Live Nation has posted solid gains across the board according to its second-quarter 2025 earnings report, with boosts in overall revenue and adjusted operating income. The company’s total revenue had dipped in the first quarter.
According to the report, overall revenue has seen a significant uptick compared to the same period last year, surging from $6.02 billion to $7 billion in a 16 percent increase. In 2024, Live Nation saw similar gains in Q2, with revenue reaching a record $6 billion. Though it’s a significant increase from the 2025 Q1 earnings, which came in at $3.38 billion in revenue, it isn’t a record-breaker as the summer concert season — historically the biggest quarter each year — yielded $7.7 billion in revenue for last year’s Q3. It signals that the next quarter could be even bigger once it closes.
Elsewhere, AOI rose 11 percent from $716.2 million to $798.4 million. The company expects full-year AOI margins to be consistent with 2024.
Though the report does not name any specific artist, Live Nation’s earnings were certainly helped by big-ticket tours including Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Grand National.” The company notes that over 130 million tickets were sold for Live Nation concerts, representing a six percent increase compared to last year, led by international markets. Over 40 percent of global stadium shows sold out 95 percent of tickets in the first week, an increase of double digits.
The 130 million tickets sold through to Q2 are particularly notable as 2024 set a record 151 million concertgoers for the entire year, forecasting a sizable finish for 2025. Live Nation points out that global attendance is up 14 percent to 44 million fans, with international attendance increasing over 30 percent in markets like Europe and Latin America.
Elsewhere, Live Nation states that concert-related deferred revenue, or money they’ve earned for future events, stands at $5.1 billion (up 25 percent), while Ticketmaster deferred revenue hit $317 million (up 22 percent for an all-time high).
Live Nation’s Q2 increases follow a sluggish start to the year, with drops in both revenue and adjusted operating income for Q1. In May, they reported that overall revenue decreased from $3.8 billion to $3.38 billion compared to the same timeframe last year, while adjusted operating income dipped from $362 million to $341 million.
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“Global expansion continues to drive touring growth, with fan attendance hitting new highs and ticket buying strong at every price point from VIP to the back row,” says Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation. “To meet this momentum, we’re expanding our global venue portfolio and investing in the artists who make it all possible. We’re continuing to deliver record revenue and concert ticket sales, and with investments focused on high growth markets and fan experiences, we’re positioned to grow operating income and adjusted operating income by double-digits this year and for years to come.”
From Variety US