of the one-man bands out there, because there are challenges to running a small business. But I don’t see a bunch of indie agencies giving up in the next few years,” he asserts. “I think people have found there’s an ethos that you might lose at a corporate company, and people have grown accustomed to that and enjoy working in that way.”

Closing on a confident note, Vallans sees the future for indie agencies as “incredibly positive”.

“Indie agencies can continue to flourish, 100%,” he concludes. “We collaborate on so many shows and events with other agencies and it’s great to see.”

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Ed Sheeran has added a raft of new shows to his – +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour for Bhutan, India and Qatar.

The One Fiinix Live-repped act has announced his biggest-ever run in India, visiting six cities at the beginning of next year.

Between 30 January and 15 February 2025, the British star will visit Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Shillong and Delhi, promoted by AEG Presents Asia and BookMyShow Live.

Prior to that, the 33-year-old will deliver a concert in Bhutan, making history as the first-ever international artist to perform in the Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge.

The concert will be held at the 15,000-capacity Changlimithang Stadium in the country’s capital, Thimphu.

Tickets start from as low as US$10, though tourists attending the concert must also pay Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), a US$100 daily levy designed to help preserve the country’s unique environment and culture.

Jon Ollier recently told IQ that Sheeran wants “to get as far and wide and visit as many fans as he possibly can”

Sheeran has also announced his first Qatar show in a decade at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall in Doha on 30 April, as well as his return to Bahrain’s Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre on 2 May, where he performed at the beginning of 2024.

The Mathematics tour, which was launched in 2022, will then conclude with his European stadium dates.

One Fiinix Live founder Jon Ollier recently told IQ that Sheeran wants “to get as far and wide and visit as many fans as he possibly can”.

This year has seen Sheeran set multiple ticket sales records the world over, with destinations including Bahrain, the UAE, India, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Baltic States, Malta, Romania and Cyprus.

“It’s something that he’s always wanted to do,” explained Ollier. “It’s a gift we’ve been given to be able to do it, because not a lot of people can go and play all of those places. We have to plan these things years in advance and potentially doing it right in the midst of the cost of living crisis and war in Europe and all the rest of it, was incredibly challenging.”

Read the full interview here.

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One Fiinix Live founder Jon Ollier has talked the state of the business, breaking talent and Ed Sheeran in a new interview with IQ.

Ollier, who launched the UK-headquartered independent in November 2020, has touched upon an “incredible” year for the company, which represents the likes of Sheeran, 2Cellos, Calum Scott, Picture This, Black Stone Cherry and new signing Tash Sultana.

“We’re achieving everything that we set out to achieve,” he says. “We have a group of people that pull each other through and fight for each other, and we continue to make great strides. I think we’re really coming into our own

“We’re doing more stuff on a much bigger scale than any other independent agency. We’re seeing a lot of our agents develop their careers and push things forward, so I’m very excited about the future.”

The firm has widened its horizons over the last 12 months with the hirings of US-based agents John Pantle and Bex Wedlake.

“We put a lot of investment in at the start of the year and added the whole of the US team less than 12 months ago,” notes Ollier. “We expanded our London office and are seeing the emergence of six or seven acts up to arena level, which is all really positive.

“Obviously, we’re going through what other small businesses are going through in terms of inflation, the budget and the bloodbath that we’ve seen in festivals this year. Those sorts of challenges remain, so it’s a double-edged sword at the moment.”

“I’ve never been of the belief that a whole lot of music discovery goes on at festivals”

Ollier chaired a panel at this year’s ILMC that analysed whether a mid-level touring crisis was emerging amid the boom at the top end of the business. He suggests the main impact is being felt lower down the scale.

“Artists that would tour roughly the same size venues every two years – and do really good business – are the ones we’re seeing struggling at the minute, because people have a finite amount of money in their pocket,” he says.

Ollier reflects on the importance of festivals in an artist’s touring campaign.

“I’ve never been of the belief that a whole lot of music discovery goes on at festivals,” he opines. “As soon as festivals got beyond two or three stages, the idea that you have a captive audience isn’t really true. But what they have always done is help you to establish that cultural identity that comes with having played festivals we consider to be a sort of rite of passage, or that some of the tastemakers and gatekeepers involved in the business would expect you to play in order to demonstrate your cultural relevance.

