IQ presents the second part of our Austria market report, where we dig into their expansive festival sector and the shifting opportunities and challenges in the venue scene. Catch up on part one here.

Festivals
In the past couple of years, Arcadia Live’s Lido Sounds has quickly established itself as a fresh addition to Austria’s festival offerings: a genre-specific city festival beside the scenic Danube River in Linz, with Kings of Leon, Parov Stelar, Hozier, Deichkind, Sam Smith, The Libertines, and Idles on the bill this year across four days.

“The response has been encouraging,” says Potocki. “In 2023, we welcomed 66,000 fans, and 2024 saw even greater attendance. Looking ahead, we’re planning to expand capacity to 28,000 per day in 2025, creating opportunities for sustainable growth while gradually enhancing our environmental footprint. While we’re not a 100% green event yet, we’re committed to making meaningful progress each year, embracing innovative ideas to become more eco-conscious.”

No sensible festival launches in these tricky times without thinking hard about its model and its market position, and Arcadia Live has done plenty of that type of thinking.

“Lido Sounds offers a unique festival experience compared to traditional open-field events,” says Potocki. “It blends the culture and convenience of a city setting with the excitement of a diverse and carefully curated lineup. So far, we’ve brought a lot of incredible artists to the stage – and the momentum continues to build. As for the future, we remain open to exploring new opportunities while staying focused on delivering a memorable, inclusive, and continuously improving festival experience.”

Traditionally, Barracuda assumes a notably powerful position in Austria’s festival market with its Nova Rock and FM4 Frequency events. The former draws 55,000 a day over four days to Pannonia Fields in Nickelsdorf in June, with Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Måneskin, and Bring Me The Horizon on a heavyweight bill.

“We have seen a lot of competition this year that we did not have in the past”

Frequency, meanwhile, in the northeastern city of St Pölten, draws around 140,000 a year for a dance, rock, and hip-hop fusion – Apache 207, The Offspring, Rise Against, and Yungblud led the line-up this August, with Ed Sheeran on the same site the night before.

Other Barracuda events include Lovely Days, Clam Rock, and an ever-growing series of shows at the historic Clam Castle, one of Austria’s most popular and prestigious venues. This year, the promoter also inked a three-year partnership with the long-established Mörbisch Lake Festival to bring rock and pop artists to the site’s 6,100-cap lake stage, with James Blunt and Zucchero in this summer’s first crop.

“We have seen a lot of competition this year that we did not have in the past, like Live Nation’s Rolling Loud festival and the Lido festival from Arcadia,” says Hörmann. “So, there is more in the market, but all the festivals seem to sell well.”

Venues
In early November, CTS Eventim was awarded the contract to build and operate a new multipurpose arena in Neu Marx in Vienna’s third district. The win came after Oak View Group’s successful bid for the project was “declared void for formal reasons” by Vienna Regional Court in summer 2023, after an objection from CTS.

The opening of the 20,000-cap arena – which expects up to 1.2m visitors, with as many as 145 events annually – was originally planned for 2024, but the venue is now not expected to be completed until 2030 at the earliest.

“Vienna will secure its position as a must-play city for the world’s greatest stars and events for decades to come”

The estimated cost of the 100,000m2 CTS design reportedly comes to almost €800m, including a contribution from the city of €145.9m. The property will be owned by the City of Vienna’s Wien Holding organisation, which drives growth and creates jobs for the city.

“With this state-of-the-art venue, Vienna will secure its position as a must-play city for the world’s greatest stars and events for decades to come,” said city councillor Peter Hanke.

Promising arena news aside, in general, it is hard to extract much enthusiasm from Austrian promoters on the subject of venues. “We have a very, very bad venue situation,” says Hörmann. “If you compare Vienna to Munich, for instance, Munich has, I would think, seven, eight venues from 3,000 to 15,000. In Vienna, you have the Stadthalle, and the next venue is Gasometer B with 3,000. So that’s a nightmare.

“And obviously, everywhere is packed. If you look at the Stadthalle, they have a tennis tournament every October, so that doesn’t give us any availability for the whole month. So just this year, I lost Bob Dylan because I just couldn’t get the venue. And if you still have an act that is expecting to work, then you have to go to Graz or to Linz, and people have to travel.”

That’s not the only problem with Austrian live infrastructure, however, as Viennese promoters continue to wrangle with a new noise restriction that is spelling doom for outdoor concerts in the city.

