Organisers of BRITs Week 25 have revealed the series of concerts raised £650,000 (€776,761) for War Child.

The 11 intimate one-off performances were held across London, as well as Glasgow and Bexhill-on-Sea in February and March, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s work to help children whose lives have been devastatingly affected by war.

Headliners included Cat Burns (Moth Club), Joy Crookes (Islington Assembly Hall), Rachel Chinouriri (Omeara), Frank Turner (93 Feet East), Nova Twins (Omeara), Kasabian (O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire), Clean Bandit and Friends (London Palladium), Tom Walker (King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow), Soft Play (Village Underground), Rag‘n’Bone Man (De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea) and James Bay (100 Club).

“Another staggering amount of money raised for an amazing cause this year, and BRITs Week 2025 proved to be such a vital vehicle for these really important funds for helping children in conflict,” says AEG Presents’ SVP of international touring Simon Jones. “A huge amount of gratitude to our long time partners BPI, War Child, and our fabulous new partners DHL and of course all the artists, managers and labels who gave up their time and considerable effort to keep this great industry fixture going.”

The BRITs Week shows were held around the BRIT Awards 2025, which took place on 1 March at The O2 in London.

“We had the highest gender split in the series history with five of the 11 headline acts being female-fronted”

“BRITs Week 2025 was a resounding success and has raised a phenomenal £650k,” says Clare Sanders-Wright, live music lead at War Child. “We had the highest gender split in the series history with five of the 11 headline acts being female-fronted and we will always strive to curate a line-up that is representative of the society we live in across gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. We couldn’t be more grateful for every attendee, artist, team member and partner’s support of these fantastic shows, helping to raise much needed funds and awareness for our vital work around the world.

“We also want to say a huge thank you to our headline sponsor, DHL who have been extremely generous with their support for the shows, allowing us to go above and beyond, and ultimately, raise more money for the children we work with around the world.”

The total for 2025 takes the amount raised for War Child by BRITs Week, since its inception in 2009, to over £8 million.

“BRITs Week 2025 delivered by DHL for War Child becomes more relevant with each year, both as a brilliant event that an increasing number of fans get to enjoy, but, crucially, as a vital fundraiser to help countless children who are caught up in conflict around the world,” adds Maggie Crowe OBE, BPI director of events & charities. “We are truly and forever thankful for the unfaltering commitment of the wonderful artists who, with the support of their labels, performed to raise such a phenomenal total for the charity.”

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.

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.”

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.

TAKK ab Entertainment and AEG Presents promoted Switzerland’s first-ever K-pop arena show last night with boy band ATEEZ.

The South Korean eight-piece, formed by KQ Entertainment, performed a sold-out show at the 15,000-capacity Hallenstadion in Zurich. The market first comes after ATEEZ made history as the first male Korean group to play Coachella last year.

TAKK’s vice president of booking, Théo Quiblier, told IQ that it’s “a huge challenge to bring A-list K-Pop acts to new markets due to the gigantic nature of their production”.

“Switzerland owes its very first arena show to the incredible vision and guts of the whole AEG team who took a BIG leap of faith in Zurich and Switzerland as a market and trusted us to deliver the vision they had for ATEEZ,” he continues. And of course, thank you to ATEEZ who gave Switzerland and their fans a chance.

“This show was a very special one as usually promoters love to rely on history and sales before committing. For this show, it was a white page. It was a proper jump into outer space with one of the biggest productions to play Hallenstadion in recent years so needless to say Simon [Jones, AEG Presents’ SVP of international touring] and I spent a certain amount of time on the phone on this one.

“But the result speaks for itself – the fans had one of the best nights of their lives with their favourite artist and that will always be the ultimate reward for us promoters.”

Jones tells IQ: “We are always very keen to open up new arena markets for K-pop and we felt the perfect time to do this was on ATEEZ’s biggest-ever tour of Europe, and introduce Zurich and Milan which have both been resounding sold-out successes.

“The appetite for the genre shows no signs of slowing up, and we’re pleased to go on the journey with our Swiss partners TAKK, whom believed in this great show with us. Thanks to them and all of team ATEEZ for bringing such a gigantic show to their Swiss fans – they are a huge force to be reckoned with!”

In recent years, AEG Presents has dialled in on the K-pop market. The multinational firm is getting ready to open the 20,000-capacity CJ LiveCity Arena in Seoul as part of a larger K-pop entertainment district.

“The appetite for the genre shows no signs of slowing up”

In 2022, AEG Presents formally partnered with K-pop touring and marketing firm Powerhouse, which has worked with some of K-pop’s biggest stars such as BTS and Blackpink and is a partner of the world’s biggest K-pop festival CJ ENM’s KCON.

The firm also promoted BLACKPINK’s latest trek, the 2022-23 Born Pink world tour, which became the most-attended concert tour by a K-pop girl group with 1.8 million attendees. BLACKPINK went on to headline the AEG-backed BST Hyde Park in London last summer, a milestone for the summer series:

AEG and TAKK aren’t the only promoters bringing K-pop to Europe, with concerts and festivals on an upward trajectory in the last couple of years.

In 2022, Germany hosted Europe’s first K-pop festival, Kpop.Flex festival, which sold more than 70,000 tickets in 84 countries. That year, TEG MJR promoted the UK’s first-ever K-pop festival, HallyuPopFest, at OVO Arena Wembley.

Elsewhere, the 19th edition of renowned K-pop tour, the Music Bank World Tour, took place in Spain, at Madrid’s 80,000-cap Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Earlier this year, an application was submitted to stage a two-day K-pop festival in North West London. Magic Sound is bidding to hold the 15,000-cap Made in Korea (MIK) 2025 at Northwick Park, Brent, from 7-8 June.

Meanwhile, a new report has projected the global K-pop events market – valued at US$8.1 billion (€7.9bn) in 2021 – will reach $20bn (€19bn) by 2031.

