Former Migos rapper Offset has become arguably the highest-profile act to announce a gig in Russia since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

The 33-year-old American revealed to his 25 million Instagram followers that he is set to play the 11,000-cap MTS Live Hall on 18 April, with support from Russian hip-hop artist Toxi$. Tickets are priced between 5,200 and 45,000 rubles (€54-465).

Offset’s announcement comes days after it was reported that the White House is drawing up a plan to potentially give sanctions relief to Russia.

Russia has largely been boycotted by foreign acts in the wake of the February 2022 invasion, while touring giants including Live Nation and Oak View Group pledged not to do business with the country amid widespread outrage over its actions. Other music companies such as Universal Music Group – parent firm of Offset’s record label Motown Records – also suspended operations in the country.

However, IQ reported last summer that more than 100 international DJs and artists had quietly returned to playing concerts in Russia.

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts plan to launch their upcoming European tour with a free concert in Ukraine

Russian festivals identified as having Western acts on their lineups included Outline, Gamma, Mutabor, Afisha Picnic and Gazgolder Club, while two dance music events allegedly stopped announcing international headliner names until the day of the event to try and prevent them from being cancelled due to negative publicity.

American rapper DaBaby also played a show at VK Stadium in Moscow last week.

Meanwhile, Canadian-American rocker Neil Young said this week that he plans to launch his 2025 European Love Earth Tour with a free concert in Ukraine.

“Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will open the upcoming Love Earth Tour of Europe in UKRAINE with a free concert for all,” the 79-year-old wrote on his Neil Young Archives (NYA) website. “We are currently in talks and will make the announcement of details here at NYA. Keep on Rockin’ in the FREE WORLD.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

The UK’s Glastonbury Festival has announced two first-time headliners, alongside a swathe of other artists for the 2025 edition.

British pop-rock group The 1975 will top the Friday night billing on the Pyramid stage, while US pop-punk songwriter Olivia Rodrigo will close the stage on Sunday night, becoming the second-youngest Glastonbury headliner ever.

It comes shortly after festival heads at ILMC 37 told delegates that their 2025 editions are topped by young and new headliners.

Saturday night at Glastonbury will be headlined by Neil Young and his band The Chrome Hearts, who previously topped the bill in 2009. On 1 January, Young declared, out of the blue, that he was withdrawing from this year’s festival owing to his perception that it was under broadcast partner the BBC’s “corporate control”. Two days later, he said he had received “an error in information” and that the festival was “back on our itinerary”.

The 27-year-old soul-pop singer Raye will take the stage before Young, reaping the rewards of critical and commercial success with her debut album, My 21st Century Blues.

The festival previously revealed that Rod Stewart would take this year’s Sunday teatime Legends slot – his first performance at Worthy Farm since headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2002.

Other first-time Glastonbury performers include younger acts such as Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young, Myles Smith

The Other stage headliners have also been revealed today, with Loyle Carner topping the bill on Friday, Charli XCX closing the stage on Saturday and the Prodigy finishing proceedings on Sunday – their first Glasto performance since the death of their frontman, Keith Flint, in 2019.

After winning best rap album for her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal at this year’s Grammy awards, the Florida rapper Doechii will headline the West Holts stage on Saturday.

Other first-time Glastonbury performers include younger acts such as Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young, Myles Smith, Amaarae, JADE and Shaboozey, and musical icons such as Alanis Morissette, Busta Rhymes, Brandi Carlile, En Vogue, Anohni and the Johnsons, Cymande, Osees and Gary Numan.

Worthy Farm stalwarts scheduled to return include Ezra Collective, Amyl and the Sniffers, Jorja Smith, Wet Leg, PinkPantheress, CMAT, Self Esteem, Wolf Alice, Scissor Sisters, Pa Salieu, TV On The Radio and more.

More acts are yet to be announced in the coming months, with performances rumoured from Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. See the lineup so far here.

Glastonbury Festival 2025 takes place from 25 to 29 June at Worthy Farm, Pilton. The 210,000-capacity event will then take a fallow year in 2026 to allow the farmland to rest. The last intentional one was in 2018, while the 2020 and 2021 festivals were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Neil Young has announced he will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival – just days after saying he had pulled out of the event.

The Canadian-American singer-songwriter, who previously headlined in 2009, wrote on his website earlier this week that he would not be performing at the 2025 festival, saying it appeared that Glastonbury – which is partnered with British public broadcaster the BBC – was “now under corporate control”.

