Organisers of Switzerland’s legendary Montreux Jazz Festival have announced that the festival will be exported to South Africa in 2026.

MJF has previously held international editions in Tokyo (Japan), Suzhou (China), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Miami (US).

In March 2026, the event will debut at The Franschhoek Wine Valley, which has been touted as the “food and wine capital of South Africa”. Further details will follow later this year.

“We are delighted to see this dream come to life,” says Mark Goedvolk, Founder of MJF Franschhoek. “Hosting the Festival in Franschhoek offers a unique opportunity to bridge cultural divides and create meaningful connections between emerging South African artists and the world’s top international artists and music industry leaders. My hope is for MJF Franschhoek to stand as a beacon of excellence in hospitality and a vibrant celebration of musical talent, united by the power of music.”

“This new collaboration marks a historic moment as the first-ever African edition of our festival”

Mathieu Jaton, CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival, says:  “We are very excited to bring the Montreux Jazz Festival to Franschhoek, a place renowned for its rich culture and stunning natural setting. This new collaboration marks a historic moment as the first-ever African edition of our festival. We are honoured to work alongside local partners who share our passion for live music, creativity and hospitality.”

The 59th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival will take place between 4 and 19 July 2025 on the Lake Geneva shoreline, with nearly 250,000 attendees.

The festival is set to open with a world-exclusive event: Chaka Khan & Friends to Quincy with Love – a celebration of the late Quincy Jones, a longtime ambassador and architect of Montreux’s rich legacy.

Other acts confirmed to perform are Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts, Pulp, Sam Fender, RAYE, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, J Balvin, Ezra Collective, FKA Twigs, Alanis Morissette, Santana, Benson Boone, Bloc Party and The Black Keys.

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European festival bosses are reporting encouraging ticket sales for this summer as events adapt their offerings to keep up with modern trends.

Czechia’s Rock for People has upped the capacity of Park 360 in Hradec Kralove by 25% to 50,000 for 2025. Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park and Biffy Clyro head its 30th anniversary edition from 11-15 June. It is also planning an exhibition celebrating three decades of the festival along with special programming to mark the milestone.

“Sales are very strong this year,” the gathering’s programme and marketing director Luděk Motyčka tells IQ. “A few months before the festival, we have sold out all categories of four-day tickets and also all Saturday tickets. We are also seeing a growing interest in local and non-English speaking artists.

“Another significant opportunity is working with new artists and developing them, as some of the newcomers have experienced a meteoric rise in popularity.”

Rock for People is also adding a new stage focused on up and coming talent and has expanded its offering of glamping accommodation, with Motyčka observing an increased demand for enhanced “experiences, services and comfort”.

“Premium campsites sold out in 20 minutes, and demand for premium tickets has more than doubled,” he reports.

“Visitors are also more discerning when it comes to dining, they expect a more varied and quality offering – we are increasing the ratio of vegan and vegetarian meals each year. Also, we have introduced a non-alcoholic bar with mixed drinks and non-alcoholic wine.”

“While there’s still strong interest in classic pillars like rock, we’re seeing growing openness to other genres”

Ticket sales are also progressing well at Spain’s 40,000-cap Bilbao BBK Live, which will welcome headliners Kylie Minogue, Pulp, Michael Kiwanuka, Bad Gyal and Raye to Kobetamendi from 10-12 July. Eva Castillo, director of communications for promoter Last Tour, says the new Bono Cuadrilla promotion – which provides six tickets for the price of five – has been particularly well received.

“We’re seeing a positive response, especially for full passes and new formats,” she says.

New features include the launch of late-night club concept GORRIA, with programming curated by collectives like Nítido, En1gma and JUGO3000, while the Basoa forest rave stage is returning to its original circular layout.

“We’re also strengthening our efforts around sustainability and diversity, both in the lineup and the festival environment,” adds Castillo. “We aim to offer a complete cultural experience that goes beyond the concerts.”

Also on the bill are the likes of Alice Phoebe Lou, Amyl And The Sniffers, Bicep presents Chroma AV, The Blessed Madonna presents We Still Believe, Jalen Ngonda, Jessica Pratt, L’impératrice, Makaya McCraven, Nathy Peluso, Obongjayar, Sofie Royer and Wunderhorse.

“Audience tastes have diversified significantly,” notes Castillo. “While there’s still strong interest in classic pillars like rock, we’re seeing growing openness to other genres such as electronic music, emerging pop, and hybrid proposals.

“We’re also noticing that people no longer attend solely for the lineup: they value the setting, the festival narrative, the values it represents, and the chance to discover new artists. Audiences are looking for authentic experiences, emotional connection, and proposals with a clear identity.”

“The sense of community is really strong amongst the public which make them super-keen to attend”

It’s a similar story for Finland’s Flow Festival (cap. 30,000), which will bring Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., FKA Twigs, Little Simz, Air, Khruangbin, Bicep and Beth Gibbons, among others, to Helsinki between 8-10 August. Artistic director Tuomas Kallio tells IQ that sales are “very strong – actually better than ever before”.

He reveals the festival area is being expanded for this summer’s incarnation, with the site expanding to the courtyards of the Hanasaari power plant, which hosts the event, for the first time. The area will serve as the backdrop for Flow’s biggest DJ/electronic venue Front Yard.

Kallio detects that the Flow audience is getting “even more varied and demographically mixed”.

