Live music industry news

Ticket touting platforms start frantic lobbying campaign claiming new anti-tout laws will increase ticket fraud

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Secondary Ticketing • 5 min read

Ticket touting platforms start frantic lobbying campaign claiming new anti-tout laws will increase ticket fraud

The UK government has confirmed it plans to ban for-profit ticket touting, a move that has been widely welcomed by the music industry. The pro-tout lobby claims the ban will ultimately result in more ticket fraud, though FanFair says there is no “demonstrable independent evidence” to back that claim…

Chris Cooke • 19 Nov 2025

Responses to the UK government’s planned ticket touting ban

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Secondary Ticketing • 6 min read

Responses to the UK government’s planned ticket touting ban

The UK government has announced plans to introduce new laws banning for-profit ticket touting and capping the commissions that can be charged on face value resale. Numerous politicians, artists, managers and music industry groups have responded to that announcement…

CMU Editorial • 19 Nov 2025

Plans for former Leadmill venue revealed with “£2 million transformation” revamp to Electric Studios Sheffield

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Electric Group • 2 min read

Plans for former Leadmill venue revealed with “£2 million transformation” revamp to Electric Studios Sheffield

The Sheffield venue formerly known as The Leadmill will re-open next spring as Electric Studios after a “£2 million transformation”. The Electric Group, which owns the building, will now operate the venue after a year’s long legal battle with its previous operator Phil Mills…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2025

StubHub share price craters as UK prepares to announce ticket touting ban

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StubHub • 3 min read

StubHub share price craters as UK prepares to announce ticket touting ban

The UK government is expected to announce a ban of for-profit ticket touting tomorrow, making good on a previous promise to better regulate ticket resale. Reports of the ban in the financial press have already caused the share price of Viagogo’s owner, US-based StubHub, to slump…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2025

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

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Secondary Ticketing • 3 min read

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

Artists and music industry organisations have told Keir Starmer that he needs to urgently “honour his pledge” to better regulate ticket touting and confirm a timeline for introducing a ticket resale price cap. Starmer committed to new ticketing regulations before last year’s General Election…

Chris Cooke • 13 Nov 2025

Viagogo is unfair, opaque and violates EU law, consumer group tells regulator

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Viagogo • 2 min read

Viagogo is unfair, opaque and violates EU law, consumer group tells regulator

Viagogo is violating the EU’s Digital Services Act, according to Euroconsumers, which has filed a complaint with the regulator in Ireland. A Viagogo spokesperson insists the company is DSA compliant, but Euroconsumers says it violates various rules, including know your business customer requirements…

Chris Cooke • 22 Oct 2025

Bobby Vylan says he has no regrets about “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury

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Bob Vylan • 4 min read

Bobby Vylan says he has no regrets about “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury

Bobby Vylan has spoken to Louis Theroux about his controversial BBC broadcast Glastonbury performance, insisting he doesn’t regret leading the crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF”. The BBC Editorial Complaints Unit recently concluded that the set breached rules relating to harm and offence…

Chris Cooke • 21 Oct 2025

Ticketmaster says FTC allegations it colluded with touts “nonsensical”, but it is changing some of its rules and shutting down TradeDesk

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Ticketmaster • 4 min read

Ticketmaster says FTC allegations it colluded with touts “nonsensical”, but it is changing some of its rules and shutting down TradeDesk

Last month the US Federal Trade Commission sued Ticketmaster, accusing the Live Nation company of colluding with dodgy ticket touts. That prompted a letter from concerned senators. In response, Ticketmaster denies collusion and rejects the FTC’s claims, but says it is changing some of its own rules…

Chris Cooke • 20 Oct 2025

Culture minister tells industrial-level ticket touts: “your time is up”

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Secondary Ticketing • 2 min read

Culture minister tells industrial-level ticket touts: “your time is up”

The UK government has confirmed it still plans to introduce a price cap on ticket touting, while also stating that ticket resale platforms like Viagogo will be obliged to ensure resellers are following the rules. All of this is revealed in a new Daily Record article by culture minister Ian Murray…

Chris Cooke • 08 Oct 2025

Aussie festival strip search lawsuit could cost NSW government $150 million

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Splendour In The Grass • 2 min read

Aussie festival strip search lawsuit could cost NSW government $150 million

An Australian court yesterday awarded a woman $93,000 in damages after she was illegally strip searched by police at a music festival in 2018. 3000 people are involved in a class action over allegedly unlawful strip searches, which could result in liabilities of $150 million for the NSW government…

Chris Cooke • 01 Oct 2025

Ticketmaster heads off UK regulatory action with ‘voluntary’ transparency commitments after Oasis debacle

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Ticketmaster • 3 min read

Ticketmaster heads off UK regulatory action with ‘voluntary’ transparency commitments after Oasis debacle

Ticketmaster has made a number of commitments to the Competition & Markets Authority following the regulator’s investigation into the sale of tickets for the Oasis reunion shows. It has pledged to better communicate when it uses ‘tier pricing’ and to explain how different ticket types compare…

Chris Cooke • 26 Sep 2025

Tabloid claims that Dua Lipa sacked agent over Glasto Kneecap letter are “categorically false” and “deliberately inflammatory”

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Dua Lipa • 3 min read

Tabloid claims that Dua Lipa sacked agent over Glasto Kneecap letter are “categorically false” and “deliberately inflammatory”

Reports have been circulating this week that Dua Lipa sacked either her manager or her agent after they signed a letter objecting to Kneecap playing Glasto. It was WME agent David Levy that signed the letter but he isn’t Lipa’s day-to-day agent at the agency and, in fact, nobody has been sacked…

Chris Cooke • 24 Sep 2025

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