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.

With massive tours from the likes of Coldplay, Oasis, Dua Lipa, AC/DC, Lana Del Rey, Shakira, Ed Sheeran and Guns N’Roses in the pipeline, 2025 promises to be the biggest year yet for stadium concerts.

Following a relatively quieter season in 2024 (in part, due to the Paris Olympics), Live Nation chief Michael Rapino declared that 2025 would be a “monster stadium year” – and it’s not hard to see why. While no single act is likely to come close to the financial might of Taylor Swift’s $2 billion-grossing The Eras Tour, the combined talent sitting at live music’s top table should more than make up for it.

Artists including Linkin Park, Imagine Dragons, Billy Joel, My Chemical Romance, Olivia Rodrigo, Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Stereophonics, System of a Down, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Stray Kids, Sam Fender and Iron Maiden are all set for next summer’s circuit. But despite the intense competition, demand remains strong.

“We can already see it with the various success stories and there are some more impressive tours to be announced,” AEG Presents SVP of international touring Simon Jones tells IQ. “Our stadium business has grown significantly over the past few years and we have some huge wins on the board for next year, which is very exciting.”

Like AEG, German-headquartered FKP Scorpio worked on the Swift and Sheeran tours. FKP announced additional dates for Sheeran’s 2025 European +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour after selling more than 600,000 tickets in an hour.

“The live music industry in general is poised for significant growth in 2025”

“With stadium shows of Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, our 2024 was surely something very special, but 2025 is shaping up to be very successful regardless – another set of well over 20 stadium shows with Ed Sheeran in Europe will continue our success in this area,” says FKP CEO Stephan Thanscheidt.

“The live music industry in general is poised for significant growth in 2025, and the stadium business will surely be no exception from this. This expansion is driven by increasing consumer demand for live experiences fuelled by flagship concerts and residencies of global superstars and the proliferation of large-scale events in general.”

Other recent case studies for the industry include Lana Del Rey shifting more than 300,000 tickets for her 2025 stadium tour, Dua Lipa’s first show at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London selling out in five minutes and Shakira selling out 13 stadiums with nearly 700,000 tickets sold in less than two hours.

Demand for these mega concerts isn’t limited to the usual markets either – A-list artists are being pulled to all corners of the globe. Next year, Coldplay will perform their biggest-ever show at the 100,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in India, Sheeran will become the first-ever international artist to perform in Bhutan and Guns N’ Roses will play their first-ever shows in Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Lithuania and Luxembourg.

Venues are evidently keen to capitalise on the demand. In the UK, Anfield, home to Liverpool Football Club, has been gradually increasing its live music programming since 2019 following a successful redevelopment.

In previous years the ground has hosted performances from the likes of Bon Jovi, Take That, Elton John and The Eagles but 2024 set a new benchmark for concerts. A three-night stand from Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour and two concerts from P!nk on her Summer Carnival Tour drew over 250,000 visitors to England’s fifth-largest stadium.

“To have the biggest solo artist in the world arriving for three nights at Anfield”

“To have the biggest solo artist in the world arriving for three nights at Anfield was amazing and exactly the type of event we wanted when we started concerts back in 2019,” says Phil Dutton, VP of ticketing and hospitality at Liverpool FC.

“This summer was a perfect opportunity to showcase what Anfield has to offer as a concert venue and we look forward to building on that again in 2025.”

With six concerts confirmed for the summer of 2025 – including Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel – Anfield is gearing up for its biggest-ever year.

“Concerts are a very important part of the club’s strategy now. Anfield is an iconic stadium and we are keen to see it used throughout the year – not just for football but to host the world’s biggest artists,” Dutton adds.

“It is certainly something that a lot of venues are looking at more aggressively now. Since Covid it is clear that the music industry is on an upward curve so of course stadiums want to be part of that growth.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s city rivals Everton FC are currently building a new stadium that promises to provide “the very best visitor experience” for both football matches and concerts.

“Becoming a live music venue is a major component of our commercial strategy”

With the ability to host events between 5,000 capacity and 52,000, the Bramley-Moore Dock ground will be the biggest stadium to come on stream in the UK since Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has hosted acts such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and P!nk. Everton FC has similar ambitions for its live music offering.

“We want it to be recognised as a ‘must play’ venue by the world’s best sports stars and the biggest music artists,” Everton’s head of events Suzie​​​​ Parker‑Myers tells IQ. “Becoming a live music venue is a major component of our commercial strategy.

“Everton Stadium will be a unique event campus – no other stadium has a footprint that is so adaptable to such a wide spectrum of events. In addition to in-bowl concerts, The Plaza in front of the stadium is perfect for outdoor music events or civic gatherings and benefits from the amenities located on the ground level concourse.”

Further afield, the Philippines has pledged to build a ‘Taylor Swift-ready’ stadium by 2028, after missing out on the star’s juggernaut tour, while Bulgaria’s top promoter has declared the market is open for stadium shows and Mexico’s biggest promoter Ocesa has opened the world’s first purpose-built music stadium.

In terms of emerging markets for stadium tours, AEG’s Jones has his eye on Asia and the Middle East.

“If the timing is right and an artist has put the work in prior, stadiums are there for the taking in Asia,” he tells IQ. “There are some fabulous stadia on the continent and on top of that, some incredible new facilities are being built. In the Middle East, demand there increasing year on year so another stadium in the area would be very much welcomed. The thirst and appetite are there for people to buy tickets to see shows!”

“Ticket prices have increased in recent years, and people tend to spend more on the big shows”

So what can the growth of stadium concerts be attributed to and more importantly, what does it depend on?

“We’re seeing fans being more selective about what they spend their money on,” suggests Jones. “Ticket prices have increased in recent years, and people tend to spend more on the big shows, with the big presentations and wanting to see them in more comfortable surroundings. Fans love a spectacular stadium show and gradually we are seeing more artists reach stadium-level business, before some may have expected them to. It’s buoyant times and great to see.”

