A raft of new and forthcoming venues, huge investment in live entertainment, and the opening of the Saudi market means family entertainment is big business in the Middle East. What’s the key to success? IQ investigates.

Interest in the Middle East as a touring region has grown significantly in recent years. New venues have opened, and there are many more in the pipeline, not least in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is investing heavily in culture. And while concerts often steal the limelight, it’s family entertainment and other non-music shows that are among the top attractions.

The growth potential of the countries and the new venues coming on-stream has resulted in massive interest from promoters and producers, leading to increasing competition.

Rebekah Shearer is director of arts and entertainment at Live Nation’s Middle East operation. Alongside the company’s music shows, she says the comedy scene in the UAE has experienced significant growth, pointing to sold-out performances by the likes of Zakir Khan, Bill Burr, Andrew Schultz, and Trevor Noah. There are also up-and-coming comedy festivals, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which further highlight the increasing popularity of comedy in the region.

Shearer says the market for touring entertainment has “shown significant growth and potential. This extends beyond music to encompass a diverse array of offerings such as live theatre productions, comedy shows, Arabic content, musical theatre, and children’s content. This expansion reflects the evolving preferences and demands of audiences in the region, as well as the efforts of promoters to cater to these preferences.

“It is a continuous growing economy with vast infrastructure development, cultural exchange, and a growing emphasis on local talent development”

“It is a continuous growing economy with vast infrastructure development, cultural exchange, and a growing emphasis on local talent development.”

A longstanding company in the region, SESLive! is the exclusive promoter of Disney on Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe Live!, and Jurassic World Live Tour, thanks to a partnership deal with Feld Entertainment. It alsorecently promoted Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL across the region. “Every year, we try to add a new market or return to a market we haven’t been to for a few years,” says business development director, Alison Goldsmith. “We aim to make these shows touring prospects, whereas they used to be fly in, fly out. We’re adding more cities every year, so the tours get bigger.”

Goldsmith notes that over many years working in the region, she’s noticed that demands for exclusivity have decreased, meaning shows can hit more cities.

“All the markets have developed sufficiently to the point that exclusivity is no longer seen as a necessity. That demand was previously driven by tourism authorities who sought to bring in regional visitors. Now the tourism authorities’ focuses have shifted into different areas. The only time exclusivity is important is if the markets are geographically close, such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and that’s a business decision.”

MAC Global has seen success across the region with ‘film with orchestra’ productions. “We recently worked with our clients at the Royal Commission of Riyadh City to present the city’s first Film Music Festival with titles such Harry Potter and Star Wars, which sold around 6,000 tickets across five days,” says co-founder and CCO, Daniel Goldberg. “We’ve been presenting these titles in the region since 2017 and usually engage the UK’s National Symphony Orchestra, who are versatile and proficient enough to handle a variety of performances and titles in a short space of time.”

He adds: “There’s huge demand for immersive experiences, location-based entertainment, and IP aimed at families.
70% of the Saudi market is under 30 years old, it’s a very young and dynamic market. There’s also a large concentration of families seeking affordable experiences, so the demand is huge.”

“The core market hasn’t increased in line with the amount of content. It’s a much more competitive market than it was before”

Thomas Ovesen has been promoting in the region for years. Currently CEO at All Things Live in the Middle East, his company mainly promotes concerts but is seeking to increase its family content offer.

“Generally speaking, the one common denominator when it comes to shows that can sell tickets region-wide is family content,” he says. “Considering the differences in the GCC countries and indeed in the markets across the MENA region, it is really only family content that can play well in all markets. Some of our markets still don’t really embrace song-style shows, but family shows are welcomed.

“This trend of being the safe bet when it comes to programming will only continue as many new projects and precincts pop up, in particular across Saudi Arabia.”

One of the key challenges is getting the shows to the region. Although things are changing rapidly, it’s still not a regular stop for all touring routes. However, Goldsmith says SESLive! has been making inroads with cross-border logistics, reducing the various challenges of moving these tours between territories, making regional tours even more viable.

“In the past, it was challenging to bring touring productions here from a financial and logistical point of view. It’s tricky to bring things out here because we weren’t really en route to anywhere. The time and cost to bring 45 shipping containers worth of equipment here and then between cities is significant. We’re working with partners to understand those logistical challenges.

