Pepeu Correa, CEO of promoter 30e, details the rapid growth of stadium shows in Brazil as touring in the region expands, as part of the Global Stadium Report.
A significant recent entrant to the scene, 30e positions itself as “the new generation of live entertainment.”
In addition to several festival brands, including MITA, Ultra Brasil, and Knotfest Brasil, 30e’s upcoming schedule includes Massive Attack, Avenged Sevenfold, and My Chemical Romance.
Brazil has seen a huge uptick in stadium concerts. As both promoter and venue operator, how is 30e helping shape this new era of large-scale live shows?
We chose to build a trajectory focused on headline shows, where the fan experience with their idols is quite unique. We work with both international and Brazilian artists.
There was a time when artists from Brazil weren’t seen playing in stadiums, but we live in a country with over 212m people who speak Portuguese, and music is an essential part of our culture. 30e invested in this and we’re pleased to see national artists now performing in large stadiums.
International acts, in turn, have increasingly approached us, wanting to understand the format we work with, and they leave impressed with what we offer. Mariah Carey, for example, had the biggest headline show of her career with us at Allianz Parque in São Paulo. She was so moved that she returned for an unplanned encore.
“30e was founded with the goal of delivering happiness”
You’ve just added a second stadium to your portfolio. What gave you the confidence to take on another venue, and do you have plans to take on more?
Currently, we manage the schedules for major shows at Allianz Parque in São Paulo and Arena da Baixada in Curitiba. This is handled by 30v, our venue division.
We see our expansion heading in this direction, but it’s also a way for us to develop partnerships that can further improve the experience for both the audience and the artist, in addition to being able to invest in the infrastructure of these arenas – such as enhancing sound quality and exploring structural solutions.
The schedules at these venues are also open for other promoters to organise shows, so we view this step as an investment in the entertainment industry as a whole.
Obviously, with growth comes challenges – what challenges are you specifically facing and how are you overcoming them?
30e was founded with the goal of delivering happiness. We come from a period of large growth, and when discussing companies that operate at scale, it’s easy to lose sight of the core principles. Since we built our foundation on a strong base, we were able to increase the number of shows and develop new business without losing our essence.
The entertainment market is aggressive, and we are one of the biggest players in Brazil. Constantly focusing on what sets us apart from our competitors is a daily effort. This year, we managed the System of a Down (SOAD) tour across several South American countries. This is a good example of how we are successfully scaling our business in a distinctive way.
“Without a doubt, expanding into new markets and investing in venues has been a key driver”
What’s your take on the international stadium concert potential of secondary markets outside of São Paulo and Rio, and how are you tracking that growth?
We are very excited about international shows outside the Rio-São Paulo area. Brazil is a continental country, and there is demand from north to south. Here, I mention again the SOAD tour, which, besides Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, also visited Curitiba, drawing 45,000 people.
Now that we are managing the schedule at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, I believe there will be even more opportunities in the city. I can also recommend Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre as good locations for shows.
With audience demand at a record high, what does sustainable growth look like for 30e and the wider Brazilian stadium show market?
Without a doubt, expanding into new markets and investing in venues has been a key driver of our current growth.
It’s natural that, with the success of the SOAD tour in South America, more international artists will be interested in partnering with us. And this is already happening. 30v is another area driving our progress.
Increasingly, we are offering a 360-degree service for artists, which serves as a significant differentiator.
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