Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

Competition and market functioning in the UK live music industry

Status: Open Opened: 4 Dec 2025 7 conclusions 1 report

The Business and Trade Committee is exploring issues impacting competition and market functioning within the UK’s live music industry, including the role of the CMA in regulation of the sector. This work is following on from oral evidence sessions held on 4 February and 24 June 2025. The Committee is seeking written submissions on the … Show more

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report – Competition and market functioning in the UK l… HC 128 24 May 2026 7 Overdue

Recommendations & Conclusions

7 items
1 Conclusion 3rd Report – Competition and market fun…

Since the CMA merger investigation in 2010, evidence suggests that vertically integrated companies have built...

Since the CMA merger investigation in 2010, evidence suggests that vertically integrated companies have built and maintained a dominant position in the UK’s live music market. We conclude that the evidence gathered through our work on the live music industry, including evidence to this report, has sufficiently demonstrated that Live … Read more

Department for Business and Trade
2 Conclusion 3rd Report – Competition and market fun…

Transparency of ownership and controlling interests within the live music industry is lacking.

Transparency of ownership and controlling interests within the live music industry is lacking. The Committee therefore recommends the CMA uses its information gathering powers to fully investigate how entangled major companies are and to assess the extent of market integration within the sector. (Recommendation, Paragraph 26) Read more

Department for Business and Trade
4 Conclusion 3rd Report – Competition and market fun…

The Committee concludes that a market investigation into the live music industry should be a...

The Committee concludes that a market investigation into the live music industry should be a priority of the CMA. Against a backdrop of the cost of living crisis, an investigation and consequential remedial measures have strong potential to improve market functioning and help deliver economic growth in the UK. (Conclusion, … Read more

Department for Business and Trade
5 Conclusion 3rd Report – Competition and market fun…

The Committee therefore recommends that the CMA launch a market investigation into the UK live...

The Committee therefore recommends that the CMA launch a market investigation into the UK live music industry by the end of 2026 and sooner if possible. The investigation should: • look at the market as a whole, considering all aspects of the UK live music industry, across the entire supply … Read more

Department for Business and Trade
6 Conclusion 3rd Report – Competition and market fun…

If necessary at the conclusion of its investigation, the CMA should make use of its...

If necessary at the conclusion of its investigation, the CMA should make use of its powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to enforce remedies to improve competition and champion consumers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 32)

Department for Business and Trade
7 Conclusion 3rd Report – Competition and market fun…

The Committee recognises the vital role of the grassroots market to the wider music industry...

The Committee recognises the vital role of the grassroots market to the wider music industry and supports the introduction of the industry led levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music. The Committee calls upon companies such as Live Nation to move to adopt this levy as a … Read more

Department for Business and Trade

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
23 Jun 2026 To cttee Letter from Live Nation Entertainment relating to the Committee's report on com…