This article was created in partnership with Live Nation
Billboard’s highly anticipated Live Music Summit made its grand return after a 5-year hiatus. This year marked the return of the Live Music Summit, which had been on hiatus since 2019, in response to high demand to refocus on the thriving touring industry.
Attendees experienced a dynamic mix of panel discussions, live performances, workshops, and industry mixers, all culminating in the Touring Awards Ceremony. Among the star-studded panel lineups were Olivia Rodrigo, John Summit and top industry executives. It was an invaluable opportunity for those in the music business to gain insights from industry leaders while celebrating the milestones many touring artists have achieved this year.
Olivia Rodrigo closed out the eventful day with her Superstar Q&A, during which she discussed the GUTS Tour, her most recent Billboard cover and received the award for 2024 Touring Artist of the Year. See highlights from the panel, presented by Live Nation and moderated by Billboard Deputy Editor Lyndsey Havens, below.
Olivia Rodrigo Takes Center Stage at the Live Music Summit
Rodrigo captivated the audience as she reflected on her successful 2024 GUTS World Tour. The “Vampire” singer’s GUTS Tour, launched in 2024 in support of her critically acclaimed sophomore album SOUR, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern touring and the music industry. The tour showcased her ability to seamlessly blend introspective storytelling with electrifying live performances, resonating with audiences of all ages.
Spanning 95 dates across multiple continents, Rodrigo became a global phenomenon in 2024. Tickets for the sophomore tour sold out almost instantly across all markets, underscoring the immense demand for her live performances. She kicked off her performances in the United States and Canada during the Spring before touring Europe and the UK this summer and making her debut in Asia, and Australia this fall. The response was overwhelming, particularly in Asia and Australia, where the demand exceeded expectations, leading to multiple sold-out shows in every city – especially in Australia where she performed four sold-out nights in both Sydney and Melbourne, a testament to her skyrocketing popularity.
The GUTS Tour was not only a commercial triumph but also a cultural event, as it brought Rodrigo’s blend of heartfelt lyrics and powerful performances to new corners of the world, further establishing her as a defining voice of her generation.
Olivia Rodrigo speaks onstage at the Billboard Live Music Summit at 1 Hotel West Hollywood on November 14, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. Christopher Polk
Connection to Her Fans
Rodrigo’s career trajectory has been anything but conventional. Her debut album SOUR was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, and from the outset, she knew exactly what she wanted for her second album and accompanying tour.
Reflecting on her first experience on the road, the singer-songwriter shares, “After going on the first SOUR Tour, I learned so much about touring and learned how playing songs like ‘Brutal’ and ‘Good 4 U’ were so much fun on stage and with that information in my back pocket, I went on to make GUTS.”
For her second tour, Rodrigo sought to create a deeper connection with her audience. “Connecting with the audience and bringing them into your world was something that I wanted to achieve on this tour,” she shared, aiming to reach not only fans in the front row but also those in the back and higher up in the arenas. As part of her vision, she incorporated an innovative element into her live show: Rodrigo would be suspended in a purple crescent moon, flying above the crowd during her performances. This unique moment allowed her to wave to fans, particularly those moved to tears, offering a sense of intimacy and shared experience throughout the sold-out tour.
To make each show feel unique for her fans, Olivia and her team collaborated to create a new, city-specific phrase for her final outfit of every tour stop. Rodrigo reflects, “My team bought a machine where we should screenprint tank tops…and it became a fun creative outlet in itself.” Fans would eagerly anticipate the new phrase on her shirt each night, making it a special way to highlight each city on the tour.
A main takeaway from the GUTS Tour was the growing necessity of fan engagement in live shows. Many venues incorporated immersive experiences, digital interactivity and intimate moments that made each concert feel personalized specifically to them. Additionally, GUTS represented a new wave of tour strategies, emphasizing sustainability and creative, genre-blending setlists.
Olivia Rodrigo at the Billboard Live Music Summit at 1 Hotel West Hollywood on November 14, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. Christopher Polk
Olivia Rodrigo’s Commitment to Social Change
In addition to her musical success, Rodrigo launched her global initiative, Fund 4 Good, which is dedicated to building a more equitable future for women and girls. Through Fund 4 Good, she directly supports community-based nonprofits that focus on girls’ education, reproductive rights and the prevention of gender-based violence. “It was really meaningful to me to learn more about these organizations and support them,” she shared, “and I’m excited to do more in the future.” The Grammy Winning Artist recounted her experience on the Phillipines leg of her world tour – “I’m part Filipino and that was the first time I’ve been in the country. I wanted to give back to the community who supported me throughout my career”. Her show in the Philippines was her largest show on the tour – with 55,000 seats at the Philippine Arena in Manila, all priced at $27 USD/1,500 Philippine pesos to ensure affordability for the half-Filipino singer’s fans.
Rodrigo also introduced the Silver Star Ticket program, offering a limited number of affordable $20 USD tickets (or local equivalent) to make her concerts accessible to more of her fans. Inspired by Coldplay’s Infinity Tickets, this initiative allowed fans to attend her shows at an affordable price, reinforcing Olivia’s and Live Nation’s commitment to inclusivity and fan engagement. This approach influenced the touring industry, encouraging other artists to offer similar exclusive packages. The Silver Star tickets demonstrated how fan loyalty and personalized experiences could drive both engagement and revenue in the modern live music landscape.
With a careful balance of commercial success and artistic integrity, Rodrigo’s latest tour reshaped how artists approach live performance in an era where streaming, viral moments with special guests, and social media heavily influence an artist’s connection with their audience.