“As an over 18s-only festival, there are always the new generation of excited young first-timers who just turned 18 and then the Flow veterans who have been going for 20 years and are still going,” he says. “Flow also has a mixture of various subcultures from clubbers to pop fans to foodies or jazz heads that all clash in a positive way.”

Elsewhere in Europe, Switzerland’s Paléo Festival is already a monster success after all 210,000 tickets for 2025 were snapped up last month in just 13 minutes. The Nyon event will host the likes of David Guetta, Queens of the Stone Age, Macklemore, Will Smith, Justice, Simple Minds, Texas, Sex Pistols ft Frank Carter and Skunk Anansie.

“It’s very rewarding to witness the craze and passion of our audience,” says Paléo spokesperson Bastien Bento. “We’re very lucky. It’s hard to decipher for us – I guess the sense of community is really strong amongst the public which make them super-keen to attend.”

“Most festivals need to rethink their business models in order to stay healthy”

Bento details how organisers tinker with the format to keep things fresh – pointing to its Village du Monde project, which is dedicated to Maghreb this year and will showcase 20 artists as well as specific scenography and food and crafts stands from the African region.

“Our lineup this year feels also very eclectic and balanced, so it appeals to a large audience – and the audience reflects this diversity,” he notes. “The preparation is going very well. However, like we usually say internally: just because the stadium is full doesn’t mean the match is already won!”

That is not to say there are no clouds on the horizon for the sector however. Paléo booker Dany Hassenstein notes that in light of the current macroeconomic climate – allied to high headliner fees and production costs – most festivals need to rethink their business models in order to stay healthy and continue offering good value for money.

“This calls for exciting innovations across the industry,” he says. “At the same time, environmental sustainability is becoming an increasingly central concern for the whole events industry.”

Bilbao BBK’s Castillo agrees, adding: “A major challenge is the environmental impact and the need to transform our practices in a real and measurable way. In addition, connecting with new generations demands constant innovation in how we communicate and curate our programmes.”

Kallio acknowledges that rising costs are making life ever-more difficult for the sector, although Flow has been able to ride the storm better than the most.

“Even for Flow it is getting more challenging, but I guess with the very strong fanbase of the brand and sales pattern that breaks records year after year, we might be one of the lucky ones in the industry,” he suggests. “Good overall quality and curation never go out of style.”

“Relying on a single big-name headliner surrounded only by newcomers just doesn’t cut it anymore”

Despite Rock for People’s star-laden bill, Motyčka says a shortage of headline talent due to the popularity of stadium tours is a concern, and also lists challenges relating to the steep rise in production costs, HR costs and artist fees, as well as the impact of the current economic environment.

However, amid the recent ascent of acts such as Travis Scott, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Bring Me the Horizon, to name but a few, Hassenstein argues the number of viable headliners is back on an upward trajectory,

“The pool of potential headliners is looking much stronger than it did a few years ago, and it paid off for us in 2025,” he says. “Even though it’s still early, the outlook for 2026 is even more promising.”

Albeit, the overall depth of the programme is of equal importance, adds Hassenstein.

“A strong mix of multiple big names and a diverse lineup across all genres each day is essential,” he contends. “Relying on a single big-name headliner surrounded only by newcomers just doesn’t cut it anymore.”

In conclusion, Castillo is excited about the next evolution of the scene.

“There’s a huge opportunity in rethinking what a festival is and what it can become — turning it into a 360º experience that lives on throughout the year and returns with every new edition,” she finishes. “Embracing more diverse, inclusive and carefully curated proposals allows us to connect with new audiences without losing our loyal base. Digital tools — from data to content creation — help us build community all year round.

“We’re also seeing clear growth in international audiences, opening the door to new collaborations and expansion. Above all, we believe festivals can be platforms for cultural and social impact, with real potential to drive change.”

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Switzerland’s Paléo Festival Nyon has sold out in record time, with all 210,000 tickets gone in just 13 minutes.

“It’s absolutely unreal,” Dany Hassenstein, Paléo’s artistic coordinator and vice president, tells IQ. “I guess there’s no better proof of our strong community or that we’re on the right path.”

The 48th edition of the Nyon-based event will take place on 22-27 July, featuring an eclectic bill based around the theme of “mighty stars, flamboyant riffs and pounding beats”.

David Guetta, Queens of the Stone Age, Macklemore, Will Smith, Justice, Simple Minds, Texas, Sex Pistols ft Frank Carter, Skunk Anansie and more are set to perform.

Paléo Festival Nyon has sold out in advance for 26 years, with exceptionally speedy sellouts in 2024 (21 minutes) and 2023 (40 minutes).

“I guess there’s no better proof of our strong community or that we’re on the right path”

“Our success comes partly from the fact that Paléo is massive in the French-speaking part of Switzerland – bigger than Easter and Christmas,” Hassenstein previously told IQ. “People don’t ask themselves ‘Will I go to Paléo this year?’, they ask themselves ‘Will I be able to get tickets?’. Everybody is ready to buy when we go on sale.”

With a price increase of 5% from last year, a standard day ticket for Paléo 2025 costs 84 francs (€88), while reduced tickets for students, seniors, and unemployed individuals will be available for 69 francs (€72).

Tickets for Wednesday and Sunday are 10 francs extra due to the star-studded lineups featuring Will Smith and Texas, and David Guetta, Rilès, and Nemo.

