AEG and SeatGeek tell the judge to reject the DOJ settlement and force a Ticketmaster sale

As the 60-day DOJ comment period closed, Live Nation's two biggest competitors made their positions official. AEG submitted a formal comment arguing the DOJ settlement "does not break Ticketmaster's grip, it tightens it," and called for the court to order Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster outright and ban the long-term exclusive venue contracts that form the backbone of the company's dominance. AEG's filing also included a declaration from Louis Messina, founder of Messina Touring Group, who said Live Nation stopped returning his calls in 2024 and blocked his artists from using him at its amphitheaters. SeatGeek argued similarly that the settlement fails to fix the structural problem. Judge Subramanian now faces a choice: accept the DOJ deal, or impose the structural breakup that the 33 winning states and both major competitors are calling for.

California passes two bills affecting the live industry

California ended its legislative session by passing two ticketing bills, with very different receptions. The first, AB 1349, was originally designed to ban ghost tickets statewide, but by the time it reached Governor Newsom's desk, NIVA and a coalition of arts organizations were actively calling for a veto. Late amendments had exempted major resale platforms like StubHub from liability while exposing independent venues, festivals, and nonprofits to a private right of action if they run a presale, waitlist, or VIP package - practices that have nothing to do with speculative selling. NIVA's Executive Director Stephen Parker called it a bill that "abdicates multibillion-dollar resale platforms from true accountability" while leaving small operators exposed. 

The second bill, SB 186, was welcomed: it protects California's film and TV production tax credit program after a separate tax bill inadvertently capped it, with the Musicians' Union celebrating it as saving thousands of entertainment industry jobs at a time when the state has still not recovered 42,000 positions lost between 2022 and 2024.

Brazil introduces the "Taylor Swift Law" 🇧🇷

Brazil's President Lula da Silva signed two decrees last week that have been dubbed the "Taylor Swift Law," named after the 2023 Eras Tour tragedy in which a 23-year-old fan died of heat exhaustion at a Rio de Janeiro show after fans were denied water. The first decree requires all events with more than 1,000 attendees to provide free drinking water and allow fans to bring their own containers. The second targets scalping, requiring official platforms to implement purchase limits and virtual queues, mandating that resale listings clearly disclose they are not official channels, and requiring all additional costs to be shown early in the purchase process. Ticket transfers must also be available at no extra cost.

Brexit red tape has cost UK touring industries £208M and 2,500 jobs 🇬🇧

A new government-commissioned study found that between 2022 and 2024, Brexit added enough friction to UK-EU touring to cost the sector an estimated £208 million ($218 million USD) in gross value added and 2,490 full-time equivalent jobs. The damage is not evenly distributed: large-scale stadium and arena touring has largely recovered, but small and mid-size acts, niche genres, and independent companies have been hit hardest, with EU performances still running 21% below 2019 levels as of 2024. PRS for Music is calling on the UK government to deliver on its manifesto commitment to make touring easier, a conversation that has been going on since 2021 and still hasn't produced a bilateral touring agreement.

A major storm damaged Rogers Stadium with AC/DC show 12 days away 🇨🇦

A severe thunderstorm described as a "100-year storm" hit Toronto on September 3, causing significant structural damage to Rogers Stadium, a 50,000-cap temporary outdoor venue built last year in Downsview Park. Sections of the north grandstand partially collapsed, seats were displaced across the site, and other temporary structures including tents, viewing stations, and shipping containers were overturned. The City of Toronto issued a seven-part "order to remedy an unsafe building" to Live Nation, requiring the company to secure the site, hire a licensed structural engineer, submit an assessment and repair plan by September 8, and confirm structures are safe by September 11, all before AC/DC is scheduled to perform on September 16.

A worker died at Wolf Trap before a Squeeze show

Squeeze canceled their scheduled performance at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, VA on September 3, after a worker was fatally crushed by a tour bus in the venue's parking lot before the show. According to Park Police, the man was working underneath the bus when a supporting apparatus failed and the vehicle came down on him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. "Squeeze are deeply saddened and shocked by an incident that occurred at the venue earlier today, which resulted in the loss of a life," the band said in a statement.