“The other challenge – and it’s a good thing – is there are now many more operators in the market; there’s so much more content because there’s such an interest in this part of the world and it’s flooded with new content. But this remains a collection of small countries with limited numbers of people and a limited number of people who have disposable income to spend on entertainment. It’s wonderful that we have all the venues in this space where we can have multiple shows happening at the same time. But the core market hasn’t increased in line with the amount of content. It’s a much more competitive market than it was before.”

“By offering shows in multiple languages, we can ensure that a wider audience can enjoy and engage with the content”

However, she welcomes the competition. It’s “what the market needed,” she says. “It raises the bar for everybody and means we all have to deliver to a higher standard.”

Live Nation’s Shearer says family content holds significant importance in the Middle East. “Families often seek out entertainment options that they can enjoy together, creating cherished memories and bonding experiences. We continue to see success across this part of the business.”

Accordingly, Goldsmith says family entertainment is one of the most important genres in the market. “Disney shows are always very popular because they’re cross-cultural. Everybody has a memory with Disney, and it’s not as limited by language and cultural barriers as some other content. Everybody understands it, and it’s suitable for all ages. You can bring your grandmother and your daughter to the same show, and everybody can have a night out.”

She says Arabic content is also big business, whether that’s singers or plays, as well as Russian content, which has grown owing to an increasing number of people from the country, who moved there since Russia invaded Ukraine.

With such diverse audiences, Goldsmith says productions where language isn’t central to the performance are particularly effective at crossing cultural boundaries. “A product like Cirque du Soleil speaks to people on a different level, because you don’t need to speak the language to understand the storyline; the spectacle in itself is something that works across multiple cultures.”

Offering shows in multiple languages is another route to success, says Shearer. “The success of dual language shows like Brainiac Live! underscores the importance of inclusivity and catering to the linguistic diversity of the Middle Eastern audience. By offering shows in multiple languages, we can ensure that a wider audience can enjoy and engage with the content, particularly when it comes to educational, family-oriented entertainment that appeals to children and their parents.

“This approach aligns with the region’s cultural diversity and the desire to offer entertainment options that resonate with different communities and language groups. By embracing this diversity and adapting offerings to meet the needs and preferences of various audience segments, we can continue to foster a vibrant and inclusive entertainment landscape in the Middle East.”

“With a significant population of expatriates, demographics can shift rapidly, impacting consumer preferences”

The large number of different cultures and languages in the region requires a skilled approach to the marketing, as Shearer explains: “One key challenge is catering to a broad audience with diverse tastes. To address this, our marketing approach must be highly focused and targeted.

“The transient nature of the market, characterised by the changing demographics, poses another challenge. With a significant population of expatriates, demographics can shift rapidly, impacting consumer preferences. To stay ahead, we employ continuous monitoring mechanisms to track evolving tastes and demographic shifts.

“By maintaining a keen focus on audience preferences, leveraging real-time data insights, and strategically timing our marketing efforts, we adeptly navigate the challenges of our market, ensuring sustained engagement and relevance in an ever-evolving landscape.”

Ovesen sees a bright future ahead. “The buying power of our region and the need for great content and programming is so significant that I think some of the global family entertainment brands will be doing great future business here by developing and licensing entirely new IPs – some that might never play elsewhere and some that will premiere in our region and go on to tour the world afterwards.

“We will work with and for whoever has the right content, and while our own promotions are likely to be with touring shows in established venues and at ticketed events, I think we will naturally also be working with clients that need our events- and show-producer skills, as well as contacts to content providers and owners to develop their own show and event IPs.”

MAC Global has licensed and delivered many successful IP events such as The Friends Experience and Stranger Things in multiple cities. The firm was acquired by the Sony Masterworks Live network in 2022 and has since started to tap into a wider IP portfolio to expand and build upon its business base of live music concerts. “We’re in active discussions with multiple territories about some of these IPs,” says Goldberg. “We’re also developing our own Indian and Arabic immersive IPs to service the demand in our region, with a view to touring and distributing that back to the US and Europe to service the Indian and Arab diaspora. We’re trying to create a two-way product flow rather than simply importing content.”

“If you come in thinking that you can charge what you want and that ticket sales will go through the roof, that’s not the truth anymore”

The prospect of a more equitable exchange of culture between the Middle East and the rest of the world is on many promoters’ and producers’ minds. Many of the region’s markets have matured significantly in the past decade, meaning the early model of near-unlimited budgets, subsidised by government organisations, no longer applies.