The festival’s traditional ticket exchange, which is designed to combat the black market, will go live on 2 April, while 1,500 daily tickets will be made available from 9 am on each morning of this year’s event.

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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.

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Slam Dunk Festival promoter Ben Ray has shared his blueprint for the brand’s 2025 “European takeover” in an interview with IQ.

The rock event, which was crowned Festival of the Year at this week’s LIVE Awards, will take place in six markets across one week next May/June, debuting in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as returning to France, Italy and the UK, where the brand launched in 2006.

It is collaborating with partners in each market, apart from the UK, including Live Nation Belgium, Jera Presents (Netherlands), Good News Productions (Switzerland), Opus Live (France) and Hub Music Factory (Italy).

“It’s what we’ve been working towards,” Ray tells IQ. “The first European [spin-offs] were in France and Italy in ’23, but we only did France this year because – and I was very honest about it – we didn’t have the artists to do Italy. And with any of our European editions, if we don’t get the artists, we won’t put on the events.

“This year, we started looking at more markets but were determined to do both France and Italy. I had to know that France and Italy were done before I looked at anything else, because I wanted to deliver with my existing partners first.

“Luckily, in the cases of Netherlands and Switzerland, I’d been talking to those people for a long time and we’d said we’d do something if the opportunity arose.”

“Neck Deep are the only band playing all seven events”

Slam Dunk 2025 will kick off with its flagship, 30,000-cap UK editions at Hatfield Park on 24 May and Temple Newsam in Leeds on 25 May, headlined by A Day To Remember, Electric Callboy and Neck Deep, before making its way across the continent.

“Months ago, I told the artists that were flying over from the US for Slam Dunk UK that we were trying to add some European options for afterwards,” explains Ray. Thankfully, many of those bands have decided to come and join us and go into Europe. A Day To Remember are also headlining in France and Italy, and The Used, Newfound Glory and Neck Deep are the main three bands doing the majority of the shows.

“Switzerland is New Found Glory and Neck Deep, and then Netherlands and Belgium is The Used and Neck Deep, so it’s all rotating. Neck Deep are the only band playing all seven events.”

The inaugural Slam Dunk Belgium (cap. 2,000) is set for 27 May at Trix, Antwerp, with the first Slam Dunk Netherlands to follow 29 May at Tivola Ronda in Utrecht.

Slam Dunk France (cap. 5,000) will take place Lyon’s L’Amphitheatre 3000 on 31, with Slam Dunk Switzerland (cap. 2,000) to debut at Zurich’s Komplex 457 on 1 June. Slam Dunk Italy (cap. 10,000) will then bring proceedings to a close at a new venue – Milan’s Carroponte – on 2 June.

“Ultimately, it’s getting the brand out there into Europe and hopefully putting a benchmark down in those territories”

“The [Belgium/Netherlands Switzerland events] are in club venues,” notes Ray. “It’s a touring package rather than a [traditional] festival. But ultimately, it’s getting the brand out there into Europe and hopefully putting a benchmark down in those territories.

“Everything’s an experiment,” he continues. “The idea is to grow in each market and build the brand in each country, and then we hope to do bigger venues in those countries – and I suppose more countries – in the future.”

Past lineups at the pop-punk, emo, metal, and alternative have included the likes of Paramore, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, Don Broco, Sum 41 and NOFX. And in closing, Ray is cautiously optimistic the rollout will be a hit.

“We look at ticket data from the UK events and we know we get a lot of customers coming from Europe,” finishes Ray. “There is brand awareness all across Europe – even in territories we’re not in – and on top of targeted campaigns in each country, we’re running a very large overall campaign advertising the events together across Europe, again, trying to grow the brand.

“A big target for us is sponsorship: we believe that the more markets we’re in, the more attractive it looks to potential sponsors, so hopefully that will grow over the years as well.”

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Slam Dunk Festival is expanding to Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as part of its “European takeover” in 2025.

The one-day pop-punk, emo, metal and ska-themed festival, which launched in the UK in 2006 before adding stops in France and Italy over the past couple of years, will take place in six markets across one week next May/June.

Slam Dunk 2025 will kick off with its 30,000-cap UK editions at Hatfield Park on 24 May and Leeds, Temple Newsam on 25 May, before making its way across the continent.

A link-up with Live Nation Belgium, the first Slam Dunk Belgium is set for 27 May at Trix, Antwerp, with a bill including The Used, Neck Deep and Zebrahead.

Another new addition in partnership with Jera Presents, Slam Dunk Netherlands will debut on 29 May at Tivola Ronda in Utrecht, featuring Neck Deep, The Used, Zebrahead, The Ataris and March.

Across the border, Slam Dunk hits France on 31 May at Lyon’s L’Amphitheatre 3000, topped by A Day To Remember, Landmvrks, The Used, New Found Glory, Neck Deep and Zebrahead.

The Slam Dunk takeover will come to a close in Italy at Milan’s Carroponte on 2 June

The first Slam Dunk Switzerland will then land at Zurich’s Komplex 457 on 1 June, starring acts such as New Found Glory, Neck Deep, Zebrahead and The Ataris.

The takeover will come to a close in Italy at Milan’s Carroponte on 2 June. Bands confirmed so far include A Day To Remember, New Found Glory, The Used, Landmvrks, Neck Deep, The Ataris and Zebrahead.

