Live music industry news

Judge looks set to tell Live Nation to quit dilly dallying as DoJ gears up for its day in court

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Live Nation • 3 min read

Judge looks set to tell Live Nation to quit dilly dallying as DoJ gears up for its day in court

The big US antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation is due to get to trial next week. However, Live Nation wants to delay the proceedings by appealing a recent ruling made in the case. But the judge overseeing the legal battle, Arun Subramanian, says he’s inclined to deny Live Nation’s request…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2026

Lambeth Council gives go ahead for Brockwell Live, but councillor says “the local community don’t feel like they’ve been heard”

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Brockwell Live • 3 min read

Lambeth Council gives go ahead for Brockwell Live, but councillor says “the local community don’t feel like they’ve been heard”

Members of Lambeth Council’s planning committee have unanimously approved plans for Brockwell Live to be staged in the London borough’s Brockwell Park again this summer. That’s despite high profile opposition from local residents who, according to one councillor, “don’t feel like they’ve been heard”…

Chris Cooke • 25 Feb 2026

Lambeth Council set to rubberstamp Brockwell Live for 2026, despite best efforts of local NIMBYs

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Brockwell Live • 3 min read

Lambeth Council set to rubberstamp Brockwell Live for 2026, despite best efforts of local NIMBYs

Lambeth Council will tomorrow decide whether to allow the Brockwell Live festivals to take place in Brockwell Park this summer. This year the events are going through a full planning permission process after local residents successfully challenged the way the council previously fast-tracked approval…

Chris Cooke • 23 Feb 2026

Behemoth and Michale Graves respond to shows being cancelled for (very different) political reasons

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Live industry news including ticketing, venues, festivals and more • 2 min read

Behemoth and Michale Graves respond to shows being cancelled for (very different) political reasons

Death metal band Behemoth have said it is “deeply concerning” that they were forced to cancel a show in India because of threats made by religious groups in the country. Meanwhile Michale Graves has responded to having his UK shows cancelled, albeit because of his politics rather than his music…

Chris Cooke • 19 Feb 2026

Judge says he won’t throw out Live Nation antitrust lawsuit - but will trim US government’s claims

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Live Nation • 3 min read

Judge says he won’t throw out Live Nation antitrust lawsuit - but will trim US government’s claims

The US judge overseeing the big antitrust litigation against Live Nation and Ticketmaster has declined to dismiss the case, though he has trimmed down the lawsuit, removing some of the legal claims in it. It now goes to trial next month, unless Live Nation can agree an out-of-court settlement first…

Chris Cooke • 19 Feb 2026

Will the US states keep up antitrust pressure on Live Nation if live giant’s MAGA mates force DoJ to settle?

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Live Nation • 2 min read

Will the US states keep up antitrust pressure on Live Nation if live giant’s MAGA mates force DoJ to settle?

Amid speculation that the US DoJ will settle its antitrust lawsuit with Live Nation, the state-level attorneys general also involved in the case will meet this week. If the DoJ does settle under pressure from Live Nation’s MAGA mates, the live giant’s critics hope state-level action will continue…

Chris Cooke • 18 Feb 2026

After a Live Nation lobbyist boasted he got antitrust chief sacked, US Senators ask if company has hired a “bevy of cozy MAGA friends”

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Live Nation • 3 min read

After a Live Nation lobbyist boasted he got antitrust chief sacked, US Senators ask if company has hired a “bevy of cozy MAGA friends”

Last week the US Department Of Justice’s antitrust chief resigned, following reports she was under pressure from Trump allies elsewhere in the government department to settle her antitrust litigation against Live Nation. Now Democrat senators want to know what Live Nation’s lobbyists have been up to…

Chris Cooke • 17 Feb 2026

Wasserman to sell his talent agency following artist anger over his appearance in the Epstein files

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Wasserman Music • 2 min read

Wasserman to sell his talent agency following artist anger over his appearance in the Epstein files

The owner and boss of Wasserman Music - Casey Wasserman - is standing down and selling the talent agency after emails he sent in 2003 appeared in the Epstein files. An increasing number of clients had called for Wasserman to go, with some - like Chappell Roan - quitting the agency in protest…

Chris Cooke • 16 Feb 2026

BOTS Act definitely applies to Ticketmaster in FTC case, insists senator who wrote the BOTS Act

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Ticketmaster • 2 min read

BOTS Act definitely applies to Ticketmaster in FTC case, insists senator who wrote the BOTS Act

Last year the FTC accused Ticketmaster US of breaching the BOTS Act, the law that regulates how American touts access tickets to resell. The ticketing company insists that the BOTS Act does not apply to its operations, but one of the senators who wrote the act has told the court it definitely does…

Chris Cooke • 03 Feb 2026

Pulp will play Adelaide Festival despite threatening to join creator boycott following change in leadership

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Pulp • 2 min read

Pulp will play Adelaide Festival despite threatening to join creator boycott following change in leadership

Pulp are set to play the Adelaide Festival, which has been embroiled in controversy since it axed Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fatta from its programme. Jarvis Cocker has revealed Pulp planned to pull out in protest, but will now perform after the Abdel-Fatta decision was reversed…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jan 2026

Primal Scream festival performance cancelled following criticism of “antisemitic” imagery shown at Roundhouse gig

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Primal Scream • 2 min read

Primal Scream festival performance cancelled following criticism of “antisemitic” imagery shown at Roundhouse gig

A Roundhouse show by Primal Scream last week was criticised over controversial images shown during a performance of their song ‘Swastika Eyes’, which critics say were antisemitic. On the back of that criticism, organisers of the Trentham Live festival have now axed the band from their 2026 line-up…

Chris Cooke • 16 Dec 2025

MIT study “marks a new anchor for meaningful actions” to make live music more environmentally sustainable

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Massachusetts Institute Of Technology • 2 min read

MIT study “marks a new anchor for meaningful actions” to make live music more environmentally sustainable

MIT has published the results of its study into the carbon emissions of live music in the US and UK, part of an initiative backed by Coldplay. The academics behind the study say their stats and report should be used to inform “a new era of sustainability practices across all of live music”…

Chris Cooke • 12 Dec 2025