Driift: Livestream gig start-up goes global after producing virtual concerts for stars from Kylie to Katie Melua

Katie Melua performing a livestreamed gig with no audience at the Rivoli, produced by Driift

(Picture: Driift)

The London start-up behind many pop stars' recent livestream gigs is to broaden its audience and expand around the world - starting with a concert screened from an historic Italian opera house.  

Driift is a virtual production and promotion company launched in lockdown as a subsidiary to A-list agency ATC Management by experts Ric Salmon and Brian Message.

The pair have sold hundreds of thousands of tickets to virtual, no-audience gigs with stars including Kylie Minogue, Niall Horan and Lianne La Havas in recent months, proving a new income stream is available for the hard-hit live music industry. 

Horan’s gig at the Royal Albert Hall alone raised almost £2million in a one-off performance after selling more than 125,000 tickets at $20 each.  Salmon said Driift are expecting to end the financial year with a £7 to £8 million turnover.

Andrea Bocelli performing at the Teatro Regio opera house will be Driift’s first international production 

Driift

Next month the company is to expand outside the UK to Europe, the US and Australia after receiving requests from artists and managers around the globe.

Their first show abroad is to see Andrea Bocelli perform a livestream from Parma's Teatro Regio opera house on December 12.

Salmon said: "We are in the great position of having so much incoming business, because we are one of the only specialist producers in this space.

"The expansion globally feels very natural because these are global events by nature."

Each virtual show sees Driift recruit around 50 to 60 local live music crew, and Message said it is "just such a joy to be part of a business where we are getting people back to work".