There are names that make an entire industry pause for a second. Not because they stand in the spotlight, but because they are the light behind it. Thomas Johansson is one of those names. Founder of EMA Telstar – the company that turned Sweden from a musical backwater into a natural stop on the world’s touring map.
I remember when the EMA logo began appearing on posters in Gothenburg. It was a mark of quality. It meant this was real. The world’s biggest artists suddenly had a road to Scandinavium, Ullevi or Eriksdalshallen – and that road always went through Thomas Johansson and his network.
He wasn’t the artist. He was the one who made it possible.
Where it all began – from jazz to arenas
Thomas Johansson grew up with jazz and a trumpet in his hands. That musical understanding gave him something few promoters possess: the ability to feel the rhythm of an event. He knew that a concert is not just sound and light—it’s tempo, flow, and timing.
In 1969, he founded EMA – European Music Agency. A name that already carried ambition. At that time, Sweden was still a distant destination for international tours. Logistics were tricky, the audience limited, and the weather unpredictable. But Johansson saw something else—a people hungry for music and a generation ready to open its doors to the world.
EMA grew fast, and during the 1970s EMA Telstar became a household name. When the world’s biggest artists toured Europe, Sweden was suddenly no longer a footnote. It was a destination.
ABBA, Pink Floyd, and the golden age of rock
It was EMA Telstar that rolled out ABBA’s world tours.
It was EMA Telstar that built Pink Floyd’s walls inside the Globe Arena.
It was EMA Telstar that brought Springsteen back to Ullevi—again and again.
Thomas Johansson understood something few others did: every concert is a promise. The audience invests their money, time, and emotions. The promoter must invest their soul.
He was there when the curtain went up, when the dressing rooms filled with nerves, when the trucks rolled in at night. He was the one who made sure the show actually happened.
Many of us who later worked behind the scenes—as stage crew, site managers, or production leads—saw EMA Telstar as our school. It was where we learned that precision and passion must walk hand in hand.
For me, personally, it was also a reminder that the real heroes of live music often stand behind the curtain.
When Sweden became a global stage
During the 1980s and 1990s, the live music industry exploded in the Nordics. EMA Telstar was its heartbeat. They brought in everyone from the Rolling Stones to Madonna, U2, and Metallica.
I still remember that summer when the Stones played Ullevi. The city vibrated. Gothenburg was no longer just Volvo, shipyards, and football—it was the center of the world for one night. That kind of energy doesn’t happen by chance. It requires people who understand that logistics are as much art as they are science.
Thomas Johansson had that gift. He navigated between artists, unions, sponsors, and city officials like a conductor leading an orchestra.
For those of us in the business, he became the symbol of Nordic professionalism—a mix of Swedish order and rock’n’roll chaos. He could speak with equal ease to a local rigger or Paul McCartney.
From EMA Telstar to Live Nation
In 1999, Thomas Johansson sold EMA Telstar to SFX Entertainment, which later became Clear Channel and eventually Live Nation.
But the spirit of EMA never disappeared.
When Live Nation Sweden was born in 2008, only the logo changed. The soul and heartbeat—Thomas Johansson and his team—remained.
He became Chairman of Live Nation Nordics, a title that might sound corporate but in practice meant he was still orchestrating the rhythm of the entire region. From EMA’s early phone lines to today’s digital global networks, he has been part of the very architecture of live music.
Today, when international booking agents plan a world tour, Scandinavia is a safe and respected market. That foundation was laid by EMA Telstar.
Behind the scenes – where magic lives
I’ve stood there myself on the arena floor, when the lights dim and the first riff tears through the dark. That moment feels effortless—but it takes thousands of decisions to make it happen.
EMA Telstar mastered that.
They didn’t just build stages—they built trust.
Thomas Johansson treated people as partners, not parts of a machine. It showed in everything—from how the crew was greeted to how artists and sponsors were handled.
Even today, when I lead productions, I often think of EMA’s philosophy:
Professionalism isn’t rigidity—it’s clarity.
Logistics aren’t bureaucracy—they’re rhythm.
And the show must feel just as alive backstage as it does in front of the audience.
The Swedish model of production
EMA Telstar introduced a new way of thinking about event production in Sweden.
It wasn’t just about booking acts—it was a philosophy.
They built bridges between technology, logistics, and art. They understood that an artist doesn’t just want to perform—they want to be understood. They made sure Sweden had the arenas, the sound systems, and the skilled crews to make it happen.
When I see today’s event managers juggling AI tools and dashboards, I often think:
Thomas Johansson did all of this without technology. He did it with people.
A reminder that intuition remains our most powerful software.
A life in rhythm
When Thomas Johansson received the Tampere Music Award in 2024, it was the culmination of a lifetime devoted to live music.
He has literally connected worlds—from Swedish clubs to Madison Square Garden.
But what inspires me most isn’t the number of artists or shows. It’s his endurance.
Staying relevant for over five decades in such a volatile industry takes more than luck—it takes a moral compass.
He stands for respect, precision, and passion.
When young producers ask me what they should learn first—technology or finance—I say: learn to listen.
Thomas Johansson proved that listening is the ultimate leadership skill.
From EMA Telstar to tomorrow
Today the business is full of bureaucracy and algorithms. But the essence remains: the human meeting through music.
EMA Telstar taught us to protect that meeting.
There’s a direct line between their work and today’s festivals and events—from Sofia to Stockholm.
Many of us now leading our own projects still carry a piece of EMA’s DNA: think big, stay grounded.
A legacy that still plays
Thomas Johansson never needed to shout about his importance.
His work speaks through echoes—in every well-executed show, in every stage built with care, in every audience that leaves uplifted.
EMA Telstar wasn’t just a booking agency—it was a movement.
Proof that Sweden could deliver world-class performance, not only in music but in execution.
Looking back at my own career—from Gothenburg City Festival to Volvo Ocean Race—I feel grateful for the system he built.
It gave us a language, a pride, a way to understand that “the show must go on” isn’t a cliché—it’s a commitment.
Thomas Johansson built bridges between cultures, continents, and generations.
He taught us that leadership means enabling others to shine.
And he reminded us that every show—big or small—is a chance to make people feel alive.
EMA Telstar may be history on paper, but its heartbeat is still alive in every stage light that turns on.
By Chris...