“The side of it that is really tricky is that each and every manager and client believes they absolutely have to play hundreds of festivals every year – and that can be quite a difficult conversation to have.”

Another concern for the UK sector has been the lack of breaking acts in recent years. While there have been isolated success stories such as The Last Dinner Party, Ollier points out that genuine British mainstream breakthroughs have been thin on the ground.

“We’re not seeing a Chappell Roan or Noah Kahan really break into those upper echelons out of the UK”

“We’re not seeing a Chappell Roan, or a Noah Kahan, or anyone really break into those upper echelons out of the UK since, I guess, Lewis Capaldi,” he says. “I don’t think we’re being helped by the chaos at the labels at the moment. It strikes me they are trying to move their business model to be more like just rights-holders, like publishers are, and have a much less proactive role in an artist’s career.

“They’re putting the responsibility for creating success back onto the artist and the management, and then every time lightning strikes, they jump on it and can really move things along. You see that when you have things like Noah Kahan or Chappell Roan happen, where it comes out of the blue, but it feels more of a lottery. We’re not getting that support. We’re not getting that strategy from the labels.

“It is fun breaking artists, it is fun working with breaking artists, but very few artists are breaking out of the UK at the moment – that’s just a fact.”

On a more positive note, Ollier’s longtime client Ed Sheeran sold more than 600,000 tickets in an hour for his 2025 European +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour, while sales for his French stadium dates were described as “absolutely magnificent”.

“It’s done incredibly well for next year, in a way, more than we anticipated, which is fantastic,” Ollier tells IQ. “There are going to be some other bits and pieces that go on sale over the course of the next few months in other areas of the world, but by and large, it’s business as usual. He will continue to tour. He will be in Europe next year and he doesn’t envisage slowing down any time soon.”

“The short term is never something I’m concerned about… We’ve got to be thinking about what the next five years look like”

This year has also seen Sheeran set multiple ticket sales records the world over, with destinations including Bahrain, the UAE, India, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Baltic States, Malta, Romania and Cyprus.

“It’s something that he’s always wanted to do,” explains Ollier. “It’s a gift we’ve been given to be able to do it, because not a lot of people can go and play all of those places. We have to plan these things years in advance and potentially doing it right in the midst of the cost of living crisis and war in Europe and all the rest of it, was incredibly challenging.

“If we’d have had more foresight, you’d perhaps sidestep these things, but we went and did it and it was a great success. It is key to his vision, because he wants to get as far and wide and visit as many fans as he possibly can.”

In line with the rest of the industry, Ollier is predicting a stacked 2025.

“Next year is going to be a big year, for sure,” he says. “There’s lots going on, but the short term is never something I’m concerned about, because we can see what’s in the pipeline. The thing I’ve always got my eye on is the longer term, and making sure that we don’t lean on big years in the short term. We’ve got to be thinking about what the next five years look like.

“Our ambitions are to remain humble. We want to do a good job for our clients. We want to run a good company and we want to look after our people, and we will hopefully be able to achieve that.”

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Ed Sheeran’s +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour will officially extend to a fourth year after the star confirmed a final slate of 2025 European stadium dates.

The singer-songwriter, who is represented by Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live outside North America, will play shows in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Denmark next year.

The run is currently due to start at Civitas Metropolitano in Madrid on 30 May and conclude in Dusseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena on 5 September, with further announcements to follow. Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday (10 July).

Sheeran also has upcoming 2024 concerts at Polsat Plus Arena in Gdansk, Poland (12-13 July), Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary (20 July), Park 360 in Hradec Kralove, Czechia (27-28 July), Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuania (3-4 August) and the Hipodrom in Zagreb, Croatia (10 August).

“In 2025, Mathematics Tour comes to an end. Gonna be hitting most of the other places we haven’t been to yet”

In addition, he will perform at Austria’s Frequency Festival (14 August), Ušće Park in Belgrade, Serbia (17 August), Romania’s National Arena in Bucharest (24 August), Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria (31 August) and Land of Tomorrow in Larnaca Bay, Cyprus (7-8 September), as well as headlining Brazil’s Rock in Rio on 19 September.

“In 2025, Mathematics Tour comes to an end,” says Sheeran in an Instagram post. “Gonna be hitting most of the other places we haven’t been to yet, but the first dates to go up will be the rest of Europe, more to follow.”

