Live Nation Entertainment has bought into 51 per cent of Secret Sounds, the promoter behind the 24-year-old Falls Festival (Lorne, Marion Bay, Byron Bay, Fremantle) and Byron Bay’s 16-year-old Splendour In The Grass.
Secret Sounds is run by co-CEOs Jessica Ducrou and ex-Powderfinger manager Paul Piticco. The news was announced this morning.
The two festival brands are the first Australian events to join Live Nation’s 80-strong global roster. These include the high-profile Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Electric Daisy Carnival, Reading and Leeds, and Rock Werchter. Live Nation claims it “currently operates over half of the top 25 festivals around the world.”
“Splendour In The Grass and Falls are the two most iconic festivals in Australia,” said Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment. “Jess and Paul have created events that attract the biggest artists in the world but still feel uniquely Australian. We look forward to partnering with them to find new ways to grow our live event footprint across Australia.”
Michael Coppel, Melbourne-based president and CEO of Live Nation Australia and New Zealand, added, “We wholeheartedly welcome Jess and Paul and their teams into the rapidly growing Live Nation Australia family. Our new relationship with the Secret Sounds group confirms Live Nation’s position at the forefront of the Australian live performance industry.”
In a joint statement, Ducrou and Piticco said, “We started Secret Sounds with the sole mission of introducing Australians to the best artists, events and music possible, and Live Nation is the perfect partner to help us take this goal to the next level. With their support we can continue to curate the lineups that fans love, while also experimenting with new exciting ways for fans to experience live music.”
The acquisition also includes Secret Sounds’ touring, sponsorship, PR, artist management and domestic agency businesses. The partnership excludes the Dew Process & Create Control Record Labels, Dew Process Publishing and its interests in the North Byron Parklands festival site and The Triffid venue in Brisbane.
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