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Tour news: Travis Scott, QOTSA, Lorde, Kneecap

Travis Scott has extended his record-breaking Circus Maximus World Tour with new dates in the UAE and India.

The 34-year-old rapper is due to perform at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse on 19 November and at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Park on 15 November.

Promoted by Live Nation, the Circus Maximus World Tour will span six countries, kicking off on 11 October at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, and concluding in Mumbai.

Additional stops include Delhi (India), Seoul (Korea), Sanya and Hainan (China) and Tokyo (Japan), which drew ‘unprecedented demand’ across the board, according to promoters.

The global outing originally kicked off in October 2023 and included 76 sold-out stops across North America, Europe, UK, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand throughout 2023 and 2024.

It concluded as the highest-grossing rap tour in history with $209.3 million and 1.7 million tickets sold.

Queens of the Stone Age have announced a UK/Europe leg of their intimate The Catacombs Tour

Meanwhile, Queens of the Stone Age have announced a UK/Europe leg of their intimate The Catacombs Tour.

The six-date run will kick off on 18 October in Milan at the 1,400-capacity Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber and conclude on 29 October at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Additional stops include Theater des Westens in Berlin (Germany), DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen in Copenhagen (Denmark), Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp (Belgium).

Following that, the American rock band will journey to the US for an 11-date run between 2 October and 21 November.

Elsewhere, Lorde has added Australia and New Zealand dates to her Ultrasound World Tour in support of her new album, Virgin.

Inhaler has added four new dates to their run of European headline shows in October

The new dates are scheduled in February 2026, starting with a 2 February show at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Stops include Christchurch, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The previously announced North American leg of the Ultrasound World Tour begins 17 September at Austin, Texas’s Moody Center, and concludes on 22 October at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

The European outing starts on 9 November at Luxembourg’s Rockhal and runs until 9 December at Stockholm, Sweden’s Annexet.

Elsewhere, Kneecap have added ten dates to their UK and Ireland tour, including a headline show at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro in Scotland on 30 November.

The Belfast hip-hop trio will also play Bournemouth’s O2 Academy (14 November), Liverpool’s Blackstone Street Warehouse (15 November), Cardiff Depot (17 November), The Prospect Building in Bristol (18 November), O2 Academy Leeds (20 November), O2 City Hall Newcastle (22 November), Sheffield Octagon (24 November), O2 Academy Birmingham (27 November) and Manchester Academy (28 November).

Inhaler have added four new dates to their run of European headline shows in October.

The Irish quartet, who recently announced their biggest UK headline show to date at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena and an already sold-out performance at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, will kick off these new shows with two nights at Belfast’s Ulster Hall.

The Charlatans have also shared plans for a December UK tour

These newly announced dates are the latest additions to the band’s Open Wide World Tour, which has included performances across Europe, the US, and at festivals such as TRNSMT and Glastonbury.

The Charlatans have also shared plans for a December UK tour, playing headline shows in Leeds, Stoke, Bath, London, Manchester and Glasgow.

In support of their forthcoming 14th studio album We Are Love (31 October), the UK-hailing band will undergo a six-date tour kicking off on 6 December at O2 Academy in Leeds and wrapping on 12 December at Barrowland in Glasgow.

Other stops on the SJM Concerts-promoted run include Stoke’s Victoria Hall (7 December), Bath’s Forum (8 December), London’s Roundhouse (10 December) and Manchester’s Academy (11 December).

 


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China reveals huge spike in live music revenues

China’s live music revenues soared 46.6% in 2024, powered by huge growth in concerts and festivals.

The figures were revealed in the 2025 China Music Industry Development Annual Report, which values the country’s music industry at 492.9 billion yuan (€60bn) – up 5% year-on-year.

The report was released at this month’s 10th Music Industry Forum, hosted by the Communication University of China in Beijing.

According to the study, music performances earned 38.7bn yuan (€4.7bn) at the box office in total, with large and medium-sized gigs and festivals accounting for 29.6bn yuan (€3.6bn) – a 66.5% increase on 2023. Revenue from theatres and other venues was responsible for 9bn yuan (€1.1bn), up 5.5%.

Digital music was the largest single segment of the music market overall with a 20.8% share after generating 102.746bn yuan (€12.5bn), a 15% rise on the previous year, reports China Daily.

Over the past 12 months, the world’s second-most populous nation has thrown open its doors to international superstars such as Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Green Day and Kanye West.