“We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in,” he said. “It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”

However, the 79-year-old has now done an about-turn and revealed he will top the Pyramid Stage bill at Worthy Farm with his band the Chrome Hearts.

“Due to an error in the information received, I had decided not to play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved,” he says in a website post today (3 January). “Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Happy to see you there!”

“Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury”

The news was confirmed by Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, who wrote on Instagram: “What a start to the year! Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury. He does things his own way and that’s why we love him. We can’t wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June.”

Young becomes the second artist to be announced for the 25-29 June festival. He joins Rod Stewart, who will play the Sunday teatime legend slot, on the 2025 lineup, although it has not yet been confirmed which night Young will headline.

Glastonbury has also filed its latest financial accounts with the UK’s Companies House, showing its pre-tax profits more than doubled to £5.9 million (€7.1m) for the year up to March 2024 – up from £2.9m in the previous 12 months. It donated £5.2m to charitable causes in the same period.

A spokesperson for the festival told the BBC that “successful, dry Glastonburys in both 2023 and 2024” had helped to “rebuild the event’s vital financial reserves” following the Covid cancellations of 2020-21.

A report measuring the economic impact of Glastonbury revealed the 2023 event cost £62m to stage. The 210,000-cap gathering is due to take a fallow year in 2026 to allow the ground at Worthy Farm to recover.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Pearl Jam has cancelled more European tour dates due to continuing illness within the band.

The American rock band had already cancelled last weekend’s show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the day before it was due to take place.

They have now also cancelled two dates at Waldbühne (cap. 22,290) in Berlin on 2 and 3 July.

“Despite everyone’s best efforts, the band has yet to make a full recovery,” the band said in a statement shared on social media.

“The impacts of this decision are not lost on us,” they said. “We feel deeply that so many people spend their time, money and emotional energy to get tickets and then to come see the band, and it is heart-wrenching to have to disappoint you.

“We also appreciate the many people whose hard work goes into making these shows happen. Please trust we never take these decisions lightly and try to do everything possible to show up for you all.

“The impacts of this decision are not lost on us”

“We wish a reschedule had been possible for this tour leg and hope to come back soon. Tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase. Thank you for your continued understanding and support. It means the world.”

The band’s next live show is currently scheduled for 6 July in Barcelona. After their remaining dates in Germany and Spain, Pearl Jam then take a short break before launching the US leg of their tour on 26 August.

The American rock band is not alone in being forced to cancel shows of late. Neil Young & Crazy Horse have also cancelled seven Canadian shows and eight US dates, including their set at Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Fest. The same illness has caused prior cancellations of shows in Chicago, Austin, and Dallas in May.

“The Love Earth Tour has been a great experience for us so far,” reads a new statement on Young’s website. “When a couple of us got sick after Detroit’s Pine Knob, we had to stop. We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break… We know many of you made travel plans and we apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding and patience.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Former clients and friends have been paying their respects to iconic music manager Elliot Roberts, who died on Friday (21 June) in Los Angeles.

Over his career, Roberts (born Elliot Rabinowitz) worked with musical stars including Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, the Eagles and Tracy Chapman. Roberts is best known for his five-decade association with Neil Young.

A pivotal figure in the Californian singer-songwriter scene in the 1960s and 1970s, Roberts formed the Geffen-Roberts Company along with music mogul David Geffen, signing clients including Mitchell and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.

Roberts later formed his own company, Lookout Management, most recently representing acts including Spiritualized, Mazzy Star and Devendra Banhart.

Young, a longtime friend of Roberts, has described him as “the greatest manager of all time”.

“We are all heartbroken, but want to share what a great human being Elliot has been,” writes Young, who was managed by Roberts until his death.

“When it came to our business, Elliot guided me through every move. He was there for me and protected my music with a fierceness. He loved music and managed over the years many greats.”

“[Roberts’] natural empathy was perfectly suited for his emergence as an enormously impactful personal manager

Stephen Stills, another longtime client, praises Roberts’ “unique ability to recognise a great artist when he saw one.”

“His natural empathy was perfectly suited for his emergence as an enormously impactful personal manager to a collection of the most legendary artists of our time,” says Stills, who was represented by Roberts as a solo artist, as well as with Crosby, Stills & Nash.

A representative of Lookout Management announced Roberts’ death on Friday.

“It is with heavy heart that we can confirm the passing of Elliot Roberts,” reads the statement.

“Roberts, among the most respected and beloved music industry figures of all time, leaves an indelible footprint as a pioneer and leader in the business of artist representation.

