Live music industry news

More festivals impacted by collapse of ticketing company Lyte

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Lyte • 3 min read

More festivals impacted by collapse of ticketing company Lyte

The fallout from the collapse of ticketing company Lyte continues. Two Aussie festivals have been impacted, with one down AUS$30,000 and another putting ongoing sales on hold. Meanwhile the two US festivals suing Lyte have clarified how they used the company’s secondary ticketing marketplace…

Chris Cooke • 30 Sep 2024

Ticketing company Lyte implodes after “stupidest deal ever done”

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Lyte • 2 min read

Ticketing company Lyte implodes after “stupidest deal ever done”

The board of ticketing company Lyte are trying to find a buyer for the business after it ceased operations last week following the departure of founder and CEO Ant Taylor. Insiders say that the firm’s 2022 acquisition of UK ticketing outfit Festicket contributed to its problems…

Chris Cooke • 18 Sep 2024

Storm Lilian is causing chaos across the UK with Leeds, Creamfields and New Order already affected

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

Storm Lilian is causing chaos across the UK with Leeds, Creamfields and New Order already affected

Stormy weather across the UK has impacted on this week’s outdoor live music events. New Order were forced to cancel a show in Wales, Creamfields experienced some minor delays, and the Leeds Festival had to delay its opening, with three stages remaining closed all day today…

Chris Cooke • 23 Aug 2024

Rachel Chinouriri cancels US support shows, putting the spotlight back on the ‘cost of touring crisis’

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Rachel Chinouriri • 5 min read

Rachel Chinouriri cancels US support shows, putting the spotlight back on the ‘cost of touring crisis’

Rachel Chinouriri was due to support Remi Wolf on her US tour later this year, but she has pulled out because the economics of the shows just don't work. Touring is a challenge for many artists, with increases in US visa fees not helping what is already a precarious situation for many…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 21 Aug 2024

Ten more states join US government’s Live Nation lawsuit, which now seeks treble damages

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Live Nation • 2 min read

Ten more states join US government’s Live Nation lawsuit, which now seeks treble damages

The US government has filed an amended version of its lawsuit against Live Nation, which accuses the company of anticompetitive conduct. Attorneys General from ten more states have joined the litigation, which has been amended to say that states can claim ‘treble damages’ on behalf of their citizens…

Chris Cooke • 20 Aug 2024

Cornwall Council launches Boardmasters investigation

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Boardmasters • 3 min read

Cornwall Council launches Boardmasters investigation

Following the crowd surge that occurred at the Boardmasters festival on Friday evening, Cornwall Council has launched a public protection investigation. Promoter Vision Nine has played down the scale of the incident, but nevertheless says learnings from the investigation will inform planning in 2025…

Chris Cooke • 14 Aug 2024

PRS “no longer operating in the best interests” of songwriter members says open letter in direct licensing dispute

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PRS For Music • 4 min read

PRS “no longer operating in the best interests” of songwriter members says open letter in direct licensing dispute

A group of songwriters who are suing PRS have written an open letter that is scathing of the UK collecting society. The letter is the latest development in a dispute over how PRS handles withdrawal of rights when writers want to do direct licensing deals around the live performance of their songs…

Chris Cooke • 12 Aug 2024

Songwriters' open letter to PRS in direct licensing dispute

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PRS For Music • 13 min read

Songwriters' open letter to PRS in direct licensing dispute

The full text of the open letter written by songwriters to PRS as part of their dispute over direct licensing and rights withdrawal…

CMU • 12 Aug 2024

As Sammy Virji set cancelled after crowd surge, some festival-goers criticise Boardmasters capacity increase

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Boardmasters • 3 min read

As Sammy Virji set cancelled after crowd surge, some festival-goers criticise Boardmasters capacity increase

Organisers of the Boardmasters festival revealed this weekend that seven attendees were hospitalised with minor injuries after a crowd surge incident. Although the injuries were minor, several attendees have spoken about the distress they experienced, with some also criticising festival security…

Chris Cooke • 12 Aug 2024

Taylor Swift’s three Vienna shows cancelled after terror attack arrests

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Taylor Swift • 1 min read

Taylor Swift’s three Vienna shows cancelled after terror attack arrests

Taylor Swift was due to play three shows in Vienna this week, starting this evening, but they have all been cancelled after the authorities confirmed they were investigating a planned terrorist attack at the venue where she was due to play. Two suspects have been arrested…

Chris Cooke • 08 Aug 2024

PR push shows Viagogo is “rattled” by UK government’s price-cap pledge, say campaigners

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Viagogo • 3 min read

PR push shows Viagogo is “rattled” by UK government’s price-cap pledge, say campaigners

The new UK government has pledged to introduce a price cap on ticket resale. This is bad news for Viagogo, which has ramped up its PR efforts, including publishing stats on fananomics and having MD Cris Miller provide Olympic-themed criticism of any new regulations…

Chris Cooke • 05 Aug 2024

StubHub sued over “bait and switch” drip pricing system

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StubHub • 3 min read

StubHub sued over “bait and switch” drip pricing system

Secondary ticketing platform StubHub has been sued in the US over its drip pricing and the way it explains its fees. The Attorney General for the District Of Columbia has filed a lawsuit which he says aims to end StubHub’s exploitative pricing scheme…

Chris Cooke • 01 Aug 2024