Thanscheidt puts the surge down to several factors. “Artists increasingly rely on live performances as a primary income source, audiences seek immersive experiences, and stadium concerts offer a unique atmosphere,” he says. “Technological advancements also play a role in their success because enhanced sound, visual technologies or stage design have improved the quality and excitement of large-venue performances significantly and offer new means of expression.”

Stadium tours have also become increasingly hot commodities in cities’ efforts to boost tourism and create an economic impact.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Singapore struck an exclusivity deal with Taylor Swift and her promoters to make the island nation her only Eras tour stop in Southeast Asia. Unsurprisingly, Singapore’s investment in Swift paid off, with the government later crediting live music with helping to rejuvenate tourism in Singapore.

In another high-profile case, it emerged that the Western Australian government paid A$8 million to subsidise two Coldplay concerts.

“Everything works in peaks and troughs, but this current stadium boom could well be here to stay as long as the value is there”

“Our concerts over the past five years have helped to boost the local economy by more than £31 million and also provided thousands of jobs for local people,” says Liverpool FC’s Dutton.

AEG’s Jones believes the upward trajectory of stadium shows will rely on the continued evolution of the venues.

“I’ve had the fortune of putting shows on in some of the world’s best stadiums and also others that have proved – shall we say – challenging when it comes to staging shows. The newer venues coming online that are thinking properly about dual usage, true fan and artist experience are where we will see the most success and enable this boom to be maintained.”

Indeed, the capability to host live music has become a top priority for stadiums wanting to play a bigger role in culture and generate new income streams.

Looking ahead, both FKP and AEG expect the global stadium concert market to maintain its growth trajectory into 2026 and 2027.

“Everything works in peaks and troughs, but this current stadium boom could well be here to stay as long as the value is there for people within the price they’re being asked to pay versus the comfortability, presentation quality and overall experience for ticket buyers,” says Jones.

Thanscheidt adds: “This outlook is supported by ongoing consumer demand and the continuous evolution of live event experiences. The advantages for artists speak for themselves, but let’s not forget one big caveat: We are only talking about a slice of the live business that is solely accessible to the biggest names in the industry. That’s why we will make sure to not lose our focus on artist development and other more intimate forms of live entertainment.”

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.

Ed Sheeran has set a new ticket sales record for an international artist in the Baltic states after drawing more than 81,000 fans over two nights in Lithuania.

The British singer-songwriter brought his +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour to the Dariaus and Gireno Stadium in Kaunas on 3-4 August, presented by AEG Presents, FKP Scorpio and local co-promoter L Tips Agency.

“Ed’s year in 2024 has been full of record breaking shows not just in the Middle East & Asia but now in the Baltics,” says Simon Jones, AEG’s SVP, international touring. “The shows in Lithuania this past weekend were a fantastic return to the region, and he continues on into Eastern Europe and the Balkans doing some of the biggest shows these countries have ever seen. It never ceases to amaze me.”

FKP Scorpio touring director Inga Esseling adds: “We are more than happy to have broken yet another record with the most attended show ever by an international artist in the Baltics. We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to L Tips and all local stakeholders without whom the second music concert ever in Kaunas stadium, as well as 80.000 sold tickets in only two days, wouldn’t have been possible.”

The event was the first international artist show to take place in the newly renovated stadium in Kaunas.

“Ed Sheeran concert in Darius and Girenas stadium is a record breaker for Kaunas city,” says Zalgiris Group head of events department Mantas Vedrickas. “Effects of this show can be felt not only in Kaunas, but in all Lithuania. I strongly believe that this show will be the ground breaker for all international and local upcoming shows.”

Kaunas city director of municipal administration Tadas Metelionis says the shows were a “huge success” and brought additional economic benefits for the region.

“The concerts’ overall impact on the city’s economy is estimated to be around €14 million”

“Not only were the concerts the biggest commercial event in Kaunas’ history, but they also attracted thousands of foreign concertgoers from neighbouring countries, according to preliminary estimates,” says Metelionis. “The concerts’ overall impact on the city’s economy is estimated to be around €14 million. The positive feedback from participants gives us confidence in hosting even more events in the future.”

The shows marked the third time that L Tips Agency, which is one of the largest independent promoters in the Baltic States, had organised Sheeran’s concerts in the Baltics.

“We are happy and grateful for Ed Sheeran’s loyalty because we have already promoted all six of his shows in the Baltics together,” says Gints Putniņš, CEO of L Tips Agency. “It was a big challenge to promote the first shows of this level in the new Kaunas stadium, but with such a great local team and partners like FKP Scorpio, AEG and the city of Kaunas, nothing is impossible.”

Putniņš and other local independent promoters spoke to IQ about the groundbreaking tour earlier this year.

Sheeran, who is represented by agent Jon Ollier of One Fiinix Live outside North America, has announced the Mathematics run will conclude next year after extending to a fourth year.

Renowned promoter Salomon Hazot recently praised the “absolutely magnificent” sales for Sheeran’s 2025 French stadium dates, while FKP Scorpio confirmed additional nights in Germany, Belgium, Norway and Sweden after selling more than 600,000 tickets in an hour. The 33-year-old will also play extra shows in Switzerland and Denmark.

PHOTO (L-R): Hannah Chapman (tour, event & production manager, AEG Presents), Jessica Vincent (international touring, AEG Presents UK), Simon Jones (SVP, international touring, AEG Presents), Folkert Koopmans (founder and CEO, FKP Scorpio), Ed Sheeran, Gints Putnins (CEO, L Tips Agency), Inga Esseling (touring director, FKP Scorpio)

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.

BRITs Week 24 for War Child raised £430,000 from 13 shows held across the UK in February and March, it has been announced.

The annual concert series gives fans the opportunity to see intimate one-off performances from major names, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s work to help children whose lives have been affected by war.

