Live Nation Concerts names new Senior Vice President of Artist Development and Global Touring

Live Nation has today announced the appointment of Milly Olykan as Senior Vice President of Artist Development and Global Touring.

Joining the company’s Concerts division in January and reporting to Omar Al-Joulani, President of Touring, in her new role at Live Nation, Olykan will be instrumental in the continued growth and development of the company’s country and Americana strategy worldwide.

Working closely with Live Nation’s global promoters, she is being tasked with identifying new touring opportunities, fostering relationships with the artist community and driving the company’s growth in the international country music market.

Olykan joins Live Nation from the Country Music Association (CMA), where she has served as Vice President of International Relations and Development since 2018.

During her tenure, Olykan further developed CMA’s international strategy, focusing on expanding country music’s global footprint and built a dynamic network of industry leaders that drove growth and awareness for the genre worldwide.

Olykan also provided key insights into emerging trends and created compelling media narratives highlighting country music’s international appeal. Additionally, she oversaw CMA’s programming strategy for CMA Fest and served as interim Festival Director for two years, further enhancing the festival’s success.

Olykan explained “I’ve been so fortunate to work under Sarah Trahern’s incredible leadership at CMA, an organization whose mission is to grow country music around the world.

“It’s been a privilege to have built so many meaningful relationships worldwide, and I’m excited to continue advancing that mission from my new role at Live Nation.”

Prior to her role at CMA, Olykan was a key figure in the UK’s country music scene as Vice President of Live Music and Major Arena Events at AEG Presents and was one of the founding promoters of Country to Country (C2C), the UK’s largest country music festival, and established country touring in the UK for AEG Presents, earning her the CMA Jo Walker Meador International Award for her outstanding contributions to the genre’s international growth.

Welcoming Olykan to Live Nation, Al-Joulani noted “country and Americana artists are touring more of the world than ever before as the global demand for their music is on the rise, and Milly’s extensive experience and industry connections make her a great asset to support our efforts in continuing to expand touring of those genres worldwide.

“We’re excited for the opportunities her leadership will create for artists and their tours around the world.”

Image: Milly Olykan, Live Nation Concerts’ new as Senior Vice President of Artist Development and Global Touring. Credit: Live Nation.