Live Music market in the USA up 5.8% in H1 2015

First-half North American ticket sales were up 5.8 percent compared to 2014, according to Pollstar. Top promoter Live Nation's sales, through July, increased 7 percent and AEG Live, the second-biggest promoter, posted box-office gains of 26 percent. In otrher headline news, Lollapalooza drew 300,000 fans, the Rolling Stones grossed $80 million from just 10 shows, Taylor Swift has sold 2 million tickets (so far), the Grateful Dead set an attendance record by drawing more than 70,000 fans to Chicago's Soldier Field and even Ed Sheeran is selling out stadiums internationally. "I can't think of a time in recent history that business has been any better," says Jay Marciano, AEG Live's chairman

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/summer-concert-boom-marks-industry-turnaround-20150904