Live music, festivals, conferences, tours and large-scale experiences don’t just happen: they’re planned, coordinated and delivered by professionals working behind the scenes.
If you’re drawn to the energy of live events, the structure of planning, or the challenge of managing talent and audiences, careers in events and entertainment management offer a wide range of pathways across creative industries.
Here are 10 top-ranked jobs in events and entertainment management and how they connect to the wider industry.
1. Festival manager
Festival Managers oversee large-scale live events from concept to delivery. They manage programming, budgets, stakeholders, schedules and teams, often across months or even years of planning. It’s a role that blends creativity with serious organisational skill.
2. Venue manager
Venue Managers run the day-to-day operations of live performance spaces, theatres, clubs and event venues. From staffing and programming to safety and logistics, they ensure venues operate smoothly and sustainably.
3. Professional conference organiser (PCO)
PCOs plan and deliver conferences, exhibitions and corporate events. This role suits people who enjoy structure, logistics and working with clients across industries, from business and education to arts and culture.
4. Event operations manager
Event Operations Managers handle the logistics that keep events running on time and on budget. They coordinate bump-ins, schedules, technical teams, suppliers and on-site problem solving, often working under pressure in fast-paced environments.
5. Event activations manager
Event Activations Managers focus on audience engagement. They design experiences that connect brands, artists and organisations with audiences through immersive, memorable moments at events and festivals.
6. Artist manager
Artist Managers shape and guide creative careers. They handle touring, releases, marketing, branding, merchandising and long-term strategy, acting as a bridge between artists and the wider industry. This role requires strong communication skills and a deep understanding of the music and entertainment landscape.
7. Tour manager
Tour Managers coordinate the logistics of live tours, managing schedules, budgets, travel, crews and on-the-road problem solving. It’s a hands-on role for people who thrive in dynamic environments and enjoy working closely with artists and production teams.
8. Festival organiser
Festival Organisers curate programming, manage partnerships and oversee the creative vision of festivals. This role often overlaps with production, marketing and stakeholder management, making it ideal for multi-skilled creatives.
9. Talent manager or promoter
Talent Managers and Promoters work on discovering, booking and developing artists and performers. They play a key role in connecting talent with audiences, venues and opportunities, shaping the live entertainment ecosystem.
10. Music supervisor
Music Supervisors work across film, TV, advertising and media, sourcing and licensing music to support storytelling. It’s a role that blends creative taste with business, rights management and industry relationships.
Careers in events and entertainment management are collaborative, people-focused and constantly evolving. No two days are the same and no two career paths look identical.
As explored in Your backstage pass to a career in entertainment management, many professionals enter the industry through hands-on experience, internships, live projects and strong networks rather than a single linear pathway.
Similarly, graduate stories shared in Life after studying music & entertainment management show how skills developed during study, from communication and planning to industry awareness, translate into real-world roles across festivals, venues, labels and production companies.