Held in support of Sheeran’s = (2021) and – (2023) albums, the 131-date Mathematics Tour launched in Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin in April 2022. The trek was seventh highest-grossing tour of 2023, according to Pollstar, garnering $268 million from 2.5 million attendees.

Last month, the 33-year-old set a new record in Malta for the largest-ever paid-for concert, with 35,000 fans flocking to Ta’ Qali National Park in Attard – his first-ever performance in the country. Local independent promoters in Bulgaria and Latvia also spoke to IQ about how the tour is breaking ground in their markets.

The full list of 2025 tour dates is as follows:

30 May: Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
6 June: Orange Vélodrome Stadium, Marseille, France
14 June: TBA, Italy, Rome
20 June: Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, France
29 June: MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
5 July: Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany
26 July: Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
2 August: Stadion Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland
8 August: Middenvijver Park, Antwerp, Belgium
16 August: Tarczyński Arena, Wroclaw, Poland
23 August: Strawberry Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
29-30 August: Øresundsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
5 September: Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany

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The litany of challenges facing the live industry – from breaking acts to gaming – came under the microscope in ILMC’s Touring: The Bread & Butter Business session.

Chaired by One Fiinix Live founder Jon Ollier, the panel featured Jan Digneffe of FKP Scorpio Belgium, Mercury Wheels/Live Nation Spain’s Barnaby Harrod, Finland-based Fullsteam founder Rauha Kyyro of FKP and agent Marsha Vlasic, president of Independent Artist Group in the US.

While the top end of the business is booming with record earnings for A-list tours, the discussion focused its attention on the potential crisis emerging in the mid-level.

Kyyro suggested the sector was struggling not only with high ticket prices, but from competition from other forms of media – such as video games.

“I think we’re losing out on a lot of young people going to the shows to get that experience because, well, first of all, the ticket prices are high. And also the market has changed in other ways, too,” she said. “But it actually might be a better 90 minute experience to play Fortnite than to go and see to a little show. If you look at what’s happened with gaming, just as an example, it’s developed so much faster than our live experience has. But the price of the live experience is going up all the time.”

“There’s a whole generation that don’t leave their rooms… They don’t even think about going to a live show”

Vlasic agreed the shift in habits among younger people was an issue.

“There’s a whole generation that don’t leave their rooms, and they know an act by one song,” she said. “They don’t even have the desire to go for the live experience. They’re very content on their group chats and TikTok and just discovering new songs, not artists. And that’s the worrisome generation, because they don’t even think about going to a live show.”

Vlasic added that the reluctance of some artists – particularly those outside the United States – to embrace VIP ticketing was a growing source of frustration.

“VIP is huge,” she said. “We had a package two summers ago that broke every record. But I have artists that just won’t do it. And it’s so frustrating because again, they don’t understand the value of it. It’s actually mostly non American artists that don’t allow it. But it’s such a big source of additional income.”

The subject switched to the topic of festival headliners, as Kyyro warned against an over-reliance on big name talent.

“We gave up on trying to get a seven-figure acts and we just focused on whatever we actually have access to and that the audience actually likes”

“If you’re really dependent on getting those few big names, then that’s going to kill your budget,” she said. “You’re probably not even going to even make any money unless you sell out.

“The key is to build a brand that is not so much dependent on having the number one artist every year. Provinssi, which is a Finnish festival we work with, has been around for over 40 years and it has had its ups and downs. I think the reason it’s now doing so well is that we gave up on trying to get a seven-figure acts and we just focused on whatever we actually have access to and that the audience actually likes. Then it doesn’t need to sell out, but we can still keep it going.”

The rise of joint headline and packaged tours was also touched upon, with Vlasic suggesting the acts do not necessarily have to be a perfect fit.

“As bigger acts are getting off the festivals and going into stadiums, the only way to do it is to piggyback and share the cost of the production,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be completely compatible, it’s just entertainment. When you think of packaging an act… it’s [about], how does this package look in terms of bringing in additional people and different audiences?

“[But] so many of them want to headline on their own and the market is saturated. I don’t know how the summer’s going to do this year – and everybody’s gone on sale so much sooner.”