Goldsmith wants to bust the myth that coming to the Middle East is a land of unlimited money. “We’ve been here long enough to see the changes in the way things operate. Some companies have the expectation that this is an easy market to come into, charge a fortune, and walk away. But that’s not the case. We’ve been very fortunate in the past, and we are still very fortunate that there’s a lot of support from the local governments, the tourism authorities, and the development agencies that have invested heavily in building the culture and infrastructure in certain areas. They’re very generous in the way that they work with partners to bring the content that they want. But that’s not in every market.”

She says to make the tour budgets balance, some territories end up being more profitable than others, and in some places the numbers just don’t stack up.

“The expectation from some companies [that lack experience in the region] is that you can charge whatever you want, and the money will be there. But that’s not the case. We’re business operators just the same as everywhere else. If you come in thinking that you can charge what you want and that ticket sales will go through the roof, that’s not the truth anymore. We need to be competitive. We need to set our ticket prices to make them appealing. We need to keep our costs to a level that makes a show viable. There’s a ceiling to what’s manageable in a small population country.”

And she advises any companies seeking to bring content to the region to have a good local partner.

“Having a local partner who has the connections, the accounts with the relevant licensing bodies, and so on is essential to be able to deliver anything in this part of the world”

“We’re very proud to work in this region. This will be our 12th season of delivering live entertainment in multiple countries here, and we’re still doing it because we’re proud of the work that we can bring in, and we love working in the countries that we do.

“We want a chance for everybody to be able to bring content to the region. It’s about coming in with eyes open and embracing the culture, history, and the traditions, and doing everything with respect. It’s important to be part of the communities, the cultures, and to give something back.

“Every country has its own individual identity. Each has its own rules and regulations, and it can take quite a long time to understand exactly how those things work. So having a local partner who has the connections, the accounts with the relevant licensing bodies, and so on is essential to be able to deliver anything in this part of the world.”

One of the drivers of growth in the region is the recent increase in venues, from Abu Dhabi’s 18,000-cap Etihad Arena and Dubai’s 17,000-cap Coca-Cola Arena to Bahrain’s 10,000-cap Al Dana Amphitheatre and the 5,000-cap Arena Kuwait.
There’s also much excitement about forthcoming spaces coming on-stream in the coming years, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where ASM Global is building the 20,000-capacity Jeddah Arena Airport City at King Abdulaziz International Airport. There are also rumours that Madison Square Garden boss James Dolan is in talks to build a Sphere in Abu Dhabi.

“With ongoing infrastructure development projects all across the region, including the construction of new venues, the capacity to host touring entertainment will increase,” says Shearer. “This expansion will attract more international entertainment and facilitate a wide range of productions.

“Continued investment in nurturing and showcasing local talent will contribute to the sustainability and growth of the entertainment industry in the Middle East. Supporting emerging artists, fostering creativity, and providing opportunities for skill development will ensure a steady pipeline of talent for future touring productions.

“As promoters we will continue to be innovative and evolve with the region.”

“Rather than us feeling like we’re isolated and away from what’s happening in Europe and the US, there’s an audience here that wants to have access to that same advanced storytelling”

MAC Global has strong links in Saudi Arabia, and Goldberg says the demand for family IP is huge in the kingdom. “We have already been involved in the first Riyadh Jazz Festival and the Riyadh Opera Festival. We also helped deliver the Film Music Festival, so our work there has already been more diverse than our traditionally promoted rock and pop content in the UAE.

“We now plan to introduce more immersive and location-based content, working with our colleagues in Dubai at Sony Music. This involves gaming, e-sports, and anime, which we also have in our wider portfolio. Entertaining families with affordable and accessible experiences is very much at the forefront of our minds right now.”

Goldsmith says audiences are getting more sophisticated, and technology is changing people’s access to content and information. “Kids know what’s cool, they know what their friends are into, and they tell us what they want. They want to see us finding the innovators who are telling stories in new and accessible ways, whether that’s immersive storytelling or using digital technology, puppetry, or something unique. Rather than us feeling like we’re isolated and away from what’s happening in Europe and the US, there’s an audience here that wants to have access to that same advanced storytelling.”

More venues, more content, more promoters, better transport connections: the future looks bright, and there’s a lot of confidence in the market. “Family entertainment might just be the new – or you could say ‘real’ – rock & roll for the Middle East,” concludes Ovesen.

