According to Freedom Events CEO Victoria Torgunakova, rumors of a possible Eminem concert in Kazakhstan have influenced the plans of thousands of Kazakhstanis. She also noted that booking fees for many Western artists invited to perform in Kazakhstan are significantly higher than in neighboring countries.
The power of anticipation
In April 2026, Yesset Baitassov, CEO of the Directorate of Sports Facilities, mentioned the possibility of Eminem visiting Kazakhstan as part of a broader tour. However, no agreements had been reached at the time: no contracts had been signed and no performance dates had been scheduled.
Nevertheless, speculation about an Eminem concert was enough to directly impact the local entertainment market. Anticipating a major event, some consumers put their entertainment spending on hold and passed up other concerts and activities.
«Let’s imagine you’re an Eminem fan and you hear that he might come to Kazakhstan this year. This means you’ll spend the next few months looking forward to the event. If you’re cautious about your entertainment spending, you may even choose to forgo attending other events or traveling to see Eminem’s concerts in other countries. And that’s a missed opportunity,» Torgunakova said in an interview with Kursiv.media on the sidelines of the Freedom Impressions Talk on June 3.
Concert economics
According to Torgunakova, the likelihood of the global music star performing in Kazakhstan in the near future is low, as the country currently holds limited commercial appeal for the artist.
«Eminem has turned down offers worth up to $6 million. I don’t think he is interested in Kazakhstan as a market. Besides, he generally doesn’t tour. Even if he does come to Kazakhstan, it will be a very expensive event. To break even, the venue would need a capacity of around 80,000 people and ticket prices would have to be at least $500,» Torgunakova emphasized.
Auction effect and market overheating
Torgunakova also explained that despite the lack of formal agreements, local promoters regularly approach representatives of major international artists. This creates speculation in the market and gives foreign agencies an opportunity to raise fees specifically for Kazakhstan, making concerts significantly more expensive than in Georgia, Azerbaijan or many European countries.
«There are top 10 artists who constantly receive offers from people who may not even have that kind of money in hand, yet still want to bring them to Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, this has the opposite effect. Artists’ managers see the interest and turn it into a bidding war,» Torgunakova explained.
According to her, Kazakhstan’s live-events industry has become trapped in a cycle of rising booking fees due to a lack of coordination among market participants.
«It’s a vicious cycle. Many performers share information with one another; sometimes they even work with the same agencies. And, of course, if an artist of this caliber comes to Kazakhstan, let’s say, for $2 million, the agency won’t lower the price for its other artists of the same status. By doing this, we’re locking ourselves into higher prices,» she said.
Freedom Events is a service within the Freedom Holding Corp. ecosystem specializing in ticket sales and access to concerts, sporting events, festivals and other large-scale events. The platform integrates with other ecosystem products, including payment solutions and loyalty programs, and allows users to purchase tickets online via Freedom’s digital services.
