Luiz Oscar Niemeyer carries his uncle’s name, Oscar Niemeyer, one of the most iconic architects in history. He also belongs to a prominent family in medicine: he is the brother of Paulo Niemeyer Filho, one of the most renowned neurosurgeons in the country, and the son of Dr. Paulo Niemeyer Soares, a reference in the medical area, deceased in 2004. However, Luiz Oscar chose to follow a different path and built his career in the entertainment sector, where he consolidated as one of the main entrepreneurs to bring mega international shows to Brazil.
In May, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer will bring Lady Gaga for a free show in Copacabana, organized by her producer, Bonus Track, the same responsible for bringing Madonna to the beach last year. Mother Monster, as it is affectionately called by fans, joins a list of heavy artists who have come to Brazil over the last four decades thanks to the work of the businessman, one of the pioneers in the market of major international events in the country. The first shows he produced took place in periods marked by political instability and economic turbulence in Brazil.
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In 1990, when he brought Paul McCarteney to a show in Maracanã, he was caught by surprise by the Collor Plan, released just under a month to the presentation. “The sponsors said they couldn’t do it. The money was kidnapped, arrested,” Niemeyer recalled during his participation
In 1990, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer faced a big challenge by bringing Paul McCartney to a historic show at Maracanã. With less than a month to go before the presentation, he was surprised by the Collor plan. “The sponsors said they couldn’t do it. The money was kidnapped, arrested,” Niemeyer recalled during his participation in.
“We left for a series of negotiations, including the artist. Paul wanted to come to Brazil, play at Maracanã, which at the time had a capacity of 200,000 people. And we did it, right? We managed to reach an agreement to receive [o patrocínio] of companies later, ”recalls Luiz Oscar Niemeyer.
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The show not only happened, but also broke a world record of largest paying audience, joining Guinness Book: 184,000 people watched the presentation. Since then, the former Beatle has returned to Brazil several times and has accumulated almost 40 shows in the country, all produced by Luiz Oscar Niemeyer.
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Roberto Medina and the first rock in Rio
Passionate about music since adolescence, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer studied communication and, in concluding college, joined Artplan, Roberto Medina’s advertising agency. It was there that the project of the first edition of Rock in Rio was born in 1985. Initially designed as a festival to promote a Brahma beer brand, the event ended up in history by bringing together big international names, such as Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, James Taylor and Rod Stewart, as well as a selection of Brazilian artists, including Baron Red, Paralamas do Sucesso and Kid Abelha. Rock in Rio has become a cultural landmark and consolidated Brazil as a destination for major musical events.
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“I was general coordinator of the project, at a time when this business was still in the beginning. […] The showbusiness had its precariousness, the professionals were not fully prepared. And I realized that there was an opportunity there, ”says Luiz Oscar Niemeyer.
After leaving Artplan, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer produced three editions of the Hollywood Rock festival, held in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The event stood out for mixing Brazilian bands with large international stars. Among the edits’ headliners were iconic names like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Alice in Chains and Nirvana.
Planmusic and the first show in Copacabana: Rolling Stones
Luiz Oscar Niemeyer also served as president of the BMG Ariola label in Brazil for more than ten years, leaving office at a time when the music industry faced challenges with the emergence of digital media and the increase in piracy. After his departure, he decided to found Planmusic, a company responsible for bringing Rolling Stones to a historic show in Copacabana, marking his first experience with events held on the beach.
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Inspired by a show that singer Lenny Kravitz had performed at the scene the year before, during the celebrations of Rio de Janeiro’s birthday, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer suggested to the Rolling Stones producer the idea of a free beach presentation. The producer, who sought to bring the band to Brazil, accepted the proposal, starting one of the most emblematic events in the country’s musical history.
“For me, it would be an important reentry in the market, a way to make marketing for our company. But it was also something positive for the artist and the city,” says Luiz Oscar Niemeyer. The result was impressive: 1.5 million people watched Mick Jagger and his band, marking the largest audience in the history of the British group – a really difficult number to overcome.
In 2012, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer organized another show in Copacabana, this time with Stevie Wonder and Gilberto Gil. Although the public was not as large as the Rolling Stones, it still brought together about 850,000 people. Little did the businessman know that, 12 years later, megashows on the beach would become an annual tradition, consolidating Copacabana as one of the main stages for large events in Brazil.
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The sale of the business and the emergence of Bonus Track
Planmusic control was sold to T4F () in 2016. For five years, Luiz Oscar Niemeyer continued to collaborate with the company as an associate, bringing prominent projects, including more shows by Paul McCartney. However, the heart of heart began to feel uncomfortable with the weekly trips to São Paulo. In 2021, in a movement similar to what he lived in the late 1980s, he decided to leave T4F to devote himself to a new endeavor.
“I like to be in business control,” admits Luiz Oscar Niemeyer. It was with this spirit that Bonus Track came up, a society with his son, Luiz Guilherme Niemeyer. The closing of the tour Celebration Tourfrom singer Madonna, in Copacabana, marked the beginning of an even more ambitious project. This year, the producer has partnered with the Rio de Janeiro City Hall to hold megahows on the beach by 2029. The platform “Everybody in Rio” will start the activities officially with the presentation of Lady Gaga in May.
But Bonus Track is not limited to megashows in Copacabana. Currently, the company also operates in the artistic business of big names, such as the band Capital Initial, the singer Criolo and the trio Os Garotin. In addition, it organizes the Brazilian Music Festival Sweet wonderswhich this year has a date set for the end of September in Rio de Janeiro. The company also owns Mangolab, a company that specializes in events and digital marketing, and manages theater I Love Prio Through a subsidiary, LGL Promotions. To top it off, Bonus Track is part of the consortium responsible for the reconstruction of Canecão, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most iconic concert halls.
