Live music industry news

As South Korea’s August ticket touting crackdown looms, government reports fifteen touts to the police

public

Secondary Ticketing • 1 min read

As South Korea’s August ticket touting crackdown looms, government reports fifteen touts to the police

Ticket touting regulations in South Korea are due to be ramped up this August. But before that even happens, the government has reported fifteen touts to the police, because the quantity of tickets they are selling suggests they have been illegally employing bots to source their tickets…

Chris Cooke • 25 Jun 2026

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

public

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

Live industry and consumer rights groups call on EU to ban dynamic pricing for events

public

Dynamic pricing • 3 min read

Live industry and consumer rights groups call on EU to ban dynamic pricing for events

The European Commission is currently drafting a new EU Digital Fairness Act, and live music and consumer rights groups reckon it should include a ban of dynamic pricing for live events. They say dynamic pricing in ticketing means “consumers increasingly face unpredictable price increases”…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jun 2026

StubHub fined £900,000 by UK regulator for illegal drip pricing

public

StubHub • 3 min read

StubHub fined £900,000 by UK regulator for illegal drip pricing

StubHub in the UK has been fined £900,000 for illegally employing drip pricing, where mandatory booking fees are not declared upfront and are only revealed at the end of the ticket-buying process. The secondary ticketing company insists that the drip pricing occurred because of an error on its site…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2026

UK government should prioritise tackling post-Brexit touring issues at next EU summit, MPs tell ministers

public

CMS Select Committee • 3 min read

UK government should prioritise tackling post-Brexit touring issues at next EU summit, MPs tell ministers

Parliament’s culture select committee has urged the UK government to put post-Brexit touring issues high on the agenda at its next EU Summit, which could be next month. It should also provide more support for artists and performers who are currently navigating all those issues, MPs add…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jun 2026

New ticketing regulations needed, Irish politicians say, following collapse of DEAG’s tickets.ie

public

ticket.ie • 3 min read

New ticketing regulations needed, Irish politicians say, following collapse of DEAG’s tickets.ie

The collapse of Irish ticketing platform tickets.ie - and its impact on festivals that are owed hundreds of thousands of euro - was discussed in the Irish parliament this week, with politicians insisting new laws are needed to protect promoters and ticket buyers when ticketing companies go bust…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jun 2026

Independent venues urge US attorneys general to crack down on fake artist websites run by ticket touts

public

National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) • 2 min read

Independent venues urge US attorneys general to crack down on fake artist websites run by ticket touts

US venue organisation NIVA has found thousands of misleading websites and URLS which are used by touts to trick consumers into thinking they are buying tickets from official sellers rather than unofficial resellers. NIVA wants state-level officials in the US to crackdown on these deceptive practices…

Chris Cooke • 09 Jun 2026

Directors of DEAG subsidiary tickets.ie will appoint liquidators

public

Tickets.ie • 2 min read

Directors of DEAG subsidiary tickets.ie will appoint liquidators

Irish ticketing platform Tickets.ie is calling in the liquidators. DEAG became a majority shareholder in the company in 2022 after the ticket seller restructured to meet financial challenges caused by the COVID shutdown. It’s not clear how many promoters will be impacted by the company’s collapse…

Kaya Robertson • 04 Jun 2026

First Scottish edition of WOMAD cancelled due to low ticket sales

public

WOMAD • 1 min read

First Scottish edition of WOMAD cancelled due to low ticket sales

The first ever Scottish edition of WOMAD was due to take place in Glasgow next month via a partnership with Celtic Connections and Glasgow Life. However, organisers have cancelled the event because ticket sales “did not reach the level required” to “deliver” the festival “in its inaugural year”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Jun 2026

public

MIA • 3 min read

M.I.A. sues Kid Cudi after being axed from his tour - claims sacking was ‘publicity stunt’ prompted by poor ticket sales

M.I.A. was sacked as support act on Kid Cudi’s current tour last month, a move that has now prompted a lawsuit. At the time Kid Cudi said he was dropping M.I.A. because of “offensive remarks” she’d made on stage. But she now claims it was a publicity stunt to try to sell more tickets for the tour…

Chris Cooke • 01 Jun 2026

More Kanye cancellations: banned from performing in Italy, but Dutch shows to go ahead

public

Kanye • 2 min read

More Kanye cancellations: banned from performing in Italy, but Dutch shows to go ahead

Kanye West’s European tour has had another date axed, after officials in Italy blocked his planned concert in the city of Reggio Emilia citing “public order” concerns. However, politicians in the Netherlands have resisted calls to block two shows taking place there this week…

Chris Cooke • 01 Jun 2026

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

public

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

Live industry news including ticketing, venues, festivals and more