This year¡¯s edition of Summer Sonic is inadvertently doubling as an experiment for Japan¡¯s live music industry.
Held concurrently in Tokyo and Osaka on Aug. 17 and 18, the summer music festival is being held at a time when compelling headliners with fresh star power are harder to come by and prices are going up. Organizer Creativeman is therefore hoping to find success with a pair of young headliners that can revive interest in big festivals in general.
Italian group Maneskin and British hard rock band Bring Me the Horizon top the weekend¡¯s lineup on the main stage (with American pop star Christina Aguilera offering something of a security blanket for older millennials). Neither outfit has headlined a festival here before, and even though both have achieved popularity in the Japanese market, Summer Sonic will serve as a test of sorts to see if either can become go-to bookings like Foo Fighters or any Gallagher brother project.
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