Plans unveiled to modernise Gila River Arena

Global architecture and engineering firm HOK has been selected to lead the modernisation of Gila River Arena, home of the Arizona Coyotes, ahead of the NHL team’s departure from the venue later this year. The Coyotes have played at Gila River Arena since 2003 but the team’s lease deal at the venue expires at the …

Glastonbury Festival records £3.1m loss in 2021 

Glastonbury Festival recorded losses of up to £3.1m ($4.2m/€3.7m) in 2021, after having to cancel its second event in a row due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers confirmed that the Somerset-based music festival would be cancelled for the second year in a row at the start of 2021. According to documents obtained by Billboard, …

Vivid Seats celebrates 100 millionth ticket sale

Online ticketing marketplace Vivid Seats has celebrated the major milestone of selling its 100 millionth ticket. The operator said it has marked the occasion by donating $100,000 (£73,500/€88,200) to charity MusiCares, which helps those in music during their time of need. The latest donation means that Vivid Seats has supported MusiCares with more than $2m …

Live Nation given more time to provide Astroworld answers

Live entertainment company Live Nation has been granted more time to provide information for a congressional oversight committee in the US, which had asked for written answers relating to November’s Astroworld Festival tragedy. Last year, 10 people died during a crowd surge at Astroworld in Houston, Texas, while rappers Travis Scott and Drake performed on …

Hong Kong Disneyland closes temporarily due to Omicron

Hong Kong Disneyland has closed its gates temporarily, citing the recent global surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. While hotels and restaurants will remain open with limited services, the parks have been closed since Friday, and will remain shut until January 20. This most recent closure for Hong Kong Disneyland marks the fourth time …

Phoenix Suns franchise caps season ticket numbers

For the first time in a decade, NBA franchise the Phoenix Suns (pictured) is capping its season ticket scheme, PayPal SixthMan Memberships. The season ticket cap at 12,100 memberships means that 5,000 seats are being held open for fans that are unable to invest in a full season ticket and would like to purchase single …

Accesso extends presence in North America

Accesso Technology Group, a technology solutions provider to the leisure, entertainment and cultural sectors, has expanded its roster with a batch of new clients. Accesso has added 15 North American operators – from casinos to theatres – to its list of clientele, with the partners utilising the Accesso ShoWare box office ticketing suite. New companies …

US performing arts attendance expected to surge in 2022 – survey

Patrons are expected to return to US performance-based cultural organisations in big numbers in 2022 according to a new survey. IMPACTS Research & Development analysts found that performance-based cultural organisations, including theatres, orchestras and ballets, can expect 85.9% of their 2019 attendance potential during the 2022 calendar year. That compares to a figure of just …

Label giants sign up to Music Climate Pledge

Universal Music Group and Sony Music Group are among a group of industry leaders to sign a new commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Music Climate Pact, supported by the UN Environmental Programme, has announced that it gained signatures from some of the biggest music industry players, including Sony, Universal and …