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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That sentiment is echoed by those looking across markets.

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

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American boy band Backstreet Boys are the latest act to announce a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Produced by Live Nation, the Into The Millenium stint will comprise nine performances on 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 July.

The five-piece will perform tracks from their best-selling album Millennium, alongside a selection of their greatest hits.

The iconic boy band will join a select group of artists – Kenny Chesney, U2, Dead & Company, Eagles, Phish and Afterlife Presents Anyma – in headlining the 17,600-seat Sphere, which launched in September 2023.

Beyoncé has added a fifth stadium show in both Los Angeles and New Jersey on Cowboy Carter Tour. With the newly added dates, she now holds the record for most shows of any artist on a single run at NJ’s MetLife Stadium and most overall performances at LA’s SoFi Stadium.

Produced and directed by Parkwood Entertainment and promoted by Live Nation, the outing will also visit London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Paris’s Stade de France, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Houston’s NRG Stadium, Washington D.C.’s Northwest Stadium and Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium. See the full list of dates here.

Sam Fender has extended his 2025 UK summer tour with the addition of three new dates.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA have added an additional London show to their Grand National Tour

The first of the new shows will be held in Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park on 16 August, before he takes to the Royal Highland Showgrounds in Edinburgh the following week 22 August as part of the Scottish capital’s Summer Sessions series. On 28 August, Fender will headline the VITAL Festival at Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast.

Support comes from Olivia Dean in Manchester and Edinburgh, with CMAT in Belfast. Further opening acts are yet to be announced.

These shows will follow Fender’s previously announced European and US tours through the spring, plus three sold-out stadium gigs at Newcastle’s St. James Park (June 12-15) and London Stadium (June 6). He will also appear at Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival in Sefton Park, Liverpool, on May 24 – bringing his UK summer line-up to eight dates.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA have added an additional London show to their Grand National Tour, on 23 July at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

After their record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance, the tour—presented by Live Nation, pgLang, and Top Dawg Entertainment—will feature over 14 stadium shows across Europe and the United Kingdom this summer.

The Smashing Pumpkins have announced a series of major UK headline shows as part of their Aghori tour this August.

The American alternative rock band will perform in Gunnersbury Park, London (10 August), The Piece Hall, Halifax (12 August), Scarborough Open Air Theatre (13 August), and Colchester Castle (14 August).

Morrissey has also announced a string of 2025 tour dates in the UK and Ireland which will kick off later this summer.

The former Smiths frontman will head over to Dublin on 31 May for a gig at the 3Arena. From there, he will play two nights at the O2 Academy in Glasgow on 4 and 5 June respectively before wrapping up with a homecoming show at Manchester’s Co-Op Live on 7 June.

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Kendrick Lamar became the first-ever solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show during last night’s championship game at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

A week after his sweep at the Grammy Awards, the American rapper delivered a 13-minute medley of greatest hits including Humble, Squabble Up and the smash Drake diss track Not Like Us to cap the halftime show, sponsored by Apple Music.

Lamar was expected to have reached more than 120 million TV viewers who had tuned in to see the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22, denying them an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl.

Emceed by actor Samuel L Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam, Lamar’s performance featured special guests SZA on tracks Luther and All The Stars, and tennis star Serena Williams, who performed the Crip Walk – a notorious Los Angeles dance move.

Not Like Us, the Drake diss track which has earned Lamar one billion streams on Spotify and five Grammy Awards, was deemed the pinnacle of the performance by critics. It comes as Drake’s lawyers sue Lamar’s record label Universal Music Group over the track, accusing it of trying to “create a viral hit” out of a song that made “false factual allegations” about the star.

Lamar was expected to have reached more than 120 million TV viewers

Another talking point of the performance was at the climax of the 13-minute set, when a protester climbed on top of Lamar’s black Buick GNX car and unfurled a combined Palestinian and Sudanese flag, before being tackled by security officers. The NFL later said in a statement that the protester was part of the 400-member cast who took part in the show.

Since 2020, the Super Bowl halftime show has been produced in collaboration with Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation, which has brought headliners including Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Eminem, Rihanna and Usher.

Super Bowl LIX also featured artists including Lady Gaga, who kicked off the championship game with a special tribute to New Orleans, Jon Baptiste, who performed the National Anthem, and Post Malone who headlined the Super Bowl 2025 Tailgate Concert.

Following their Super Bowl halftime performance, Kendrick Lamar and SZA today announced a UK and Europe leg of their Grand National Tour.

