On Thursday (Nov. 15), the Billboard Live Music Summit returned after a four-year hiatus. Taking over the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif., the day of programming took place in collaboration with AEG Presents and Live Nation.
After kicking things off with an opening panel titled Trends in Ticketing: The Latest In Innovation and Tools, sponsored by AXS, Billboard‘s Katie Bain moderated the first of two artist-focused conversations. During a discussion titled Inside the Rise of John Summit, Bain spoke with the fast-rising DJ and his manager, Holt Harmon, about how Summit’s ability “to be like a chameleon” has aided in his take-off. “It allows him to do different things and not get pigeonholed,” said Harmon.
Other highlights included the packed Agents Power Panel: A New Era of Uncertainty, moderated by Billboard‘s Jason Lipshutz; a conversation between Live Nation’s Arthur Fogel and Lady Gaga’s manager Bobby Campbell titled Inside Global Touring Today; The Power Players conversation with Executive of the Year Louis Messina, moderated by Billboard‘s Melinda Newman; and The Life and Times of Disco Donnie: A Live Retrospective, moderated by Billboard‘s Dave Brooks. Plus, L-Acoustics sponsored a panel titled The Immersive Experience: The Future of Sound, Visual and Interactive Programming at Festivals.
The information-packed day concluded with a Superstar Q&A with Billboard cover star Olivia Rodrigo, who was crowned Touring Artist of the Year for her sensational Guts World Tour, which sold over 1.4 million tickets and brought in $184.6 million dollars – making it one of the biggest pop tours of the decade. In her conversation, she spoke about how she made her second album GUTS with a live show in mind, saying she knew she wanted to deliver rock-inflected songs prime for screaming along to. Because of that, a favorite of hers to perform on the tour has been “All-American Bitch,” which famously includes a mid-song howl that Rodrigo described as “cathartic.” Rodrigo also discussed her Fund 4 Good, which supports girls’ education and women’s health, and teased her post-tour plans, of which she said: “I’m so excited to just rot on the couch and eat so much food.” Below, find photos from the 2024 Billboard Live Music Summit.