lineups galore

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Ticketmaster Called to the Stand
Shortly after this issue hits your inbox, the Ticketmaster US Senate hearing, “That’s the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment,” will kick off (Jan. 24 at 10 AM ET | livestream here). While the hearing came to fruition following the “Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco,” it has little to do with fans’ inability to get tickets and instead will focus on the Ticketmaster/Live Nation “dominant market position,'' led by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee. Witnesses to appear before the entire US Judiciary Committee include, Joe Berchtold, President and CFO, Live Nation Entertainment; Jack Groetzinger, CEO, SeatGeek, Jerry Mickelson, CEO and President, JAM Productions; Sal Nuzzo, Senior Vice President, The James Madison Institute; Kathleen Bradish, Vice President for Legal Advocacy, American Antitrust Institute; and Clyde Lawrence, Singer-songwriter for the band Lawrence.

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At the same time, the group, Free Britney America, will host a protest outside the U.S. Capitol, in support of ending the Ticketmaster/Live Nation monopoly.

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Drakeo the Ruler Lawsuit Moves Forward
Live Nation’s lawsuit over the backstage murder of Drakeo the Ruler at Once Upon a Time music festival in Los Angeles, CA last year is moving forward after a judge agreed with Drakeo’s brother. The suit, filed last year, claims that Live Nation was aware of threats to the artist and failed to provide proper security.

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Certified Green Festivals
A Greener Festival (AGF) has awarded 43 festivals from 13 countries sustainability certification for their 2022 editions. The certification is a standard “for festivals and events reducing waste, emissions and enhancing equality and biodiversity.” The full list of AGF certifications is here.

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Make Tickets Fair! 
Live industry organizations have come together across Europe to form the Make Tickets Fair! Initiative, aimed at empowering fans not to get “ripped off by unscrupulous ticket resellers.” The group’s website is currently focused on getting others in the industry to join and includes resources and advice for organizers on the safe resale of tickets as well as an overview of ticket resale laws country by country.

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China Eases Covid Performance Bans
With China finally lifting some of its Covid-zero restrictions, artists from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can travel to and perform in Mainland China starting February 16th. However, foreign artists are still prohibited and any concerts or shows must still adhere to pandemic control measures from the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

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Rihanna is Back
Apple Music dropped its trailer, “Rihanna is Back,” for its first Super Bowl Halftime Show. Apple Music replaces long-time title sponsor Pepsi this year. The trailer has led to some speculation that Rihanna will be dropping a new album soon - she hasn’t released one since 2016 - but the artist says she’s solely focused on her halftime performance now.

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Big Game Security Prep
U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) helicopters have been flying low over Glendale, AZ in preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl. The helicopters are flying in a grid-like pattern to survey the radioactive material on the ground and will use the data in the event of a threat or attack on the big game.

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Coachella + YouTube
Coachella and YouTube have extended their live streaming partnership through 2026. This year will be the 11th time the fest has been streamed on YouTube. The partnership includes, “YouTube Shorts content, playlist integration on YouTube Music, more merchandise, exclusive content for YouTube Premium subscribers, and onsite activations from artists as well as creators.”

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Woodstock in the Metaverse
Last week we wrote about Woodstock going to South Korea for the first time. This week, the iconic festival announced plans to make its debut in the Metaverse with the help of Sequin AR. Woodstock World seeks to “bring together an infinite audience using the 3D metaverse experience” and will focus on emerging artists.

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Celebrating 40 years of Madonna
Madonna announced The Celebration Tour, a global tour celebrating 40 years in music starting in July in Vancouver, BC. At the end of the first day of sales for 50 of the shows, they were 98% sold out - many in under 10 minutes. - and 23 shows added to the original 37. More on sales happen this week and additional European dates are expected to be added.