How do artists pick what city to tour?

Ever wonder why you never see your favorite artist in your town? Or maybe you’re questioning what makes a city a good place for a show. Well, today we will uncover the plausible reasons behind the puzzle.

I love going to concerts. It does not matter if I’m not the biggest fan of the artist; I’ll still go for the experience. For me, going to concerts is like an escape from the world for those two or three hours. I never gave much thought as to why I sometimes drive two hours to Orlando when Lana Del Rey is coming to Florida instead of to Tampa; I am just happy to see her live. It was not until over the weekend when I was talking to my friend that I realized some artists do not book concerts in certain cities, even if the city is an ideal place.

My friend, Deborah, and I at a Harry Styles concert in Philadelphia Circa 2018

My friend from Philadelphia told me that even though his city is popular and large, a lot of times the people he listens to do not tour in Philadelphia. That baffled me due to the fact that all the people I listen to, always tour in Philly. Think of any town or city, big or small, and I bet you will come up with a list of people that have visited or skipped these places.

Yesterday, the breakout artist, Lizzo, performed at her sold-out show in Tampa at Yuengling Center on her “Cuz I Love You Too” tour. I only learned about her show a couple of days prior, but it took me by surprise when I found out she booked Yeungling Center and not Amalie Arena. However, after thinking about just how long she’s been in the limelight it started to make sense.

Profit. In any business, the goal is to make as much money as possible. The music and entertainment industry is no different than a local business, if anything the music and entertainment industry might be more cutthroat; all they want to see is the green. Depending on the size of an artist, cost/risk can impact the profit. This is why smaller and mid-size artists usually are booked in smaller venues or cities/towns. Their management wants the artist to get paid, not lose out on more money by not getting enough sales.

Lizzo isn’t new to the music industry but before she was not as popular. After her songs “Truth Hurts” and “Juice” made her gain popularity, she went from a small artist to a mid-size artist. So, it naturally makes sense that her management would book her in a mid-size venue since she’s doing well on the charts and has become popular. Her performing at Yeungling Center guaranteed that a profit would be made, while if it was at Amalie Arena it was more of a risk.

Preference. Artists are human, and like any other human, they have wants and likes. Some artists choose their venues based on location. Profit is still a major role in bookings, but some artists and their management consider their fanbase’s demographic and location. Also, some singers just want to travel to a certain place because they visited before and wanted to go back. When I saw the “Royals” singer, Lorde, on her Melodrama tour in Tampa, she stated that Tampa was paradise, so next time she goes on tour it will be of no surprise to anyone if she performs in Tampa again.

The vibe of a venue and location also play a part. Some singers solely like to perform in smaller crowds because they feel a closer connection with the fans. While others like putting on a show in a stadium or arena. At the end of the day, if your city is a profitable place or has venues that are preferred, you can guarantee not having to leave your town to go see your favorite artist. Sadly, if your town lacks either of these two things then you will most definitely have to drive, but hey, at least you would get a fun experience out of it.