IQ Magazine has revealed the LGBTIQ+ List 2025 – the fifth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.

The list is once again the centrepiece of IQ’s annual Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2025 – as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee – are individuals who have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.

The fifth instalment comprises agents, promoters, assistants, bookers, festival organisers, comms executives, DEI experts, marketers and ticketers from across the world.

In alphabetical order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2025 is:

Allie Galyon, WME (US)
Amy Hylands, CAA (UK)
Anouk Ganpatsing, Friendly Fire (NL)
Ben Tipple, Co-op Live (UK)
Chris Jammer, PriOr1ty Ai (UK)
Christopher Tweed-Kent, Ticketmaster (US)
Dean Reynolds, Ginger Owl Productions (UK)
Glyn Fussell, Mighty Hoopla (UK)
Jane Chen, Live Nation (US)
John Shortell, Musicians’ Union (UK)
Judith Ritz, FKP Scorpio (DE)
Katie Cavanagh, AEG Presents (UK)
Kiana Rodriguez, The Zoo XYZ (US)
Melissa Ferrick, Paladin Artists (US)
Mika Christoffersen, Roskilde Festival (DK)
Nicki MacLeod, DF Concerts & Events (UK)
Oliver McGillick, Rock For People (CZ)
Paul Kemp, Brighton Pride (UK)
Ryan Cameron, Wasserman Music (UK)
Shaq Milli, UTA (US)

From tomorrow (17 June), IQ will be publishing full-length interviews with each person on the LGBTIQ+ List 2025.

However, subscribers can read the full Pride edition now. Click here to subscribe to IQ – or see what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below.

Check out previous Pride lists from 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

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Live Nation and Diversified Production Services (DPS) have been enlisted to produce a 39-day fan festival for the FIFA World Cup, which is coming to North America next year.

Liberty State Park in New Jersey has been selected as the festival site due to its proximity to MetLife Stadium, which will host eight of the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches between 11–19 July 2026.

As part of the FIFA Fan Festival NYNJ, LN will programme several “premier concerts” on non-match days, “creating marquee moments that celebrate the intersection of soccer, music, and culture,” according to a press release.

Tens of thousands of fans are expected to attend the event, which will also include soccer challenges, real-time match broadcasts and interactive fan activations.

“The depth of experience Live Nation and DPS bring will ensure success in transforming NYNJ into one big block party”

As previously announced, Global Citizen will produce the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium, NJ, on 19 July 2026. Chris Martin and manager Phil Harvey will help select the list of acts that will perform at the international football showpiece.

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is one of the world’s most prestigious events and an unparalleled opportunity to highlight the region’s diversity and deliver unforgettable fan experiences,” added Geoff Gordon, Chairman of Live Nation Northeast Region. “We’re honoured to support the ​NYNJ ​Host Committee on this historic moment.”

Production company Diversified Production Services will handle most of the logistics of the FIFA Fan Festival, said Darren Pfeffer, president of DPS, who said in a statement, “The FIFA World Cup draws billions of viewers from all over the planet, and the FIFA Fan Festival NYNJ will enable hundreds of thousands of fans to experience it in an immersive way.”

Christie Huus, chief events officer of the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee, added, “There’s nothing more powerful than bringing people together, and the FIFA World Cup will ignite our region with energy and excitement. The depth of experience Live Nation and DPS bring will ensure success in transforming NYNJ into one big block party.”

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Live Nation is investing US$1 billion (€875 million) to build new and revitalised live music venue in smaller cities across the US over the next 18 months.

The company will open doors or break ground on 18 new venues ranging from clubs to outdoor amphitheatres in communities including Allentown, Atlanta, Birmingham, Denver, Indianapolis, Memphis,  Milwaukee, Nashville, Orlando, Portland, Portland, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Richmond, Riverside, Seattle, Shakopee and Virginia Beach.

“Our mission is simple: help artists deliver more unforgettable live experiences – and in doing so, create jobs, revive cities, and lift up the communities we touch,” says Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino. “As an American company, we drive impact here at home while also helping elevate and export the very best of what this nation represents: freedom, creativity, grit, and boundless possibility.”