In August, Arcadia Live warned that a 10pm curfew at could mean the end for its annual METAStadt Open Air concert series. The 8,100-cap site had initially filled a gap for open-air concerts with mid-tier artists, for whom the Arena Wien’s 3,000-capacity outdoor stage is too small and the 51,000-capacity Happel Stadium too big. The series has hosted international acts including Alt-J, The Kooks, Skunk Anansie, Korn, Patti Smith, Jungle, and Khruangbin, and its future remains in doubt.

“Racino is probably one of the most beautiful open-air locations in Austria”

“Noise restrictions and complaints from local residents continue to be significant challenges for open-air events,” says Potocki. “This is often compounded by a lack of political and financial support from city or district authorities, which would be incredibly valuable given the proven economic impact of live shows and open-air events.

“Resolving these issues requires more proactive collaboration with local stakeholders. Until then, navigating these restrictions will remain a challenge for our events in Vienna, including the METAStadt series.”

METAStadt, of course, isn’t the only venue affected. In fact, it’s easier to name those that aren’t. “The Danube Island and the Ernst Happel Stadium are currently the only open-air sites [in Vienna] that meet the strict criteria,” says Live Nation’s Rotermund. “Noise restrictions recently led to the cancellations of all planned events at the scenic Schönbrunn Palace in 2025, and there are similar challenges elsewhere.”

The palace, once the main summer residence of the Habsburgs, and located in Hietzing, the 13th district of Vienna, has been a popular concert spot since the 1990s, but in November, Semmel’s Show Factory announced the cancellation of all open-air concerts and musicals planned at the palace for 2025 due to the noise regulations. The decision affected its I Am From Austria musical and the Schönbrunn Classics series and followed penalties for previous noise violations.

Live Nation’s exclusive contract to use the Racino racetrack, 25 minutes from the city by train, seemed to be a smart way round the curfew. The promoters initially hoped to organise smaller 5,000 to 10,000-cap events at the site, as well as larger concerts for up to 60,000 attendees, but such plans remain under review. “Racino is probably one of the most beautiful open-air locations in Austria,” says Lieberberg. “The proximity to Vienna adds to the appeal.

“Our inaugural events were extremely successful, with a combined attendance of 150,000. However, numerous bureaucratic requirements, particularly exaggerated environmental regulations, present challenges and obstacles for future events, which need to be evaluated.”

“There has definitely been a slower return to normal after the post-Covid surge”

Among the major venues outside the capital, Messe Congress Graz (MCG), with its 14,520-cap Stadthalle, Messe Graz Open Air and six other venues, stages 400-plus events a year.

“2024 has been a good year for events in Graz and Austria overall, but there has definitely been a slower return to normal after the post-Covid surge,” says Christof Strimitzer, MCG head of marketing and communications. “One of the key challenges has been the high energy and personnel costs, which have made organising events more difficult.”

While the overall atmosphere was tough, says Strimitzer, a strong focus on family entertainment yielded highlights such as Cavalluna, The Ice Queen, and live music concerts including The Lion King and Avatar. “International shows have shown a slight decline in attendance,” he adds. “One standout moment of the year was the sold-out performance of Gigi D’Agostino, which attracted 14,500 people and was sold out in just 24 hours.”

Messe Graz is currently in the process of obtaining the Green Location eco-label, reflecting its commitment to sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices. “We are also working on introducing new formats in the outdoor area to enhance the visitor experience and expand our event offerings,” says Strimitzer.

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The optics of Austria in 2024, viewed from the outside, aren’t especially good.

The far right, embodied by the Freedom Party (FPÖ) made an emphatic point in the country’s September elections, taking 28.9% of the vote. The economy is technically in recession, with GDP expected to decline by 0.6% this year and exports to the all-important and somewhat ailing German market significantly down. Then again, whose optics are good these days? And where the Austrian live business is concerned, appearances can be a little deceptive, says Richard Hörmann, co-managing director of the country’s leading promoter, CTS Eventim’s Barracuda Music.

“I think, in general, the atmosphere is much worse than the real situation, especially in entertainment,” he says. “We aren’t seeing slower sales – we have [had] very strong figures for the last few years.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Austria isn’t in a cold spell; more that, in this prosperous, 9m-strong nation, shows and festivals remain fairly affordable luxuries. Even a price rise of around 10% to 15% on the average ticket has done little to stifle demand.

“In Austria, it’s more a situation [in which] people can’t afford to buy apartments anymore or maybe can’t afford to buy cars, but they invest in their entertainment,” says Hörmann. “They go on holidays, and they watch shows.”

After all, Austria still has the fifth-highest GDP per capita in the EU at €46,200. And to look on the bright side, the FPÖ, while resurgent, has been unable to find a coalition partner, leaving the way clear for a three-party coalition of the centre-right People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and NEOS (liberals).

