MPs have renewed their call for a full investigation into competition in the UK live-music industry, asking the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to act before the end of 2026. The request is not an investigation launch: as of the committee’s statement on 18 October, the regulator had not announced one.
A repeated call for a formal inquiry
The House of Commons Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee said it was pressing the CMA again and would write to the regulator for details and a timetable for its next steps. The committee first recommended a market investigation in its report published in May. The renewed appeal comes after months of scrutiny of the structure of the live-music business and the influence of large integrated companies.
A market investigation is a formal competition tool, rather than a general review or an automatic finding that a company has broken the law. The CMA can use such an inquiry to examine how a market works and whether features of it harm competition. Depending on the evidence and conclusions, the process can lead to remedies. The regulator, not the committee, decides whether to open one.
That distinction matters because the committee’s latest intervention is pressure for a decision, not confirmation that formal proceedings have begun. In its earlier response to the committee, the CMA said it was reviewing evidence, researching how the market functions and speaking with stakeholders. It said its Board would consider whether to undertake formal markets work. That consideration is different from a decision to launch a market investigation.
What the committee says is at stake
The committee’s concerns span several connected parts of live music: concert promotion, venues, festivals and ticketing. It argued that the scale and integrated nature of Live Nation’s operations can make it difficult for artists and managers to act independently of the company’s network. It also raised concerns about long-term agreements and exclusivity provisions that, in its account, can link access to venues with participation in festivals.
The committee reported that Live Nation directly controlled 58 per cent of the 23.1 million primary tickets on sale in 2025. It said the share reached 66 per cent when sales controlled by affiliated companies were included. Those figures are the committee’s account of its evidence and should not be mistaken for a final regulatory determination of market power or unlawful conduct.
MPs also questioned how ticketing infrastructure can give a large operator access to customer data, including data generated through rival sales, and how that information might be used across promotion and event operations. Their report said the limited uptake of a voluntary contribution on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music had widely been attributed to Live Nation’s failure to implement it. These are findings and criticisms advanced by the committee; they do not establish a legal breach.
Why the question remains unresolved
The committee’s renewed appeal follows concern over ticket sales for the Oasis reunion tour, which brought wider attention to ticket pricing and consumer experience. The CMA has separately taken action on consumer-protection issues in ticket sales, but that work is not the same as a broad investigation into competition across the live-music supply chain.
In its response to the May report, the CMA acknowledged the committee’s evidence on vertical integration, venue ownership, promotion, ticketing and exclusivity clauses. It said it was considering the appropriate scope and tool, alongside its other priorities and available resources. The response described a planned Board consideration; it did not promise a market investigation or set a public launch date.
The government’s response also stressed that ministers should not decide whether the statutory tests for intervention have been met in an individual market. That judgement rests with the autonomous competition authority. The committee’s demand therefore creates renewed political pressure, but leaves the central regulatory decision with the CMA.
For performers, independent venues and fans, the issue is whether concentrated control across different stages of live events limits choice, access or fair competition. The committee says the evidence warrants a full inquiry. The next concrete step is the CMA’s response to the renewed request and whether its Board decides that a formal investigation is justified.