“We are seeing a small renaissance for international artists visiting China”

In addition, Imagine Dragons performed four nights in April: two shows at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium and two dates at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre Stadium (a further two shows at Shanghai International Circuit were cancelled due to weather conditions).

And Travis Scott sold out 45,000 tickets in minutes for his Sanya Sports Stadium concert in Hainan this coming November. Tickets cost HK$736-2,466 (€82-275).

“We are seeing a small renaissance for international artists visiting China,” Split Works founder Archie Hamilton told IQ earlier this year. “Smaller promoters are also bringing in a raft of developing acts and festivals continue to grow in all corners of the Middle Kingdom.”

The promoter has gained a reputation as a pioneer in importing international performers to China, organising tours for Sonic Youth, Death Cab for Cutie, Grimes and Ghostface Killah. Earlier this year, he told IQ how American band Cigarettes After Sex’s investment in the Chinese market had paid off.

“We see firsthand the effect of consistency and care with regard to this market every single day,” added Hamilton. “At Split Works, we’ve been building bridges between international music and China since 2006. We believe in the slow build, in listening more than we talk, in understanding that China isn’t a checkbox on a world tour — it’s a living, evolving audience that deserves genuine effort and respect.”

 


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Coachella 2025: Rave reviews for blockbuster headliners

Critics lauded headline sets from Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott during the opening weekend of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The Goldenvoice-promoted phenomenon made its return to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, from 11–13 April, for a 24th instalment.

This year’s bill also features the likes of Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, solo performances from BLACKPINK‘s Lisa and Jennie, Benson Boone, the original Misfits, Zedd, The Prodigy, Clairo, Enhypen and more.

Gaga closed the festival’s first night with her second headline set at Coachella, following an appearance in 2017 when she filled in for a pregnant Beyoncé. Friday night’s career-spanning, two-hour set earned rapturous reviews across the board, with The Guardian calling it “one of the best the desert has ever seen” while Billboard hailed it as a “genius commentary on fame”.

Green Day, one of the rare rock acts to headline Coachella over the last decade or so, helped to close out proceedings on Saturday, using their set to address the atrocities in Palestine and take aim at Donald Trump. Rolling Stone sumarised the set as “a career-spanning, best-of montage, packed with hits that crisscrossed the decades”.

Travis Scott, billed as the fourth Coachella headliner, occupied the same spot on the bill that No Doubt did in 2024. Backed by a 60-person strong marching band, the Houston-born rapper delivered a 29-song set which delivered on the promise of a “new chapter,” according to Billboard.

The Guardian called Lady Gaga’s Friday night headline set “one of the best the desert has ever seen”

Critics also applauded Saturday sets from Charli XCX – who brought out Lorde, Billie Eilish and Troye Sivan for her highly-awaited performance – and Weezer, who were added to the bill last week and delivered an afternoon set at the Mojave tent.

Elsewhere, Irish hip-hop band Kneecap made headlines after leading an anti-Margaret Thatcher chant, with fans reporting the online stream had cut out shortly after.

Post Malone closed out weekend one with his first-ever headline set at Coachella, having topped the bill at sister festival Stagecoach last year. The US star accidentally leaked the Coachella’s lineup in November 2024, prompting organisers to publish the lineup ahead of schedule.

The Sunday night set saw Malone bring his country repertoire to Indio, with a set modeled on a sprawling Formula 1 track. Variety described the 90-minute offering as “an interactive hang with your best buddy whose music you happen to love” while The Guardian deemed his performance “charming and energetic”.

Although the first weekend of Coachella sold out, passes for the second weekend are still available. Tickets are divided into three tiers and priced at $539–$549 for general admission and $1,199–$1,399 for VIP. Camping passes start at $149.

Despite reportedly selling approximately 80% of the 250,000 tickets available for purchase this year, the festival remains the most-attended and highest-grossing annual festival in North America.

Coachella 2025 concludes from 18–20 April.

 


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Travis Scott sees ‘instant’ sellouts in new markets

Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus World Tour has seen “unprecedented demand” across new markets, according to promoters.

The 33-year-old rapper recently extended his record-breaking, Live Nation-produced tour to Johannesburg (South Africa), Delhi (India), Seoul (Korea), Hainan (China) and Tokyo (Japan).

Scott’s debut concert in India at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Dehli sold out ‘instantly’, prompting local promoter and producer BookMyShow to add a second date.