“His uncanny intellect, unmatched, sharp wit, larger-than-life charisma along with his keen understanding of the music industry will remain unparalleled. Truly one of a kind, he will be missed always and by many.”

No cause of death has been stated.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

AEG Presents’ British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park has announced Bob Dylan and Neil Young as its first headliners for 2019.

The music legends, who between them have sold more than 100 million records, will jointly headline on Friday 12 July, backed by their respective bands.

BST has gone from strength to strength since it launched in 2013, with highlights over the past six years including the Rolling Stones’ return to Hyde Park, Carole King performing Tapestry in full and comeback shows by the likes of the Strokes and Libertines. This year’s performers included Roger Waters, Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, the Cure, Eric Clapton and Paul Simon.

Dylan and Young both played AEG’s one-off Desert Trip mega-festival in 2016, along with the Stones, Waters, the Who and Sir Paul McCartney.

“I’m blown away by the calibre of music royalty coming to BST 2019″

AEG Presents senior vice-president Jim King comments: “Barclaycard presents British Summer Time has always tried to deliver the greatest possible one-off live experiences for music fans in London, and being able to bring together two of the biggest cultural icons together for this historic day of music counts as possibly the biggest event we have ever delivered in Hyde Park.”

“I’m blown away by the calibre of music royalty coming to Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park 2019,” adds Daniel Mathieson, head of experiential marketing and partnerships for Barclaycard. “With these legendary artists already confirmed, and many more still to be announced, you won’t want to miss it.”

Barclaycard presale tickets went on sale at 9am this morning, with general sale opening at 9am this Friday (30 November), with GA tickets priced at £75.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Neil Young has confirmed his first festival date for 2017.

Young and his current touring band, Promise of the Real, will play a three-hour set on Friday 14 April at Byron Bay Bluesfest, joining other new additions Santana and The Doobie Brothers on the bill of the long-running Australian festival.

“Bluesfest is proud to announce our headliner for 2017,” says founder and promoter Peter Noble OAM. “This is the third Bluesfest announcement in three weeks, with Santana being the headliner of last week’s, Mary J. Blige the week before and the Zac Brown Band, Patti Smith, The Lumineers, Bonnie Raitt and Buddy Guy in previous announcements.

“We ask fans yearly in questionnaires who is the most requested artist to play a future Bluesfest, and hands down, Neil comes in first on every poll we do”

“Can you guess who will be in the [next] announcement this Sunday…? It’s another beauty!”

He adds that “we ask fans yearly in questionnaires who is the most requested artist to play a future Bluesfest” and “hands down, Neil [Young] comes in first on every poll we do, [so] we have fulfilled the wish of many Bluesfesters.”

“A tad over” 100,000 visitors attended Bluesfest 2016, at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, near Byron Bay in New South Wales, over five days.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

The likes of Muse, PJ Harvey, Neil Young, Quincy Jones and Sigur Rós will help mark the historic 50th anniversary of the Montreux Jazz Festival this summer, as its organisers today announced a stellar programme for the 17-night event.

The 30 June–16 July event will feature a star-studded line-up as Montreux celebrates its golden year, and the promoters have pulled all the stops out to make sure that Deep Purple close proceedings on 16 July, no doubt with their ode to the 1971 fire at Montreux Casino, ‘Smoke on the Water’.

Among the other artists booked for the 50th anniversary edition are Jean-Michel Jarre, Mogwai, Lana Del Rey, Air, ZZ Top, Patti Smith and her band, Slayer, Van Morrison, Simply Red, Jamie Cullum, Santana and many more.

It is Neil Young’s (pictured) second confirmed festival appearance of the year, after Roskilde.

Frank Zappa’s son will open for Deep Purple, who recorded ‘Smoke on the Water’ while watching the Montreux Casino burn as Frank Zappa was playing. It’s a nice way to put the bill together”

Revealing the line-up this morning, Montreux Jazz Festival director Mathieu Jaton noted: “It’s rare for a music festival to turn 50.” He added: “We’re bringing together people close to the DNA and savoir-faire of a festival known for its special creations, this time with a Quincy Jones evening and a Brazilian-African night, but also the young generation like Woodkid, inviting his own guest artists.”

Explaining the ethos of using the billing to create stories, by putting two artists on the same stage in the same night, Jaton added: “The most obvious is closing night with Deep Purple who recorded ‘Smoke on the Water’ while watching the Montreux Casino burn as Frank Zappa was playing. This will be Zappa’s son playing and opening for Deep Purple. It’s a nice way to put the bill together.”

The full programme is available on the festival’s website.