Live Nation, the well-known promoter of live events in the United States with annual revenues of roughly USD 25 billion, is expanding in Romania with an investment in the show organizer Emagic Live.

Live Nation acquired a 51% stake in Emagic, Profit.ro reported. Founded in 2005, the latter has contributed to shaping the live music scene in Romania, collaborating with international and local artists, including Depeche Mode, Guns N’ Roses, Coldplay, B.U.G. Mafia, and Metallica. In 2024, it had revenues of RON 71.4 million and a net profit of RON 11.4 million, with only 5 employees.

The company signed a partnership with Live Nation in a package deal that included an investment in the Slovak company Vivien, a booking agency that brings global artists to the region. Vivien is also the manager and representative of IMT Smile, one of the largest and most successful rock bands in Slovakia. 

The expansion into the two Eastern European markets comes in response to strong demand for concerts, according to the American company, which cites statistics showing that many fans travel to other cities to see their favorite artists and are requesting more shows locally.

“From Bucharest to Bratislava, fans are telling us they want more live music in their own cities. With so many travelling for concerts and more international visitors building gigs into their trips, this is a pivotal moment to invest in the region’s live entertainment infrastructure. With Emagic and Vivien, we’re strengthening local expertise, expanding capacity, and creating more opportunities to bring world-class artists to local stages,” noted a company representative in the press release.

Live Nation is part of Live Nation Entertainment, a company formed in 2010 from the merger of Live Nation with Ticketmaster Entertainment, the largest seller and distributor of tickets for events. The company is active globally in the live events industry. Last year, the company organized over 55,000 concerts worldwide, attended by 159 million people.

The company is currently facing accusations of holding a monopoly over the live events industry in the United States and was sued, together with its subsidiary Ticketmaster, by the United States Department of Justice in 2024 for anti-competitive practices. The Attorney General then even requested the sale of Ticketmaster by Live Nation, arguing that the two companies inflated concert ticket prices and harmed artists after the chaotic sale of tickets for Taylor Swift’s 2022 Eras tour.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: livenation.com)