Slam Dunk’s previously announced UK bill, meanwhile, will be headlined by A Day To Remember, Electric Callboy and Neck Deep topping the bill. Past lineups have included the likes of Paramore, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Enter Shikari, Jimmy Eat World, Don Broco, Sum 41 and NOFX.

Promoter Ben Ray discussed the potential for future expansion of the brand in an interview with IQ earlier this year.

“We are looking at other European markets, but we’re not pushing it,” he said. “We started Slam Dunk in 2006 and it took us a long time to get to where we are in the UK. We’ve changed cities, we’ve changed sites, we’ve change formats and we’ve built slowly. We’ve never tried to take on too much, which is very important.”

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Live Nation GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) has announced that Ioannis ‘Pana’ Panagopoulos has rejoined the company as director of A&R.

Panagopoulos previously spent more than five years with the firm prior to switching to CTS Eventim’s DreamHaus as director of talent buying in 2021.

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Pana back to the Live Nation family, both personally and professionally,” Andre Lieberberg, Live Nation GSA president and MD, tells IQ. “He brings with him a wonderful roster of outstanding artists and a wealth of relationships, further strengthening the top tier of our promoter and booking team.

“I believe that his ‘homecoming’ also underscores the culture and vision we aspire to build here at Live Nation GSA, so really am looking forward to what will all accomplish together in the years ahead.”

Panagopoulos’ re-appointment is effective from today (2 December).

“I am very much looking forward to be working with some of my old and new German and international friends again”

“After three and a half years at DreamHaus and being and part of their amazing team, I decided that it is time for a new adventure,” he says. “I’m very grateful for everything and it was a real pleasure to work with each and everyone in the company.

“Now, I am totally thrilled and excited to rejoin André, Uli [Meyer-Madaus], Marek [Lieberberg] and their brilliant team at Live Nation GSA. I am very much looking forward to be working with some of my old and new German and international friends again. I really can’t wait.”

It was revealed in September that Berlin-based DreamHaus and fellow CTS subsidiary Peter Rieger Konzertagentur (PRK) were merging to form a combined company, PRK DreamHaus.

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Swiss independent promoter AllBlues Konzert has been acquired by live music conglomerate, the Bierhübeli family.

Founded in 1994, AllBlues Konzert organises around 100 concerts a year in Switzerland in the fields of jazz, world, funk & soul, blues and singer-songwriter, as well as the long-running Zurich Jazznojazz Festival.

The Winterthur-based firm has promoted shows for the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Gregory Porter, Ludovico Einaudi, Joe Bonamassa, Candy Dulfer, Mariza, Angélique Kidjo, Goran Bregovic, Caetano Veloso, Paolo Conte, David Byrne, Elvis Costello and Benjamin Clementine.

The firm has also managed Ed Sheeran’s Swiss concerts, from his first performance in the country in 2012 at Kaufleuten Zürich to his four sold-out concerts at Letzigrund Stadium Zürich in 2018 and 2022.

“We are in an excellent position to operate successfully as an independent concert organiser in Bern and throughout Switzerland”

“I am delighted to have found a successor who offers our team a promising future and who will continue our work and live our passion for concert,” says Johannes Vogel, founder and managing director of AllBlues Konzert.

“During our discussion, it quickly became clear that we share the same values and pursue the same goal: To be successful with top-class concerts. I will continue to support the company to ensure a smooth transition.”

The Bern-based Bierhübeli family owns Bierhübeli (a 800-capacity venue complex in Bern), Sun Music (a music agency for booking and management), K-events (a JV with Kursaal Bern AG for cultural events in the Kultursaal Bern convention centre) and remusic (a promoter for concerts and corporate events).

Nando Hepp, managing director and Bierhübeli CFO adds: “The acquisition of AllBlues Konzert AG is another milestone. With a strong team of 130 employees and a good 300 concerts a year, we are in an excellent position to operate successfully as an independent concert organiser in Bern and throughout Switzerland. We look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Read about Switzerland’s live music business in the latest market report.

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Swiss-French promoter TAKK ab Entertainment has hailed an “incredibly exciting” first year as a new entity.

The operation was established last year when the 15-year-old TAKK Productions, run by Sebastien Vuignier and Théo Quiblier, joined forces with CTS Eventim and Swiss concert pioneer André Béchir.

The move brought together three generations of promoters – and rosters that include some of the world’s biggest artists – resulting in a blockbuster year for TAKK ab.

“You bring all of us together and the volume of activities is crazy,” Quiblier tells IQ. “The first year exceeded all expectations. The two Taylor Swift shows at Zurich’s 50,000-capacity Letzigrund Stadium were a massive highlight and AC/DC selling out the same stadium in just eight minutes was another unforgettable moment.”

The firm promoted a further 250 shows with artists such as Sam Smith, Jungle, The National, James Arthur, Aurora, Idles, PJ Harvey, Royal Blood, Nick Mason, The Last Dinner Party and Aurora, and booked acts for festivals such as Montreux Jazz Festival, Paleo and Zurich Openair.

“You bring all of us together and the volume of activities is crazy”

“This is a new era,” says Vuignier. “The old TAKK was a small, family-like team and we co-promoted shows with partners. TAKK ab, though still a boutique company at heart, has grown significantly. With André’s involvement, we’ve been able to expand the team, handle much larger concerts and manage our shows from start to finish.”

