Brazil is a Mandatory Stop for International Tours

11/13/2013 - 09h11

The name of the British rock band Muse has been highlighted on social networks since Monday, when it was announced as one of the performers for Lollapalooza Brazil in April of 2014. Lots of people asked: "Again?"

It is surprising that the band, one of the tops in the current rock scene, are returning to the country to headline a festival just seven months after closing one of the last nights of Rock in Rio back in September.

Underlying this "repetition" is a sign of an astonishing consolidation of international shows that have been flowing into Brazil.

Since 2010, the number of foreign artists who play here has been seen non-stop growth. The biggest surprise is this is happening even while large companies that promote shows are going through a period of instability and repositioning.

Upon opening U2's tour in 2011, Muse was one of 262 foreign artists who performed in Brazil that year. With its performance at Rock in Rio, it was one of the 391 who had scheduled concerts in 2013. And it is one of the 53 that are already on the docket for 2014.

This survey from Folha takes into account shows of all sizes, from intimate performances in theaters to Black Sabbath playing a show for 77,000 people in São Paulo.

At the start of this decade, there was a period of strong growth in this market with the return of Rock in Rio in 2011 (after a ten year hiatus) and other major festivals such as SWU, Planeta Terra and the "imported" festivals Lollapalooza and Sónar.

But the end of last year was marked by discussion of a "bubble" in the market, spreading the hypothesis of a public saturation.

Triggering this discussion were concerts by Lady Gaga and Madonna in Brazil that were not filled to capacity and only managed to sell most of their tickets through promotions that halved their prices.

This also led to debates on the price of tickets, which are steep compared to prices in the United States and Europe. In Brazil, tickets go for US$300 for a seat in the anything but comfortable "VIP" area in a football stadium.

This scenario pointed to a withered market for the year. It was not what happened.

It's impossible to talk about problems for those who organized Rock in Rio - teeming with 85,000 people per day - or those who brought artists who filled stadiums like Beyoncé (record year with 230,000 tickets sold), Black Sabbath or Paul McCartney.

The former Beatle is the best example of this consolidation. He came to Brazil over the last four years with a strategy of singing in different cities on every tour. From 2010 to 2013, there have been 11 shows performed to jam-packed audiences.

Brazil looks to occupy the same position of Germany, Canada and Japan, countries that host concerts by American and British artists of rock and pop. The major names in music include these destinations on every tour they do. And Brazil now seems to be a mandatory stop.

Translated by STEVE HUGHES

Read the article in the original language