According to Oxford Economics, the investment will spur $2.9bn in total economic impact, including spending on engineering, development, and construction, along with $1.4bn in annual economic impact for local communities.

Pittsburgh’s Citizens Live at The Wylie and Memphis’ Satellite Music Hall will both open next year

Projects include the 7,800-cap Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront in Richmond, Virginia, in partnership with Coran Capshaw’s Red Light Ventures. The venue opened on Saturday (7 June) with a show by Rick Springfield and has upcoming gigs with the likes of Glass Animals, Boyz II Men, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, Brad Paisley, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Lamb of God, Mumford & Sons, Neil Young, James Taylor and Alex Warren.

Elsewhere, the 4,000-cap Citizens Live at The Wylie and 1,300-cap Satellite Music Hall will come on stream in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee, respectively, in 2026. The firm also reopened Brooklyn Paramount (cap. 2.700) in New York last year.

Live Nation’s 150-venue US portfolio represents roughly 4% of all music venues nationwide.

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International football governing body FIFA and advocacy organisation Global Citizen have announced J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems as headliners of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup Halftime Show.

The event will take place on Sunday 13 July at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, US.

Broadcast live and for free worldwide by DAZN, the 15-minute, Super Bowl-style show is being curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. It will be produced by Global Citizen, in partnership with Live Nation, Done+ Dusted and DPS.

“For the first-ever halftime show in a FIFA competition, we’re proud to partner with Global Citizen to bring together a global superstar lineup,” says FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “Together we are going to make history on a special occasion where football and music unites the world. FIFA and Global Citizen are partnering to support a powerful cause: giving every child the chance to learn, play, and dream. Not only that, but with every ticket sold, we’re investing in their future through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

“This show will be unforgettable – not just for its spectacle on a landmark night, but also for the lasting impact it will make.”

Held in the US between from 14 June to 13 July, the new FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 club teams compete across 12 venues in 11 cities, with $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise $100 million (€88m) to improve access to quality education.

“As the Club World Cup kicks off, we’re asking fans to step up, get involved, and be part of the movement driving real change”

“We can’t end extreme poverty without ensuring every child gets the education they deserve,” adds Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans. “As the Club World Cup kicks off, we’re asking fans to step up, get involved, and be part of the movement driving real change.”

Global Citizen will also produce the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, with Chris Martin and manager Phil Harvey to help select the list of acts who will perform at the international football showpiece. That event will also take place at MetLife Stadium on 19 July next year.

The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, with the majority of matches to be held in the United States.

Pre-match live performances are already established for the UEFA Champions League final – the biggest game in European club football – whose opening ceremony has welcomed the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Imagine Dragons, Dua Lipa, Alicia Keys, Camila Cabello and – last month – Linkin Park.

According to the NFL, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February averaged 133.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance on record.

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As stadiums swing open their doors to welcome hordes of fans this summer, some may have paid much more than their neighbours to get through the gate, depending on which country they are in.

IQ research into key upcoming international tours shows how audiences in some countries are shelling out more for virtually the same experience.

The upcoming Oasis shows, which will see the Mancunian brothers traverse the UK/IE, North America, Asia, Australia, and South America before the year is out, offer a stark insight into the impact on fans of different regulatory regimes.

For the UK leg, standing pitch tickets were initially priced at £135 but now can be found on StubHub for up to £3,500 — a near 2,500% markup.

But for their dual Dublin shows at Croke Park, resale tickets for the in-demand shows are almost nowhere to be found.

Ireland’s Sale of Tickets Act from 2021 prohibits the sale of tickets above face value, while the UK currently does not have similar legislation. The UK Government has signalled that it intends to bring forward legislation which would add a cap to resale, with a consultation on the issue recently completed.

“In an unregulated market, we see resale prices set at whatever the reseller decides. This leads to extensive harvesting at on sale and extortionate price gouging for resale – preventing genuine fans from buying tickets in the first place and forcing them to pay over the odds,” Sam Shemtob, director of the Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT), tells IQ.

“The disjointed approach to ticket resale regulation is one of the biggest problems we face”

Following their North American run, co-headliners Kendrick Lamar & SZA are bringing the Grand National Tour to Europe next month. The chart-topping duo’s stadium run will include stops in the UK, Portugal, Italy, and Poland.