More than 100,000 tickets, priced between ₹3,500 (€36) and ₹30,000 (€314), were snapped up in under two hours for the 18 and 19 October concerts.

With recent concerts by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Green Day and Shawn Mendes, leading executives say India’s touring scene is poised to ‘explode’.

Demand for the Circus Maximus World Tour was equally staggering in China, where Scott’s 1 November show at Sanya Stadium (cap 45,000) in Hainan also sold out immediately. The Province targeted Scott as part of its campaign to become an “international performing arts capital” as China loosens its strict policies for international artists.

Scott’s 25 October concert at Goyang Stadium in Seoul, Korea, has also sold out, with over 45,000 tickets purchased.

The Houston-born artist remains one of the only rap artists currently selling out stadiums across the globe

The Houston-born artist remains one of the only rap artists currently selling out stadiums across the globe. The Circus Maximus World Tour kicked off in October 2023 and included 76 sold-out stops across North America, Europe, the UK, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand throughout 2023 and 2024.

The outing concluded as the highest-grossing rap tour in history with $209.3 million and 1.7 million tickets sold.

Later this month, Scott will headline Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

The rapper is billed as the fourth headliner, occupying the same spot on the poster that No Doubt did in 2024 with the tagline “Travis Scott designs the desert”.

In a press release, Scott’s representatives state he is slated to headline the main stage on Saturday night “where he will debut an entirely new era of music to the world”.

Scott was scheduled to headline in 2020 before the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. He was booked again in 2022, but was taken off the lineup following the fatal crowd crush at his own Astroworld Festival in 2021.

He will also headline the UK’s Reading & Leeds in August alongside Chappell Roan, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier.

Scott is represented by Cara Lewis in North America and Wasserman Music’s James Rubin for the rest of the world.

 


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Chinese cities bid for international stars

China’s Hainan Province has announced its intention to become an “international performing arts capital”, in the latest step in the country’s re-emergence as one of the most important growth markets for the international live music business.

The city said it would invite one overseas artist to perform in the city every month, starting with Cardi B and Travis Scott. Earlier this week, Scott announced that he would perform at Hainan’s Sanya Stadium on 1 November on the international leg of his Circus Maximus tour.

During the 2010s the global entertainment business, including music and film, rushed to make headway in the once-closed economy. But a shift in the Governments’ views, as well as a long-delayed emergence from Covid restrictions, seemed to have set relationships back.

But now a rapid thaw seems to be underway, with China once again keen to stake its claim as a global entertainment hub and local authorities vying to attract international superstars.

“The local government seems to be willing to support [concerts] from a financial standpoint and also from a permitting standpoint,” Split Works’ Archie Hamilton told IQ last year. “Permits are obviously difficult to obtain in China and always have been. Given Hainan’s status as a SEZ, I think it wants to try and flex a bit of muscle and show that it can be different to the rest of the mainland.”

In the past six months alone, the world’s second-most populous nation has thrown open its doors to top-tier talent such as Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Green Day and even Kanye West.

Controversial rapper Ye was granted rare approval for two “listening parties” at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou, Hainan, last September. The sold-out stadium gigs, which drew 70,000 people, marked Ye’s first performances in the East Asian country in 16 years. Tickets were sold out in seconds on Chinese ticketing platforms.

“Haikou sees itself as being among the world’s unique performing arts cities with a highly open and inclusive attitude,” said Wang Ke, Hainan Province chief of tourism, culture, radio, film and television, during a government meeting.

“Haikou sees itself as being among the world’s unique performing arts cities with a highly open and inclusive attitude”

Unsurprisingly, China’s biggest city and global financial hub, Shanghai, also wants a bigger slice of the action.

It was reported earlier this month that Shanghai officials held preliminary talks with Taylor Swift about a potential concert in the capital this year.

Last year, advisers to the Shanghai government referred to superstars such as Swift as “walking GDP” because of their massive economic impact and called for restrictions on international performers to be relaxed to host more high-profile shows.

The counsellors’ office of the Shanghai municipal government said on its social media account last year that government departments should streamline approvals, visas, customs and other logistical challenges that limited the potential to attract top-tier talent.

Other cities have also been welcoming Western acts with open arms. Earlier this year, Green Day kicked off the Asia leg of the Saviors Tour Asia with a concert at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, marking their first performance in China in 15 years. Ed Sheeran brought his Mathematics (– +–=÷×) Tour to Hangzhou for six sell-out shows – his first visit to mainland China in a decade.

