Venice, which has suffered from years of overtourism, is set to introduce a booking system that will charge those visiting the Italian city for a day trip up to €10 (£8/$11) to enter. The plan to introduce a reservation system was announced before the pandemic took hold, but was pushed back due to the disappearance …
Pollen raises $150m in Series C funding
Travel and entertainment technology company Pollen has raised $150m (€140m/£118m) in a Series C funding round. Pollen was founded in 2014 and curates and delivers experiences across the globe, using data and customer insights. It was founded by two brothers, Callum and Liam Negus-Fancey, who use the data to create experiences exclusive to Pollen, as …
LIVE invited to join UK Government’s UK-EU advisory group
LIVE, a live music and entertainment business trade group for the UK, has been invited to join the UK Government’s UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Domestic Advisory Group (DAG). LIVE will be representing the entertainment and cultural industries, and its application was supported by UK Theatre/Society of London Theatre (SOLT), Association of British Orchestras …
South Korea crowds able to cheer again
South Korea’s music and sports fans will be able to cheer and clap once more, after COVID-19 measures which saw attendees unable to share their appreciation were removed. Last month as K-Pop superstars BTS (pictured) took to the stage in their hometown of Seoul, a 10,000-strong crowd was only able to support the band by …
Astroworld task force highlights changes for event safety
The Astroworld task force, which was set up in Texas following the death of 10 people during a crowd crush at a Travis Scott concert, has outlined recommendations to improve safety at large events. The Texas Task Force on Concert Safety was set up by Texas Governor Greg Abbott following the Astroworld tragedy at NRG …
Live Nation Philippines launches through acquisition of MMI
Live entertainment company Live Nation has targeted the Philippines market through a strategic acquisition of Music Management International (MMI). The acquisition marks the launch of Live Nation Philippines, with MMI’s Rhiza Pascua taking on the role of managing director of the new venture. MMI is a concert promoter in the Philippines and has promoted a …
Co-op Live opens bookings for first wave of events
Co-op Live, a new arena under construction in Manchester, has opened bookings for its pre-opening and opening season events at the end of 2023 heading into 2024. The new 23,500-capacity area is set to announce its first wave of events in summer this year, as it heads towards its December 2023 opening. Co-op Live’s investors …
Live Nation Entertainment’s Michael Rapino sells $88m worth of shares
Live Nation Entertainment (LNE) chief executive Michael Rapino sold 78,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 22. According to a United States Securities and Exchange Commission Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership, shares sold for an average price of $106.41 (£84/€99) with all sales amounting to $8.3m. Rapino now owns …
Belgium’s Pro League chooses Roboticket
Belgium’s Pro League has partnered with event ticket seller Roboticket, which will be the official ticket provider for the Pro League and 1B Pro League from the 2022-23 season. Over at least three seasons, Polish ticketing provider Roboticket will be the ticket provider for 25 of the 26 Pro League clubs. It has already partnered …
Indian Institute of Technology utilises NFT ticketing
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has partnered with cryptocurrency exchange and blockchain platform, Binance, to offer students NFT (non-fungible token) tickets for a cultural festival. Binance will also provide proof of attendance protocol during the festival, named Rendezvous, which is taking place until tomorrow (Tuesday). The NFT tickets have been used for attendees …