Béchir – whose roster includes Taylor Swift, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Pink, Queen and Bruce Springsteen – says the idea of a three-generation team attracted him.

“With Seb (54) and Théo (28) we can cover the whole field from young bands and young agents to the established bands and agents…we form a dream team,” the 75-year-old tells IQ. “This allows me to offer the next generation the opportunity to build and grow on a secure foundation so that I can hand over my knowledge sooner or later into new good hands.”

Quiblier agrees: “We really complement each other. To have Andre’s knowledge on these big shows is amazing and Seb is so good at diplomacy.”

In addition to Béchir, the team grew rapidly in both the German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland, which was initially challenging for TAKK ab.

“Hiring new people and ensuring everyone worked well together across different languages and locations was challenging,” says Quiblier. “We now have a fantastic team of positive-minded individuals. None of the successes this year would have been possible without each of them working together.”

“It’s been challenging, but very exciting at the same time for our company”

Other challenges came in the form of cancellations with acts including P!nk and The Smile, as well as the collapse of Vibiscum Festival in Vevey which left some of TAKK’s acts unpaid.

Stadium availability for 2025 is another hurdle for the firm, with Switzerland set to host the UEFA European Women’s Championship.

“As a football fan it’s amazing but as a promoter, it’s terrible,” says Quiblier. “It’s frustrating because we had to pass on some amazing opportunities. The reality is that the country lacks infrastructure.”

‘The biggest stadium in Switzerland is Letzigrund in Zurich, which you can sell for up to 47,000 tickets. On a wider scale is a very small stadium. This stadium cannot be rented more than four or five times in summer due to restrictions so you can imagine the competition to get avails. It’s hard to see other markets building new arenas and know that, once again, we are 25 years behind in Switzerland.”

Fortunately, TAKK has secured Letzigrund for two Ed Sheeran shows in early August 2025 and the firm looks to promote more arena shows than in 2024.

“It’s been a challenging but very exciting time for our company,” concludes Quiblier. “What I like about my job is that there is no day like yesterday.”

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“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Sage advice. Timeless, too – that quote is attributed to famed Chinese philosopher Confucius. And it could certainly be applied to the people behind Gadget Entertainment Group AG, the Swiss live entertainment company celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

“After finishing school, I wanted to follow my passion – organising concerts and working with musicians,” says Eric Kramer, one of Gadget’s founders and current managing partner, director business operations. “That’s why I decided against pursuing a study programme and started a company instead.”

And so, Gadget was born. Together with his then business partner and friend Alon Renner, Kramer began managing Swiss bands and booking bigger shows by international artists – in the first year or so, this included the likes of Run DMC, The Sugarhill Gang, Millencolin, and ‘Ol Dirty Bastard. Not bad for a company that was being run from the storage room of a paint shop.

And now, 30 years on, they are a behemoth; the largest and most important live entertainment company in Switzerland, active via three locations in Zurich, St.Gallen and Bern, they’ve gone beyond promotion and artist management to become a true 21st Century, 360° agency. As their website proclaims, they are “everything music.”

“We’re still full of ambition, passion, and commitment to music”

Easy as 1,2,3
As Kramer tells it, in the early years, they kept Gadget small and manageable. “It was just the two of us,” he says, “and the company grew very organically, with one thing leading to another.” It was over a year before they hired their first employee – Marion Streit – who joined “more or less by accident.” She was working in the post office; Kramer and Renner were frequent customers. “I had quit that job to go travelling,” she says. “And they asked if I wanted to work for them when I came back.”

Being such a small, inexperienced organisation, Streit had, she says, “no expectations.” But 29 years later, she’s still there – she’s now process manager, concerts and touring. “We have a great team – 100% authentic,” she says of her long Gadget career. “And we’re still full of ambition, passion, and commitment to music.”

That organic growth continued over Gadget’s first decade, with the company slowly building up their operations and a stellar reputation for professionalism and excellence. In 2004, Renner left the company, and Reto Lazzarotto, an artist manager and former marketing director of Warner Music Switzerland, joined. They also began branching out into brand partnerships and launched their own in-house record label – Gadget Records.

A year later, Stefan Wyss, the former booker of Salzhaus Club Winterthur, joined, and their expansion began to gather pace. “At Salzhaus, I booked a lot of shows from Gadget,” says Wyss. “After three years, Eric Kramer asked me to join Gadget as a booker and promoter – to basically run the live department and build up and expand Gadget’s live activities. It was a very interesting of- fer – and it was clear straight away I had to do this.”

“From the beginning, I felt there was a lot of potential to grow in the Swiss market and that we had all the possibilities to do what we love to do”

When he joined, Gadget consisted of just five people. “Very small and very familiar,” says Wyss. “It was great to work in such a very motivated team. From the beginning, I felt there was a lot of potential to grow in the Swiss market and that we had all the possibilities to do what we love to do.”

Gadget’s live entertainment and entertainment marketing divisions were established and expanded, so too their label and in-house publishing house. They also brought Christof Huber, partner and director festivals, on board. A booker who started his career at OpenAir St.Gallen in 1993, Huber had frequently worked with Renner and Kramer, booking Gadget acts, and was approached by Wyss to deepen their collaboration.

“He asked if we could join forces and if I could introduce them in London and work together in promoting international artists,” he says. “With Gadget Touring, we founded a company and started to establish good relationships with agents in the UK.”