Some people need to step down from their throne in order to be able to play better venues

While Digneffe applauded the concept, he cautioned that persuading all parties of its merit was easier said than done.

“I think it’s an interesting idea, but you have trouble getting everybody on board,” he said. “If you look at the metal and the hard rock scene, there is a lot more going on and there is a lot more understanding between bands as well.

“We all know it’s an ego business. But I think that some people need to step down from their throne in order to be able to play better venues, and that will make the costs go down. It’s a more fun night for the punter anyway, so I see nothing but advantages. But to get it done, you need everybody on board. You need the agents to be on board. You need the management to be on board.”

“The metal thing is true,” added Harrod. “I went to see four metal bands in a 300-cap club in Barcelona. The kids had a great time.”

There was concern, however, about the lay of the land for breaking acts, and the apparent dearth of viable new headliners. Digneffe believed the focus on global tours was hurting those lower down the food chain.

“If I hear more streaming numbers I’ll go crazy. It’s just maddening – and streaming numbers don’t sell tickets”

“What is frustrating everybody about these world tours is this cherry picking that’s going on all the time,” said Digneffe. “I don’t want to be like a preacher in a church or anything, but the cherry picking also comes with a responsibility to look after the next generation. No one is doing that at the moment and I think that’s a real problem. The promoters that find solutions for that will help keep our business healthy.”

Vlasic lamented the obsession with streaming numbers, arguing they can give a false impression of an artist’s worth on the live scene.

“It’s all about the streaming and if I hear more streaming numbers I’ll go crazy,” she said. “It’s just maddening – and streaming numbers don’t sell tickets. I’ve always prided myself in working with career artists. How do we develop groups? It’s a really frightening thought.”

Harrod, meanwhile, remained hopeful that the tried and tested approach to building rising stars would still bear fruit going forward.

“We have to be proactive,” he said. “We have to get out, we have to support the new acts. Push them, get them out, and that’s it. It’s always been that. Nothing is easy. It’s [about] supporting bands, keeping doing those 200 and 300-cap shows and enjoying them.”

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Independent live music agency One Fiinix Live has announced the appointment of seasoned live music professional Bex Wedlake as its newest agent.

Wedlake, whose appointment is effective immediately, is based in the US but will work closely with company’s UK team.

Her roster includes Black Stone Cherry, Dance Gavin Dance, Dayseeker, Des Rocs, GWAR, Halestorm, Haru Nemuri, Hoobastank, K.Flay, New Years Day, SkyeChristy, The Subways and Tiny Moving Parts. She will represent these artists in international territories outside of North America.

“We are delighted to welcome Bex to our company,” says One Fiinix Live founder and CEO Jon Ollier. “Not only does she bring with her an incredible wealth of experience and a fantastic roster that aligns perfectly with our aspirations, but Bex has time and again spotted and developed new talent with a remarkable hit rate.

“We see Bex as a valuable addition to our team, someone who is incredibly well connected and whose skill set complements that of the existing team very well”

“We see Bex as a valuable addition to our team, someone who is incredibly well connected and whose skill set complements that of the existing team very well. We really feel like we are building something very special here and we are all so excited for Bex to be a part of that.”

London-headquartered One Fiinix Live, which added veteran US agent John Pantle to its ranks last month, was launched by Ollier in November 2020, following his departure from CAA. The UK-based global booking agency represents acts including Ed Sheeran, Ms. Lauryn Hill, 2Cellos, Calum Scott and Hauser.

“This industry is based on human connection and innovation, qualities embraced and celebrated by Jon and the progressive team at One Fiinix Live,” adds Wedlake. “In just three years they have built an agency that embodies expertise, professionalism and respect. I am thrilled to be joining such an exciting and forward-thinking company and I look forward to immersing myself and my clients in a culture of inclusivity and elevation.”

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Independent live music agency One Fiinix Live has announced that veteran US agent John Pantle is joining the company.

Pantle, who was previously a partner at live music specialist Sound Talent Group, will be based in Los Angeles, but will work remotely as part of the agency’s London-based team.

He brings 30 years of industry experience, including two decades as an agent, and has also served as an independent promoter and head of development for the club network division at House of Blues/Live Nation.

Pantle will continue to work with his existing roster of clients, which includes Hatsune Miku, Julieta Venegas, La Santa Cecilia, Natalia Lafourcade and Radwimps, among others.

