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Live Nation is expanding its presence in Greece through an investment in Athens-based High Priority Promotions (HPP), as new research shows strong demand from Greek fans for more concerts, venues and international artists.<\/p>\n
Nearly half (45%) of Greek concertgoers travel to other towns and cities to attend live music events, while 40% say there aren\u2019t enough concerts where they live. Almost half (46%) believe there are not enough local venues.<\/p>\n
Rock is the genre Greek fans most want to see more of, with almost half (47%) calling for more rock shows, alongside demand for pop (32%) and jazz events (28%). Fans are also eager to see more international artists touring Greece, with nearly a quarter feeling the country still misses out on major global tours.<\/p>\n
It is this demand that underpins Live Nation\u2019s investment in HPP, one of Greece\u2019s leading concert promoters and a longstanding partner in the market. Together, Live Nation and HPP are helping bring more global artists to Greece and further establishing the country as an increasingly important stop on major international tours.<\/p>\n
This momentum is already reflected in the scale of recent shows in Greece. Metallica recently played a sold-out show at the Olympic Stadium, performing to 90,000 fans and setting a new stadium attendance record, with visitors travelling from 91 countries \u2013 further highlighting Greece\u2019s growing appeal as a destination for concert tourism\u00a0and the significant value major live events bring to the local economy.\u00a0Athens was also chosen as the opening city for Metallica\u2019s M72 World Tour, while Iron Maiden launched their tour in the city with more than 50,000 fans attending the band\u2019s biggest-ever show in Greece.<\/p>\n
Alongside bringing more major events to the country, HPP has also focused on improving accessibility for fans, offering accessible viewing platforms, golf cart transportation and guided assistance services at the Metallica and Iron Maiden shows.<\/p>\n
Kostas Thelouras, Managing Director, and Nana Trandou, Co-founder, at High Priority Promotions: <\/b>\u201cJoining Live Nation Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter for both HPP and the live entertainment industry in Greece. Together, we look forward to bringing more world-class artists, larger productions, and even more live experiences to local\u00a0audiences, while continuing to strengthen Greece\u2019s position as a key destination for international touring.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven Todd, Managing Director, Central & Eastern Europe for Live Nation:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cGreece has a fanbase that rivals anywhere in Europe, and the data shows just how strong that demand is. High Priority Promotions has been a trusted partner for many years, and this investment will allow us to bring more world-class shows to Greek fans than ever before. And with major live events being a powerful driver of tourism, we see a real opportunity to make Greece a must-visit destination for music fans across Europe too.\u201d<\/p>\n Demand for live music is growing across the wider region too. Eric Clapton has sold out shows in Prague, Krakow and Budapest, while Metallica has broken attendance records in Bucharest and Chorz\u00f3w. Belarusian artist Max Korzh has also sold out the national stadium in Bucharest, while Iron Maiden\u2019s recent run through Athens, Sofia, Bucharest and Bratislava drew some of the biggest crowds the band has seen in these markets in its 50-year history.<\/p>\n