BRITs Week, which is produced by AEG Presents, BPI, and War Child, has raised more than £7.43 million for the charity since the event’s inception in 2009. This year’s radio partners were Bauer Media Audio UK.

“It’s heartwarming and humbling to know that BRITs Week has been able to continue to contribute such valuable funds for War Child for what is now going on a decade,” says Simon Jones, AEG’s SVP, live music international. “This staggering amount of money raised in 2024 will go to incredible use at such an important time for War Child, and goes to show what can be done when the industry comes together to support it. Thank you to all the artists, managers, and labels for continuing to believe in BRITs Week.”

This year’s shows took place around The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard on 2 March, and featured Cian Ducrot (support act: James McVey), You Me At Six (support act: The XCERTS), Keane (support act: Oscar Lang), Ash (support act: Big Image), Baby Queen (support act: Lynks) and Aitch (support act: A1xJ1).

“War Child’s work is needed now more than ever, and the money raised will significantly impact the lives of thousands of children”

Completing the lineup were Pendulum, AURORA (support act: Jack Kane), Gabriels (support act: Celeste), Sleaford Mods, CMAT (support act: Lorraine Bowen), Venbee (support act: A Little Sound) and The Last Dinner Party (support act: Rachel Chinouriri).

“We would like to say a huge thank you to all our partners, the artists, and everyone who bought a ticket to BRITs Week 2024,” says Clare Sanders-Wright, live music lead at War Child. “War Child’s work is needed now more than ever, and the money raised will significantly impact the lives of thousands of children. Every day, our local teams are in communities and refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn, and access psychological support.

“We also respond rapidly to emergency crises, delivering immediate and critical care impartially to those who need us most, when they need us most. Thank you once again for helping us to continue our vital work.”

Maggie Crowe OBE, BPI events director, adds: “BRITs Week is one of my favourite times of the year. Not only are we privileged to enjoy a diverse array of artists give memorable performances in intimate venues around the country, but we consistently raise huge amounts – to date nearly seven and a half million pounds and counting – to support the vital work of War Child, which is needed more than ever. It’s the power of music writ large.

“My heartfelt thanks to all the artists and their record labels and teams, the fans and, of course, our valued partners led by AEG and War Child, who make it all possible and each year help to make BRITs Week that bit more special.”

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 has appointed prolific talent booker Jay Belin as VP, international touring.

Belin, who began his career at AEG subsidiary The Bowery Presents, brings more than 17 years of live music experience and will be tasked with executing major concerts across Europe with the company’s global touring division.

Directly reporting to SVPs of global touring Michael Harrison and Simon Jones, Belin will initially be based in AEG Presents’ New York office before relocating to AEG Europe’s London HQ. His roles and responsibilities will focus on European touring operations and projects for global touring clients.

“Jay has been a close friend for many years and I’m so excited for him to join our team as our focus on global growth continues,” says Rich Schaefer, AEG’s president of global touring. “His background in live music touches almost every single part of the ecosystem, which gives him invaluable insight into artist relations and where our business is headed. I expect Jay will quickly become an important asset to our touring artists and promoters around the globe.”

“Jay has been a close friend for many years and I’m so excited for him to join our team as our focus on global growth continues”

Belin cut his teeth booking shows at the Mercury Lounge in New York for The Bowery Presents before spending two years as senior talent buyer at Live Nation, booking venues across New York City, Long Island and New Jersey.

He then spent the next ten years at WME, where he booked domestic and international tours in the agency’s New York and London offices, respectively. He has worked with artists such as Vampire Weekend, Mac Miller, FKA twigs, Nines, Don Toliver, Pulp, Kali Uchis, Joey Bada$$, James Murphy and Zach Bryan.

“AEG Presents is an artist-first organisation and that is something you can’t fake,” adds Belin. “In a world where authenticity still counts for something, Rich’s vision and the team executing it embody that spirit. We all arrived at AEG through a shared love of live music and being a conduit to help artists bring that experience to their fans is an irreplaceable feeling.”

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’ SVP of international touring Simon Jones says 2024 is on track to be the “biggest ever” for the global live business.

The Arthur Award-winning promoter is currently on the road across Asia for Ed Sheeran’s  +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour, with dozens of Taylor Swift Eras dates still to come later this year.

And Jones, who is also overseeing this month’s BRITs Week, tells IQ he is especially encouraged by the growth of the industry outside the traditional heartlands of the US and UK.

“Business is good,” he says. “2024 is shaping up to be the biggest ever. For me, Asia continues to be the most exciting region. The globalisation of music genres is something that is outpacing everyone and is ever changing. Blackpink headlining Coachella and BST Hyde Park is a great example of that.

“Also, separately to Blackpink, what is amazing to see is how an act based out of Korea for example can be so huge in Europe and the United States, yet less so in their home region, and the same goes for a select few artists in the UK, where they have a decent solid business in Europe, but explosive in Asia.”

AEG recently co-promoted Sheeran’s record-breaking stadium concerts in Dubai on 19-20 January alongside All Things Live (ATL) Middle East. The current run also encompasses stops in Bahrain, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and India, where AEG Asia Pacific CEO Adam Wilkes is a longtime collaborator on Sheeran with Jones.

“The Dubai shows were collectively the biggest shows in UAE’s history, and a huge flag in the ground”

“The first couple of weeks of the tour has been fantastic,” says Jones. “We did a warm up show at the fantastic Al Dana Amphitheatre in Bahrain, followed by two sold-out shows at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai – 69,500 tickets in total.

“The Dubai shows were collectively the biggest shows in UAE’s history, and a huge flag in the ground proving that putting on major outdoor events in that market can be done, even though the viable venues are so few and far between. Together with our partner in Dubai, [ATL Middle East CEO] Thomas Ovesen, it was a hugely successful return to the region for Ed.

“After the Middle East shows, Ed crushed three sold out shows in Japan too last week, which has shown to be a huge market for him. Now on to sold out shows in Taiwan, Singapore, Mumbai and more over the next two months.”

