AEG Presents Drives Future Growth in France With the Acquisition of Auguri Productions

LONDON & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 15, 2026--

AEG Presents has announced the acquisition of Auguri Productions, a leading company in artist production and development in France. The acquisition marks the next step in AEG Presents’ growth strategy within the French market, further strengthening its expertise in identifying, developing and supporting local talent.

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Founded in 1997 by its President and Founder Charles Bensmaine, Auguri Productions has established itself over the years as one of France’s leading companies in artist development. Passionate about nurturing talent and bringing nearly three decades of experience to the industry, Bensmaine and his team have played a key role in launching and developing the careers of numerous major artists from the French and French-speaking music scene, including Stromae, Angèle, Louane, Julien Doré, David Guetta, Dominique A, Philippe Katerine, -M-, Gazo, Sofiane Pamart, Tiakola, Gaël Faye, Vanessa Paradis, Thomas Dutronc, Yodelice and Jain.

Following the acquisition, Auguri Productions will leverage the scale, expertise and international network of AEG Presents, unlocking new development opportunities for its artists and helping connect local talent with global audiences.

Adam Wilkes, President and CEO of AEG Presents Europe, said:

"France has an extraordinary depth of artistry, a vibrant live music culture and a generation of artists with real international potential. Charles and the Auguri team have earned their reputation by recognising those artists early on and helping them build careers with lasting relevance. Bringing Auguri into AEG Presents deepens our roots in France and creates a meaningful bridge between that local expertise and our global platform. I’m thrilled to welcome Charles and the team as we build this next chapter together.”

Charles Bensmaine, President and Founder of Auguri Productions, said:

“I am very pleased to be joining AEG Presents with my team and to open this new chapter in Auguri’s history. This partnership represents a tremendous opportunity to accelerate our development in the French market while giving the artists we work with even greater access to AEG Presents’ international network and opportunities. We share the same ambition: to identify, develop and support artists over the long term.”

Arnaud Meersseman, President of AEG Presents France, added:

“The addition of Auguri Productions to AEG Presents represents a major opportunity to strengthen our growth in the French market. Charles Bensmaine and his team bring unique expertise in artist development and career building. Their know-how is a perfect complement to our existing activities and will enable us to further strengthen our ability to identify and develop local talent, while offering artists new opportunities both in France and internationally.”

AEG Presents continues to expand its European footprint across the UK, Norway, France, Germany and Benelux, further strengthening its position as one of the region's leading live entertainment companies. Through its network of strategic partnerships, AEG Presents leverages local expertise, industry relationships and global reach to deliver greater opportunities for artists and audiences.

ABOUT AEG PRESENTS

Combining the power of the live event with a true focus on artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across five continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity and community.

Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events including the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, as well as British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Electric Forest, Rock en Seine, We Love Green and All Points East continue to set the standard for the live music experience.

AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as ATEEZ, Justin Bieber, Zach Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Céline Dion, ENHYPEN, Elton John, Carin León, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Tyler, The Creator.

Through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas and stadiums, as well as its renowned partner brands including The Bowery Presents, Cárdenas Marketing Network, Concerts West, Frontier Touring, Goldenvoice, Marshall Arts, MCT Agentur, Messina Touring Group, Outback Presents, PromoWest Productions and Zero Mile Presents — AEG Presents has built a world-class infrastructure dedicated to artist development and audience reach.

For more information, visit www.aegpresents.com.

ABOUT AUGURI PRODUCTIONS

Founded and developed by Charles Bensmaine, Auguri Productions has been supporting the development of artists and their live careers for nearly three decades. The company has built its reputation on recognized expertise in artist development, from emerging talent through long-term career development, as well as in the production of concerts and tours.

Over the years, Auguri Productions has contributed to the development of numerous leading artists from the French and French-speaking music scene, including Jain, Louane, Stromae, Gaël Faye, Yodelice, Oxmo Puccino, Arthur H, Juliette, Thomas Dutronc, Vanessa Paradis, Philippe Katerine.