“This business was built on creative ideas, entrepreneurship and personalities and John has all these attributes”

“This business was built on creative ideas, entrepreneurship and personalities and John has all these attributes,” says One Fiinix Live founder and CEO Jon Ollier. “The passion, drive and work ethic that John possesses is just incredibly infectious and added to his experience in this industry, makes his arrival an incredibly exciting prospect for us.

“John will continue to be based in the US but will work remotely as part of our London-based team and his diverse roster of clients, most of whom he already books internationally, will further extend the global reach of our company.”

One Fiinix Live was launched by Ollier in November 2020, following his departure from CAA. The UK-based global booking agency represents acts such as Ed Sheeran, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Calum Scott, Hauser and 2Cellos.

“In the short span of three years, Jon and his team have transformed the concept of the booking agency into a dream scenario – a team of individuals that infuse intelligence, focus, and flexibility to the modern-day challenges of the musician and creator,” says Pantle. “Our future requires a deep understanding on innovative concepts, and this opportunity to spread the gospel onto another continent couldn’t be passed up. We are all excited about this new path forward.”

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Local, independent promoters have spoken to IQ about how they’re breaking ground in their markets with record ticket sales for Ed Sheeran’s 2024 European tour.

The European leg of Sheeran’s + – = ÷ x (Mathematics) Tour is due to kick off on 8 June 2024 in Italy, making 20 stops at a mix of stadiums and festivals across the continent.

The first stadium stop on the AEG Presents promoted-outing will be at Ta’ Qali National Park (cap. 30,000), marking the 32-year-old’s first-ever concert in Malta.

According to one of the show’s local promoters, Nigel Camilleri at NNG Promotions, the 26 June 2024 concert has broken “all records” in the island country.

“The number of tickets in an hour, total number of ticket sales in one day, as well as total gross amount of ticket sales in an hour and in a day,” lists Camilleri, who is promoting the gig alongside AEG and Greatt.

“Hopefully, this will open more doors which were previously closed or only ajar”

“The adrenaline rush when the ticket sales opened was indescribable,” he continues. “It’s not often, at least in Malta, that one gets to promote a concert of an artist who appeals to such a wide-ranging audience.”

Camilleri says hosting a star of Sheeran’s size helps to put Malta – which is isolated from mainland Europe – on the map for other blockbuster tours.

“It is a great triumph for us because we have proven that the Maltese market can sustain an A-level artist such as Ed Sheeran,” he adds. “We have been working towards and building up to this moment for many years and admittedly there was an element of luck with the stars aligning for it to happen.

“As a company, it is a major feather in our cap and hopefully, this will open more doors which were previously closed or only ajar.”

Bulgarian promoter FEST Team is also hoping the success of Sheeran’s show at Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia (31 August) will be a calling card for other A-list artists.

“[We hope] more prominent artists will acknowledge Bulgaria as a substantial market with tour potential”

“Our aspiration is that the success of this event will encourage more prominent artists to acknowledge Bulgaria and the Balkan region as a substantial market with tour potential,” FEST Team’s Stefan Elenkov tells IQ.

The Sofia-based full-service promoter sold all 60,000 tickets to the Bulgaria date in the first 24 hours of the on-sale. It beat the previous record set in 2009 by Madonna who sold 19,000 tickets in the first 24 hours for a 55,000-capacity show.

“This indeed is a truly remarkable achievement,” says Elenkov. “It is important to mention that a show of this magnitude hasn’t taken place in Bulgaria since 2009.”

Staging the biggest-ever concert in Bulgaria, which is yet to be included in the Schengen Area, hasn’t been without its challenges but Elenkov says his team has been “excited to embrace them”.

“After dedicating eight months to negotiations and detailed planning, we managed to successfully overcome various infrastructural and logistic challenges associated with the venue,” says Elenkov.

“Ticket Station Bulgaria is handling a show of such magnitude for the first time and has met the tour’s criteria”

“Anticipating Bulgaria and Romania’s inclusion in the Schengen area, we expect even fewer logistical challenges, making future tour planning considerably more structured. The routing Budapest – Bucharest – Sofia – Athens—would essentially become practically borderless.”

Another source of pride for FEST Team is the reported absence of tickets for Sheeran’s Bulgaria date on Viagogo.