In total, AEG will stage 26 dates with Sheeran from January to September, as well as 50 sold-out Taylor Swift concerts from May to August, including eight nights at London’s Wembley Stadium in the UK.

“It’s already a busy year but we’re about to launch some major tours for Q3 and Q4 2024, and into 2025,” says Jones, who notes he is closely monitoring developments in the ticketing world.

“Ticketing is an ever dynamic landscape, and the trends in America are slowly but surely going to evolve into most markets around the world over the next few years,” he adds. “We have seen it in South Africa recently, and we will also see even more forward thinking strategies being delivered into more markets that are going to catch up, despite local hesitance. We are going to be right at the forefront of implementing those.”

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.

Aitch, Keane and You Me At Six are among acts confirmed for the BRITs Week 24 for War Child lineup.

The annual charity concert series features intimate one-off performances from big names in some of the UK’s best venues. Since BRITs Week’s inception in 2009, the shows have raised more than £7 million for War Child to help children whose lives have been torn apart by war.

BRITs Week, which is produced by AEG Presents, BPI, Bauer Media Audio UK and War Child, will take place around The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard on Saturday 2 March. Cian Ducrot and You Me At Six will kick off proceedings at London’s Union Chapel and Brighton’s Concorde 2, respectively, on 19 February, and Keane will star at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 20 February.

The following night, 21 February, will see shows in the capital by Baby Queen at Lafayette, Aitch at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and Ash at the 100 Club. while Pendulum will appear at central London’s HERE at Outernet on 23 February.

Sleaford Mods will perform at London’s Scala on 28 February, before newcomers CMAT and Venbee take to the stage at Bush Hall and Omeara, respectively, on 1 March. The 2024 series will then culminate with BRITs Rising Star 2024 award and BBC Sound poll winners The Last Dinner Party at The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge on 4 March.

“The fact that BRITs Week is able to continue for another incredibly strong year is testament to the support that it has endured from all across the industry”

“The fact that BRITs Week is able to continue for another incredibly strong year is testament to the support that it has endured from all across the industry over the years,” says Simon Jones, AEG’s SVP, live music international. “Being able to put these shows together with our partners BPI and War Child is a privilege, and raising very valuable funds especially at this time for such an important charity.

“Our appreciation goes out to all of the managers, artists and labels that continue to support this important industry fixture, and of course to all of the fans who buy the tickets to see these acts in such intimate surroundings.”

Alongside a prize draw to win tickets, a limited number of tickets for each show will go on sale. Joining as partners for BRITs Week 24 is Bauer Media Audio, with its stations Absolute Radio, Hits Radio, Kerrang! Radio and KISS all promoting the series of special gigs.

“I am so excited to announce the lineup for BRITs Week 2024 and thankful to all of the brilliant artists donating their time to raise vital funds in aid of War Child,” says Clare Sanders Wright, senior music manager at War Child. “The past year is one that we will never, ever forget. Children have paid with their homes and their lives for wars they didn’t start. And then, there are the children who don’t make the headlines – children who might be completely forgotten. But there is hope. War Child help children put the pieces back together.

“The money raised from BRITs Week 2024 will help War Child keep children safe. Whether it’s mental health first aid, food, or shelter, War Child work in the hardest-to-reach places to ensure that children and their families have hope for a brighter future. We are so grateful to the artists and our partners for supporting BRITs Week 24.”

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.

It’s 8.29 pm at Dublin’s Croke Park, 23 April 2022. The sense of anticipation among the 82,000 fans present – here to see Ed Sheeran kick off his fourth world tour, the +–=÷× Tour (AKA the Mathematics Tour) – is building to fever pitch; a giant red and yellow screen in front of the stage has been displaying a ten-minute count down, and there’s just one minute to go.

When it hits zero, the screens go up and Sheeran launches into Tide, the opening track of his fifth studio album, 2021’s =; a joyous frenzy and outpouring of celebration ensues.

“Magic” is how the Irish Examiner describes it; “a show that will live long in the memory,” adds the Independent. “When the music started, to hear and see the audience’s reaction and share their excitement, was really emotional,” says Helen Himmons, +–=÷×’s production manager. “To be standing there experiencing so many original, custom-designed elements all coming together for the first time in front of 82,000 people was exhilarating,” adds Bren Berry of Aiken Promotions, who was responsible for all ten of Sheeran’s Irish dates.

But that night was just the start; over 53 more shows in 2022 Sheeran wowed fans and critics alike and truly put on a show for the ages. From the sheer number of fans that he entertained to some of the groundbreaking production elements and the success of touring such a mammoth show in the challenging post-Covid environment, it’s no surprise that we have awarded Sheeran and his team IQ’s Tour of the Year award for 2022.

Galway Girl(s and Boys)
The anticipation in Dublin wasn’t just because Sheeran is one the world’s biggest pop stars and musical icons or that he has a particularly passionate fanbase in the Emerald Isle (in total he sold 410,000 tickets in Ireland, incredible for an island with less than 7 million inhabitants). It was also the first major outdoor concert in Ireland in three years, following the Covid-19 pandemic. “We sold 225,000 tickets in the first hour,” says Berry, “and if the dates had been available, we could have sold extra shows in Limerick and Belfast.”

But being the first large, outdoor event post-Covid also brought challenges. “The venue, local council, and suppliers all had different opinions about what should happen regarding Covid-19,” adds Berry. “There was also quite a bit of debate in the media about conditions that should be applicable for what was really the first big show in Ireland for three years.” The show – and the tour so far – went off without a hitch though; no mean feat considering its scale.

“We sold 225,000 tickets in the first hour and if the dates had been available, we could have sold extra shows”

And the numbers themselves are mind-boggling. Over 3.1m tickets sold, generating over £200m in revenue. 125 crew spread over three separate teams (plus 80 local crew at each venue); 84 trucks hauling over 56 tonnes of gear; a unique, custom-built stage design that had never been toured before; brand-new, state-of-the-art pyro effects; and even discussions with the UK government at Cabinet level.

