Black Sea Arena Project Manager: Starring Georgia artists fascinated by Georgian people, hospitality

Music will fill the air and bring a buzzing festival vibe to Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi and seaside town of Shekvetili this summer, as the country is gearing up to host an “entire constellation” of performing artists and thousands of fans of different generations as part of the brand-new Starring Georgia promotional campaign.

Initiated by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the programme of summer shows is run by Black Sea Arena, a 10,000-capacity venue in Shekvetili, and aims to promote the country's potential in tourism, economy and culture and put Georgia on the map of international event calendars as a new destination. 

• Starring Georgia campaign to put Georgia on int’l map of entertainment events - National Tourism Administration

Four-time Grammy Award winner Nile Rodgers will open the programme on August 5 alongside the Chic band in a show involving hit singles for all generations.

The music Arena is constructed on the land of 30’000 square meters and has the capacity to host up to 10,000 guests. The Arena opened with Christina Aguilera’s show in 2016. Photo: Black Sea Arena

Bruno Mars, the winner of 15 Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, four Guinness World Records and other honours, is the current headliner set to close the programme with his October 1 performance at the Dinamo Arena stadium in Tbilisi. 

The line-up also includes FKJ (scheduled for August 6), Damian Lazarus (August 10), The Killers (August 15), All Day I Dream (August 18) and Imagine Dragons (August 31). 

The opportunities Starring Georgia provides to Georgia, the process of selecting artists for the line-up and organisers’ work to entice artists like Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons and others to perform in Georgia are among topics Agenda.ge wanted to learn from the interview with Tsitsi Iashvili, the Project Manager for Black Sea Arena.

Q. Bruno Mars, The Killers, Imagine Dragons… The lineup of the shows for the Starring Georgia campaign is very impressive. Tickets sold out in record time proves that the demand for the performances is high. Can we already say this project has paid off?

A. When 70 percent of tickets are sold so early before the shows, we can say that the project has paid off. Additionally, in the case of Imagine Dragons, we saw up to 25,000 people waiting in line four hours before the tickets went on sale. We see how much interest there is among young people. On social networks, we receive daily messages from them about volunteering in the project. All this already allows us to say that the project has justified itself, despite the fact that there is still over a month left before the first show of the campaign.

Photo: Black Sea Arena

Q. What criteria did you use to select the artists for the line-up?

A. When selecting artists, we always take into account their relevance: at what level they are, worldwide; in which festivals do they participate; how many and what kind of awards they have received; Where do they play? How many tours do they have, and so on. 

Their career activity is a kind of echo for us to see whether it is justified or not to invite a particular artist to Georgia. 

The musical taste of Georgians is second to none - that is why the artists who are most popular in the world are also popular here as well.

In addition, social networks and different forums give us a clear picture of what Georgians listen to. At the same time, we take into account the taste of the neighbouring countries, because we expect many guests from there. Armenia, Azerbaijan or Turkey have not really had performances to showcase lately, so Starring Georgia is a good opportunity for [visitors from these countries] as well.

Photo: Black Sea Arena

Q. What are the main requirements of artists and how well do our performance venues meet them?

A. The bigger the artist, the more they want to put on a good show. The main requirements of contemporary artists are the technical questions that make their concert a unique show - volume, lighting and sound details, pyrotechnics and more.

Contracts have already been signed, and tickets have already been sold or are on sale, which means that Georgia, and Black Sea Arena in particular, is ready for all of this. This is exactly why the technical update took place, in which we purchased a voluminous stage, a special pitch cover, the latest lighting system, and so on.

Q. How did you cause an interest in such popular stars to perform in Georgia? Why might hosting the shows here be interesting for them?

A. In the end, the technical capabilities of Black Sea Arena and the professionalism of our team played a decisive role.

It is very interesting for [Starring Georgia artists] to hold shows here. They are fascinated by us. They were also surprised how we managed to sell tickets so quickly. They like our people, Georgian hospitality, and the fact that we have singing and dancing in our genetic code. 

Photo: Black Sea Arena

They know that they will have the right audience here. For them, Georgia is a very interesting tourist destination - that's what they tell others as well.

Q. Shows of similar scale are not planned for the South Caucasus region this year. What opportunities does Starring Georgia provide to Georgia in this regard?

A. It is this factor that makes us think that our country will have more visitors. Bruno Mars tickets are not sold out yet, and I can't speak in advance, but in the case of Imagine Dragons, we know that more than 6,000 people are coming from abroad to attend the concert. Also, it should be noted that the Imagine Dragons performance is on a Thursday. A tourist will not come here for a single day to attend it. They will spend a few days in our country.

Q. A number of artists are holding shows as part of world tours where Georgia has now become a part - what image and prestige will this detail bring to our country?

A. This is the greatest prestige. First of all, reaching an agreement with artists of a similar scale already means that the country is ready for hosting such events. Secondly, this factor is very important for travellers - people who love music, especially millennials.

Concerts of such artists are an additional attraction for tourists. Even for people for whom music is secondary, the arrival of Bruno Mars or another famous star in a particular country means that the country is safe and interesting. It is with this factor that a tourist can decide to visit that country in the near future.

Photo: Black Sea Arena

Q. During the events, will the artists be involved in activities related to promotion of Georgia?

A. When we bring an artist as part of a tour, it means that their show should be exactly like it was in other countries. Therefore, everything is planned very strictly and with maximum accuracy. Their presence here and the process of immediate execution are predetermined. The approximate outline is as follows - they arrive the night before, get ready, present themselves to the audience and leave after the performance is over.

As for the promotion of Georgia, millions of followers of these artists will follow Georgia through social networks. Each photo or video taken by the artists will go around the world. This is the biggest step towards the promotion of the country.

Q. Can you tell us what the future plans are for Starring Georgia? Are you in talks with other artists, and what can we expect from the campaign next year?

A. This is a two-year campaign, accordingly talks with various artists are continuing actively. We are already working with new artists who will perform in Georgia next summer. As the talks are not over yet, we are not allowed to disclose their names, but we will announce them as soon as deals are reached. For now, I will only tell you that their names are no less established. Next year's lineup will also be aimed at music enthusiasts of different tastes and ages.

One more detail is important - we try our best to create a precedent and announce specific artists’ shows one year in advance. This will help the tourism sector to be better prepared to receive the corresponding influx of visitors.

I would also like to point out that the news to be announced in the near future does not concern only artists. A big surprise is awaiting Georgia’s music industry.