Live music industry news

As FTC begins crack down on ticket scalping, scalpers say Ticketmaster endorses their practices

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Secondary Ticketing • 4 min read

As FTC begins crack down on ticket scalping, scalpers say Ticketmaster endorses their practices

The FTC in the US has started to crackdown on ticket scalpers that it reckons have violated the BOTS Act, which prohibits certain practices for sourcing tickets for resale. But one targeted scalping company says its ticket sourcing practices are not only lawful but also authorised by Ticketmaster…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jul 2025

UK government says it will ramp up ‘agent of change’ as it seeks to simplify the licensing of night-time businesses

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Live industry news including ticketing, venues, festivals and more • 3 min read

UK government says it will ramp up ‘agent of change’ as it seeks to simplify the licensing of night-time businesses

The UK government has published a Plan For Change that aims to simplify the licensing of bars, clubs and music venues. It includes ramping up the ‘agent of change’ principle, which was added to planning guidelines in 2018, but the industry says those guidelines have been too open to interpretation…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jul 2025

Hungary Kneecap ban is “fucking outrageous” and has “no legal basis”, says band

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Kneecap • 3 min read

Hungary Kneecap ban is “fucking outrageous” and has “no legal basis”, says band

Hungary has banned Kneecap from entering the country ahead of a planned performance at Sziget Festival next month. The festival says the move by the Hungarian government is “unnecessary and regrettable”, while Kneecap have dubbed it “fucking outrageous”, insisting there is no legal basis for the ban…

Chris Cooke • 25 Jul 2025

Police close investigation into Kneecap’s Glasto set as artists launch syndicate in response to “intimidations” over support for Palestine

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Kneecap • 4 min read

Police close investigation into Kneecap’s Glasto set as artists launch syndicate in response to “intimidations” over support for Palestine

Police are no longer investigating Kneecap’s recent Glastonbury set having concluded that on-stage comments about a possible riot were not an incitement to riot. The band are also backing a new syndicate to support artists who are under pressure after speaking out in support of Palestine…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jul 2025

Slovakian festival Rubicon cancelled after Kanye backlash as rapper heads to Prague instead

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Kanye West • 1 min read

Slovakian festival Rubicon cancelled after Kanye backlash as rapper heads to Prague instead

Slovakian festival Rubicon was heavily criticised when it booked Kanye West to headline. It initially defended the booking but last week announced the whole event had been canceled because of “external pressure and logistical challenges”. West is reportedly planning his own show in Czechia instead…

Chris Cooke • 14 Jul 2025

French mayor pulls Rock En Seine funding after festival confirms Kneecap are still playing

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Kneecap • 2 min read

French mayor pulls Rock En Seine funding after festival confirms Kneecap are still playing

France’s Rock En Seine festival booked Kneecap to play last autumn before controversies surrounding the group and their on-stage support for Palestine went mainstream. The festival says it is standing by the booking, even though that means losing €40,000 in funding from its local council…

Chris Cooke • 14 Jul 2025

Oak View boss stands down after being indicted for allegedly “rigging” the bidding to run Austin’s Moody Center

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Oak View Group • 3 min read

Oak View boss stands down after being indicted for allegedly “rigging” the bidding to run Austin’s Moody Center

Live industry veteran Tim Leiweke has stood down as CEO of the venues company he co-founded, Oak View Group, after being indicted over allegations of anti-competitive conduct when his company was bidding to run the Moody Center arena at the University Of Texas. Leiweke denies any wrongdoing…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jul 2025

“Split Live Nation into four companies”, independent venues tell the US government

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Live Nation • 3 min read

“Split Live Nation into four companies”, independent venues tell the US government

The deadline passed this week for submissions to the US government’s review of the ticketing business. Live Nation has asked for a 20% price cap on secondary ticketing, while NIVA wants even tighter regulation of resale - and for Live Nation to be split up into four separate companies…

Chris Cooke • 09 Jul 2025

AIF calls for competition regulator to investigate Live Nation’s market dominance in the UK

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Live Nation • 3 min read

AIF calls for competition regulator to investigate Live Nation’s market dominance in the UK

Following the recent Parliamentary hearing discussing Live Nation’s dominance in the UK live music market, the Association Of Independent Festivals has asked competition regulator the CMA to investigate if there is anti-competitive behaviour. That would parallel similar investigations in the US…

Chris Cooke • 08 Jul 2025

BBC Music boss steps back, Met Police investigate and Radar Festival responds as Bob Vylan controversy rumbles on

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Bob Vylan • 6 min read

BBC Music boss steps back, Met Police investigate and Radar Festival responds as Bob Vylan controversy rumbles on

The promoter of Manchester’s Radar Festival has spoken about being forced to remove Bob Vylan from her line-up in the wake of the duo’s Glastonbury set. Meanwhile, the BBC continues to apologise for broadcasting that set, as the Met Police investigates comments made at an earlier Bob Vylan gig…

Chris Cooke • 04 Jul 2025

“Huge skip” appears outside The Leadmill as team begins to strip venue back to “derelict flour mill”

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The Leadmill • 2 min read

“Huge skip” appears outside The Leadmill as team begins to strip venue back to “derelict flour mill”

The team behind Sheffield’s The Leadmill are in the process of vacating the building after being evicted by The Electric Group, which plans to take over running the venue. The current team pledged to strip the building bare if forced to leave and it looks like that’s exactly what they’re doing…

Chris Cooke • 04 Jul 2025

“Red-faced and sweaty” Live Nation executives face CMA legal action over Oasis tickets

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Ticketmaster • 6 min read

“Red-faced and sweaty” Live Nation executives face CMA legal action over Oasis tickets

Live Nation’s Phil ‘Brick Top’ Bowdery and Ticketmaster UK top banana Andrew Parsons arrived 15 minutes late last week to give evidence to MPs as part of the Business And Trade Committee’s ‘Rip-off Britain’ inquiry. Given how badly things went from there, they might regret having turned up at all……

Sam Taylor • 02 Jul 2025