Goldenvoice reveals the Head Trip stage

Goldenvoice has unveiled the stage design for Head Trip, its one-time-only fest at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA on October 10 - 11. Created by High Scream, the Parisian creative studio founded by Romain Pissenem (credits include Ushuaïa Ibiza, Hï Ibiza, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony, and the Great Pyramids of Giza), the structure is designed to look like something that dropped out of the sky and landed in the desert. Reflective materials catch the light and palm trees, with the whole stage operating as a single integrated visual system rather than separate lighting, video, and architectural elements.

AEG Presents Germany launches in Berlin 🇩🇪

AEG Presents has officially launched AEG Presents Germany, a new Berlin-based concert promotion division led by music industry veteran Sina Hall. The launch marks AEG's formal entry into the German market as a promoter, positioning the company to compete for stadium, arena, and festival bookings across one of Europe's largest and most active live music markets. Hall will focus on building an AEG roster of artists and partnerships across the country.

Burning Man reports two deaths in its final days

Burning Man 2026 ended on a somber note after two participants died during the festival's final days. The first, a man in his mid-50s, died on September 4 after a medical emergency at his camp; the second man was 60 and was found deceased by campmates on September 5. No cause of death has been released for either. The festival also faced heavy rain that briefly closed the entrance gate on September 4, and 34 arrests for drug sales or trafficking. Attendance is estimated at around 70,000, down slightly from last year’s 72,000.

Live Nation ANZ 🤝 DoorDash 🇦🇺 🇳🇿

Live Nation Australia and New Zealand has signed a three-year partnership with DoorDash, making the delivery platform the official food delivery and fan perks partner across its venue and festival network. The deal includes a branded DoorDash Food Village at major festivals, post-show exclusive offers for fans leaving Live Nation venues, and music-related perks and sweepstakes for DoorDash loyalty members. Live Nation ANZ says 91% of Australian live music fans would sign up for or switch loyalty programs to access live music perks, a data point that's driving the broader strategy of integrating concerts into consumer loyalty programs.

• Encore is hiring a remote (any major city) Producer - Live Events to be accountable for the successful planning, management, and execution of production events. Salary: $75,000 - $100,000.

• Live Nation Concerts is seeking a Touring Project Manager to drive project management in the organization focusing on global touring in New York, NY. Salary: $64,000 - $80,000.

• Bucket Listers is looking for a Business Development Lead to own and grow their West Coast marketplace and emerging West Coast markets in Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco, CA. Salary: $70,000 - $75,000.

Last Week's Results:
Given that resellers cost fans $11.3B last year, 57% of BOH readers feel we should implement hard caps on resale prices (like California’s failed AB 1720).

Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements 

• Foreigner will play 4 dates in the NYC area from April 27 - May 2, celebrating their 50th Anniversary. 

• Albuquerque, NM’s Boots in the Park will feature George Strait, along with Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Zach Top, and Jon Pardi, May 14 - 16 at Balloon Fiesta Park.

• While Coachella hasn’t made any lineup announcements yet, BTS, Dua Lipa, and Tame Impala are rumored to be headlining the 2027 fest and Miley Cirus is not. 👀

• The Dolly Parton estate announced DOLLYFEST, a 2-day fest celebrating everything Dolly in Nashville, TN and London, England in 2027. The fest was originally planned for January 2026 with Dolly performing, but was postponed due to her health. According to her team, DOLLYFEST "will be the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world."

• The live events industry could grow to $2.5 trillion by 2035. 

• This Bob Ross lorem ipsum generator is what the world needs right now.

• Blue Dot Fever: What Chartmetric’s data reveals about the gap between fandom and ticket sales.

• How to pick your next project.

• It’s [almost] fall, y’all. Explore daily fall color estimates, peak timing, and recent foliage reports in your area.

• Here's how far fans traveled — and what they spent — for Harry Styles' New York City residency.

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