Live Nation Entertainment has acquired 51% in Secret Sounds Group, the Australian company led by Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, which owns and produces two of Australia’s leading festivals: Splendour in the Grass (located in Byron Bay, New South Wales) and Falls Music & Arts Festival (located in Byron Bay, Lorne – Victoria, Marion Bay – Tasmania and Fremantle – Western Australia).
Splendour in the Grass and Falls are the first Australian festivals to join Live Nation, which has the largest and most diverse festival portfolio in the world, encompassing more than 80 global festivals, including the landmark Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Electric Daisy Carnival, Reading, Leeds, Rock Werchter and many more. Live Nation continues to grow its unparalleled festival platform and currently operates over half of the top 25 festivals around the world.
“Splendour in the Grass and Falls are the two most iconic festivals in Australia,” said Michael Rapino, president and CEO, Live Nation Entertainment. “Jess and Paul have created events that attract the biggest artists in the world but still feel uniquely Australian. We look forward to partnering with them to find new ways to grow our live event footprint across Australia.”
Michael Coppel, president and CEO of Live Nation Australia and New Zealand, added, “We wholeheartedly welcome Jess and Paul and their teams into the rapidly growing Live Nation Australia family. Our new relationship with the Secret Sounds group confirms Live Nation’s position at the forefront of the Australian live performance industry.”
The acquisition also includes Secret Sounds’ touring, sponsorship, PR, artist management and domestic agency businesses. The partnership excludes the Dew Process & Create Control Record Labels, Dew Process Publishing and its interests in the North Byron Parklands festival site and The Triffid venue in Brisbane.