With the boundaries between reality and virtuality more blurred than ever, content flowing continuously, and platforms dictating new cultural rhythms, a question arises: what has become of live performance? This roundtable discussion will explore this question. The aura of the Live ", five major players in the performing arts and creative industries delivered their definition, revealing a vast, hybrid landscape in full transformation... A fascinating debate moderated by Malika Seguineau, general manager of Ekhoscènes, the national union of private live entertainment.

How live entertainment is being redefined: new forms, new uses

Live music is a territory without borders. This is how Matthias Leullier, Deputy Managing Director of Live Nation France, describes it: Live entertainment means all types of shows Not just concerts by Beyoncé, The Blaze, or Aya Nakamura. We produce every year thousands of concerts...but also fashion shows, e-sports competitions... Everything that will be a spectacle "As for venues, the definition is just as broad. For Fabienne Moszer, director of external relations for Paris Entertainment Company (Accor Arena, Bataclan, Adidas Arena), live performance is the raw experience, the one that no screen can replace. She recounts the shock of Covid: We were the first to close all our activities Then came the miracle of the recovery: Live entertainment has exploded. Today there are audiences for all types of shows. But what matters most to her is the need for sharing: People need to experience emotions, to be together and to share. “For Derek Barbolla, founder of Cercle, live entertainment now has two faces: the moment experienced and the moment captured.” Live performance is first and foremost about the show taking place on site. But at Cercle, half the value is determined later: We transform the concert In terms of content: it is broadcast live on social media, particularly on YouTube, to extend the experience. "A concert experienced by 1,000 people can then be seen by millions of people:" We have just reached one billion views on YouTube. "Live streaming then becomes a medium in its own right."

For Tristan Desplechin, director of Banijay Live, the definition is even more nuanced. Banijay wants to move beyond television to create site-specific experiences: ceremonies, parades, immersive installations in heritage locations. Live performance is about creating memories together, emotionally powerful moments that we will remember. “Live streaming isn’t just a program; it’s a memorable moment.” Gregg Bywalski, Managing Director of Webedia Creators, brings a digital perspective. For Webedia, the primary definition of live streaming is… broadcasting live content on digital platforms. "Twitch, in particular," 1,5 billion hours watched in France in 2024 "And soon more than two billion. But something has changed: communities are no longer satisfied with just screens." Communities want to have physical experiences They go from streaming to the street, from chat to the arena, from the virtual to the real. The most striking example: a streamer embarked last September on a walk between Montpellier and Paris for a charity event. The result: 19 million hours watched on Twitch, more than 300,000 people who followed him physically throughout the journey, and 250,000 people at the finish line. "The same applies to the GP Explorer (the Grand Prix Explorer, a Formula 4 event race organized by the YouTuber Squeezie):" 200,000 people gathered in Le Mans, 1,5 million viewers on Twitch. "Communities are taking live streaming to another dimension: a collective experience built both on the platform and in real life."

The live entertainment business: a changing model

Behind the magic of live shows, immersive experiences, and engaged communities lies a very concrete reality: live performance has become the economic heart of many artistic careers and a strategic playing field for brands. At the roundtable, everyone acknowledged it: the live performance business model is changing.

For Matthias Leullier, the diagnosis is clear: For artists today, live performance is the driving force of their career. "Example with Aya Nakamura, whom he has been working with for several years: The two truly historic events that have marked her career recently are her performance at the Olympics and the fact that she instantly filled three stadiums at the Stade de France. “From the public’s perspective, the trend is just as clear: The more screens there are, the more we live in a digital world, and the more we have this need to come together, to unite in a community, to celebrate these events. "Studies conducted by Live Nation show the appetite of new generations:" We are now seeing generations who have never spent as much on leisure activities as previous generations did on concerts. "A quest for authentic moments. And authentic moments mean... brands." These authentic moments are of particular interest to brands, as they bring together highly engaged communities who experience exceptional moments in which they can claim to belong or at least support the artist. Live Nation is thus developing, at festivals like Main Square or Lollapalooza, partnerships with around a hundred advertisers Leullier cites a telling example: We co-produced the Adidas event for the Superstar launch at the Adidas Arena. A brand like Adidas hadn't invested that much money in a consumer event for a product launch in ten years. They opted for a live event. "The issue was not just the 8000 people present in the room, but all the resonance that it had via the platforms.