The outing, presented by Live Nation, pgLang and Top Dawg Entertainment, will take over 13 stadiums across Europe and the United Kingdom this summer. The list of fresh tour dates includes:

Jun 10 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field

Jun 12 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre

Jun 16 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium

Jun 18 – Washington, DC – Northwest Stadium

Jul 2 – Cologne, Germany – RheinEnergieSTADION

Jul 4 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park

Jul 8 – Glasgow, UK – Hampden Park

Jul 10 – Birmingham, UK – Villa Park

Jul 13 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA

Jul 15 – Paris, France – Paris La Défense Arena

Jul 19 – Cardiff, UK – Principality Stadium

Jul 22 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Jul 27 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estadio do Restelo

Jul 30 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Aug 2 – Rome, Italy – Stadio Olimpico

Aug 6 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy

Aug 9 – Stockholm, Sweden – 3Arena

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Dead & Company are set to return to the Las Vegas Sphere for an 18-show residency celebrating the band’s 10th anniversary.

The group drew close to 500,000 fans to their 30-show run at the venue earlier this year, and will be back for a second stint in 2025 from March 20-22 & 27-29, April 17-19 & 24-26 and May 9-11 & 15-17. Tickets start at $145.

Comprising John Mayer, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti, Dead & Company play Grateful Dead covers and have played to almost five million attendees across 300 shows since forming in 2015.

In other tour news, the Black Keys have announced a European tour of large-scale outdoor headline shows and festival dates for next summer. Kicking off at Denmark’s Tinderbox on 26 June, the tour will stop at Luxembourg’s Rockhal (29 June), Zitadelle Spandau in Berlin, Germany (1 July), The Hall in Zurich, Switzerland (2 July) and France’s Garorock (4 July), Beauregard Festival (5 July) and La Nuit De L’Erdre (6 July).

The US duo will also visit the UK, with shows at Millennium Square, Leeds (8 July), Castlefield Bowl, Manchester (9 July) and Alexandra Palace Park in London (11 July), plus Belgium’s Cactus Festival (12 July), Bospop Festival in the Netherlands (13 July), Italy’s AMA Music Festival (15 July) and Rock In Roma (16 July) and Benicassim, Spain (19 July).

AC/DC will hit the road in North America for the first time in nine years for 13 stadiums coast-to-coast next spring. This run launches on 10 April 10 at Minneapolis’ US Bank Stadium, stopping off at venues such as the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, BC Place, Vancouver, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and Soldier Field in Chicago, before concluding at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on 28 May.

Drake will tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2017

Also in North America, Kendrick Lamar and SZA will take over 19 stadiums between April and June. Stops include MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (8-9 May), SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California (21 & 23 May) and Toronto’s Rogers Centre (12 June).

Meanwhile, The Weeknd has announced that tickets for his one-night-only stadium show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, sold out in under an hour, having attracted over 300,000 fans in the ticket queue. The 25 January concert, produced by Live Nation, will feature an in-the-round stage setup, taking over the entire stadium floor.

Elsewhere, Drake will tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2017, taking in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena (9-10 February), Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena (16-17 February), Brisbane Entertainment Centre (24 February) and Spark Arena in Auckland (28 February-1 March).

After announcing their biggest headline show to date at London’s Finsbury Park on 5 July, plus a date at Cardiff Castle on 30 July, Fontaines D.C. have added further outdoor gigs at Exhibition Park, Newcastle (13 July) and Wythenshawe Park, Manchester (15 August).

And fresh from supporting Blink-182, Pierce the Veil have revealed a 46-date tour spanning North America, Europe and Latin America. Beginning in Charlotte on 13 May, the band’s biggest headline tour so far will include stops at venues like Madison Square Garden in New York, Kia Forum in Los Angeles, OVO Arena Wembley in London, UK, and Espaço Unimed in São Paulo, Brazil.

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A US festival has become the latest victim of weather-related complications, with California’s Sol Blume postponed two weeks before it was set to take place.

Organisers of the Sacramento-based festival, which was originally set for 3-5 May, pointed to lasting effects from the torrential rain that drenched the state in late February. This is the second consecutive year the festival has been delayed due to extreme weather.

“Mother nature has once again caused commotion and created conditions at the festival site that render it unsafe to build on,” organisers said in a press release. “Although the park is no longer flooded, the damage remains. Due to significant site damage and growing safety concerns, we will not be able to host this year’s festival.”

The fifth edition of the festival, which expanded from two to three days this year, has been pushed to 15-17 August 2025. Organisers have also confirmed that future editions are to be held in the late summer instead of spring to avoid “any weather-related conflicts in the future”.

It is not clear whether the lineup — which included SZA, Snoh Alegra, and Kaytranada leading the bill — will remain the same.

“Even if we prepare for everything, you still can’t really control that”

The 2023 edition, which was deferred from April to August for weather-related impacts, was headlined by Brent Faiyaz and Kehlani. That year, the R&B festival recorded its biggest-ever turnout with 46,000 people attending across two days, as reported by promoters ENT Legends.

The cancellation is the latest example of the impact of extreme weather on live music. Over the past year, several festivals — including Germany’s Wacken Open Air, Spain’s Primavera Sound Madrid, the US’s Ultra Miami, and Australia’s Good Things — have been impacted by ‘freak’ and extreme heat-related incidents, as insurance queries and rates have correspondingly risen.

