MCD records 10% rise in ticket sales

Concert promoters MCD enjoyed “a very good result” last year as the numbers attending their events climbed by almost 10% to 1.328m.

However, although the firm says it recorded a profit last year, the Oxegen festival was a loss-maker for MCD.

New figures from trade industry journal, Pollstar rank MCD 11th in terms of ticket sales sold by promoters worldwide.

Live Nation sold the largest number of tickets worldwide at 33.2m, more than the combined number of tickets sold by other promoters in the top 10.

Managing director of MCD, Denis Desmond, said yesterday the increase “was a very good result and was reflective of more confidence in the market. The business is healthy. It has been hard going the last four or five years, but it is getting better.”

Mr Desmond said that the increase is attributable to two shows at Slane following no concerts at the iconic Co Meath venue in 2012. The figures show 122,577 attended the Bon Jovi and Eminem concerts at Slane.

MCD is an unlimited firm and doesn’t publish annual accounts. Speaking from Los Angelus where he is “chasing bands”, Mr Desmond did confirm that MCD recorded a profit last year.

The box office ticket sales from MCD-promoted performances in the O2 in Dublin last year alone generated $20.54m (€15m) which is shared between the artist, promoter and venue.

Mr Desmond said that MCD “probably misjudged” staging the Oxegen festival on the August bank holiday weekend due to people going on holidays or having their own plans for that weekend.

He said the show itself wasn’t loss-making, but the prohibitive costs of providing camping facilities for the festival was a major factor in Oxegen recording a loss.

“The bills for the weekend were very expensive.”

MCD and other concert promoters face sizeable security costs. In a written Dáil response this week, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said last year gardaí received €1m for policing concerts and festivals — a 37% increase on 2012.

On plans for Oxegen 2014, Mr Desmond said: “I think it will happen, but we might change the weekend.”

Superstar DJs, David Guetta and Calvin Harris headlined last year’s event. Mr Desmond said the top DJs “are the kings at the moment. They are the ones selling the tickets”.

He said top DJs command fees of €250,000 per night in Ibiza and Las Vegas. Asked what fees they receive when they play in Ireland, he said: “They don’t work for any less here.”

He said that promoting concerts “is a high-risk business and I think we get it right 70% of the time”.

Mr Desmond said typically, promoters can record a profit of €70,000 to €80,000 on a concert that records €1m in ticket sales.

No concert has yet been announced for Slane this year and Mr Desmond said if it does go ahead, it will more than likely take place in August or September.

“It is too early to say at this stage — the Robbie Williams Slane gig was only announced that April.”