Aya Nakamura performs during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Esa Alexander-Pool/Getty Images)

With Cercle, Derek Barbolla invented a unique model, halfway between live and media. He first recalls the original model of the " Circle shows ": " The live performance we're going to do is sometimes even without an audience on site: the artist plays for the online audience. "These shows then encourage the public to return to theaters or festivals. After Covid, he too felt a shift: We sensed a need among the public to connect together, to experience an emotion on the spot. "From this came Cercle Odyssée:" A 360-degree concert project which reverses the initial logic: We used to produce artists in an exceptional natural landscape, this time we brought nature into the cities through a monumental scenography, 50-meter by 50-meter screens, which surround the artist and 5,000 people. "The concept is radical:" The unusual thing is that phones are banned. "In contrast to a world saturated with content, Cercle seeks, through this no phone policy ", full presence: " Our goal: to be in the present moment. This rule clearly appeals to our audience. "From an economic standpoint:" The majority of our revenue comes from ticket sales and the bar. YouTube views don't fund us, but they're a way to attract an audience to our concerts. A good way to boost sales. »

For Fabienne Moszer, the economic evolution of live entertainment also involves the transformation of venues into media outlets. It's interesting to see that brands are demanding live events. And so, venues like ours are becoming a real media platform. "Arenas are no longer just venues:" We have brands that want to be present to allow their consumers to have experiences with us. "Example with Coca-Cola:" When you're walking around the Accor Arena, at one point in the concourse you'll see a huge refrigerator. You enter a code and go through the refrigerator, and there you are, in a speakeasy where you can watch the concert. "Coca-Cola is giving its consumers access to this experience. Accor, for its part, is activating its loyalty programs. Result:" We end up competing with TV stations for advertising space. "Same logic at the Adidas Arena:" This is the first time Adidas has partnered with a performance venue. In terms of investment, it costs them much less than advertising on television, and they reach a very large audience. "The rooms are becoming communication tools in their own right."

At Banijay Live, Tristan Desplechin also describes his group as undergoing a major strategic shift. Historically, Banijay operated in a B2B model: We produce for television channels, for streaming platforms. "Live streaming changes everything:" We're getting into it too. We're investing in shows. It's quite a different model. "The raw material: IPs, those well-known franchises like Black Mirror, Koh-Lanta-Survivor, Fort Boyard, Peaky Blinders…" Our job is to tell stories. Now, we need to tell them live, through physical experience. "For Black Mirror, Banijay is preparing to launch an immersive experience combining pre-show, post-show and virtual reality:" Black Mirror is a dystopia centered around technology, so it makes sense to explore this technological dimension. "The VR headset is integrated as a natural step in the story. Conversely, for Koh-Lanta-Survivor, We're going to be more of an action-game experience, because we want to challenge ourselves in trials, to be physically active, with friends. "Each IP requires a different live format, and therefore a suitable business model."

For Gregg Bywalski, the entire " creator economy "already relies on brands:" The brands fund all of our creators' content, projects and ambitions. "The challenge today:" How can we get these digital partner brands to create experiences for our communities at physical events? "The Popcorn Festival is a good example: A cult Twitch show, Popcorn (hosted by Domingo), a a slightly crazy idea ": Organize a festival. Interactive game with the community to choose the city: Paris? Lyon? Nice? Lille? Result: " We ended up in Montcuq. We had to put on a three-day festival in a place that wasn't designed for it. "Funding was based on branding and ticket sales." There were 9,000 tickets… sold out in 4 minutes. Bywalski highlights a key point: Domingo cannot be compared to Lady Gaga, but the commitment of their communities can be compared. “Another example: Kaizen with Inoxtag. Initially conceived as YouTube content, the program led to a theatrical premiere, then to a major event release: It ended in a tidal wave: almost 400,000 admissions in one evening, an absolute record for admissions to an event screening at the cinema, while the next day at 2 p.m., the film was available for free on YouTube. "Of course, it's not live..." But for us, he continues, it's this notion of live that counts: the fact of bringing fans together at a specific moment in a physical place. »