“There’s still plenty of momentum, especially around large-scale events and innovative formats”

There are still underlying concerns, of course, just as there are everywhere in a candidly unpredictable world: from Vienna’s controversial noise restriction law and frustrating venue omissions to the shifting of the world’s political and macroeconomic centre of gravity.

“Everything is a bit difficult right now in Europe,” acknowledges Silvio Huber, co-MD of Live Nation-owned Goodlive Artists. “If Germany struggles, we struggle. We don’t know where Europe will be in the future, between the US, Russia, and China, and this and that. But we don’t see the effects of any of that yet. Let’s see how that will turn out in the next one or two years, the next decade. But basically, it’s still okay, it’s really solid.”

That view holds fast across the board, in a market that hungrily hoovered up most of the German and international tours on the circuit this summer, with appearances from Coldplay Metallica, AC/DC, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, André Rieu, and the rest.

“The market in Austria does feel like it’s gradually stabilising after the post-Covid surge,” says Filip Potocki, CEO at FKP-backed promoter Arcadia Live. “However, there’s still plenty of momentum, especially around large-scale events and innovative formats.”

Unfortunately, the most headline-grabbing piece of news from Austria’s live calendar this year was one about which there is little worth saying. In August, Taylor Swift and Barracuda were forced to cancel the Vienna leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour, which was due to be seen by 170,000 fans over the course of three nights at the Ernst Happel Stadium, after an apparent terror plot was foiled.

It was initially said the shows could go ahead with additional security, but the concerts were soon cancelled as Vienna police chief Gerhard Purstl said an “abstract danger” remained. Three arrests were made and investigations continue, and in an otherwise bountiful year, the promoter has made little comment about the affair.

“Austria has a very distinct individual national character”

“There’s nothing to add,” says Hörmann. “It is what it is, and within the company, it’s still an ongoing process. Obviously, it’s not going to be replaced.”

Austria also got its share of Europe’s alarming weather events this summer. A headline show by US band Agriculture scheduled for Arena Wien was among a number of shows called off due to flooding on the River Danube in mid-September. And in July, Barracuda’s 70,000-capacity Electric Love festival in Salzburg was forced to shut down for half a day due to a severe weather warning.

Nonetheless, the business rolls on. As far as concert hotspots are concerned, Austria doesn’t just mean Vienna, but for sheer numbers, the City of Dreams is very much the centrepiece. Between 70% and 80% of all tickets sold are for shows in and around Vienna, though there are decent secondary markets, too, from the second city of Graz to Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck.

“The focus is, of course, on the greater Vienna metropolitan area, where 4m people live – nearly half the Austrian population,” says Live Nation GSA chief executive Marek Lieberberg. “Hence, this is where most major events take place, similar to Zurich in Switzerland or Amsterdam in the Netherlands.”

Given the presence of powerful German-based promoters – including Live Nation GSA; CTS Eventim, whose umbrella extends across both Barracuda Music and Arcadia Live; and Semmel Concerts, whose Show Factory offshoot is personally overseen by Dieter Semmelmann – it is easy to cast Austria as an unofficial extension of that larger market. However, Lieberberg declines the characterisation.

“Austria has a very distinct individual national character, and the dark times when it was regarded as a German province are definitely over,” he says. “Everybody has to recognise this fact and the unique appeal of Vienna as the political, cultural, and historical centre. The EU allows individuals and companies to operate in all countries of the union, and this opportunity is respectfully used.”

“We live in a strong market, but we obviously have strong competition”

Promoters
Formerly a proudly independent market, Austria these days broadly shakes down into a two-way battle between CTS Eventim (via Barracuda and Arcadia), and Live Nation GSA (in its own right and through its 2022 acquisition of Goodlive).

Barracuda – formed in 2016 from leading Austrian indies Skalar, Red Snapper, and NuCoast Entertainment, before Eventim took a 71% stake in 2019 – handles around 350 events a year and dependably sells between 1m and 1.2m tickets, making it the market leader, albeit in an increasingly spicy field.

“We live in a strong market,” says Hörmann. “But we obviously have strong competition. Live Nation realise that Austria is a good market, so they have enforced their operation here and will be doing more and more shows. But so far, the market seems to soak up whatever you offer.”

A rising tide of stadium shows, particularly heavy in 2024 with Coldplay, AC/DC (promoted by Marcel Avram), the abortive Swift residency, and others, does not appear to have dramatically distorted the market, suggests Hörmann, who has Robbie Williams and Iron Maiden on sale for 2025.

“Barracuda averages about a million tickets a year, and that didn’t drop [as stadium shows have increased]. So it’s not that the stadium shows take away any other markets at the moment. The very small club situation might get difficult, but other than that, figures are pretty stable,” he says.