In the US, adverse weather coverage has “increased significantly” in the last five years, according to Jeff Torda from Higginbotham. Backing this point, a recent Billboard article claimed premiums in North America had tripled in recent years.

The latest edition of ILMC also saw industry leaders discussing ways to cope with the impact of weather on festivals and open-air live music events.

“Thirty years ago, it was mostly the rain, but it’s now changed to raining one second and being 35 or 40°C suddenly after that,” said May Ling of Australia’s Chugg Entertainment. “Even if we prepare for everything, you still can’t really control that.”

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SZA and The Killers are set to headline the inaugural edition of Sudden Little Thrills, a new two-day music festival coming to Pennsylvania, US.

Taking place at Hazelwood Green in Pittsburgh between 7–8 September, the lineup also features Melanie Martinez, Wiz Khalifa, St. Vincent, Omar Apollo, Fletcher, Yung Gravy and Girl Talk.

In addition, the Live Nation-produced event is spotlighting Pittsburgh’s local artists, with the likes of Feeble Little Horse, Corook, Fedd the God and Krunk and the Center of Life Band on the bill.

According to a release, Sudden Little Thrills’ name embodies the festival’s ethos: “to be present and open to sudden moments of fun, joy, and inspiration”.

The lineup also features Melanie Martinez, Wiz Khalifa, St. Vincent, Omar Apollo, Fletcher, Yung Gravy and Girl Talk

Tickets for the festival start at US$249 (€234) for general admission, $335 (€315) for GA+ and $649 (€610) for two-day VIP tickets which include private bars, dedicated on-field viewing, and express lanes into the festival and at stores.

There is also a two-day platinum ticket for $1400 (€1316), including front-of-stage viewing, complimentary beer and soft drinks, dining, and more.

Fans can also purchase single-day tickets starting at $159 (€149) for GA and $399 (€375) for VIP. Presale tickets are available beginning on 18 April.

A portion of every ticket for Sudden Little Thrills will benefit nonprofit and grassroots organisations within the Hazelwood Community.

Other new Live Nation festivals for 2024 include Fool In Love, Besame Mucho Austin and Minnesota Yacht Club (via C3 Presents) – all set to take place in the US.

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Jack Harlow is launching a new music festival this May in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

The inaugural Gazebo Festival will be co-headlined by the rapper himself, as well as R&B star SZA.

James Blake, Vince Staples, Veeze, Pinkpantheress, Rich Homie Quan, Omar Apollo, Majid Jordan, Slum Village, BNYX, Karrahbooo and more round out the bill.

The two-day event will take place at Kentucky’s Waterfront Park on Memorial Day Weekend (25-26 May) to celebrate “the intersection of music and culture”.

“I am so grateful for his commitment to making first class things happen for Louisville”

Gazebo Festival is a partnership between Harlow (repped in North America by Wasserman Music) and local promoter, Production Simple.

Tickets for the event are available from 6 March and start at $255 ($235) for general admission. A portion of all ticket proceeds will benefit community organisations and local initiatives in the Louisville area through the Jack Harlow Foundation, which was launched last year.

“Jack Harlow is an extraordinary Louisvillian who continues to give back to his hometown,” said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg in a press release. “This is yet another way Jack is showing up for our city, and I can’t wait to see the excitement this festival creates. I am so grateful for his commitment to making first class things happen for Louisville and our people.”

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Jay-Z’s Made In America festival has been cancelled for 2023 “due to severe circumstances outside of production control”.

The annual festival was due to be held next month (2-3 September) in Philadelphia, US, and headlined by SZA and Lizzo, who has recently been sued for sexual harassment by three of her former dancers – though she denies the claims.

“This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation,” reads a statement from the organisers.

“Made in America has a legacy of delivering exceptional experiences for music fans and concert goers, and it is our commitment to always deliver a top-tier festival experience. We look forward to returning to Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the great city of
Philadelphia in 2024.”

“This decision has been difficult and has not been made lightly nor without immense deliberation”

The organisers did not give any other explanation for the cancellation of the 2023 edition but did say that ticket holders would be refunded.

Poor ticket sales have been a key factor in festivals cancelling for 2023, alongside financial difficulties, inflation, artist availability and logistical issues.

Other events that will not take place in 2023 include Fest Festival (Poland), Falls Festival (Australia), Rolling Loud (US), Summerburst (Sweden), Hills of Rock (Bulgaria), InMusic (Croatia), Wireless Germany, Hear Hear (Belgium) and Tempelhof Sounds and Tempelhof Sounds Presents (Germany).

Made in America, founded by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Entertainment, has been a Philadelphia institution for several years, with Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator headlining last year’s festival.

The event has reportedly generated over $180 million in economic impact for the city of Philadelphia since the inaugural two-day concert in 2012.

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