Why Live Nation Is Doubling Down on Latin America & How Indie Promoters Are Adjusting: ‘Surf the Wave’

This July, Live Nation announced a partnership with Cidade Center Norte to develop a new arena in São Paulo. Projected to open by 2028, the 21,000-capacity venue is expected to be Brazil’s first purpose-built arena and the largest indoor live-entertainment venue in South America.

The deal did not arrive in a vacuum: It’s the latest piece of Live Nation’s broader strategy in Latin America, which dates back nearly a decade but has accelerated since the pandemic, to shift from partnering with existing promoters, venue operators and infrastructure companies to ownership stakes in them. To date, publicly announced deals and projects span markets like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, the Dominican Republic and Brazil, as Live Nation seeks to capture more of the region’s growing demand for live music.

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“Live Nation has a long history of working with our local partners to connect great artists to the passionate fans of Latin America,” a company spokesperson tells Billboard. “We’re proud of the strong promoter and venue network we have throughout the region. Our dedicated Latin touring team works to help Latin artists reach their fans around the world. Live Nation is committed to investing to bring more shows and world-class venues to Latin America.” 

One of the strategy’s earliest major steps was Live Nation’s 2018 acquisition of a majority stake in Argentina’s DF Entertainment, which co-promoted events by Coldplay, Ariana Grande and more, following years of working with the concert promoter on regional tours. Since then, it has acquired 75% of leading Mexican concert promoter OCESA, including its Ticketmaster Mexico division; a majority stake in Colombia’s Páramo Presenta, including Bogotá’s Estéreo Picnic, Baum Festival and Knotfest Colombia; a stake in the Dominican Republic’s SD Concerts, extending its reach into the Caribbean; and a majority stake in Argentina’s Dale Play, with founder and CEO Federico Lauria continuing to lead its creative and strategic direction. 

It was the OCESA deal, and Live Nation’s subsequent expansion in Mexico, that has exemplified the strategy. “Our work at OCESA is to translate that knowledge into local operations: to have prepared venues, specialized teams and processes that allow us to receive increasingly complex productions,” Mario Villa Vera, OCESA’s operations and venues director, tells Billboard. “For our venue and operations teams, that means being able to compare experiences and learnings in areas such as production, security, hospitality, accessibility, food and beverage, technology and the fan experience.”  

That approach is visible in the company’s venue investments. OCESA and partners recently revealed the renovated Coliseo GNP Seguros in Guadalajara, formerly Estadio Tres de Marzo, which opened in August and includes upgraded access and circulation, hospitality areas, food and beverage offerings, accessibility features, backstage facilities and production technology for the 30,000 attendees it can accommodate. “The transformation responds to something very concrete: having infrastructure capable of meeting the current needs of fans, artists and productions,” Villa Vera tells Billboard. 

These deals, as well as additional investments in Bizarro Peru and Bizarro Chile, and a majority stake in the Movistar Arena in Santiago, have helped Live Nation solidify its status in the region by allowing it to control more of its operations and costs. (“This partnership is a natural milestone in our more-than-18-year history,” Bizarro Chile founder/entertainment director Alfredo Alfonso says. “It brings together our deep knowledge of the local market with Live Nation’s international experience and reach.”) And while that’s been a boon for Live Nation, it has created more competition for indie operators on the ground. 

“It’s true that the expansion is complicating certain operations,” says Eduardo Basagaña, founder and CEO of Argentina-based live promotion company EB Producciones. “For example, obtaining dates in those venues, or obtaining more equitable conditions in those agreements [is more difficult].”  
But the broader market is creating room for both models. Large global tours still depend on local partners who understand each country’s regulations, audiences, venues and economics. At the same time, local promoters increasingly have access to artists and productions that once bypassed their markets altogether.  

Basagaña sees opportunities for independent companies to survive through creativity, local relationships and partnerships. “There are two options: you stay still and the wave runs you over, or, as I say, you grab a board and surf the wave,” he says. “One has to be intelligent and look for points of connection and dialogue.” 

This story appears in the Oct. 10, 2026, issue of Billboard.