“Undoubtedly, Coldplay were the highlight of the year, with a record attendance of 250,000”

Inevitably, the Taylor Swift drama led to heightened tensions around subsequent shows in Vienna this summer. Enhanced security was in place for Coldplay’s four-night residency at the same venue a fortnight later, with armed police stationed on the roof of the stadium, uniformed and plain-clothed officers in the crowd, and extensive video and aerial surveillance.

Live Nation Austria managing director Matthias Rotermund chalks up the resulting gigs as the peak of Live Nation’s year in Austria.

“Undoubtedly, Coldplay were the highlight of the year, with a record attendance of 250,000,” he says. “We were very pleased that despite the challenges – particularly after the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s shows – we successfully presented all four concerts without any incidents.”

Elsewhere, Live Nation inaugurated its Racino open-air venue in Ebreichsdorf near Vienna – usually an equestrian park, but this summer, the site of the three-day Rolling Loud Europe (with Nicki Minaj, Playboi Carti, and Travis Scott) and the one-day Racino Rocks, with Metallica, Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills, and Mammoth WVH.

“Metallica showed their exceptional potential, drawing 55,000 fans,” says Rotermund, who also picks out some family entertainment highlights. “OVO, another highly attractive Cirque du Soleil show, sold 45,000 tickets, and the international tour of Mamma Mia! sold 30,000.”

Live Nation worked on the Racino shows with frequent local partner Leutgeb Entertainment Group – which also contributed to Adele’s summer shows in Munich – and this year also saw the first collaboration between the local Live Nation operation and Goodlive who together brought Big Time Rush to Vienna’s Gasometer B.

“We’ve noticed growing potential in more niche offerings”

“That sold out in five minutes,” says Huber, who anticipates more team efforts. “There’s still the question of how we can work together best, but we will work together more, for sure. They are experts in stadiums, huge shows, and we have lots of club-level, mid-level, and we can build artists. Actually, we complement each other very well.” Goodlive also chalked up satisfying larger-scale successes with The National and Cigarettes After Sex this year at the 16,000-cap Wiener Stadthalle – the latter particularly gratifying to Huber, who recalls promoting a 250-cap club show in Vienna for the same band in 2016.

“That is always the nicest thing as a promoter,” he says. “We have had a journey from that club show to selling out the Stadthalle, which I never would have expected ten years ago.” Arcadia Live, formed in 2015 from Potocki and Bernhard Kaufmann’s full-service Arcadia operation, with backing from German players FKP Group, Four Artists Booking Agency, Chimperator Live, and KKT, has established a new fes- tival of its own in Linz’s Lido Sounds, as well as a concert series in METAStadt Open Air in Vienna, whose headliners included Jungle, Cypress Hill, Air, and Korn this year.

“Headliner-driven single shows have been the strongest performers this year, with a series of standout open-air events in Vienna during the summer,” says Potocki. “Beyond that, we’ve noticed growing potential in more niche offerings, such as spoken word events, exhibitions, and podcast-based formats.”

Among Austria’s remaining indies, meanwhile, is Alex Nussbaumer of al-x, long-term promoter of Iggy Pop and The Cure, whose late-2024 shows include a three-date Austrian tour for Roachford. Meanwhile, Soundportal, promoter of Styrian Sounds festival and numerous local shows, is a stalwart of the scene in Graz.

Other companies
Austria’s advantageous location on the cusp of western and eastern Europe makes Austria a popular spot for numerous outward-facing live businesses, from trucking company Beat The Street, based in Fritzens near Innsbruck, to prominent Salzburg-based boutique metal booker Cobra Agency, whose acts include Sepultura, Sabaton, Slipknot, Danzig, Testament, and Amon Amarth.

“The rock and metal market has shown incredible resilience and growth across Europe,” says Cobra Agency co-managing director Günther Beer. “A few years ago, there were only one or two metal arena tours in the fall. This year, our agency alone had multiple rock acts touring arenas, all of which delivered outstanding results.

“It’s a sad development when too many decisions about Austrian talent are made in Germany”

“Austria has proven to be an excellent base of operations for us,” he adds. “While the market itself is relatively small, its strategic location and strong connection to Germany, Europe’s largest rock and metal market make it incredibly valuable.”

For Vienna-based independent artist agency Georg Leitner Productions, which books Earth, Wind & Fire, Dire Straits Legacy, and Gipsy Kings around the world, the local market is just one more market, though it is a healthy one.