In places where ticket resale above face value is banned — the latter three countries — marked-up tickets are almost non-existent, with only very small numbers seeking to flout the regulations.

British fans are not offered that same protection, with dozens of touted tickets available and a £255.25 lower bowl seat currently listed for £773 on StubHub (a 203% hike).

“The disjointed approach to ticket resale regulation you describe is one of the biggest problems we face across the EU. We are seeing an increase in music tourism, driven by people’s desire to watch their favourite global superstar live,” Shemtob says. “Yet, in the EU, we still have a patchwork approach to ticket resale legislation, despite the EU stating publicly it wants to avoid differing consumer protection laws in neighbouring member states.”

Across the pond, the situation in the US — tremendous demand coupled with limited federal regulation — can lead to eye-watering mark-ups for fans on the resale market.

K-pop megagroup Blackpink reforms to hit the road next month, starting in South Korea. The Live Nation-backed World Tour will take the quartet across North America, the UK/EU, and Asia before wrapping up early 2026.

Resale across the group’s US dates is plentiful and priced at a premium. In LA, standard primary tickets are listed for $451 with resale for the same section available for $3,392 — a 652% hike. For their Chicago stop, a $950 front-seated section can be found for double the price on secondary sites.

Consumers in the US pay an average of 203% of the original price for tickets on the secondary market

“Resellers often list tickets at ridiculous prices to help create a price ceiling for the resale market for that show. Then, when a less pricey ticket becomes available, it looks like a bargain,” explains Shemtob.

“As well as serving to gouge consumers, the sacrificing of some tickets in this way to create a false picture of the market leads to empty seats in venues.”

Country superstar Zach Bryan is also hitting stadiums across the US this year. After stints at Dublin’s Phoenix Park and London’s BST Hyde Park, Bryan will headline venues in New Jersey, West Virginia, and Indiana before closing at Michigan Stadium (cap. 107,601), reportedly poised to be the biggest ticketed concert in US history.

For the historic show, promoted by AEG Presents, multiple resale tickets are currently available for $10,040 each — a remarkable 900% surge from comparable face-value prices.

Consumers in the US pay an average of 203% of the original price for tickets on the secondary market, according to a 2024 study by the US’s National Independent Talent Organisation, a coalition that represents hundreds of independent music managers, booking agencies, and artists.

Despite this, the study found differences between states reflected state-level regulation — California’s resellers made 95% less than in unregulated states like New York and Illinois.

“Ticket resales are driven by the customer, so there is no inherent solution as the customer will either find a way or pay the price to get a ticket, or sell it themselves,” said Maureen Andersen, president and CEO of the US-based International Ticket Association (INTIX), to IQ for the International Ticketing Report 2024.

“Laws, legislation, policies, and regulations only work so far and only if there is enough oversight, culpability, and ramification for the activity.”

That sentiment is echoed by those looking across markets.

Looking at countries that have had success clamping down on inflated secondary resale Shemtob concludes: “These markets have a straightforward law on ticket resale, which is easy for the consumer, reseller and resale platform to understand. This is coupled with (usually) strong enforcement of the law – something which is essential for ticket resale legislation to actually work.”

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The team behind Germany’s now-defunct MELT Festival has announced a pair of new events, set to take place in Berlin this summer.

The 27th and final edition of MELT (promoted by Live Nation-owned Goodlive) took place last July, at the Ferropolis open-air museum, near Gräfenhainichen, after organisers succumbed to “insurmountable changes in the festival landscape”.

Now Goodlive’s Magnus von Welck, Tobias Gruber and Florian Czock, are launching two open-air parties in the RSO Valley in Schöneweide, a suburban area of Berlin.

Paying homage to MELT, the new events are named Magma and Lava and will incorporate the same spirit as their predecessor but on a more intimate scale, according to the team.

Taking place on Saturday 30 August between 2–10 pm, Magma is for “lovers of sophisticated club music beyond the mainstream” such as UK garage, house, breakbeat, future bass, trip hop, baile funk, dancehall, disco, and experimental club. Artists including Ben Ufo, Nooriyah, Jyoty, Crystallmess, Mura Masa, and Vegyn are set to perform.

