Still the powerhouse of South America, where tours and festivals often form the financial anchor for dates in other countries across the region, Brazil’s promoters have to contend with many challenges, not least the country’s economic situation, but also significant political change. Christopher Barrett reports With a population of more…

Incorporating myriad sub genres, the heavy rock and metal scene has spawned huge dedicated festivals and sustained the careers of many artistes for decades. Tapping into that loyalty and encouraging the emergence of new headliners for the future is a community of dedicated specialists. Christopher Barrett reports With dozens of the…

BYRON BAY’S 25,000-capacity Bluesfest brought more than A$83 million (US$57m) to the New South Wales economy this year, a new report reveals. The economic impact study, commissioned by the event’s owner Bluesfest Group, has found that spending by the organisers alone in the Byron Shire area was approximately A$2.6m (US$1.7m),…

THE 90,000-capacity Sziget festival is planning changes for next year’s event, including making some tickets more affordable. The seven-day event takes place in August on an island located in the Danube river and has been running since 1993. The site layout for the 5–11 August festival is also being changed…

Known for creating sampled loops of guitar and vocal sounds during his songs, Ed Sheeran needed an audio system with the capacity to relay these effects without distortion, says production manager and front-of-house engineer Chris Marsh. The two-year Divide tour, whose final dates included the UK’s Roundhay Park (cap. 80,000)…

While looking for a new audio console for country music singer Craig Morgan’s tour, front-of-house engineer Robert Harmon says he tried out three rival desks before settling on a digital package which impressed him. He needed to be able to customise the new desk and keep a familiar range of…