Warner Music buys into Polish promoter Big Idea

Warner Music Poland has bought a minority stake in Big Idea, one of Poland’s leading concert and festival promoters.

Under the terms of the deal, the two companies will launch new festivals and expand the line-ups of Big Idea’s existing Yass! festival and other events.

They will also collaborate to expand Big Idea’s merch business and booking operations, and develop its NFT-powered Live Entertainment Ecosystem.

Founded in 2012 by veteran Polish music executive Sławek Ostruszka, Big Idea built a name for itself by bringing major US hip-hop artists to Polish audiences and fostering the growth of homegrown artists in the genre.

The promoter has organised shows with up to 20,000 fans for artists including Anderson .Paak, Denzel Curry, Ghostemane, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, Mobb Deep, Playboi Carti, The Game and Trippie Redd.

Big Idea staged the first trap music festival in Poland, Clout festival in Warsaw, which brought international performers such as City Morgue, Ferg, Fivio Foreign, Jack Harlow, Key Glock, SoFaygo and UnoTheActivist and White Widow to the region.

“We’re going to pour rocket fuel on the success of individual artists and grow the wider local hip-hop scene”

Polish hip-hop group White Widow are an early beneficiary of the partnership, having signed a record deal with Warner Music Poland and a management contract with Big Idea.

Big Idea also has a growing artist and booking management side of the business that works with the likes of Noon, Rizi Beizeti, Vkie, Young Multi and Yung Adisz.

The deal will see some two dozen acts either sign directly with, or be distributed by, Warner Music Poland.

Adrian Ciepichał, MD of Warner Music Poland, says: “We’re always looking to do more for our artists and this deal will enable us to do just that. We’re going to collaborate with Big Idea to pour rocket fuel on the success of individual artists and grow the wider local hip-hop scene. I’m looking forward to welcoming new artists to our local roster and helping them find a wider audience in Poland and internationally.”

Sławek Ostruszka, CEO and founder of Big Idea, adds “This partnership will help accelerate the growth of Big Idea and benefit the whole hip-hop community in Poland. Fans will be able to enjoy even bigger, better shows and more artists will get the opportunity to make a huge impact with fans. As live music emerges from the shadow of the pandemic, this feels like the right time to go for growth.”

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Written by IQ Magazine