“This demonstrates our success in implementing stringent security measures, ensuring that only real people have bought tickets for the show,” adds Elenkov. “This marks an important milestone – Ticket Station Bulgaria is handling a show of such magnitude for the first time and has precisely met the tour’s criteria.”

Sheeran’s team has long taken an aggressive stance against the secondary ticketing market, opting to use 100% mobile digital ticketing technology to keep tickets in the hands of fans.

The tour’s local promoters in Lithuania also have a lot to celebrate after sales for Sheeran’s two 2024 dates in the country broke “all previous entertainment sales records” across the Baltic states.

“By selling the most tickets of any artist in the Baltics, Sheeran has set yet another record”

According to L Tips Agency – which is organising Sheeran’s concerts in the Baltics for the third time – the first concert sold out in just over 24 hours the second is already more than 50% sold out, nine months in advance.

Provided both dates in Lithuania sell out, Sheeran will perform to 90,000 fans across the 3 and 4 August at Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas.

“In 2019, he set the record for the most visited international artist show of all time in Latvia with an attendance of approximately 50,000 people,” says Gints Putnins, owner of L Tips Agency. “Now a new record has been set for the whole of the Baltics!”

The Agency, which is one of the largest independent promoters in the Baltic States, is promoting the concert alongside FKP Scorpio.

Folkert Koopmans, founder & CEO of FKP Scorpio, adds: “By selling the most tickets of any artist in the Baltics, Ed Sheeran has set yet another record. We’re proud and happy to be promoting the shows and couldn’t have done so without the support of all local stakeholders and our partner agencies. L Tips Agency’s work has been invaluable in making the second-ever music concert in Kaunas stadium possible. We’re already looking forward to seeing everything coming together in August 2024!”

The 32-year-old’s forthcoming Dubai concerts could become the best-selling shows in UAE history

Sheeran’s record-breaking streak doesn’t stop at independent promoters, nor does it stop in Europe. As previously reported in IQ, the 32-year-old’s forthcoming Dubai concerts could become the best-selling shows in UAE history, according to All Thing Live Middle East CEO Thomas Ovesen.

The British singer-songwriter is due to play the Sevens Stadium from 19-20 January 2024 in what are being called the largest open-air concerts ever to take place in Dubai.

The dates, which will see Sheeran perform “in the round”, will be his first in the Middle East since playing at the city’s Autism Rocks Arena in November 2017, which attracted a sell-out 23,272 crowd.

Last month, Sheeran concluded the North American leg of his Mathematics tour, with the final date on 28 October at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sheeran is represented by Marty Diamond and Ash Lewis at Wasserman for US and Canada, and Jon Ollier at One Finiix Live for the rest of the world.

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Jon Ollier’s One Fiinix Live has appointed booking agent Rob McGee.

McGee brings with him acts including Food House, freekind., Honeyblood, ĠENN, Ladyhawke, Shelf Lives, Sløtface, THUMPER and more.

He joins One Fiinix from FMLY Agency – a global talent agency, festival programme consultancy and artist management company based in Brighton – where he spent almost three years as an agent.

Prior to that, he spent just over two years as a booking agent at Bristol-based global talent agency, The Empire Agency.

“Rob joining One Fiinix Live is a coup, he oozes passion and drive”

“Rob joining One Fiinix Live is a coup, he oozes passion and drive and added to his commitment and energy, he deserves to go all the way,” Ollier tells IQ. “Exactly the kind of person we are keen to come on this journey with us. It goes without saying we are very excited to welcome him to the company.”

The One Fiinix team is completed by agents Sean Goulding, Jess Kinn and Emma Davis, as well as Sean Denny, Phil Wimble, Gaby Domanski and Joe Shacklady.

“Joining Jon, Emma, Jess, Sean and the team at One Fiinix is a dream come true,” says McGee. “I’m honoured to be joining a family of passionate and dedicated people who are committed to helping artists achieve their dreams. I have never been more excited to be working in the live industry and look forward to starting on my new path here, with the legends of One Fiinix Live.”

One Fiinix Live was launched by Ollier in November 2020, following his departure from CAA.

The UK-based global booking agency represents acts including Ed Sheeran, Years & Years, 2Cellos, Calum Scott and Tessa Violet.

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