Chief architects behind the tour, alongside Sheeran, are artist manager Stuart Camp and agents Marty Diamond from Wasserman Music for North America and Jon Ollier from One Fiinix Live for Europe and the rest of the world.

Revealing the detailed planning for the Mathematics production, Camp says, “We were talking about this show before we completed the Divide tour in the summer of 2019. The in-the-round idea has been knocked back and forth for several years, but this was the time to take the plunge – although the pandemic did throw a curveball, so we did consider going to a more standard end-on show given the uncertainties regarding what touring would look like.”

Explaining why the tour visited the markets and venues that it did across Europe, Ollier tells IQ, “You can only do what you do in the short season of weather window for stadium shows, and that’s sort of what dictated our tour routing in 2022. Certainly, there were no ‘filler’ dates or markets on the European tour leg.”

Turning to the actual show itself, Camp says, “We just wanted to do something that we hadn’t done before…to make the show as special and unique as we could.”

That remit fell upon the shoulders of production designer Mark Cunniffe, who notes, “It’s a huge show in terms of industrial presence, but it has a very theatrical feel and attention to detail that give it its unique look.”

But the complexity of the production was daunting, and Sheeran’s agent discloses that the core team initially worked on two concepts, just in case the more ambitious option would not work. “The caution on our part was in our expectations as we emerged from the pandemic,” says Ollier. “Our attitude was simply to have a good crack at it to see what we could achieve.

“We just wanted to do something that we hadn’t done before…to make the show as special and unique as we could”

“We worked on the ‘plan B’, involving a traditional end-on stage, in parallel, flipping between the two concepts as we worked out what was feasible financially as well as logistically and from an engineering perspective. The watershed moment was when Ed decided that he had to deliver the best show possible to the fans because everyone had endured such a lot during the pandemic, and he wanted to give them something they could remember for the rest of their lives. So that’s the moment we dumped the idea of the end-on stage and put all our efforts into the show being in-the-round.

“What everyone has put together is the most ambitious tour I’ve ever worked on; the fact we were trying to pull it off while we were in the pandemic made it all the more complicated but also all the more satisfying.”

And hinting at the groundbreaking nature of the setup, artist manager Camp adds, “By far the most extraordinary feature of the show is the structural cable net system. Whist it’s an existing architectural principle, it has never been toured before and is rightly considered to be the first of its kind in the touring entertainment industry.”

Beautiful People
The complexity of that system was developed over the course of 12 months, with Sheeran’s team working with Cunniffe and Himmons to come up with the initial concept before approaching Jeremy Lloyd at Wonder Works to see if it was possible from an engineering perspective. They then engaged Stage One to see if it could be constructed in such a way to make it tourable – could it be put together in the four days they had at each venue prior to the show, then dismantled and removed within 24 hours?

It was a tough challenge.

“I’ve always wanted to present Ed in the round, as I believe that’s the perfect way to get him closer to as many people in the audience as possible,” says Cunniffe. “Once he was happy with that concept, I busied myself designing a show that didn’t have the obligatory use of a four-post roof system, as that would have obscured the artist’s view of the audience. After a great deal of blue-sky thinking, I came up with a structural support with a cable net system that was as aesthetically pleasing as it was functional. It was also a unique design that hadn’t been toured before.”

Such cable net systems are usually supported by some form of permanent structure, typically a roof. Team Sheeran’s challenge was creating an in-the-round setup with no supporting pillars for the stage, screens, or PA – essentially trying to suspend 56 tonnes of equipment on a temporary rig, and one that was relatively quick to build and dismantle. Thanks to some clever engineering, a lot of innovation, and the construction of many custom elements, Cunniffe and co. made it a reality.

“The watershed moment was when Ed decided that he had to deliver the best show possible to the fans because everyone had endured such a lot during the pandemic”

“What we have is a central round stage with a circular ‘halo’ of video and lighting that rises up from the stage floor and suspends in the air,” says Himmons. “It’s held there by a complex cable net system, which is tensioned between six red ‘masts’ – these masts provide a rigging opportunity for plectrum-shaped IMAG video screens and audio hangs and the bases of them are also used as satellite stages for the band members.”

“To make the show efficiently tourable, an important part of the production design was to ensure that as many processes as possible could occur concurrently,” adds Lloyd. Thus, once the masts and cables were installed, along with some advance equipment, production worked in two teams, on opposite masts, ensuring the structure was loaded as evenly – and as quickly – as possible. Similarly, while all this was going on, the stage was constructed off to one side; when the cable net was done, the stage was simply rolled into place.

The resulting show was the event of the summer for millions of fans – and that will be the case for millions more in 2023, 24 and 25, according to Camp.

“2023 will see us go to Australia and New Zealand – a place so close to our hearts and always a joy to tour in – though also the first shows we have done there since the passing of Michael Gudinski, so it will be very poignant,” states Camp.

“Then we are onto the Americas: North America from April to September before we go for some shows into Central and South America. 2024 will hopefully see us go through southeast Asia and the European markets we weren’t able to visit this year, and I envisage the tour coming to a close in summer 2025.”

That’s music to the ears of the many promoters and partners involved in Sheeran’s career.

Afterglow
Salomon Hazot, of Saloni Productions, has worked with Sheeran “since his first show in a club” and is constantly impressed by how “he does all that is required to make things work.”

His two shows at the Stade de France could have been three, he says, but adding another was logistically impossible – the stadium was booked. But the show was, Hazot says, “really unbelievable. There was such a buzz, many French industry people came to the show to see how it worked.”

