IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Sarah Slater
Ticketmaster UK senior vice president music & festivals Sarah Slater reflects on her impressive career in the live events industry , which started by accident when her natural event organisation skills won over the bosses at Trinity Street . Since then , she has been a passionate advocate for making sure the doors to the industry are always open for young people
What was the first live music event you attended , and was it formative ? Take That at the G-Mex in Manchester ; always the G-Mex to me . While it wasn ’ t necessarily formative for a career in live events ( back then , all I wanted to be was a dancer ), it was still an unforgettable experience . Take That is still my favourite band , and I had the best time in Malta this summer seeing them again . I loved every minute of it .
What sparked your interest in a career in the music industry , and how did you get started ? Completely by accident ! I was teaching dance when one of the parents , Andrew Murray , saw me organising a show for 500 kids and thought I ’ d make a great account manager at Trinity Street . It was a huge career shift , but I took the leap and never looked back . I love the people , the high-pressure environment , and , of course , spending summers at festivals . There are challenges , but the highs make it all worth it .
Has anyone played a key role in supporting your career progression ? Andrew Murray got me in the door , and my boss at Trinity Street , Katie Ray , helped me transition from dancer to industry pro . Jazz Summers and Tim Parry backed me in launching Over9 , which led to huge projects like selling out Twickenham for Chime for Change . And Andrew Parsons at Ticketmaster – an absolute genius when it comes to ticketing , whose support has been invaluable .
What ’ s the first career highlight that comes to mind ? The Chime for Change event at Twickenham in partnership with
Gucci . My first stadium show , and Harvey Goldsmith completely trusted me with ticketing . It was also my first big project with Andrew Parsons . If not for that , my path after Over9 might have looked very different .
What are the big projects in the pipeline at Ticketmaster this year ? Huge stadium shows , outdoor events , and festivals , with onsales extending all the way to events in 2026 . It ’ s shaping up to be another massive year .
It has been a difficult couple of years for many festivals , but what excites you most about the year ahead ? Simply being back in a field . Festival season is my favourite ; great music , great people . I ’ m especially excited about our student program , which partners with universities to train and pay students for box office work . It ’ s a
XX 50 accessaa . co co . uk uk