Alongside this international expansion, they continued developing domestically and, says Kramer, “deepening our long-standing friendships and collaborations with key partners.” 2007 saw them promote their first show at the 3,000-cap MAAG Music Hall in Zurich; in 2012, they did the same at Zurich’s 13,000-cap Hallenstadion.

“With this network, we became the ideal gateway for international artists into the Swiss market”

That first event was, says Wyss, a “big move” and an important milestone for Gadget. “We decided to start promoting bigger shows as a local promoter – up until then, it had been club shows and festival bookings.” He says it was unequivocally the right decision and one that allowed Gadget to grow with their artists and continue expanding to that first arena show in 2012 and later their first stadium show in 2019.

We Promote
Eventually, it made sense to organise all this closer collaboration and cooperation more formally, and so together with wildpony AG – whose principal, Philippe Cornu, now runs Gadget’s Bern location – Incognito Productions AG, OpenAir St.Gallen, and SummerDays Festival, the Wepromote Entertainment Group Switzerland AG was formed.

“It was a very important step,” says Wyss. “It brought us closer to the established festivals on one hand and our promoting and management activities at Gadget on the other.” Joining forces allowed the new network to build international artists’ careers in Switzerland better, getting them into major arenas and promoting some of the most successful festivals as well as stadium shows and special events.

It also saw Cyrill Stadler brought into the fold. The CFO of OpenAir St.Gallen festival, he’d been working with Gadget since the early noughties, but he first worked with Kramer back in 1996, when Kramer was booking bands for the festival. “The combination of festivals with the artist scouts from Gadget was a perfect match,” he says of Wepromote. “And with this network, we became the ideal gateway for international artists into the Swiss market.”

“Thanks to our 500 concerts a year, eleven festivals, and 15 Swiss artists, we have a certain market position and a unique selling point”

The last of the current five partners, Oliver Rosa, joined in 2017. The former managing director of Warner Music Switzerland first got to know Gadget in the late 90s, when he was working PR for Warner and Kramer was managing a popular Swiss band. “We hit it off immediately,” recalls Rosa, “and it was the beginning of our long friendship.” He says that for him, back then, Gadget were the “cool kids – not just the small team itself but also their artists. Although we had a really good team at Warner, the Gadget people were somehow closer to the action than we were at a big, major label.”

Joining Gadget was something he always envisioned happening, but, he says, “it only became a serious option 20 years later – I’d left Warner at the end of the noughties, founded the Swiss Music Awards, and started managing Swiss acts.” When he came on board, his network was more focused on the domestic market and his event experience; currently, Rosa serves as managing partner, director artists and brands, and has brought in numerous new management mandates.

Much of Gadget’s success has been due to its ability to foster cooperation and forge important networks with like-minded organisations. This ethos of strength in numbers – as evidenced by the success of the Wepromote network – has stood the company in great stead as the Swiss market has evolved and become more competitive, and everyone IQ speaks to is keen to emphasise just how fundamental this aspect is.

“Thanks to our 500 concerts a year, eleven festivals, and 15 Swiss artists, we have a certain market position and a unique selling point,” says Rosa. “We keep our finger on the pulse and are a reliable partner.”

“Our market was always very competitive but our strong numbers will allow us to stay competitive in the Swiss market in the future”

Stadler comments, “In addition to our international roots, domestic artists play a very important role for us – local music is strongly ingrained in Gadget’s DNA.”

Kramer notes, “Due to the range of our offerings, we’re close to the people – we organise festivals, promote many shows, manage artists, and have offices in three different cities in Switzerland. We authentically embody our 360° full-service offering.”

Huber adds, “Our market was always very competitive, with lots of promotors and agents, but our strong numbers will allow us to stay competitive in the Swiss market in the future.”

We Unite
Indeed, this collaborative spirit has also filtered down to Gadget’s employees. Many spent time working with or for one of the five current partners; all knew of Gadget’s reputation for excellence, passion, and quite simply being brilliant at what they do. “It’s the spirit – you either have it or you don’t, but it’s something you can’t learn,” says Sarah Blum, head of project management, concerts and touring. “And the Gadget team has it.”

“I still feel the tingling in the team when we discover an upcoming artist, have the opportunity to give them a platform”

“Benefiting from each other and creating unique experiences for the public together,” is what Nora Fuchs, head of marketing and communications, festivals, says sets Gadget apart. “We all have the same passion for the music business and live entertainment, so we can enable unforgettable experiences in all areas of the field of music.”

“When I started at Christof Huber’s agency Incognito Productions over a decade ago, we were a team of four people, sent out festival tickets by post and regularly received band applications with CDs,” says Gadget’s head of projects festivals, Fabienne Wolfschläger.

“In the meantime, we have grown and professionalised as a company, but have remained agile and dynamic, like we used to be in the small team, which I really appreciate. And the passion is unchanged: I still feel the tingling in the team when we discover an upcoming artist, have the opportunity to give them a platform, and introduce them to a larger audience each time.”

Booker/promoter, concerts and touring, Sandra Schweizer says, “Joining Gadget amidst the pandemic posed challenges but turned out to be a positive transition. Working with Stefan Wyss was seamless, and we quickly aligned our efforts. The whole team is incredibly passionate and committed to achieving the best outcomes for our partners, artists, venues, and everyone involved in our vibrant industry.

