DEAG Deutsche Entertainment Aktiengesellschaft of Germany has confirmed that it acquired a majority stake in Scottish event promoter Regular Music through its UK subsidiary Kilimanjaro Group.
Kilimanjaro already owns and operates Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Scotland’s largest open air festival.
Regular Music was advised by Burges Salmon.
“With the acquisition, DEAG is successfully expanding its business activities in the UK, the company’s most important secondary market, and continues to increase its international promoter network as planned,” said the German firm.
“For DEAG, the acquisition will result in synergy effects for the ticketing and live entertainment business.
“Mark Mackie, CEO of Regular, will remain a shareholder in the company and will continue to manage the company in the long term.
“Regular is Scotland’s longest established and one of the most respected independent music promoters.
“Based in Edinburgh, Regular has staged concerts by a range of international artists in Scotland including REM, Oasis, Tom Waits, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bon Iver, Stereophonics and Lana Del Rey and The Proclaimers.
“As well as promoting concerts across most of Scotland, the company also produces the award-winning annual Summer Nights at the Bandstand series of concerts in Glasgow each July/August.
“Brian Wilson, The National, Pixies, Patti Smith, Van Morrison and Texas are just some of the artists to have featured since it was established in 2014.”
Prof. Peter L.H. Schwenkow, CEO of DEAG, said: “Mark has established Regular Music as one of Scotland’s leading live event promoters over the past few years.
“We are excited about the opportunity to develop the business together in the future whilst creating synergies between all of our UK companies including Belladrum.
“DEAG’s success is based on entrepreneurship and Mark will be a valued addition to our group of entrepreneurs.
“DEAG‘s presence in the UK and Ireland will be significantly strengthened through this new partnership and it fits extremely well with our strategy to further grow our business in our core markets.”
Mackie said: “With DEAG, we have the right partner at our side to make our presence even more international.
“However, it’s clear that DEAG care deeply about local identity and autonomy and with Stuart Galbraith and his team at Kilimanjaro it has been proven to work.
“I have personally known Stuart for more than 35 years, since we both started out in the business and am very much looking forward to working closely with him and the Kilimanjaro team.”