Steve Tilley of Kilimanjaro Live first promoted Sheeran back in 2009, and says, “The production was next level and really spectacular – they rewrote the rules on what can be achieved in terms of the way they designed and built the whole setup. Every night, I stood and watched in awe.” He adds that it’s an “absolute joy and an honour to be part of the team and work with Ed – everyone involved behaves with pure class and professionalism.”

“They rewrote the rules on what can be achieved in terms of the way they designed and built the whole setup”

FKP Scorpio chief Folkert Koopmans notes that despite Covid and “the extreme circumstances our society and economy find themselves in, this was probably his best-selling tour ever. The enormous ticket demand ensured the list of concert dates grew longer and longer – there was at least one extra show in almost every tour city.” He adds that the tour was “really something very different and special – working with him and his team feels like travelling with family. He’s never stopped being ‘just Ed,’ which is why his story as an artist is relatable – and he’s worked very hard to be where he is right now.”

In Switzerland, Johannes Vogel, owner and director of AllBlues Konzert AG, says that within hours of the first show going on sale, they announced a second – both sold out incredibly quickly (47,500 for both nights). “The production was not just huge and spectacular – it was made to help Ed deliver the best shows possible,” he says. “The level of intimacy for a stadium show and how close he was to the fans was extraordinary – it felt like being in a club with 50,000 others!”

In Austria it was a similar story – 130,000 over two nights, with 70% of the fans in Vienna being female. “The whole concept was incredible,” says Ewald Tatar of Barracuda Music, “and he’s one of the friendliest artists we have ever met. It’s always very professional working with Ed and his team, and we are very proud to be part of this ‘family’ for Austria.”

“It’s quite extraordinary how Ed beats his own sales records every time, and these shows were no exception, with four shows gone in about 48 hours,” says Xenia Grigat of Denmark’s Smash!Bang!Pow! “It’s spectacular to do an in- the-round show – it’s a treat for fans – but this one was in a different league. And the fact that there’s a lot of the same people working with Ed as when he first started out says a lot about the artist and the work environment he has created – everyone on the team is a pleasure to work with.”

“The production was genuinely incredible,” adds Simon Jones of AEG, who has worked with Sheeran for over 11 years. “It’s an engineering masterpiece, and by going to an in-the-round setup, he reached more people – it lent itself so well to the way he performs, which is so inclusive.” Jones also touches on another important element for the +–=÷× Tour – ticketing. “Ed’s main mantra is to protect his fans from unscrupulous touting and from being taken advantage of. So, we always put stringent anti-secondary measures in place, which require an extra couple of layers prior to purchasing.”

“It’s quite extraordinary how Ed beats his own sales records every time, and these shows were no exception, with four shows gone in about 48 hours”

“I think there’s a real legacy to this tour in terms of the ticketing strategy,” says FKP Scorpio’s Daniel Ealam. “We felt that in a post-pandemic world, there really needed to be a way of doing ticketing at this level in a regimented digital way, so we set about writing a comprehensive Ticketing Principles document with various rules for our ticketing partners to adhere to, to protect Ed’s fans. Our ticketing partners in the UK at Ticketmaster, Eventim, See, Gigantic, and AXS really bought into the idea that our tickets needed to stay with the person who bought it, unless sold through an official face-value reseller. This was rolled out throughout Europe and ran really smoothly.”

To fulfil that wish, CTS Eventim’s EVENTIM. Pass was put to the test, with its digital and personalised ticket abilities. “We used EVENTIM.Pass exclusively for the first time in ticket sales for Ed Sheeran’s European tour,” says Alexander Rouff, CTS Eventim’s COO. “After the start of presales, more than 1m digital tickets for the tour were sold in eight countries within a very short time.”

He explains, “The ticket purchased via EVENTIM.Pass can only be accessed on the smartphone using the EVENTIM.App – it is securely stored there, and the associated individual QR code for admission authorisation is only displayed shortly before an event. This and other security features largely prevent unauthorised resale, forgery, and misuse.”

The new system worked “100%” claims Rouff.

Indeed, there was only one attempt at fraud, and “it was detected and prevented by the missing security features of the ticket.” For fans of paper tickets, the company also offered EVENTIM. Memory Tickets. “The Memory Ticket for Ed Sheeran’s tour design was very well received by fans,” adds Rouff.

The A Team
Taking such a mammoth production on the road demands that Sheeran has two advance systems – basically the six red masts, cable net systems, and the satellite stages for the band. These leapfrog each other, so each advance team prepares every other venue. “But there was only one version of the universal production – sound, lights, video, automation, performance stage – so that was loaded in and out for every show,” adds Himmons.

Making sure the production equipment gets from A to B to Z is Global Motion who have been working with Sheeran since he first started playing arenas a decade ago.

“Getting back to work, post-Covid, has been great, but it’s been a bit of a nightmare in terms of finding people who want to work – it’s still not back to normal,” says Global Motion director Adam Hatton. “However, for a huge tour like this, the solution is all in the planning and thankfully team Sheeran are fantastic at that.”

Hatton reports that while for most clients concerned about sustainability, the advice is to simply take less gear on the road, for the huge spectaculars, like Mathematics, that isn’t always possible. “We decided to sign up to DHL’s sustainability programme which offers ways to offset carbon, as well as using electric trucks, etc, where possible.”

“For a huge tour like this, the solution is all in the planning and thankfully team Sheeran are fantastic at that”

And applauding the brains behind the Mathematics Tour, Hatton adds, “The show is extremely impressive – seeing a stadium show in the round is amazing. There were huge logistical issues to overcome to get this show on the road, but when you see the result, it makes everything worthwhile, and it’s been a pleasure to be involved with everyone who has made the tour possible.”

Working hand-in-hand with Global Motion were the trucking partners, who arguably faced the tour’s biggest dilemmas thanks to Brexit making the landscape even more complicated in what was already a Covid-challenged environment.

