'Bigger than just a night out' How Mega Events is reimagining live entertainment for the UK and beyond

Founder Nathan Reed on cultural moments, scalable creativity, and why the UK is still the best place to take risks.

In a saturated live events market, where back-to-back festivals, immersive theatre, and themed club nights jostle for attention, Nathan Reed isn't trying to do more - he's trying to do it better. As the founder of Mega Events, Reed has made a career out of asking one deceptively simple question: What do people really want to experience right now?

"There's no shortage of shows and events out there," he says, "but the real challenge lies in identifying the ideas that truly resonate. The challenge is spotting those concepts that will capture the imagination, then building them into unforgettable shows that feel bigger than just a night out."

For Reed, those moments of resonance often happen in unexpected places - a silent disco in a museum, an orchestra lit by candlelight in a gothic church. It's not about gimmicks, he insists, but about crafting experiences that strike an emotional and cultural chord.

Creativity is easy. Scaling is hard.
The real turning point, Reed says, came when he recognised that great ideas weren't enough - they needed to scale.

"Some creative ideas are brilliant, but they only work once," he explains. "Others have the potential to scale - and that changes everything."

It was this realisation that propelled the growth of Rock Orchestra, one of Mega Events' biggest breakout hits. By scaling it up - reaching larger audiences, running at higher volumes - the team was able to reinvest in production, push creative boundaries, and take the kind of risks that would have been unthinkable on a smaller scale.

"It's that balance between creativity and scalability that allows the work to reach its full potential," Reed says.

Riding the wave, not resisting it
The UK events industry has rarely faced more uncertainty. Between shifting audience behaviours, rising costs, and a digital entertainment boom, even established players are having to rethink how they operate. But for Reed, change is something to be embraced, not feared.

"The UK events market is in a period of flux," he says. "Tastes are shifting, and the way people consume entertainment is changing fast. For me, that's not something to fear, but something to lean into."

At Mega Events, that ethos has become part of the DNA - launching new projects frequently, testing ideas quickly, and constantly staying close to what audiences are feeling.

"It keeps us agile, keeps our creative thinking sharp, and keeps us close to our audiences," Reed says. "We've always got a finger on the pulse of what people are really looking for."

Marketing is the art
While many creatives treat marketing as a necessary evil - something to be outsourced or handled later - Reed sees it differently.

"Taking complete control of our sales and marketing network was a game-changer," he says. "For many creatives, marketing is something they have not had much exposure to, so it can feel secondary. But I see it as part of the art."

By building Mega Events' own marketing engine, the team was able to align every campaign with the creative intent behind the show - shaping narratives, building anticipation, and connecting with audiences in a more authentic, deliberate way.

Advice to founders: Chase less, focus more
As with many founders, Reed's early days were marked by the temptation to say yes to everything.

"In the early days, there's a temptation to chase every opportunity. Especially in a space as exciting as live events," he says.

But the breakthrough, he explains, comes when you stop chasing and start focusing.

"The real growth comes when you identify the business model that best supports your creativity, and then commit to it completely. Focus is everything. When you double down on what you do best, it creates the stability and momentum you need to keep pushing the creative boundaries."

Why the UK is still the stage to start on
Despite economic headwinds and rising production costs, Reed remains bullish on the UK as a launchpad for cultural innovation.

"The UK has always been a fertile ground for new ideas. Culturally, we're progressive when it comes to entertainment," he says. "Audiences here are open-minded and ready to embrace new event formats and experiences."

For creatives, that open-mindedness is golden. Reed sees it as a testing ground for ideas with global potential.

"You can take risks, experiment, and when a show connects here, you know it has the potential to travel globally," he says. "There's nothing more exciting than seeing a spark of an idea take root and grow into a cultural phenomenon."

From gothic orchestras to scalable storytelling, Mega Events isn't just putting on shows - it's building the future of live experience, one creative risk at a time.