Based in Paris, Auguri Productions draws on an experienced team and an in-depth knowledge of the French music ecosystem to support artists in developing their careers and live projects.

AEG Presents Drives Future Growth in France With the Acquisition of Auguri Productions

JERUSALEM (AP) — No commercial goods have entered the Gaza Strip for two days, Israeli authorities said Thursday, blaming the suspension on merchants angered by taxes imposed by Hamas — a claim that Palestinian importers deny.

The halt to commercial shipments, including fruit and winter clothing, cuts off a key source of food and other critical supplies as fears grow about procuring supplies needed to get through winter in the territory.

The move stands to immediately reduce Gaza's supplies, because the closed-off territory is completely reliant on whatever goods Israel allows in through border crossings.

Aid groups generally bring in staples such as flour, while merchants import more perishable foods like fruits and meat, according to data released earlier this year by COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees humanitarian affairs in Gaza.

The suspension is raising fears about affordability, with humanitarian workers saying a combination of aid and a robust commercial market is needed to keep prices under control.

“The humanitarian sector on its own cannot meet the needs of all the people,” said Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, an aid group. “The markets need to be functioning.”

COGAT announced the suspension of commercial shipments Wednesday. Its deputy spokesperson, Lt. Daniel Kantorovich, said the agency was acting on a decision made by Palestinian merchants a day earlier and could reverse it at their behest.

“We were prepared to coordinate the entry of their trucks as usual, but the vendors informed us that they were cancelling the coordination due to Hamas’s taxation mechanism and threats against them,” Kantorovich said. “The merchants don’t want to bring goods into Gaza.”

The world’s leading authority on food insecurity reported earlier this year that conditions in Gaza had improved since famine was declared in the territory in August 2025, but were still at crisis levels. Most families in the war-battered enclave weren’t getting nearly enough to eat, said the report, adding that “even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains.”

Merchants in Gaza coordinate directly with vendors outside the territory, whose shipments are examined by Israel's military before entering Gaza.

In announcing the measure, COGAT claimed to be communicating a decision made by local merchants in Gaza who had grown tired of Hamas taxing their trucks and threatening them. Israel has long accused the militant group of levying fees on imports to fund its operations.

COGAT said no private-sector vendors had attempted to import goods to Gaza since the merchants alerted Israel on Tuesday.

But the head of Gaza’s private truckers union, Nahed Sheheiber, disputed Israel's account, saying they were the ones who had made the decision.

“The merchants are not the ones who stopped the shipments,” he said. “The Israeli coordinator is claiming that Gaza’s merchants are responsible, but the truth is that the Israelis are the ones who imposed the restrictions.”

Following COGAT's announcement, Sheheiber's union met with Gaza's Ministry of Economy to express concern and say Israel was citing fees levied by the ministry as a pretext to cut off commercial goods.

The ministry had been asking merchants to pay 10,000 shekels (about $3,226) per truck entering Gaza, Sheheiber said. At the meeting, ministry Undersecretary Khaled Al-Raqab told the union that the amount was not a tax, but rather a donation sought by the ministry to help pay civil servants in the strip.

It was not clear from the COGAT announcement if aid agencies would be allowed to increase shipments into Gaza to compensate for the loss in commercial goods.

The agency claimed that Gaza's population — of roughly 2 million people — required approximately 250 truckloads of goods each day. That's far below the minimum of 600 trucks a day stipulated by a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. a year ago.

The war started when Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, and took 251 hostages. Israel responded with a massive bombardment and a ground invasion that has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

That includes over 1,400 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect, the ministry says. Sporadic attacks have killed five Israeli soldiers in Gaza in the same period.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records and is seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its toll but says women and children make up around half the dead.

Mroue reported from Beirut.

Palestinians walk through a market in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians walk through a market in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)