“With Barracuda, we have the Clam Castle shows, where we always have artists perform, and Lovely Days,” says Leitner, who steps down as CEO in December in favour of partner Harald Büchel, while remaining an agent and company owner. “So yes, for us, it’s very much a market like any other. The only difference being that when we have acts booked in Austria, suddenly we get a lot of calls for guest tickets. Which is a pain in the ass,” he laughs.

Leitner does, however, have misgivings about Austria’s status in the German-language music business. “There’s a tendency, especially on the record company side, to diminish Austria to a province. Universal Records have laid off half their employees. And those employees that they laid off were those who were sourcing Austrian talent, which is a very vibrant market.

“Austria also has a unique culture, even language. There are Austrians who perform, not in German, but in Austrian languages, and they will be understood up to the borders of Bavaria but not any further,” he says, pointing to Austrian dialects such as Austro-Bavarian and Alemannic.

“So it’s a sad development when too many decisions about Austrian talent are made in Germany, in my view, because it doesn’t recognise the uniqueness of Austrian culture. But then I think new types of companies will evolve who will see the potential and take it into their own hands.”

Part two of the Austria market report can be accessed here.

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GLP founder Georg Leitner has announced he is stepping down as CEO as part of a shake-up at the Austrian booking agency.

The longstanding ILMC member will be succeeded as chief executive by Harald Buechel from 1 January 2025, but will remain as shareholder and chair of the company.

“Before joining GLP more than 10 years ago, Harald served as CEO of BMG Austria and, with his wealth of experience both from the label as well as the live side, Harald has the best prerequisites to guide the company into the next years,” says Leitner in a statement to IQ.

Launched in Vienna in 1979, GLP (Georg Leitner Productions) acts as an international artist agency, promoter and management firm, and has overseen tours by artists such as James Brown, Ray Charles, The Jacksons, 50 Cent and UB40.

“By Harald taking charge of the GLP operations, I will be able to focus on laying the groundwork for GLP to enter into new areas,” says Leitner.

“We are looking forward to further develop and grow GLP for the years to come”

GLP has also enlisted experienced EDM agent Lina Kotzian from Titan Management to expand its DJ/EDM roster, as well as integrating her networks GLP’s existing infrastructure for crossover opportunities.

In addition, it has launched a new division, GLP Exclusive, helmed by VIP event expert Eva Lex-Huszar, as a one-stop shop delivering turn-key artist solutions for event organisers, wedding planners, corporate marketing and more.

Elsewhere, GLP’s youngest agent, Lenny Mayer-Mallenau, is tasked with focusing on K-pop, and is preparing K-Pop & Beyond, the ultimate K-Pop Experience European tour set for November 2025.

“With [agent/office manage] Anna Kallina and Harald Buechel and the amazing team at GLP, we are looking forward to further develop and grow GLP for the years to come,” adds Leitner.

A market report on Austria will feature in the next issue of IQ Magazine, which comes out later this month.

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Austrian promoter Arcadia Live says that new regulations at Vienna’s METAstadt could end its annual concert series METAStadt Open Air.

The summer series launched in 2019 at the venue and has hosted international acts including Alt-J, The Kooks, Skunk Anansie, Korn, Patti Smith, Jungle and Khruangbin.

However, noise complaints about this year’s concert series have prompted METAstadt to change its closing time from 11 pm to 10 pm.

“This makes METAStadt unattractive or unplayable as an open-air event location not only for major international artists but ultimately also for us,” said Arcadia Live in a statement posted today (21 August).

“Even if an hour doesn’t seem like much, many of the big artists rely on darkness in their set-up (light, visuals, LEDs, etc.) and make it an unavoidable prerequisite for their performance. Moving the curfew forward to 10 pm will unfortunately be a reason for many big musicians to stop coming to Vienna in the summer.”

The promoter says the future of METAStadt Open Air is now “uncertain” and that there may not be another suitable venue in Vienna that can host it.

METAStadt (cap 8,100) closed a gap for open-air concerts with mid-tier artists in Vienna, for whom the Arena Wien’s 3,000-capacity outdoor stage is too small and the 51,000-capacity Happel Stadium is too big.

Recognising this, Arcadia invested “considerable financial resources, time and passion” into developing METAStadt into a fit-for-purpose entertainment venue.

“After just three summers (and a forced break due to Corona), the Metastadt in the 22nd district has become an institution: international artists play exclusive sets there and sometimes celebrate their Central European debut to a completely sold-out crowd,” the statement continues.

“Moving the curfew forward to 10 pm will be a reason for many big musicians to stop coming to Vienna in the summer”

“Thanks to the large number of spectators from home and abroad, the [concerts] are also becoming a significant economic factor.”

The Vienna-based promoter says it has been committed to being a “good neighbour” since the first edition, inviting residents to the concert series and listening to their concerns.