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The Touring Entertainment Report (TER) 2024, a resource that puts the global business of touring theatre, shows and exhibitions in focus, is out now. In this opening chapter, IQ examines the latest trends in the business…

The growing popularity of the touring entertainment sector has led to more and more content on the road. But creating eye-popping shows that people want to tell their friends about doesn’t come cheap, and ever-increasing competition means that being ahead of the trends curve is an important part of deciding what to develop for the market.
So what’s hot and what’s not? Here are some of the key trends for 2024/25.

Instagramification
From Instagram posts to TikTok reels, we’ve all seen friends and family share their immersive experiences on social media platforms. So it’s no surprise that creating experiences that people want to share online can drive awareness, as well as sell tickets. Check out Dopamine Land in London, Washington, Brisbane, and Madrid; The Art of the Brick, with its inventive Lego creations; or any of the major art projection exhibits, and you’ll know exactly what we mean.

But audiences want more than an Instagram moment, as George Wood, MD of Luna Entertainment Group, which co-produces The Friends Experience with OGX and operates the show in the UK in Europe, says. The global hit exhibition offers fans of the hit TV series a chance to relive scenes in beloved settings such as Central Perk café or the main characters’ apartments. While platforms such as Instagram are great marketing tools, Wood says that visitors were most attracted to the appeal of creating their own nostalgia-tinged moments.

“Being able to take pictures of themselves on the famous orange sofa and recreating moments with their friends is excellent marketing,” Wood explains. “It not only promotes the show, but these things never feel forced. There’s no cheap ploy by the content producers to get visitors to engage with them. In a way, it feels like a holistic experience, and social media is just one part of making that experience that much better.”

Authenticity is key to success – audiences want to play an active role in the experience, as Nicolas Renna, CEO of Spain-based international promoter and producer Proactiv, told the Touring Entertainment LIVE conference at ILMC: “Experiences that organically facilitate social media sharing empower visitors to become active participants in the marketing process.”

“What we’re looking to do with the location-based entertainment business is extend and broaden the relationship we have between our audiences and our IP”

Eatertainment
No longer a sideshow to the main experience, dining is now very much on the menu for touring experiences. Mama Mia! The Party at The O2 in London sees fans of the hit musical treated to a Greek-style meal before enjoying a performance of the show, plus an ABBA- themed after-party. The Faulty Towers Dining Experience means you can sample some of the infamous service quality from characters of the BBC hit comedy series while dining – it’s been in constant demand throughout Australia, Europe, Ireland, Scandinavia, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK for years.

The future certainly seems to hold more mouth-watering delights on this theme ahead.

Family entertainment centres
While the lack of venue availability is a regular issue across Europe, in the US and Asia, FECs (family entertainment centres) have become popular alternatives to traditional venues.

Billed as large-scale leisure spaces, FECs allow families to not only be entertained but also provide opportunities for shopping and eating.

One of the most spectacular examples is Sony’s 40,000ft2 Wonderverse located in Chicago’s Oakbrook Center. The free-to-enter venue has individual attractions priced from $6 to $35 per person.

“What we’re looking to do with the location-based entertainment business is extend and broaden the relationship we have between our audiences and our IP,” Jeffrey Godsick, who leads global location-based entertainment (LBE) and themed entertainment for Sony Pictures Entertainment, told Blooloop. “We need activations that maintain that relationship, bring new audiences into the brand, and extend the stories. In many cases, we’re world-building with these attractions.”

“We really believe in depths of immersion. People need to be able to decide on how deep they want to go”

He added: “We really believe in depths of immersion. People need to be able to decide on how deep they want to go. They might just want to be eating in that environment, or they might want to dive deep into the world of a movie and be that character. We’re trying to provide that full range.”

Expect to see more of these multi-IP experiences around the world in the coming years.

Telling new stories
While big brand IP continues to draw in mass crowds, touring entertainment producers seeking to move beyond the ever-popular topics of Ancient Egypt, Titanic, and dinosaurs are looking to the world of science and technology for inspiration. Lightroom’s The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks exhibit in London sees the famous actor narrate the story of NASA’s Apollo moon landings, and the BBC Earth Experience, based on the hit natural history TV series, was a smash hit in London, and at the time of writing was continuing this success in Melbourne, Australia.