The next day, Lava (10am–10pm) will offer a “platform for young ravers and lovers of electronic pop and dance music” with a mix of hyper-pop, trance, hard groove, and avant-pop.

“We noticed that well-curated parties, especially open-air parties, were lacking in Berlin”

Ascendant Vierge, HorsegiirL, Camoufly, Charlotte Plank, Coco Cobra, Lolahol, Lil London, DJ G2G, Nick Cheo, Peterparker69, IceMorph, and Icykof are featured on the bill.

Each event will utilise a 3,000-capacity main space (The Valley) and a 1,000-capacity subsidiary space (RSO floor). Advance tickets for each of the events start from €21.

“We realised pretty quickly that we were filling a cultural gap in Berlin,” Gruber, head marketing and promotion, told Berliner-Zeitung. “We noticed that well-curated parties, especially open-air parties, were lacking in Berlin. While there are many classic club nights, most of the acts on the lineup are often pretty similar. We wanted to create something a little different: More than your regular club night.”

Discussing the decision to call it quits with MELT, von Welck revealed that ballooning production costs and artist fees were the death knell for the 20,000-capacity festival.

“To compensate for this, higher ticket prices are needed,” he explained. “But that brought us to a point where we said: We can’t scale this up any further. We were afraid of losing our community, our fans. This was the right time to properly celebrate it with a grand finale, to bury it – and now to launch something new. We left with a good feeling and with a big bang, even if the decision was sad at first.”

Launched in 1997, MELT has hosted artists including Jamie xx, Little Simz, Bonobo, Alt-J, Jon Hopkins, Mogwai, Justice, Hot Chip and Aphex Twin. The festival has also won numerous international awards, including Best Festival, Artist’s Favourite European Festival, and Green ‘N’ Clean Festival Of The Year.

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Grammy Award-winning rapper Drake has announced his first UK and European tour in six years, scheduled to kick off after his Wireless Festival residency.

The Live Nation-produced run, titled $ome $pecial $hows 4 UK EU, will comprise 24 arena shows across the continent between 20 July and 23 September.

Stops include Birmingham, Manchester, Munich, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Manchester, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Milan, Antwerp, Zurich and Cologne.

Tour support comes from fellow Canadian artist PARTYNEXTDOOR, with whom Drake released an album titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U in February.

Prior to the outing, Drake will headline all three nights of Wireless Festival’s 20th-anniversary event, set for 11–13 July at London’s Finsbury Park.

Having first headlined the event in 2012, the Wasserman Music-repped act has made several special guest appearances at Wireless over the years and holds the title of the audience’s most-requested artist since the festival’s inception.

Drake will headline all three nights of Wireless Festival’s 20th-anniversary event

Following the announcement, the annual rap and hip-hop music festival sold out within minutes, setting a new record.

$ome $pecial $hows 4 UK EU will be Drake’s first run of shows in the UK and Europe since his 2019 Assassination Vacation Tour. Earlier this year, he toured throughout Australia on his Anita Max Win jaunt, though several dates in Sydney and Auckland (NZ) were cancelled with short notice due “scheduling conflicts.”

In May, Drake also teased the return of his OVO Fest in his hometown of Toronto, Canada. Appearing at Central Cee’s show, he confirmed the star-studded event would “be back this year.”

$OME $PECIAL $HOWS 4 UK EU 2025 DATES:

Sun Jul 20 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena

Mon Jul 21 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena

Fri Jul 25 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Sat Jul 26 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Wed Jul 30 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

Thu Jul 31 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

Thu Aug 07 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis

Mon Aug 11 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion

Fri Aug 15 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena

Sat Aug 16 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena

News Aug 21 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Fri Aug 22 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Sun Aug 24 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Mon Aug 25 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri Aug 29 – Milan, Italy – Unipol Forum

Sat Aug 30 – Milan, Italy – Unipol Forum
Sun Sep 07 – Paris, France – Accor Arena

Mon Sep 08 – Paris, France – Accor Arena

Thu Sep 11 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena

Fri Sep 12 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena

Tue Sep 16 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle

Thu Sep 18 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle

Mon Sep 22 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena

Tue Sep 23 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena

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Usher’s Las Vegas residencies helped provide the template for the R&B superstar’s recently concluded Past Present Future European outing, the star’s touring team have told IQ.