Meanwhile, American rock band One Republic recently wrapped up a China tour, performing not only in top-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai but also in cities like Hangzhou and Wuhan in Central China’s Hubei Province. They also made history as the first American band to perform during China’s Spring Festival Gala, the country’s biggest televised event.

Last month, Aurora completed a four-date tour of China, stopping in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu.

Read more about China’s live music market in IQ’s Global Promoters Report, here.

 


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Travis Scott extends record-breaking world tour

Travis Scott has extended his record-breaking Circus Maximus World Tour with a slate of international stadium shows this autumn.

Produced by Live Nation, the global run will comprise five stops: Johannesburg (South Africa), Delhi (India), Seoul (Korea), Hainan (China) and Tokyo (Japan).

The outing includes Scott’s first-ever performance in India at Dehli’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 18 October. With recent concerts by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Green Day and Shawn Mendes, leading executives say the India’s touring scene is poised to ‘explode’.

The 33-year-old’s stop in China at Hainan’s Sanya Stadium on 1 November is also notable, as the country loosens its strict policies for international artists.

The Circus Maximus World Tour includes Scott’s first-ever performance in India

Scott’s Circus Maximus World Tour kicked off in October 2023 and included 76 sold-out stops across North America, Europe, the UK, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand throughout 2023 and 2024. The tour concluded as the highest-grossing rap tour in history with $209.3 million and 1.7 million tickets sold.

Next month, Scott will headline Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

The rapper is billed as the fourth headliner, occupying the same spot on the poster that No Doubt did in 2024 with the tagline “Travis Scott designs the desert”.

In a press release, Scott’s representatives state he is slated to headline the main stage on Saturday night “where he will debut an entirely new era of music to the world”.

Scott was scheduled to headline in 2020 before the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. He was booked again in 2022, but was taken off the lineup following the fatal crowd crush at his own Astroworld Festival in 2021.

The Houston-hailing act will also headline the UK’s Reading & Leeds in August alongside Chappell Roan, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier.

Scott is represented by Cara Lewis in North America and Wasserman Music’s James Rubin for the rest of the world.

Circus Maximus World Tour:

Sat Oct 11 – Johannesburg, South Africa – FMB Stadium

Sat Oct 18 – Delhi, India – Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Sat Oct 25 – Seoul, Korea – Goyang Stadium

Sat Nov 01 – Sanya, Hainan, China – Sanya Stadium *

Sat Nov 08 – Tokyo, Japan – Belluna Dome

 


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Coachella 2025 bill revealed ahead of schedule

Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival organisers have announced the full line-up for the 2025 edition, headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott.

The Goldenvoice-promoted festival (cap 125,000) will return for a 24th instalment between 11–13 and 18–20 April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

The lineup announcement comes two months earlier than usual, following reports that Post Malone would headline the Californian festival.

Malone has now been confirmed to close out both Sundays, following his headline performance at Coachella’s sister event Stagecoach this year. It will be his first time as a Coachella headliner, though he performed at the festival in 2018 and has made several guest appearances over the years (most recently with Bad Bunny in 2022).

It is Gaga’s second time as a Coachella headliner, following her appearance in 2017 when she filled in for a pregnant Beyoncé.

Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott top the bill for next year’s edition

Green Day will play Coachella as a band for the first time, although frontman Billie Joe Armstrong performed as part of the Replacements in 2014.

Scott is billed as the fourth headliner, occupying the same spot on the poster that No Doubt did in 2024 with the tagline “Travis Scott designs the desert”.

In a press release, Scott’s representatives state he is slated to headline the main stage on Saturday night “where he will debut an entirely new era of music to the world”.

Scott was scheduled to headline in 2020 before the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. He was booked again in 2022, but was taken off the lineup following the fatal crowd crush at his own Astroworld Festival in 2021.

Other major acts lined up for Coachella 2025 include Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, solo performances from BLACKPINK‘s Lisa and Jennie, Benson Boone, the original Misfits, Zedd, The Prodigy, FKA Twigs, Beabadoobee, Clairo, Enhypen and more.

This year’s festival was headlined by Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, No Doubt and Tyler, the Creator.

 

 

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Astroworld: Hundreds settle injury cases ahead of trial

More than 300 plaintiffs have reportedly settled personal injury lawsuits with Live Nation and Travis Scott after the 2021 disaster at the Astroworld music festival.

