Live Nation news

Live Nation wants to push embarrassing legal spat with former employee into private arbitration

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Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation wants to push embarrassing legal spat with former employee into private arbitration

Live Nation has formally responded to the lawsuit filed a former employee who accuses the company of “financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures”. It says those claims are without merit, but wants this dispute forced to private arbitration, keen to avoid the PR damage of a court case…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jun 2026

Live Nation boss Michael Rapino talked to Trump, hired Trump allies, reveals latest filing in antitrust case

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Live Nation • 2 min read

Live Nation boss Michael Rapino talked to Trump, hired Trump allies, reveals latest filing in antitrust case

Live Nation has filed a summary of its communications with the US government when it was trying to get the DoJ to settle its antitrust lawsuit, including a conversation between CEO Michael Rapino and Donald Trump. The settlement is controversial, which means this filing will get extra scrutiny…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jun 2026

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Live Nation • 3 min read

DoJ seeks court approval for Live Nation antitrust deal - but is it in the public interest?

The US Department Of Justice is seeking court approval for its antitrust settlement with Live Nation. It says no court hearing is required to scrutinise the deal if the judge believes it’s in the public interest, but lots of people argue it is not, including ex-DoJ officials…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jun 2026

BTS fans hate Live Nation over Aussie and Malaysian ticket pre-sales

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Live Nation • 3 min read

BTS fans hate Live Nation over Aussie and Malaysian ticket pre-sales

Tickets for BTS shows in Malaysia and Australia go on sale next week, prompting new scrutiny of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. In Malaysia that’s down to false rumours tickets are already being secretly sold, but in Australia criticism centres on Ticketmaster’s failure to communicate ticket prices…

Chris Cooke • 29 May 2026

UK competition regulator should urgently investigate live music sector, MPs say, citing “climate of fear” around Live Nation’s dominance

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Live Nation • 4 min read

UK competition regulator should urgently investigate live music sector, MPs say, citing “climate of fear” around Live Nation’s dominance

MPs are concerned that Live Nation’s dominance is harming competition in the UK live sector and have called on the Competition & Markets Authority to launch an investigation before the end of the year. It follows the recent jury ruling in the US which said Live Nation operates an unlawful monopoly…

Chris Cooke • 26 May 2026

Spotify’s transformation into an AI slop factory commences as it announces Universal “superfan” remix gimmick and Live Nation ticketing wheeze

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Spotify • 4 min read

Spotify’s transformation into an AI slop factory commences as it announces Universal “superfan” remix gimmick and Live Nation ticketing wheeze

Spotify has announced partnerships with Universal and Live Nation to get two new features off the ground. Universal is partnering on an AI-powered covers and remixes tool, while Live Nation is involved in a pre-sale tickets scheme. It remains to be seen if Spotify users want either of those things…

Chris Cooke • 22 May 2026

Live Nation should be forced to sell Ticketmaster and a bunch of amphitheaters, say the states that pursued antitrust litigation

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Live Nation • 2 min read

Live Nation should be forced to sell Ticketmaster and a bunch of amphitheaters, say the states that pursued antitrust litigation

The US states that successfully pursued that big antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation have filed a wishlist of sanctions they now want the judge to impose. It includes forcing a sale of Ticketmaster and various amphitheater venues. Live Nation says the requests are “performative and political”…

Chris Cooke • 22 May 2026

Live Nation and Ticketmaster should still be split up, lawmakers told, as US government’s antitrust settlement criticised in Congress

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Live Nation • 2 min read

Live Nation and Ticketmaster should still be split up, lawmakers told, as US government’s antitrust settlement criticised in Congress

The US Department Of Justice’s decision to settle antitrust claims against Live Nation was slammed in Congress yesterday, with President Trump accused of siding with an “illegal monopoly”. Congress members also said they still hope Live Nation and Ticketmaster will be split up by the courts…

Chris Cooke • 19 May 2026

There is a “company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation” at Live Nation, says former executive vice president at the company

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Live Nation • 2 min read

There is a “company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation” at Live Nation, says former executive vice president at the company

A former EVP at Live Nation has made a number of serious allegations of misconduct against the company in a lawsuit filed just one week after it lost its big antitrust trial. Nicholas Rumanes accuses Live Nation of financial misrepresentation and breaching its 2010 consent decree with the US DoJ…

Chris Cooke • 27 Apr 2026

Live Nation pays $9.9 million to settle yet another investigation into dodgy ticketing practices

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Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation pays $9.9 million to settle yet another investigation into dodgy ticketing practices

Live Nation has reached a $9.9 million settlement with the Attorney General of Washington DC, who accused the company of employing dodgy ticket selling tactics. Its lawyers also want the damages part of last week’s antitrust ruling set aside based on a dispute over an expert witness’s maths…

Chris Cooke • 21 Apr 2026

Live Nation loses monopoly trial in “historic and resounding victory for artists and fans”: but what happens next?

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Live Nation • 6 min read

Live Nation loses monopoly trial in “historic and resounding victory for artists and fans”: but what happens next?

Live Nation lost the big antitrust legal battle in the US, with a jury concluding that it operates an illegal monopoly that negatively impacts on artists and fans. It was a dramatic conclusion to a seven week trial - but how will it now impact on the operations of Live Nation, in the US and beyond?…

Chris Cooke • 17 Apr 2026

Live Nation’s Wireless festival cancelled after British government withdraws Kanye West’s permission to travel to the UK

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Kanye West • 4 min read

Live Nation’s Wireless festival cancelled after British government withdraws Kanye West’s permission to travel to the UK

Live Nation has cancelled its Wireless festival after the government withdrew headliner Kanye West’s travel permit. Before the cancellation, with sponsors bailing, the company responded to the backlash over West headlining the event, with Melvin Benn putting out a statement defending the booking…

Chris Cooke • 07 Apr 2026