Live Nation is expanding deeper into Latin America with a majority stake acquisition of Dale Play Live, the leading Argentine concert promoter, Billboard exclusively reported.
Dale Play Live founder and CEO Federico Lauria will remain in his role, continuing to oversee the company's creative and strategic direction. The deal adds to a growing list of Latin American investments for Live Nation.
Earlier this year, Live Nation announced a majority investment in Bizarro Peru, one of that country's leading promoters. In 2023, it acquired a majority stake in Colombia's Páramo Presenta, the company that produces the Estereo Picnic festival. That deal was executed through OCESA, in which Live Nation acquired a controlling interest in December 2021.
Dale Play Live is the concert arm of the broader Dale Play entertainment company, which also includes Dale Play Management and Dale Play Records. The record label is home to Bizarrap, Rels B, and Duki, and Lauria owns it in partnership with Rimas, which is Bad Bunny's label, and Sony. Dale Play has established itself as a key player in the South American urban music movement and sells over one million tickets per year in Argentina. Bad Bunny is among the company's longtime clients.
Live Nation already has a presence in Argentina through a longstanding partnership with promoter DF Entertainment. Under the new arrangement, DF will continue focusing on international live events while Dale Play contributes expertise in Spanish-language artists and local content development.
Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, pointed to Buenos Aires as a strategic priority. "Buenos Aires is the second largest music market in South America and a priority for Live Nation," he said in a statement. "The addition of Dale Play complements our existing partnership with DF Entertainment and strengthens our commitment to Argentina and the growth of Spanish-language music in the region and throughout the world."
Lauria framed the deal as an expansion of Dale Play's original mission. "Dale Play was founded with the vision of supporting artists and building a platform that empowers them to grow locally and globally," he said. "Being partners with Live Nation represents a tremendous opportunity to continue expanding artists from Argentina and Latin America to the world."
