Concerts
Joni Mitchell Plays Surprise Newport Folk Festival Set With Special Guests
Folk icon Joni Mitchell wowed the crowd at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday (July 24) when the “Big Yellow Taxi” singer took the stage for her first full-length live set in more than 20 years. In her first appearance at the annual gathering since 1969, the reclusive Mitchell held court on a gilded chair for a 13-song set that included a parade of special guests paying tribute to the 78-year-old singer who has struggled with health issues and rarely appeared in public since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Rolling Stone reported that Mitchell was supported by a group that included newly solo singer Marcus Mumford, Brandi Carlile, Blake Mills, Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith, Wynonna and more as they pitched in on s...
Red Hot Chili Peppers Set Stadium Tour of Australia With Post Malone
As Australia’s touring space heats up, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will bring their own fire with a coast-to-coast stadium tour. And on this occasion, Post Malone will make the long haul. Produced by Live Nation, the trek will start Jan. 29, 2023 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, before heading to Sydney’s Accor Stadium (Feb. 2), Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium (Feb. 7) and wrapping-up at Perth’s Optus Stadium (Feb. 12). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news RHCP will play their career-spanning hits, according to LN, alongside tracks from their new album Unlimited Love, which marks the return of guitarist John Frusciante and a reunion with producer Rick Rubin. The visit will also serve as a homecoming for bass player Flea, who was born in Melbourne, th...
Mary J. Blige to Celebrate Her Illustrious Career With Livestream Concert on Apple Music
After delivering a show-stealing performance alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs at the 2022 BET Awards on Sunday (June 26), Mary J. Blige is set to deliver a one-night-only performance celebrating her career and life. The performance will take place at New York City’s United Palace, and will stream exclusively on Apple Music — as part of the Apple Music Live series — in over 165 countries on July 27 at 7 p.m. PT. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news With a setlist that spans Blige’s storied career, the performance will continue a year of triumph for the 2022 Billboard Icon Award recipient. At the top of the year, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul performed at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, and re...
Mana Shines in L.A. Residency With Nostalgic Run-Through of Their Timeless Rock-en-Espanol Anthems
It’s show number five out of 10 (and counting) for Maná at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, where the iconic Mexican band is currently playing monthly as part of an ambitious residency. Billboard hasn’t been to any of the other four shows (which took place in March and April), but on Friday (June 24), it seemed as if Fher, Alex, Sergio and Juan were setting foot for the first time ever at a venue that’s seen them make history over and over again. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news At 9:30 p.m. local time, Maná took the stage and their energy was unmatched. Well, maybe the only ones that could match the energy were the fans who patiently waited for the group to appear and, in the meantime, sang along to whatever the house DJ was playing. “You ...
BTS Planning Global Busan Concert to Bring the World Expo to South Korea in 2030
BTS might be eying a break after the whirlwind international success they’ve experienced over the last few years, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be absent from the global stage. On Friday (June 24), HYBE, the entertainment company that BTS calls home, announced that the septet will hold a concert to help South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, South Korea. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The boy band will serve as ambassadors for the country’s effort to bring the world’s fair to Busan Metropolitan City, the second most populous city in South Korea, behind Seoul. “Given the importance of its bid as a nation to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan, BTS and HYBE will do our best to successfully bring the World Expo to ...
Shawn Gee & Live Nation Urban to Produce Juneteenth Event at Hollywood Bowl With CNN
Shawn Gee with Live Nation Urban will produce the 2022 Juneteenth Celebration at Hollywood Bowl on Sunday (June 19). CNN will serve as the official broadcast partner and will showcase the performances on all CNN platforms live on Sunday, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The series will feature the The Re-Collective Orchestra, the first all-Black symphony orchestra to perform onstage in the Hollywood Bowl’s 100-year history. The 68-member orchestra was organized by LA Phil violinist Stephanie Matthews and will be led by Derrick Hodge and LA Phil principal conductor Thomas Wilkins. Adam Blackstone and the BBE All-Star Band will accompany the orchestra and serve as the evening’s house band with Robert Glasper le...