The 46-year-old singer sold more than 300,000 tickets across 20 shows in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin in his first tour of the continent in over a decade.

Including the North American leg, which sold out across 62 shows, around 1.1 million tickets have been shifted overall for the Live Nation-backed run. Every city on the NA leg had a minimum of two shows, ranging up to six in New York City and his native Atlanta, respectively.

Previously, Usher performed two Vegas runs – at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace (4,100) in 2021-2022 and Dolby Live at Park MGM (5,200) from 2022-2024, selling 479,000 tickets across 100 dates and grossing nearly $115 million.

“The model was inspired by the success of Usher’s Las Vegas residency; one of the most iconic of its kind,” says Colin Lewis, Live Nation SVP of global touring, speaking in the latest issue of IQ Magazine. “Creating a destination experience – where fans travel to immerse themselves in a special, multi-night show – felt like a natural evolution. It also brings logistical and operational advantages, making the run more sustainable for the artist and crew alike.”

Other key building blocks included Usher’s eight-night stand in Paris, France, at La Seine Musicale (6,000) in 2023, which was immortalised in the concert film Usher: Rendezvous in Paris, in addition to his headline performance at the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show at Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium (65,000) last year.

“The Vegas shows reconnected Usher with his fanbase in a powerful way – offering joy, escapism, and a reminder of his showmanship during a time when audiences craved it most,” adds Lewis. “The Super Bowl amplified that on a global scale, reigniting excitement for what was next.”

“Instead of just showing up in a city to play a show and leave immediately after, he wanted to create an event”

Building on the foundations laid in Sin City, Usher’s residency-style European stint revolved around “top major markets that culturally move the needle,” according to WME partner and agent Brian Cohen, who oversees his international touring.

“Instead of just showing up in a city to play a show and leave immediately after, he wanted to create an event,” he says. “The entire city is hearing and seeing Usher while he is in town.”

The tour included ten nights at The O2 in London, UK, two shows at Accor Arena in Paris, France, five gigs in the Netherlands at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome and three concerts at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany.

“It began as one vision and evolved, performance by performance, into the kind of show people around the world couldn’t stop talking about,” says WME partner and agent John Marx. “Usher’s success isn’t just about talent, though he has that in abundance, it’s about his mindset. He’s relentlessly creative, deeply hardworking, and never afraid to take big risks. He’s the kind of artist who doesn’t just walk the path – he chooses the steepest summit and climbs it with purpose, knowing full well the challenges ahead.

“What the world is witnessing now is not just a moment – it’s the well-earned result of decades of discipline and vision,” Marx says.

“The world has not seen the full capabilities of Usher and his mind”

During the European tour, Usher took time out to headline two events in the Middle East – the three-day Club Social festival in Abu Dhabi and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

“We continue to want to develop emerging markets globally, which is part of the reason for taking the time for a few stops in the Middle East on this run,” says Cohen.

Usher has also announced an Australian leg of the PPF tour, his first run in the country in 14 years. He will perform two sets of four shows in Melbourne and Sydney in November and December, respectively.

“A lot of people would say this is a comeback. I don’t think it’s a comeback; I think it’s still a work in progress,” concludes tour manager Michael “Huggy” Carter. “The world has not seen the full capabilities of Usher and his mind – there are a lot of things that are still going to surprise people.”

Subscribers can read the full feature here.

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Shakira was forced to cancel two of her US concerts at the eleventh hour due to production issues.

The Colombian star’s scheduled Thursday (29 May) concert at Boston’s Fenway Park was axed just hours before it was set to start “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Promoter Live Nation later released a statement, adding: “During a routine pre-show check, structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were cancelled. All team members are safe.”

The Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn performances scheduled for Friday 30 May at the park were also cancelled.

“During a routine pre-show check, structural elements were identified as not being up to standard”

Due to the complications with her Boston show, Shakira’s Saturday (31 May) WorldPride concert at Washington D.C.’s Nationals Park was also scrapped, less than 24 hours before it was due to begin.