“CTS Eventim relies on local entrepreneurs for its engagements, and that’s exactly what we wanted to remain”

“We place a high value on our relationships with agents, recognising their crucial role in our success. What I value most is the mutual respect and appreciation we have for one another, both within the company and in our external interactions.”

Head of booking, concerts and touring, Olivier Joye, adds, “I have been working at Gadget since 2010 as a promoter for international artists, as well as an agent for domestic artists. It’s a special thing to be able to work on different sides of the job and to share the office with so many people working in different fields of the business as part of our 360° model.”

Wepromote clearly benefitted all who contributed – as Kramer puts it, “In our business, the network is extremely important.” After closer and closer collaboration, the next step seemed obvious – and inevitable. “After the rather informal merger of Wepromote, we realised that we would like to unite everything in one company,” says Kramer.

Talks with possible investors and partners were initiated and options considered. “A strong, well-connected partner made sense given the high risks of the international concert market and the staging of major festivals,” says Rosa – and CTS Eventim fitted the bill perfectly.

“A perfect match” is how Kramer describes the company; “the partner that best suited us – we saw the most synergies,” adds Stadler. “CTS Eventim relies on local entrepreneurs for its engagements, and that’s exactly what we wanted to remain,” says Rosa. “We saw the opportunity to create something new.”

The CTS deal was, says Wyss, “a unique chance for us to become a bigger company and a much stronger player”

The partners talk more about a shared vision than this being a simple acquisition. CTS Eventim took a 60% stake in the company and contributed their Swiss subsidiary abc Production AG to the deal, allowing them to become Switzerland’s leading promoter. The company was formally renamed Gadget Entertainment Group, with the five partners – Kramer, Rosa, Huber, Wyss, and Stadler – retaining 40%.

The deal was, says Wyss, “a unique chance for us to become a bigger company and a much stronger player.” “It gave us new opportunities to develop and to reposition ourselves in the market,” adds Kramer. However, the way they worked didn’t change, with CTS Eventim giving the new company plenty of freedom. “We are still the same people and are able to make our own decisions as businesspeople,” says Wyss.

Such autonomy – and trust – was soon sorely tested. The new joint venture was publicly announced in January 2020; four weeks later, in March, Covid-19 hit, and the world basically shut down. In the music and entertainment business, as in so many walks of life, the effect was devastating. “The contrast between the urge of the new and the sudden lack of direction was tough,” says Rosa, “but we were able to switch gears and use the time to set up our new company properly.”

“Challenging” is how Kramer remembers that time. But despite this and all the upheaval, the new company demonstrated innovation and flexibility, successfully building up the structures that would be required for future success – even though some of the newly formed teams didn’t properly meet in person for over a year and a half. “We had to work out processes that didn’t exist yet, with a team that had never worked together before,” adds Blum. “Then came the year with the most shows ever – it felt like a final exam!”

“It’s impressive what our Swiss colleagues have achieved over the past three decades, continuously advancing the Swiss live entertainment”

“We were able to maintain faith in the new company at all times, both with our business partners and our people,” says Rosa. “We found the right mindset, which strengthened our belief that we had done the right thing with the merger, and that we were committed to each other.”

First & Last & All Ways
In a neat coincidence, Gadget were the first company to have to cancel a concert at Zurich’s Hallenstadion – German rock band Annen- MayKantereit on 28 February 2020 – and the first to promote a show there after Covid restrictions were finally eased – Swiss pop/rock band Pegasus, on 1 October 2021. And the company had more than just survived – it had grown from the 35 employees it had in January 2020 (they now have over 70) and emerged ready to re-establish its excellence across borders and entertainment sectors.

“We were able to deliver really strong results in 2022 and 2023 when we restarted,” says Huber. “This gave our main shareholder confidence.”

A testament to Gadget’s enduring popularity, professionalism, and growth is how highly various providers, suppliers, and fellow music business colleagues speak of them. “Our first contact was probably in 1984 – with the founders of OpenAir St. Gallen – so we can talk about a business relationship of a good 40 years,” says Jan Lemmenmeier of Stagelight. “They have always developed in the founders’ spirit and with a lot of passion. Since the 80s, cooperation has always been friendly – and what unites that wild bunch is their great love of music.”

Principal shareholder, CTS Eventim, also admires Gadget’s approach to business. “It’s impressive what our Swiss colleagues have achieved over the past three decades, continuously advancing the Swiss live entertainment [land- scape] both creatively and economically,” says Frithjof Pils, managing director of Eventim Live.

“Gadget’s openness in sharing know-how and best practice, but also challenges and failures, is something you only find in very few”

“In our volatile industry, pillars like Gadget are essential to offer artists, fans, media, and business partners maximum reliability and professionalism. We are happy that the company has been a part of Eventim Live for the past four years, and has grown into a solid cornerstone of our group with a lot of potential on top. Gadget is an example of the great development opportunities our group offers to independent and entrepreneurial promoters. We appreciate you and look forward to the joint future.”

Holger Jan Schmidt first met Gadget’s principles through Yourope – the European festival association, of which he is now general secretary. And he pays tribute to Gadget’s willingness to divulge data and information that can help improve the overall live music business.

“I am networked throughout Europe and beyond in the festival world, and I can honestly say that Gadget’s openness in sharing know-how and best practice, but also challenges and failures, is something you only find in very few,” says Schmidt. “They have understood that sharing results [makes] you richer in experience, knowledge, and contacts afterwards, and thus [result in] faster and more targeted progress.

