Revenue / 10.17.19

Underplays in Overdrive: Why Big Artists Are Increasingly Playing Small Venues

Access Staff

Pollstar (10/08/19) Gensler, Andy

Major artists have in recent weeks been performing at smaller venues with far lower seating areas than their usual arenas and market demand. Such underplays are becoming increasingly common, with promoters finding these arrangements have advantages that include more intimate audience-artist interaction. The underplaying trend is reinforced by the advent of VIP packages over the last 10 years, which places a premium on more fan access during performances. An underplay's proceeds can vary widely, depending on whether the event is sponsored, promotional or a conventional tour. For Madonna's Madame X tour, tickets range from almost $50 to $750; meanwhile, if the average seat price is $350, a 2,100-capacity arena would yield a $735,000 gross. The excitement of fans at underplays frequently supports an organic social media buzz, and underplays are often channels for promoting a new album or tour cycle. Citi's Jennifer Breithaupt calls underplays "a nice way to enhance our program and create additional value for our customers. We get billions of impressions on these shows and that's great for the brand as always."

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Tags: Music , News , Venues