“Shakira’s full tour production cannot be transported to Washington, D.C. in time for her scheduled performance at Nationals Park on Saturday,” read a statement from the venue. “Despite every effort to make it happen, it is not possible to move forward as planned.”

The statement says refunds will be “issued automatically for Ticketmaster and Nationals.com purchases,” while anyone who bought tickets through third-party resellers should contact their point of purchase directly.

Shakira is currently performing in stadiums across North America as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, produced by Live Nation. The tour’s previous leg in Latin America sold 1.3 million tickets and broke several records.

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A new pool of global headliners is emerging as rising stars Benson Boone and Laufey step up to arena level, while established stars Shawn Mendes and Blackpink head back on the road.

After his 30-date North American tour reportedly sold out in seconds, Benson Boone will bring his American Heart World Tour to the UK and Europe starting in October.

The 14-date, Live Nation-promoted outing will begin at Belfast’s SSE Arena (11,000) on 23 October, making stops at Dublin’s 3Arena (13,000), Manchester’s Co-op Live (23,500), Glasgow’s OVO Hydro (14,300), and Birmingham’s Utilita Arena (15,800) before London’s The O2 (20,000) hosts two nights of the Grammy-nominated singer.

Boone will then play across Europe, including stops at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis (23,000), Paris’s Accor Arena (20,300), Copenhagen’s Royal Arena (17,000), before wrapping on 18 November at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena (16,000).

The outing marks an upgrade for the 22-year-old singer, who’s previous Fireworks & Rollerblades World Tour saw him play amphitheatres and theatres across North America, the UK, Europe, and Australia in 2024-25.

Similarly, Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey will ascend to the next level with her A Matter Of Time Tour.

The 22-date North American tour kicks off at Orlando’s Kia Center (20,000) on 15 September, making stops at the likes of Austin’s Moody Center (15,000), Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena (20,000), Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena (18,300), New York City’s Madison Square Garden (19,500), and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena (19,800). The tour, promoted by AEG Presents, finishes at Boston’s TD Garden on 27 October.

Her previous outing, the Bewitched Tour, saw the 26-year-old musician perform over 100 shows across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia from 2023-24.

“Time away has allowed me to come back and recognize and remember how unbelievably special it is to get to play live shows”

Shawn Mendes is heading back out for his On The Road Again trek across North America and Europe. The upcoming run, which begins at Poland’s Tauron Arena (20,000) on 5 August, will see him play a career-spanning set celebrating a decade of hits.

Intertwining with a run of festival stops at the likes of Sziget Festival, Superbloom and more, the Canadian pop star also headline shows at Cologne’s Lanxess Arena (20,000), London’s O2 Arena (20,000), Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome (17,000), Madrid’s Movistar Arena (17,453), and Lisbon’s MEO Arena (12,500) before taking the AEG Presents-promoted trek to North America.

The 26-year-old will start at Boston’s TD Garden (19,580) on 25 Septebmber, making stops at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage (16,069), Montréal’s Bell Centre (21,000), New York’s Forest Hills Stadium (13,000), Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion (30,000), Vancouver’s Rogers Arena (19,700), San Francisco’s Frost Amphitheater (8,000), and closing at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl (17,500) on 17 October.

It marks his return to touring after his 2022 outing, Wonder: The World Tour, was cancelled after seven shows so Mendes could focus on his well-being.

“Time away has allowed me to come back and recognise and remember how unbelievably special it is to get to play live shows. It’s an honour and I’m just beyond grateful that you guys keep showing up after 10 years with so much love,” he wrote online.

He also hinted at a future announcement, adding: “I wanted to ease into things at first and play a few shows in Europe and North America to start with.”

Earlier this week, K-pop megastars Blackpink announced an Asian leg of their <Deadline> World Tour, expanding their run in Asia after playing stadiums across Seoul, Tokyo, North America, Europe, and the UK.

The Live Nation-promoted trek will see them play multiple nights at Taiwan’s Kaohsiung National Stadium (55,000), Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium (51,552), Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (78,000), Manila’s Philippine Arena (55,000), and Singapore’s National Stadium (55,000), before finishing at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium (50,000) next January.

The quartet’s previous outing, the 2022-23 Born Pink World Tour, attracted more than 1.8 million fans.

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