Tame Impala, Iggy Pop & King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to Headline 2022 Desert Daze Festival
Desert Daze announced their 2022 festival on Monday (June 13) in celebration of their tenth installment of art and music in Southern California. This year will feature a return set from Tame Impala who had to cut off their 2018 headline set when a massive storm rolled in. Four years later, the group will perform its groundbreaking second album, Lonerism, in its entirety on the weekend of the album’s 10th anniversary. Desert Daze will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Lake Perris, Calif. and also feature return sets from headliners Iggy Pop, who will perform his only U.S. show this year, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Additional artists joining the headliners over the course of the three days and nights include Chicano Batman, The Marías, Sky Ferreira, Cortex, BADBADNOTGOOD, Bo...
Kid Cudi Premieres ‘Do What I Want,’ Lights Up Day 1 During Headlining Set at 2022 Governors Ball
“I’m the master of ceremonies, and I’ve come to show you a good time,” Kid Cudi told the sea of Governors Ball festival-goers during his second headlining set at the festival on Friday (June 10). The 11th iteration of the annual festival launched earlier in the day with a packed lineup of pop, dance, hip-hop, and alternative rock music. For the second straight year, the festival took place at Citi Field in Queens, New York, rather than its usual turf on Randall’s Island. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news After fiery performances from Jack Harlow, Quinn XCII, Black Pumas, Skepta, A$AP Ferg and more, the 38-year-old Cleveland native entered Governors Ball’s main stage at sunset, sporting bright ocean blue hair and a 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers...
Stick Figure Drops New Single With Slightly Stoopid During Sell-Out Tour
Stick Figure has released “Way of Life,” a new song featuring fellow American reggae stars Slightly Stoopid. It’s the lead single off of Stick Figure’s upcoming album, which is in the final stages of production and set to be released this year. The single has the classic Stick Figure sound, blending the dub reggae influence of King Tubby and Barrington Levy with the modern tropical house influence of Kygo. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I’ve always been intrigued by the soundscapes and reverbs used in Tropical House music,” Scott Woodruff, professionally known as Stick Figure, tells Billboard. “There is something so relaxing about that style. It really reminds me of being on the beach, a lot like reggae music does. So the idea for thi...
Phoebe Bridgers Show In Toronto Paused Multiple Times For Fan Medical Calls
A concert for indie rock artist Phoebe Bridgers was paused five times on Tuesday night (June 7) at the RBC Echo Beach amphitheater in Toronto so that venue staff and paramedics could treat fans, many of who had camped out overnight for the concert, for dehydration and exhaustion. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Fans began queuing up as early as 3 a.m. to get a spot near the barricade separating the audience from the stage in hopes of getting a close up view of the 27-year-old recording artist and producer on her 2022 “Reunion Tour” that kicked off in April with standout sets at Coachella and Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Issues began when venue staff started letting fans into the venue a few hours before the show started and the...
When It Comes to Live Shows, the COVID Battle Is Far From Over
“Everyone’s experience of this thing is unique to them, even if the crushing weight of capitalism is royally fucking all of us,” PUP’s Steve Sladkowski says, of the pressures to get out on the road amidst the unknowns of today’s COVID world. Touring in the thick of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen hurdle after hurdle. While artists are slowly getting back to packing their vans and hitting the road, the threat of contracting COVID is still an added weight on the minds of musicians planning tours and shows of all sizes. Laura Jane Grace just wrapped a month-long road show with Anthony Green (Circa Survive) and Tim Kasher (Cursive, The Good Life). Chatting in April, just before she was set to head out on the road, she laid out some of the hard realities of touring: “Going into it f...
Two Shot Dead at Georgia’s Freaknik Music Festival
Investigators are searching for culprits in shootings that killed two people at a music festival in east central Georgia. Local news outlets report the shooting in Sandersville killed William Mykell Lowery, 17, and Christopher “Scooter” Dunn, 30. Both men were attending a Freaknik festival at a local park. Freaknik was once a spring break festival in Atlanta attended by students at historically Black colleges and universities. But the name is now used by music promoters for dances, concerts and events nationwide. Sandersville is about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta. Witnesses said the shooting sparked a stampede. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “You just heard gunshots go off and then the whole crowd just started runnin...
