Peter Taylor
and Daniel Cuffe
Co-Founders, Cuffe & Taylor | Live Nation
Daniel Cuffe & Peter Taylor of Cuffe & Taylor – Monday 24th April 2023.
Photo by James Watkins
It’s not easy to navigate the live industry a volatile market that has many organizers postponing or canceling events because of rising production costs, especially in the United Kingdom, but Peter Taylor and Daniel Cuffe are among those who have been ahead of the curve and know how to give fans what they want and at a price they won’t scoff at.
“Whilst rising costs have made touring more expensive for artists, we saw a trend in more ‘packaging’ of artists,” Taylor said. “For example, our Manic Street Preachers and Suede co-headline dates blew out in a day. The audience see this as value for money, which is now a contributing factor in them making a decision to buy a ticket.”
It’s that kind of thinking that has made Cuffe and Taylor one of the top promoters in the region, working with artists like Alanis Morisette and Justin Timberlake while producing major events like Lytham Festival, an event the duo co-founded in their hometown of Lytham, Lancashire. This year’s edition featured a stacked lineup that included Hozier, Shania Twain, Courteeners, Madness and James, and it’s set to return next summer.
Such successes helped Cuffe and Taylor land deals with sites to develop their programming, an indication that the industry is finding ways to prosper despite economic hurdles.
“Our audiences are telling us that despite times of economic downturn, live entertainment is something that is ringfenced for their spending,” Taylor said. “Our business doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and we’ve already announced the addition of at least one new site for next year with headline shows at the 25,000-capacity Chelmsford City Racecourse. 2025 is looking incredible so far and we’ve programmed more than 75% of our summer sites already.”
Cuffe and Taylor are also approaching each new show, many of which take place at historic outdoor settings, with sustainable practices. The company’s job is to ultimately entertain audiences, and the promoters are finding ways to produce events where people can also embrace and enjoy the UK’s natural surroundings.
“I am very excited about the expansion of grid connectivity across our sites,” Cuffe said. “We already have several sites powered by the grid but our plan is to roll this out as much as possible over the coming years, and where we can’t, we will use battery power. For the industry as a whole, I believe we all have a duty to make this work as it is essential we get more greener alternatives across the line.”