“We have always meticulously adhered to various official regulations (keyword: volume) and obtained all the necessary permits,” Arcadia continues. “We have also not always pushed the previous official curfew of 11 pm to the last minute and have even finished 45 minutes earlier if the programme, the act or the management allowed it.”

Arcadia – a German-Austrian joint venture between FKP Group, Four Artists Booking Agency, Chimperator Live and KKT – said it would not give up hope about the continuation of METAStadt Open Air.

“We wish for an opportunity to discuss with the City of Vienna, its subordinate authorities and the district, to see how we can save one of the most beautiful concert locations in Vienna!” the statement concludes.

Arena Wien, which hosts around 30 open-air concerts annually, also had to contend with noise complaints last year.

An early closing time of 10 pm was initially threatened but instead, a modern sound system was purchased in spring 2024 for around one million euros, with the City of Vienna contributing €595,000.

The municipality was satisfied with the system, which is said to keep volume constant, and 11 pm curfews have been approved on a case-by-case basis.

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Enhanced security measures will be in place for Coldplay’s imminent Austrian residency at Austria’s Ernst Happel Stadium – the first concerts to take place at the venue since the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s three Eras shows.

Coldplay are bringing their Music of the Spheres Tour to Vienna this week for an unprecedented four-night run on 21-22 & 24-25 August. Support will come from Maggie Rogers and Oska.

Swift was due to perform at the 60,000-cap stadium from 8-10 August, only for the shows to be called off after a suspected terror plot was uncovered.

Der Standard reports the Coldplay dates will feature a large police presence, including officers in uniform and plain clothes, as well as special units and extensive video and aerial surveillance.

Large exclusion zones will be set up around the stadium before and during the band’s performances, with access and entry controls to be carried out around the site. Fans have been told to allow extra time for their journeys in the expectation of longer waiting times and increased bag checks. Security on public transport is also being stepped up.

Music of the Spheres’ sold-out 2024 European leg concludes next week in Ireland with four nights at Dublin’s Croke Park

A statement from Vienna Police reads: “To ensure that the events run smoothly and, above all, safely, comprehensive police security measures have been taken. The Vienna Police will be represented by several hundred officers around the stadium on the days of the concert – including uniformed officers, civilian officers and members of various special units.

“Traffic barriers and locks for approaching vehicles will be set up in the vicinity, which will be manned by police officers with special equipment. As with all such events, access controls will be carried out by the organiser’s security service.”

The concerts are being organised by Live Nation and Leutgeb Entertainment Group.

Music of the Spheres‘ sold-out 2024 European leg concludes next week in Ireland with four nights at Dublin’s Croke Park on 29-30 August & 1-2 September, before rolling on to Australia and New Zealand in October/November.

This month saw the outing crowned as the biggest rock tour of all time, having grossed $945.7 million and sold 8.8 million tickets since launching in March 2022, according to Billboard Boxscore. The quartet also recently broke records in Finland by playing to more than 178,000 people across four sold-out nights at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium.

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More details have emerged of the suspected terror plot that led to the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Austria.

Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium was due to host three 65,000-cap shows by the singer from 8-10 August, but co-promoter Barracuda Music announced last night (7 August) that the dates had been called off.

The development came after Austrian police arrested two teenagers, aged 17 and 19, on suspicion of planning attacks. A 15-year-old has also been detained.

Austria’s general director for public security Franz Ruf told a news conference, as per Reuters, that chemicals, machetes and technical devices had been found at the home of the 19-year-old main suspect, who made “an oath of allegiance” to Islamic State at the start of July.

The 19-year-old was allegedly planning to target the 20,000 fans who were expected to congregate outside the venue during the show.

“The Austrian authorities and the promoters took a very responsible decision on the basis of the evidence they had”

“He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of Austria’s directorate of state security and intelligence.

Security expert Reg Walker, director of Iridium Consultancy, which works with a number of UK venues and festivals, tells IQ the decision to cancel the shows was “very wise”.

“The Austrian authorities and the promoters took a very responsible decision on the basis of the evidence they had to hand and the fact that two people were arrested,” he says. “Fans’ safety must come first.”

It was initially announced the shows would go ahead with enhanced security measures in the wake of the arrests, and Walker explains the likely process that took place on whether or not to proceed.

“It would have been a safety advisory group meeting between all parties concerned,” he says. “I imagine that would have escalated quite quickly in view of the serious nature of the potential threat, what risk there was, and if it was possible to mitigate that risk.

“Everyone, very clearly, came to the conclusion that the risk was so high it wasn’t possible to mitigate it. It sounds like a very fast-moving investigation, and you can’t have shows going ahead that are being targeted whilst that investigation takes place.”

