Josephine Vaccarello has been promoted to president of MSG Entertainment, the company that runs Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre and other high-profile venues, Billboard reported on 21 September 2026.
Vaccarello moves up from the role of executive vice-president of live, a position in which she supervised concerts, residencies and touring bookings for the company’s portfolio. According to the report, her new brief will include broad strategic and operational oversight across MSG Entertainment, excluding bookings for the New York Rangers and New York Knicks.
What the role covers
Billboard reported Vaccarello will continue to oversee bookings for concert residencies and touring acts at Sphere in Las Vegas — the venue owned by Sphere Entertainment Co. that is part of the MSG family of companies. Her remit will also stretch across the company’s other venues and live-entertainment areas.
- Venue oversight: Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre and more.
- Bookings: Concerts, residencies and touring acts (excluding Rangers and Knicks sports bookings).
- Strategic operations: Driving growth opportunities and expanding the company’s live experiences footprint.
The promotion follows Vaccarello’s long career at MSG Entertainment. Billboard noted she joined the company in 1998 as an administrative assistant and has served in a range of roles over nearly three decades.
“Over her nearly thirty-year career with MSG, Josephine has not only been instrumental in growing our live event business but also established herself as one of the industry’s most impactful and respected leaders,” Jim Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment and Sphere Entertainment, said, according to Billboard.
Context and industry implications
Vaccarello’s rise is notable at a time when venue operators are balancing large-scale residencies, international tours and new immersive formats. Billboard highlighted past projects she helped secure, including residencies by Billy Joel and Harry Styles, and pointed to Sphere’s strong commercial performance: Sphere ranked first on Billboard’s 2025 year-end Boxscore charts among venues with capacities between 2,501 and 5,000, while Radio City Music Hall led venues with capacities of 5,001 to 10,000.
MSG’s portfolio and Vaccarello’s new remit touch multiple segments of the live-entertainment value chain — artists, promoters, talent agencies and venue operations. Her appointment may influence booking strategies and favour continuity in the company’s approach to headliners and long-term residencies.
| Venue | Noted role in report |
|---|---|
| Madison Square Garden | Company flagship — under Vaccarello’s operational oversight (excluding NBA/NHL team bookings) |
| Radio City Music Hall | Key venue; ranked first in 2025 Boxscore for 5,001–10,000 capacity |
| Sphere (Las Vegas) | Vaccarello to continue overseeing residencies and touring bookings |
Industry watchers will be looking for signals from MSG on how the company intends to expand its live-entertainment offerings under Vaccarello’s leadership. Billboard quoted Jim Dolan as saying Vaccarello’s understanding of the business and industry relationships will be an asset as MSG pursues innovative growth opportunities.
The move also underscores long-term talent pipelines within major entertainment companies: Vaccarello’s progression from an administrative role to the company presidency illustrates internal succession and the value of institutional knowledge in a rapidly evolving live sector.
For artists and South African industry professionals tracking international venue trends, leadership changes at leading companies such as MSG can affect touring windows, residency deals and the global routing of major tours. Billboard’s report provides the official details of the promotion and highlights Vaccarello’s history with the company.
