Emma Bownes

Emma Bownes is Senior Vice President of Venue Programming for AEG International. In this role, Emma is responsible for programming, developing, and curating the most exciting and commercially successful calendar of content for AEG venues outside the Americas. This includes The O2 (London), Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall (Berlin), Barclays Arena (Hamburg), and IG Arena (Nagoya).

Under her leadership, The O2 delivered a consecutive record-breaking year in 2025, hosting 239 performances and selling a record 2.9million tickets, further cementing the venues position as the world’s most popular live entertainment venue. Record growth was also delivered for Berlin’s Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall and Hamburg’s Barclays Arena.

In addition to her role at AEG, Bownes is a respected industry leader, actively contributing to the broader live entertainment ecosystem. She serves as a Board member for the Music Venues Trust, where she champions grassroots venues and advocates for the next generation of talent. She was instrumental in pioneering a three-year partnership with Music Venue Trust, leading to a six-figure donation in 2025 to support the grassroots ecosystem. In 2024, she was appointed an ambassador for the Young Voices Foundation, where she plays a key role in sponsoring local schools to participate in performances at The O2, underscoring her commitment to music education and talent development.

Emma’s achievements have been recognised with several industry awards, including Music Week’s Women in Music Roll of Honour and the Live Music Inspiration Award. In 2024, Emma was recognised by IQ Magazine for her 25 years in the industry.

After starting her career as the Entertainments Booker for her Student Union, Emma moved to London to work as the University booking agent at Mission Control. From there she moved to Hackney’s Ocean music venue, followed by a stint at Mean Fiddler, where she held the diary for The Forum and worked as a promoter booking shows across the Borderline, Jazz Café, Forum and Garage. Prior to moving to The O2, Emma was Bookings Manager at Wembley Arena.