“People are staying outside the event after the show has begun, which is a new dimension”

Last month, an estimated 40,000 fans gathered on a hill outside the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany, to listen to Swift’s performance. Walker says the scale of the US singer’s popularity presents additional safety considerations for event organisers.

“Taylor Swift is a force of nature, so whatever you will get at a gig by another internationally famous artist, you can times it by 10,” he notes. “You always get crowds outside the venues – queues, merchandise, fan zones, etc – so most of the big venues are used to factoring in people outside the venue into their planning.

“You need more specialist security in place. You need more behaviour detection officers, more counter terrorism police, more uniformed police, more security to manage those crowds, and you also have to extend your crowd management plan further outside the venue footprint than you usually would.”

Staff at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium reportedly directed fans away from the ground to a nearby park after they turned up to try to listen to Swift’s shows at the venue in June, but Walker does not expect the trend to be formally banned despite the recent events.

“It’s become part of the culture and they’re not causing any disturbance or disruption, so I think it would be a very difficult move to disrupt, deter or ban that type of activity. And then there’s always the question, would it even be lawful to do so?” he says.

“We have some of the best counter terrorism police and security services in the world”

A similar planned attack on Austria’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade in Vienna was foiled in June last year. Coldplay are the next act due to play at Vienna, with the band’s four Music of the Spheres dates between 21-25 August still on at present. Swift’s upcoming five-night run at London’s Wembley Stadium, which is scheduled to begin next Thursday (15 August), is also unaffected.

“There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London,” says a Metropolitan Police spokesperson. “The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place. As always, we will continue to keep any new information under careful review.”

Walker also attempts to offer reassurance regarding the UK’s capability on safety matters.

“We have some of the best counter terrorism police and security services in the world, who’ve done phenomenal work on advising venues and event organisers over a period of years,” he says. “Those services are absolutely excellent… so I think we can draw some comfort from the processes in place.”

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Taylor Swift’s three concerts in Austria have been cancelled due to a “planned terrorist attack”.

The Eras Tour was due to stop at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium from 8-10 August, but co-promoter Barracuda Music has announced the shows have now been called off.

The BBC reports that Austrian police arrested two people today (7 August) on suspicion of planning Islamist attacks on large events around Vienna, including the Eras concerts.

“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” says a social media statement by CTS Eventim-backed Barracuda, which adds that all tickets will be refunded in the next 10 days.

Austrian police arrested two people on suspicion of planning attacks on large events around Vienna

A 19-year-old Austrian citizen was reportedly arrested on Wednesday morning in the town of Ternitz, with a second suspect arrested in Vienna this afternoon.

The general director for public security Franz Ruf said the 19-year-old is alleged to have made “an oath of allegiance” to Islamic State at the start of July.

“According to the current status of the investigation, the two suspects became radicalised via the internet,” said Ruf, who added that chemical substances had been found and were being analysed.

The concerts were due to be attended by around 65,000 fans, plus 22,000 people outside the venue. When news of the arrests first broke, it was initially announced the shows would go ahead with enhanced security measures.

London’s Wembley Stadium is scheduled to be the next stop on The Eras Tour, with Swift set to start a five-night run at the venue next Thursday (15 August).

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Live Nation and Leutgeb Entertainment Group are hoping to establish a new 60,000-cap concert venue in Austria with two huge events this summer.

The promoters are teaming up to stage Rolling Loud Europe – 2024’s only European edition of the hip-hop festival franchise – at Racino open-air venue in Ebreichsdorf, Vienna from 5-7 July, marking the brand’s debut in the country.

Rolling Loud Europe will be headlined by Nicki Minaj, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott, with other acts to include Ice Spice, Offset, Shirin David, Gunna, Lil Tjay, Don Toliver and NLE Choppa, among others. Remaining weekend tickets cost €259.

The same venue will also host the one-day Racino Rocks, starring Metallica, backed by a supporting bill including Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills and Mammoth WVH. General sale tickets cost €149.00 to €223.70. Punters also have the option of arriving onsite a day early for €25.

Speaking at a press conference, Live Nation’s Marek Lieberberg, André Lieberberg and Matthias Rotermund, and Austrian promoter Klaus Leutgeb declared that both events are expected to welcome 60,000 fans per day.

“We are extremely satisfied with the response,” said Live Nation GSA head Marek Lieberberg, as per Vorarlberg Online and oeticket.

Lieberberg said he was “very happy and proud” that Leutgeb had secured a year-round contract for the location, which he described as “one of the most beautiful festival grounds in Europe… embedded in nature, close to the metropolis of Vienna”, after a decade of working with Racino.