“We at Yourope can count ourselves lucky that this mindset has also established itself as a philosophy in our association, thanks to these, our favourite Swiss, whose European thinking and identification many could learn a thing or two from.”

“Gadget have always evolved and grown bigger and bigger, but they always made smart moves”

As the CEO of Hallenstadion, Philipp Musshafen has a very close working relationship with Gadget – “They are one of the biggest promoters at our venue,” he says. “They have developed enormously, especially in the last five years, but they have simply remained good people and have their hearts in the right place – we’ve already done so much together and laughed so much.” He notes that, since the Eventim deal, discussions have become “somewhat different and more business-driven, but I’m always happy to meet Eric, Stefan, and all the others to do business or just to chat.”

It’s a similar story from Thomas Kastl and Oliver Pompetzki at Basel’s St. Jakobshalle. “Every interaction with Gadget has been memorable due to their professionalism and the enjoyable nature of our collaborations – their team consistently brings a positive and energetic atmosphere to every project we undertake together,” they say. They talk of Gadget’s “genuine joy and emotional investment” in their work, and again, an unwavering passion. “They are a unique and resilient organisation that continues to thrive and deliver exceptional entertainment experiences.”

“Gadget have always evolved and grown bigger and bigger, but they always made smart moves – they were always open to new fields in the business and were one of the first companies doing brand deals in Switzerland,” says Julie Born, managing director of Sony Music Entertainment Switzerland. “I’ve worked with the team there on various different projects over the years – we have artists they manage and artists they book – and they are one of the best management companies we have here in Switzerland.”

Born attributes some of their success to doing things differently – “thinking outside the box,” as she puts it – and maintaining open minds regarding business and friendships. “I have a really close relationship with Eric Kramer, and even though we don’t always agree, we still have huge respect for each other and can have a drink or lunch together,” she says. “That’s a highlight for me because usually, in this business, people are very opinionated, and if you disagree with them, they can turn on you. That mutual respect means a lot to me.”

“We’ve managed to maintain our DNA over all the years, despite the many changes”

Even within the organisation, there is pride and satisfaction in what they accomplish – and in making the spectacular seem routine. “We did the first club show with Imagine Dragons and accompanied the band through their fantastic career – right up to a sold-out stadium show for 42,000 at Berne’s Stadion Wankdorf,” says Christof Huber. “It’s rare to have such a consistent relationship with an artist, but it was a really proud moment for our company.”

We Celebrate
“I remember our first stadium show in 2019 – we were so excited and put so much work into the project. The show opened with pyro, and everything just ran smoothly,” says Blum. “Afterwards, we sat in the stadium and watched the dismantling. Since then, it’s been our ritual – to get together after every stadium show, look back on what we’ve put our heart and soul into for several months, and be proud of it.”

“We’ve managed to maintain our DNA over all the years, despite the many changes,” says Rosa. “Someone said to me at an industry meeting (we’d all had a few drinks) that it was amazing how well-received Gadget people still are, how nice we are. I had to laugh, but it was a great compliment.”

That humbleness shines through in another story that Nora Fuchs tells, a tale that speaks to the simple drive that keeps Gadget, its employees, and the five main partners on the straight and narrow. “We are all up for anything at our events – Christof places the rubbish bins correctly on the festival site when necessary, and Eric drags PA around,” she says. “And we shred the ground with Trash Heroes – always in the spirit of events that we plan for so long throughout the year, so that everything turns out just as we imagined.”

“I still see it as a major goal to be the first port of call for domestic and foreign artists who want to grow and develop in Switzerland”

Or of a simple yet humorous bet between Wyss and Kramer – one that was faithfully, and professionally, honoured. “When I started at Gadget, I had my own band, and Gadget already had a record label,” recalls Wyss. “I had a bet with Eric about my budget and turnover in the live department – I won, so Eric had to release my band’s album on Gadget Records and book a couple of support and festival shows for us, too! The album was not very successful, but it was a lot of fun to release it and play some amazing shows.”

Forward Thinking
What then of the future and ensuring that the next 30 years are as productive and pleasurable as the last? There are corporate events to explore, new marketing opportunities, and content creation in the entertainment environment areas of growth on the periphery of Gadget’s core business in which they have intensified their activities. (“Our market is constantly evolving and becoming increasingly dynamic,” says Rosa. “We want to pick up on this.”)

Ambitious developments are afoot, but Gadget’s principals are keen not to lose sight of the qualities that have got them this far – and made them such a respected, trusted player. “I still see it as a major goal to be the first port of call for domestic and foreign artists who want to grow and develop in Switzerland,” says Stadler. “We want to be an empathetic and trustworthy company, both for our employees and our artists,” says Wyss, adding that this will be key in keeping the company successful in a “crazy and very competitive business.”

Ultimately, the plan is to continue a steady evolution, adding expertise where possible and striving to do their best – with artists, partners, employees, fans, and the music they’re so passionate about. “I hope we enjoy many more years,” says Kramer, “as I’m so proud – we have a fantastic team with great dedication, without whom this journey would not have been possible.”

Looking back, it’s impressive to see what they’ve achieved and a testament to what can be done by simply working hard, believing in your- self, and following your passion. “After finishing school, I had the dream of owning my own company in the entertainment industry. I still get to live that dream today,” says Kramer. He makes it sound like he’s barely worked at all.

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