Mathias Leullier concludes by broadening the focus: At the time of Covid, 95% of the business disappeared overnight. We were promised the end of live streaming. "DVDs, metaverses, VR, platforms…" In fact, not only was it the opposite, but today we are in a complementary relationship. "Thanks to social media:" The first amplification channel is the platforms. When you book Adele in Munich, she's doing a residency in only one city in the world. Yes, it's 750,000 tickets, but it's been seen by millions, even billions of people. "Live events are now financed by ticket sales, brands, content, IP, and communities. But above all, they feed on one thing: the desire of people to come together, again and again, around a moment that matters."

Adele performs on stage at Messe München on August 02, 2024 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AD)

A more engaged audience than ever

Malika Seguineau reminds us of an often-forgotten truth: if live performance thrives today, it's thanks to the power of its audience. An audience that no longer simply watches a show, but becomes one with it, takes ownership of it, and sometimes even transforms it. This trend is particularly pronounced among 18-34 year olds. She cites a study conducted by Ekhoscènes in 2018: this hyper-connected generation describes live performance as an experience… unique, collective, surprising "A place where people come to experience emotion." In the United States, too, two-thirds of Millennials and Gen Z now prioritize experience over ownership. In a world where everything is becoming hybrid (venues, streaming, community chat), it's legitimate to ask how to continue creating this feeling of being together. A challenge that the speakers will explore based on their respective experiences.

For Derek Barbolla, founder of Cercle, the role of the live director is then clear: to create the conditions for a collective emotion that will leave its mark a lifetime At Cercle, this commitment is expressed through physical proximity and scenography. We put in a central stage. It's simple: wherever they are, the audience has the same experience. And above all, they can almost touch the artist. "The ritual also matters: the artists' boxer-like entrance into Cercle Odyssée." heats up the room and creates a surge of excitement "The key," he insists, "is intention:" When you create a show with love and attention to detail, the audience immediately gives it back to you. »

The rise of super fans

For Matthias Leullier (Live Nation), the explosion of super fans is profoundly changing the live experience. People are willing to travel to go see a concert From the Taylor Swift phenomenon, capable of influencing a country's GDP when she travels there, to the crowds of K-pop fans, these communities are reshaping the entertainment economy, from tourism to merchandising. They consume more, are more engaged, plan their trips, and adopt the visual codes of their star. These are highly sophisticated marketing techniques. “,” notes Matthias Leullier. The audience is watching him closely. Fabienne Moszer confirms: We see fans arriving two or three days before a concert. We have to organize security, queues, and reception. "For Tristan Desplechin (Banijay Live), we are entering the era of the co-creating spectator." Our job is to tell stories. But now, everyone should feel like they are writing their own. "This involves interactivity, personalization, the before and after. Preparing for a Beyoncé concert already becomes a performance in itself: looks, codes, discussions, collective hype."

Authenticity, the queen of live performance

For Webedia Creators, this interactivity goes even further. The communities clearly dictate the decisions “,” says Gregg Bywalski. Creators analyze chats, comments, live polls, and AI applied to audience decoding. The public influences formats, narrative choices, and projects. They would be nothing without their community. So they pay extremely close attention to it. This fervor has a downside: amplified disappointment.

Malika Seguineau emphasizes that the stronger the commitment, the more likely even the slightest mistake can generate an immediate backlash. Gregg Bywalski (Webedia) returns to the key word that defines all these live experiences: "authenticity." If there is no authenticity, the show is a flop! "Fans can immediately recognize a project that betrays the DNA of the creator or star." When you manage to unite this generation, like Gen Z, which isn't necessarily the easiest to reach and mobilize, you have to be authentic. "So that the community continues to unite... Throughout this roundtable discussion, one thing became clear: while live performance is constantly reinventing itself, it remains, above all, a human endeavor. Artists, producers, creators, venues, and communities: all contribute to creating shared moments, to experience together something that exists nowhere else. Live performance has perhaps never been so collective."