Live
Nation Entertainment, the American entertainment behemoth formed by the
merger of concert promoter Live Nation and ticketing company
Ticketmaster, has acquired HARD events, the Los Angeles-based promoter
behind events such as HARD Summer, HARD Haunted Mansion, and Holy Ship!
The HARD deal is part of media magnate Robert F.X. Sillerman’s plan
to spend $1 billion to create an electronic dance music empire. Earlier
this year, Live Nation purchased beloved British brand Cream Holdings,
which runs superclubs in Liverpool and Ibiza and also puts on the
legendary Creamfields festivals.
Gary Richards, HARD’s founder and C.E.O., said Tuesday that the
decision would allow him to expand the brand. ““I’m always going to
fight the good fight,” he told the New York Times. The reason
I’m different from other festivals is that I bring the new thing,
develop it and bring it to the masses. This will only be able to help,
because now instead of just L.A. and New York, I will be able to do this
in South Africa, South America. It’s only a good thing.”
In April, Richards, who also DJs under the stage name Destructo,
expressed concern at the infusion of corporate money into the EDM
world. “You can’t just franchise this like McDonald’s,” he told the Times.
“I’ve been working in this for 20 years and nobody cared. Now it’s so
massive that everybody wants a piece of it… I have been approached by
all the big boys you can imagine.”
Financial details of the acquisition have not been released, but it
appears that Richards has finally found an investor he can work with.
HARD Summer, scheduled for August 3rd and 4th at Los Angeles State
Historic Park, will not be affected by the purchase.
Credit : Dancing Astronaut
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