On a similar note, in the pursuit of novel stories to tell, there’s a growing interest in more diverse storylines. From shows celebrating the contributions of ethnic minorities in pop culture to exhibits championing inclusivity and body positivity, there’s been an increasing number of narratives taking new approaches and diverting away from “traditional” Western narratives.

To IP or not to IP?
Big-brand IP continues to draw big numbers in terms of ticket sales. From Hollywood movie franchises such as Marvel, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park, to the ever-popular Disney world, producers and promoters can be inundated with offers from IP owners looking to tap into people’s desire to get closer to the characters they love.

But with so much potential out there, the key to success is not only choosing the right IP but the right approach, as Renna says. “It’s always a balance between the use of IP and how you present it. I look for an IP that transcends time.” His Mundo Pixar exhibition features 13 scenes from the iconic animation house. “It works because the audience that knows the movies is very broad in age range.

“If visitors saw the films as a child, they probably have children themselves now, so they can come with friends or their own family.”

“Our aim was to create something that awakens all five senses within people of all ages”

IPs are no longer limited to well-known film, TV, and video game brands, celebrities and fashion designers are all fair game. Recent examples include DIVA and Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, both of which took place at the V&A in London.

But with licensing such properties often proving very costly, is this always a route to success? And can producers create their own IPs?

Exhibition Hub followed up the massive Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience by curating another captivating attraction in tandem with Fever. Billed as London’s largest-ever “ball pit” when it made its UK debut last year, following successful jaunts in Los Angeles, Milan, and Brussels, Bubble Planet is a whimsical exhibit that spans 11 themed multisensory zones – including a meditative bubble bath pit, a hot-air balloon simulation, and a VR-powered experience where visitors see the world through the perspective of a giant bubble.

“The concept of bubbles, whether in the air or in the water, is presented throughout a surreal and imaginary journey,” explains Hamza El Azhar, co-founder and creative director of Exhibition Hub. “Our aim was to create something that awakens all five senses within people of all ages, and the concept of bubbles, whether in the air or underwater, is presented throughout a surreal and imaginary journey.”

The joy of horror
Hallowe’en has become an all-year-round activity as ‘recreational fear’ increasingly draws in audiences seeking spooky thrills and chills at attractions such as escape rooms and immersive experiences.

“There is a trend for immersive horror attractions where your involvement is greatly encouraged,” says Charles Read, MD of visitor attractions website Blooloop, citing the success of US-based producer Meow Wolf’s series of immersive exhibits as an example of how people will “pay to go and be terrified.” Among its attractions across the US is The Real Unreal, an “existential adventure game” that envelopes the viewer in a world where the real world seems to melt away.

And Heather McGill, director of Unify Productions in the UK, says: “While I’m not sure about the rest of Europe, the Hallowe’en market is doing exceptionally well in the US and the UK.”

The death of the word ‘immersive’
Just joking. It looks like that word is here to stay, despite everyone in the business bemoaning its use.

The Touring Entertainment Report 2024 is available exclusively to IQ subscribers in print or as a digital magazine. Subscribe now and view the full report. A preview version is below.

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The Touring Entertainment Report (TER) 2024, a resource that puts the global business of touring theatre, shows and exhibitions in focus, is out now.

From Cirque du Soleil to Jurassic World, the second edition delves into this multi-billion dollar sector of the live entertainment industry.

The report follows the launch of Touring Entertainment LIVE, a new one-day event at ILMC that brought together the world’s top show and exhibition producers, rights holders, venue operators, and promoters.

The second annual Touring Entertainment Report, available to subscribers of IQ, includes:

• Showstoppers – a showcase of some of the most innovative and exciting touring product
• Key features on the most pressing issues facing the industry
• Critical insight through interviews with top industry figures
• Q&As with leading producers and creatives
• Top tips for how to be more sustainable
• A guide to the Middle East market

“It’s a fascinating time in the touring entertainment business,” says TER editor James Drury. “With increasing demand for content, growing numbers of productions, and imaginative new experiences hitting the road every year, it’s a dynamic and fast-moving business. But growth brings challenges, as we explore in this edition. From the lack of venue availability in Europe to creating more sustainable productions, we reveal top tips from experts on how to navigate some of the questions facing many companies.”

The Touring Entertainment Report 2024 is available exclusively to IQ subscribers in print or as a digital magazine. Subscribe now and view the full report.

A preview version of the Touring Entertainment Report 2024 is below.

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.