Ten people died and hundreds more were injured during the fatal crowd crush at the 5 November 2021 festival at NRG Park in Houston, US. In June last year, a Texas grand jury declined to indict rapper and festival founder Travis Scott, nor anyone else associated with the festival.

The civil trial over injuries suffered at the festival was due to start this week but has now been delayed until February 2025 after settlements were reached, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Now, a host of lawyers will designate another round of so-called bellwether plaintiffs to test the strength of the remaining cases.

The result of the first trial could determine how much other victims receive in future trials or settlements.

The result of the first trial could determine how much other victims receive in future trials or settlements

Scott West, who represented 9-year-old Ezra Blount, Astroworld’s youngest casualty in the wrongful deaths suits, said hundreds of cases remain.

The bulk of the cases were settled with an undisclosed lump sum Friday and earlier this month, with West saying that amounts weren’t addressed in court.

The remaining plaintiff lawyers will decide which suits will be set for trial in February.

In a recent ruling, Judge Kristen Hawkins instructed that Live Nation chief Michael Rapino could have to give evidence in person, due to having “information [that] is not available through other sources”.

 


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Travis Scott tour stretches to LatAm & Australasia

Travis Scott’s record-setting Circus Maximus Tour is heading to Latin America and Australasia this autumn.

The rapper has announced stadium shows in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand for September and October.

Additionally, he will return to North America for a special one-night-only date at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on 9 October. More than one million tickets have already been sold for the global run so far.

Scott is currently on the European leg of the tour, which concludes with three nights in Portugal at Lisbon’s MEO Arena from 2-4 August. The European dates have grossed nearly $27 million (€25m) with over 270,000 attendees across the first 11 dates.

In London, he drew in excess of 48,500 fans to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 July – his largest headline show to date – grossing more than $6.6m. He 33-year-old Houston native also broke the venue’s merchandise sales record and is also the first US hip-hop artist to sell 200,000 tickets in a year across three shows in Italy.

His sold-out 44-date North American trek in 2023 and 2024 generated $95.7m at the box office with an attendance of 686,000, breaking multiple merchandise sale records across states, and is officially the highest-grossing rap tour of 2024. Scott also made history as the first rapper to headline a sold-out show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The full list of additional Circus Maximus dates is as follows:

7 September – Santiago, Chile – Estadio Bicentenario La Florida
9 September – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Movistar Arena
11 September – São Paulo, Brazil – Allianz Parque Stadium
13 September – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil – Rock N Rio
15 September – Bogota, Colombia – Coliseo Medplus
18 September – San Juan, Puerto Rico – Coliseo de Puerto Rico
21 September – Mexico City, México – Esplanade Estadio Azteca
9 October – East Rutherford, New Jersey – MetLife Stadium
17 October – Sydney, Australia – Allianz Stadium
22 October – Melbourne, Australia – Marvel Stadium
26 October – Brisbane, Australia – Suncorp Stadium
31 October – Auckland, New Zealand – Eden Park

 


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Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus Tour tops 1m sales

More than one million tickets have been sold for Travis Scott’s ongoing Circus Maximus Tour.

The trek’s sold-out 44-date North American leg, which ran from October 2023 to January 2024, grossed $95.7 million after attracting 686,000 fans.

Produced by Live Nation, the US and Canada run also saw Scott become the first rapper in history to headline a sold-out show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

In addition, the tour’s upcoming European stretch – which starts on 28 June at the GelreDome in Arnhem, the Netherlands – has grossed $49.9m from 425,271 ticket sales. The outing includes the 33-year-old’s UK headline show to date at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Since launching last year, the tour has been attended by over 1.1 million people and generated in excess of $145.6m at the box office

Circus Maximus is officially the highest-grossing rap tour of 2024 and is one of the top 10 biggest tours of the year so far. Since launching last year, it has been attended by over 1.1 million people and generated in excess of $145.6m at the box office, as well as breaking multiple merchandise records.

Scott, who is represented by James Rubin at WME, recently extended his 2024 European tour after the first batch of arena and stadium concerts sold out.

From every ticket sold, €1/£1 will go to Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation, which aims to uplift Houston youth through toy drives, scholarship programmes to HBCU college students, and fulfilling expenses for education and creative endeavours.

It was announced last week that all 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed over Scott’s 2021 Astroworld concert have now been settled.

 


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