Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV) today announced the acquisition of leading electronic music concert promoter and festival operator HARD Events. Since its creation in 2007, founder Gary Richards and his team have attracted a variety of today’s top acts to headline their shows from Justice, Skrillex, Boys Noize, and Crystal Castles to some of today’s newest cutting-edge electronic artists like Major Lazer, Knife Party and Gesaffelstein. Mr. Richards will continue to run HARD Events and will report to James Barton, President of Live Nation Electronic Music.
HARD Events is a well-respected brand with two hit festivals featured in the Los Angeles area, HARD Summer Music Festival and HARD Haunted Mansion. HARD Summer has expanded to a two-day festival in this year and will be held on August 3-4 at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. In 2011, as just a one-day event, the festival drew over 30,000 fans. HARD Haunted Mansion will be in Los Angeles in late October and historically draws 20,000 attendees.
