The return of live music is bolstering the pockets of the world’s leading live entertainment company.“It feels so good to be where we’re at now. We’re just seeing massive, pent-up demand for concerts globally,” Live Nation president Joe Berchtold said on CNN today.
It was part of his discussion with CNN International anchor Julia Chatterley, during which he dove into the rebound of concert venue bookings.
“Our festivals have been selling out faster than ever before. Our amphitheater business is ramping up quickly and leading into this fall and ’22, we expect to be our largest years ever,” Berchtold said. He mentioned that Garth Brooks sold out stadiums in an hour, as did Travis Scott with his Astroworld festival. It was among his handful of examples that live music is prospering across all genres. Berchtold also cited Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, the Eagles and Guns N’ Roses.
“This is going to be a golden age of music,” he added. “Everybody sees that going to concerts is the energy they need. It’s the social connection, getting out there, reengaging. There is nothing better than a concert to celebrate the end of this pandemic.”
A slow tumble of event cancellations stretched throughout 2020 with artists postponing highly anticipated shows. But from what Live Nation saw, it was all worth the wait for eager fans.“It was amazing. Eighty-three percent of the people held on to their tickets, so they really spoke and said going to the concert is a real priority,” Berchtold said.
Tour date announcements are ramping up as summer approaches, as are indoor venue dates in the fall through winter. Berchtold assured that Live Nation is working with local health authorities in all their markets, but concluded with a piece of advice: “The more people that get the vaccine, the more everybody can get back to concerts.”