Moving forward, the promoters plan to organise smaller 5,000 to 10,000-cap events at the Racino each year, as well as larger concerts

“We are here to stay,” he added. “We are putting the metropolis of Vienna and its charisma at the centre. The visitors come from Vienna, will go back there and spend the night there.”

André Lieberberg noted that 50% of the visitors to Rolling Loud Europe will come from Austria along with a significant from southern Germany, while almost 1,000 tickets have been sold in the US so far.

Moving forward, the promoters plan to organise smaller 5,000 to 10,000-cap events at the Racino each year, as well as larger concerts for up to 60,000 attendees.

Launched in 2015, the Miami-hailing Rolling Loud has also run events in Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Sydney, Toronto, and is also plotting a debut event in Thailand for November this year. In Europe, most recently Rolling Loud has been staged in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, Portimão on Portugal’s Algarve and Munich, Germany.

Marek Lieberberg also played down reports that Rolling Loud’s 2023 German launch had been married by crowd trouble. Nine security staff were reportedly pelted by bottles and stones by festivalgoers on the event’s first day, as police described a “remarkably aggressive” mood among the audience.

“You should classify it,” Lieberberg told local media. “No people were hurt, no containers burned.”

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Hip-hop festival franchise Rolling Loud will launch in Austria next year and will be the only European edition in 2024, according to organisers.

This means the US-hailing brand will not return to Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany, where European editions have previously been held.

The inaugural Austrian edition, dubbed Rolling Loud Europe, will take over Racino in Ebreichsdorf, an open-air venue on the outskirts of the Austrian capital of Vienna, between 5–7 July.

Mojo Concerts, promoter of Rolling Loud Rotterdam in the Netherlands, said there would not be a second edition because the brand “the rising costs of organising a festival of this size makes it a risky venture”.

This means the US-hailing brand will not return to Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany

The Germany edition, which debuted this year in Munich, was marred by a spate of incidents, with police describing a “remarkably aggressive” mood among the festival audience.

The event, headlined by Travis Scott, WizKid and Kendrick Lamar, was promoted by Live Nation and Austrian promoter Leutgeb Entertainment Group.

And the Portuguese offshoot launched at the Praia Da Rocha Beach, Portimão, in the Algarve in 2022 and was Rolling Loud’s first foray in Europe.

Last month, plans for Rolling Loud to return to Australia next year for the first time since 2019 were cancelled due to “circumstances beyond our control”.

Launched in 2015, the Miami-hailing festival has also run events in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Toronto, and will launch in Thailand next year.

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Oak View Group (OVG) has expressed its disappointment after an Austrian court revoked the decision to award it the contract to build and run a new “world-class” arena in Vienna.

OVG was identified as the ‘best bidder’ in July this year, with construction on the 20,000-cap venue scheduled to begin in 2025, aiming for completion in late 2029.

The €384 million arena was to be largely financed by OVG, with the City of Vienna contributing an amount in the “double-digit million range” according to the final offer.

However, Kurier reports the tender process is now back to square one after the award was “declared void for formal reasons” by Vienna Regional Court, following an objection by rival bidder CTS Eventim.

“Of course we are very disappointed with the result,” says OVG CEO Tim Leiweke, as per Die Presse. “This beautiful city has always been the jewel in Europe’s cultural landscape, but it had no arena to match it.

“We are pleased that the court assessed our offer in such a way that we meet all the tender requirements and also require the least amount of effort for taxpayers.”

“Should we decide to go ahead and continue the procedure, we remain confident that we will be able to overcome the court’s objections”

Jessica Koravos, president of OVG International, adds the company is now considering its options.

“Together with our partners in Vienna, the Oak View Group will now analyse the procedure and decide on the next steps,” she says. “Should we decide to go ahead and continue the procedure, we remain confident that we will be able to overcome the court’s objections and our project of a bespoke, contemporary venue with the latest technology will ultimately prevail.”

The opening of the arena was originally planned for 2024, but the City of Vienna began looking for a partner due to the expected high costs.

The Vienna arena was to have marked OVG’s ninth arena project in the last two years. The developer oversees the operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center, UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, and Moody Center in Austin, TX as well as arena development projects for Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA and Co-op Live in Manchester, UK.

Its other projects include Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD; FirstOntario Centre Arena in Hamilton, ON; a new arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a new arena in Cardiff, Wales.

Last week, it was announced that Climate Pledge Arena had become the first arena in the world to achieve International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification. The certification is awarded to buildings that are energy efficient, can demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon footprint and offset the remaining embodied carbon and energy use through high-impact offset programmes.

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