The New Bosses 2025: Kara Harris, Live Nation

The 18th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses in association with Futures Forum was revealed in IQ 137, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business. To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2025’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Kara Harris is a promoter at Live Nation, where she’s spent the past three and a half years curating a roster that reflects the richness, versatility, and innovation of today’s music landscape. Before joining Live Nation, she started as a promoter at AEG, gaining foundational experience in the live music industry.

Her current roster includes artists such as Leon Thomas, FLO, Alkaline, Uncle Waffles, Darkoo, Pozer, YT, Laila!, and many others — a roster that speaks to their passion for championing diverse and genre-spanning talent. For them, working with artists who embody range and creativity is not just exciting, it’s essential.

Representation in the live industry is a driving force behind her work, believing that visibility — theirs and others’ — plays a vital role in making the industry more accessible, inclusive, and open to fresh voices and perspectives.

Earlier in your career you had a radio show that championed new talent. Did that experience help you to find new acts for your promoting roster?
Absolutely. Hosting a radio show meant I spent a lot of time carefully listening to new music, which really helped me develop an ear for spotting potential. It taught me to trust my own instincts, especially when some of the artists I discovered early on went on to achieve big things. That experience definitely shaped how I approach building my promoting roster, as I feel confident in recognising talent before it breaks through.

You have a passion to make the industry more diverse. How would you try to entice the next generation of people – especially those from under-represented areas of society – to consider a career in the business side of live music?
I think the key is sharing knowledge and making the industry feel accessible. So many people who love live music do not know what a promoter does or that it can be a career. By raising awareness and showing clear pathways in, we can inspire more people to see themselves in the business side of live music. There are so many different jobs and career paths in live that can suit all kinds of passions – the first step is making people aware of what those roles actually are.

“[TikTok] has given artists a way to get their music out there without barriers”

Which acts on your roster would you encourage others to keep an eye on in the year ahead?
I’d say CARI and LeoStayTrill for sure. They know exactly who they are as artists but are still open to trying new things and experimenting with their sounds, which I really respect. I am also super excited about Laila! and Khamari – they are both incredibly talented singers and songwriters, and I feel like 2026 and beyond are going to be massive for them because they are only just getting started. Leon Thomas is another one. He has been in the industry for a while, but things are really taking off for him now, and I think over the next year we are going to see him become one of the big forces in R&B.

As a promoter, are there any particular events, forums or platforms that you visit to try to discover the next big act?
Honestly, probably TikTok – even though it feels cliché to say. Sure, it gets criticised for creating ‘microwavable’ music or shortening attention spans, but it has also given artists a way to get their music out there without barriers. As I’ve gotten older, the way I find new music has changed, but I think it is important to stay tapped into what people are connecting with. Parties and club culture are also a great way to see what songs are really connecting with people in the moment. I also have to mention @thebluesproject.co and @ukundergroundrap as two great platforms.

What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
I can’t pick just one, but there are a few that stand out. FLO’s first headline show at Outernet was such a moment, and Valiant’s sold-out show at the Roundhouse was incredible – one that really made me emotional at the time. My first sold-out arena with Alkaline will always mean a lot to me, on a cultural and personal level. And then this past Wireless, my first one as part of the team – the site changes, Drake, the amount of exciting UK talent that played across the weekend, the special guests – it all just came together and felt magical.

“As long as I can look back and feel proud of who I am and what I’ve achieved, I’ll be happy”

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
Since joining Live Nation, Ponnu has really become that person for me, and Kemi Sulu has been such a mentor as well. When James Beaumont was here, he was a big support too. I am also lucky to have quite a few friends in the industry that I can constantly bounce ideas off – Jess Ajose, Dan Mburu, Scully, I’m sure they get tired of how many messages I send the group chat asking them what do you think of this, what do you think of that, but their opinions and input mean a lot to me.

I’m also always calling Tobi Omoloja, MK and Shanae Dennis too, who all sit in different spaces in the industry so offer different perspectives. I’d say I’m very blessed with the people I have around me, so a creative rut is never a place I’m stuck in for very long.

What is your favourite venue and why?
O2 Academy Brixton is definitely up there – I have seen so many amazing shows there, both as a teenager and as an adult. Some of them were genuinely life-defining if I am being sentimental. I also have a real soft spot for Outernet and The Lower Third. The team there are great to work with, and I have put on so many special shows at both that mean a lot to me. Plus, that massive screen at Outernet adds so much to a show, and I never have to argue with agents about it being a show cost, which is always a bonus!

As a new boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
Because of the nature and hours of the job, it can feel very 24/7 and intense at times, but I think there are ways we could prioritise balance and make sure people don’t burn out.

What would you like to see yourself doing in five years’ time?
I have loads of goals for the next five years, in live and outside of it, but I do not want to jinx anything by saying them all. Honestly, I just want to be doing what I am doing now, just on a bigger scale, across shows, festivals and indoor/outdoor events. As long as I can look back and feel proud of who I am and what I’ve achieved in five years, especially as someone who is pretty hard on themselves, I’ll be happy.

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