For the universal production element, KB Event were once again entrusted – the company has been working with Sheeran since 2012. In total, 27 Mega Box Artics and 5 Mega Curtain Side Arctics were required, each with a lead driver and two support leads. But with the tour starting in the Republic of Ireland, moving into the UK, and then touring for three months in mainland Europe, registrations and permits proved tricky to coordinate.

“Because of the Cabotage issues and the solutions we managed to agree with the UK government, all of the trucks on the tour had to be EU-registered vehicles,” says KB Event CEO, Stuart McPherson. “This gave the added complication that all the experienced UK drivers that had worked on previous Sheeran tours had to be sent to Ireland to sit their EU DCPC qualifications before the tour started. This also meant that replacement, standby, and substitute drivers all had to hold EU qualifications, too. This is an issue we have never had to deal with before and presented serious challenges and expenses getting everything in place before the tour started up.”

The proposed routing and show schedules also presented numerous logistical issues, again due to Brexit and the many new rules and regulations now in force regarding cross-border working. To get around this, KB engaged with the UK government and DfT, alongside trade association LIVE and the Road Haulage Association.

After months of negotiation, the UK government decided they would consider a duel registration option, where a company that has registered businesses in the EU and the UK (as long as both held a valid operator’s licence) could switch their EU trucks onto and off a UK operator’s licence. But with this not coming into law until August or September 2022, and the tour starting in April, things looked bleak.

“It’s an engineering masterpiece, and by going to an in-the-round setup, he reached more people”

The power of Sheeran – and the hard work of his transport suppliers – prevailed when a solution was proposed that would see the UK authorities adopt a short-term, temporary fix to get the industry through the summer. “This was accepted and pushed through cabinet just four weeks before the tour started,” says McPherson. “And I can tell you, we all slept a lot better that night!”

With KB Event handling the universal production, the two advanced systems were transported by Pieter Smit. They also faced challenges. “It was extremely difficult to get new trucks in Europe,” reports Steve Kroon, head of sales and relations. “We were lucky that through our extensive network, we found several brands that could deliver trucks with the highest emission class (Euro 6) – we had DAF, MAN, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz.” Kroon reveals it’s the first time the company has toured such a big production using renewable diesel. He adds, “We’re proud to be the first trucking company to have actually entered Sunderland’s Stadium of Light by truck and trailer combination – it was close and narrow, but we did it.”

There were plenty of other issues to solve for an outdoor, temporary, in-the-round setup. To ensure that no waterproofing or covers were required, everything – be it video, lighting, staging, or special effects – had to be IP65 rated. “A lot of time was spent sourcing, and in some cases, manufacturing from scratch, equipment that fulfilled this particular brief,” says Cunniffe.

Furthermore, the nature of stadium pitches or open, soft ground provided another challenge to overcome. “With the outer perimeter of the stage revolving, the entire performance stage has to be completely level in order for it to move,” says Himmons. “As we were not working on flat arena floors this was a challenge, specifically on the greenfield sites we played. And the floors also had to be able to take the weight of the show – some stadiums had underground car parks, directly beneath the pitch, so we had to look at our build process and crane movements, making sure we kept weight evenly distributed during the build, as well as consulting on how to support the floor from below because of the void underneath.”

I See Fire
Pyro was another element where the production and design team wanted to add something new. Tim Griffiths of Pains Fireworks was brought in to create some exciting effects; he didn’t disappoint. The brief, he says, was to “create something spectacular that could be repeated each night within the confines of the set. The incredible floating LED halo was the obvious place for us to mount close-proximity pyros, but the most exciting idea was trying to create a moment at the beginning of the concert using daylight effects. We decided to go for coloured, daylight smoke mines, which are the latest innovation of the past few years. They look stunning when fired in bright daylight and created an incredible rainbow feature four times at the start of each show.”

“Ed has set the bar high now, and I genuinely believe this is the most spectacular and ambitious live show on Earth”

Griffiths also utilised eleven of the latest liquid flame heads from German manufacturer, Galaxis. “The new Galaxis L-Flame was only released last year, and we had ordered the first batch in the UK, used them last summer, and knew that they would look fantastic built into the revolving stage,” he says. “The flame pumps sit under the stage and feed the heads with liquid IPA. The biggest challenge initially was to refine the flame heights and get a consistent flame using smaller nozzles than those supplied to reduce the height and avoid burning the lighting rig.”

Perfect
Although the sell-out tour could have added extra dates in key cities, Camp admits the approach was a little more cautious than it may normally have been. “The live industry was still re-finding its feet when we put our shows on sale for ’22,” says Camp. “I think it was the first stadium tour to go up post pandemic, and we did the same level of business here in Europe as the last tour.”

Confirming the total of 3.1m ticket sales across Europe during 2022, agent Ollier reveals the next tour leg in Australasia will account for another 700,000 tickets. He says, “Of course, a production of this size doesn’t come without its challenges and there are always going to be bumps on the road and nuances, but Ed has set the bar high now, and I genuinely believe this is the most spectacular and ambitious live show on Earth.”

Talking of Sheeran’s development as an artist, Camp adds, “He really has just simply grown in ability and confidence. This is the first tour we have used a band – albeit only for a quarter of the set – but it has bought another dimension and enabled Ed to perform songs that were previously tricky with just one man and a loop pedal.”

Mathematics’ added element of supporting musicians was just one of multiple surprises to entertain and enthral millions of fans.

The emotion and ambition of that opening show in Dublin rolled all over Europe and is set to be repeated across four additional continents before returning to Europe in 2024. As Bren Berry says of that opening night: “You go all in, roll the dice, hold your breath, and hope you hit the jackpot, which of course Ed and his brilliant team have done with this incredible, ground-breaking show. The opening night worked like a dream – the in-the-round atmosphere was electric, and Ed absolutely smashed it out of the park. I can still see the utter delight on his face coming off the stage.” It’s a sight that sets to be replicated a few more times as the rest of the world gets to experience the +–=÷× Tour in all its brilliance and glory.

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.