When big name artists map out their Asian tour dates, Hong Kong usually tops the list as a performance destination. It has always been seen as the main city in the region for cultural entertainment events, and as a result, Macau is often overlooked.
In recent times though Hong Kong’s dominance of the international music scene seems to be waning, and the announcement of two music powerhouses performing in Macau in the coming months goes to show that things are dramatically changing. Global superstar Rihanna will take to the stage at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena on the 13th and 14th of September with her Diamonds World Tour, and teen heartthrob Justin Bieber will set hearts a flutter when he performs as part of his Believe Tour on the 12th of October.
In recent years both the Macau government and casino operators have started to work towards promoting Macau as a tourism destination, not just the gambling mecca that it has become known as. “There is so much more that Macau has to offer besides gambling,” says Nuno Lopes, Assistant Vice President of Entertainment for the Venetian Macau. “We want to attract a broader range of tourists. We’re committed to developing Macau as a real diverse destination.”
In the past it has been difficult to get big acts into Macau, because, as Lopes explains, artists and agents are not aware of the different venues and their capacities. “In their minds, Hong Kong is the place to go, because that’s where people have always gone. The truth is that lately Hong Kong has shifted to be more of a financial hub, and in a way has neglected the cultural entertainment aspect,” he says.
“I think we have been taking advantage of that, signing some big acts which creates more awareness that Macau exists as this type of venue. We’ve brought agents and promoters out to see the venue, and now they can see that we offer an integrated solution – the hotel, arena, state of the art equipment, internal transportation. Now they’ve seen it, they are more open to making Macau their destination.”
Putting on a concert of such huge proportions in Hong Kong can create a logistical nightmare for promoters, something that is simply not an issue for the Venetian Macao. And ticket sales prove that they can be a market leader for these types of events. Tickets for Rihanna’s concert for Macau sold out in just two days, prompting promoters to announce a second and final performance for the following night.
Although the Justin Bieber tickets were not as fast selling as Rihanna’s, Lopes believes they will be sold out before too long. “We didn’t have the opportunity to create the same awareness,” he says. “With Rihanna we announced the date, it was posted on Facebook and Twitter a week in advance, and it created a huge buzz – we had hundreds of thousands tweets and likes. There was such a huge awareness that when tickets were released, they were just snapped up. With Bieber, we only had two days before the tickets went on sale, so there was not the same momentum or anticipation. If there isn’t a buzz, there’s no urgency, and people take their time to buy tickets. But they will sell.”
The Venetian operates under the Sands China multi-tiered entertainment strategy, aiming to deliver what the market demands. “Our strategy is definitely diversity,” says Lopes. “That is the key word. We want to offer something that suits everybody, from music to sports and family entertainment. There will definitely be more Western shows, but of course we will keep a regional cultural focus as well. Wherever the acts come from, it will be world-class entertainment!”
RIHANNA
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, born in 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados, moved to the US in 1994 and signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for president Jay-Z.
Rihanna quickly became a global music sensation and has released seven studio albums in just seven years, and has had worldwide success with hit songs such as Pon de Replay, Umbrella, Disturbia, and Only Girl (In the World). Her third album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ was nominated for nine Grammy awards.
The recipient of six Grammy awards, five American Music Awards, and 22 Billboard Awards, Rihanna has sold over 41 million albums and 150 million digital tracks worldwide. She currently holds the record as the top-selling digital artist of all time, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine in 2012.
Rihanna has achieved 12 Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, the youngest solo artist to do so, as well as an overall twenty-four Top 10 singles and eighteen number one singles on the Billboard Dance Club Song Charts. Diamonds, the lead single from her new album ‘Unapologetic’, is her twelfth number one single on the Billboard chart, and is one of the best-selling singles of all time, having already sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide.
In 2012 Forbes named Rihanna the worlds number one social media star, with over 2.9 billion views on YouTube/VEVO – the most ever for any female artist, 74 million Facebook fans, and over 27 million Twitter followers.
The Diamonds World Tour, which began in March 2013, is Rihanna’s fifth headlining concert tour
JUSTIN BIEBER
Born in 1994 in Ontario, Canada, Justin Bieber shot to superstardom at age 16 after videos of him singing R&B covers on YouTube were accidentally clicked on by a talent manager, who then signed him to Usher’s record label.
His debut EP ‘My World’, released in November 2009 and certified platinum in the US, propelled his rise to fame with viral hits One Time and One Less Lonely Girl.
‘Bieber Fever’ swept the tween world, and he quickly became a heartthrob singing to the screaming masses – infatuated fans that have been dubbed ‘Bielebers.’ His side-swept hair-do became an iconic coif and was imitated the world over by teenage boys. Bieber is said to have a ‘swagger coach’ responsible for his streetwise look of baseball caps, hoodies, dog chains and flashy sneakers.
Since his debut EP, he has released three more chart-topping albums.
His hit song Baby rocketed to number 1 around the world. The music video became the most viewed video in YouTube history, only surpassed in November 2012 by PSY’s hit Gangnam Style. He has been nominated for two Grammy awards, and has received BRIT awards, Billboard Music Awards, and AMA’s among others.
Bieber dominates pop culture and social media, with more than 55 million Facebook fans, and 41 million followers on Twitter. The teen idol acquires a new follower every other second, and it has been reported that at one time he accounted for 3% of all traffic on the social media site. One of the most popular YouTube artists of all time, his YouTube channel is approaching three billion views.
The Believe Tour has been on the road since September 2012 and has played sold-out arena shows in 100 cities across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
