#247

Author

Back of House
April 01, 2025

Issue #247

President Trump and Kid Rock are taking on ticket scalping and hidden fees with a new executive order, while California moves to ban speculative ticket sales. Elsewhere, Fyre Festival 2 has changed locations but still has no lineup, Live Nation settled a $20 million shareholder lawsuit, and Ticketmaster faces scrutiny in the UK over Oasis ticket pricing. Meanwhile, Garth Brooks’ Vegas residency grossed $130 million, Napster was just sold for $207 million, and the CEO of Del Records has been convicted for cartel-related dealings.

President Trump and Kid Rock take on ticketing

On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order targeting ticket scalping and excessive fees with Kid Rock by his side (check out his outfit). The executive order, Combating Unfair Practices In The Live Entertainment Market, directs the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce competition laws against detrimental practices by venues and ticketing agents, rigorously apply the Better Online Tickets Sales (BOTS) Act to prevent the use of bots for bulk ticket purchases, and ensure clear pricing throughout the ticket-purchase process. It also mandates the FTC, along with the Treasury and Justice Departments, to report within 180 days on actions taken to protect consumers and recommend further regulations if necessary.

California speculative ticketing bill gets NIVA support

In California, Assemblyman Isaac Bryan has introduced Bill AB 1349, aiming to prohibit speculative ticketing. NIVA backs this legislation which mandates that sellers must own or have a contractual right to the tickets before listing, and requires secondary platforms to enforce this rule. Additionally, the bill seeks to ban deceptive websites that mimic official ticket sellers and mandates clear disclosure of seat locations in resale listings.

In the latest Fyre Festival debacle development, the revitalized fest announced a new location last week, moving from GPS coordinates in Isla Mujeres to the Martina Beach Club in Playa del Carmen. The lineup has yet to be announced for the May 30 - June 2 event, though retired NFL star Antonio Brown is apparently confirmed as a “performer” and you can score a “Fyre Festival 2 is real” hoodie for just $130.

Live Nation has reached a settlement with investors who alleged that the company made several misleading statements about industry competition and compliance with antitrust laws that led to increased stock prices. The suit was originally filed in August 2023 and last week was settled for $20 million. Live Nation did not admit anything and instead said they settled “solely to eliminate the uncertainty, burden, and expense of further protracted litigation.”

In other LN legal news, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says that Ticketmaster may have breached a consumer protection law with the Oasis ticket sales. By labeling tickets as platinum and selling them for 2.5x the price of other tickets without disclosing what made them more valuable, the CMA alleges that they misled ticket purchasers. The investigation is ongoing and Ticketmaster is cooperating with CMA.

Nine live event production, payroll, and staffing companies have come together to form RockForce, “the premier workforce and production solutions provider for the live event industry.” Bigger Hammer, Collective Payroll, ESI Global, James Thomas Productions, The Production Collective, Stagewise Productions, Theatrical Resources, Tri-State Stage Labor, and Upstage Center have combined their experience and purview to “grow stronger together, as one unstoppable force.”

Garth Brooks’ residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas was truly legendary. The 72-show run, which started in May 2023, sold 99% of the available tickets, totaling over 300,000 tickets sold for a gross of $130 million. Brooks and his team tout the residency as “best gig we have ever had.”

Remember Napster? Apparently tech company Infinite Reality not only remembers the OG “file-sharing” platform, but also thinks it’s worth $207 million. With its new acquisition, Infinite Reality plans to “expand and reimagine Napster, empowering artists with new audience monetization and engagement capabilities, underpinned by iR’s immersive technology, AI-powered tools, and audience network.”

Goldenvoice will be opening a pop-up merch store within Palm Springs Airport offering an alternative to waiting in the long lines at the Empire Polo Club. The store is located within the airport’s terminal, will be open throughout April, will feature merch from Coachella and Stagecoach, and is reportedly costing Goldenvoice over $6,400 a month for rent.

Ángel del Villar, CEO of Del Records, has been convicted in the US for knowingly conducting business with promoters linked to Mexican drug cartels, specifically the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and Los Cuinis. Del Villar faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and has been found guilty on 11 charges related to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. His company, Del Entertainment, is subject to a five-year probation period and a $10 million fine.

Playing in the rain at Ultra Miami over the weekend.

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Lineups, Festival & Tour Announcements 

  • Whiskey Jam, but make it family-friendly: Juice Box Jam. Charlie Worsham, Thelma & James, and Mickey Guyton will perform, along with Country Music Hall of Fame’s Musical Instrument Petting Zoo, face painting and other kid-friendly events. April 6 on the roof of Skybox Broadway in Nashville, TN.

  • Lady Gaga announced “The Mayhem Ball Tour” hitting arenas in the US and Europe starting April 26 in Mexico City, Mexico and ending November 20 at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Ironically, the tour’s logo seems to be causing mayhem on its own. A California surf company has sued Lady Gaga, alleging that the logo is “near identical” to their trademark. 

  • CMA Fest will take over Downtown Nashville, TN June 5 - 8 with Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, and many more. 

  • Mumford & Sons are touring North America this summer and fall, starting in Bend, OR on June 5 and ending October 26 in Omaha, NE. 

  • The Summer Smash Festival lineup includes Young Thug, Future, Don Toliver x Yeat, June 20 - 22 at SeatGeek Stadium in Chicagoland, IL. 

  • The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse are teaming up for a summer tour that kicks off August 1 in Atlanta, AG and wraps September 11 in Troutdale, OR.

  • Outside Lands announced Tyler, The Creator, Hozier, Doja Cat, and Doechii for the August 8 - 10 festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA. 

  • (Insomniac x Tomorrowland)^The Sphere = UNITY. The collaboration between industry heavyweights is being billed as “a multi-sensory adventure” and a “groundbreaking audiovisual spectacle.” August 29 - 31 (Labor Day Weekend) in Las Vegas, NV. 

  • Blink-182, AFI, Jimmy Eat World, and Alkaline Trio will perform at Four Chord Music Festival, September 13 - 14 at EQT Park in Pittsburgh/Washington, PA. 

  • Soundside Music Festival announced The Killers, Hozier, Weezer, and Vampire Weekend, September 27 - 28, at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT. 

  • Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs lead the Country Calling Festival lineup, October 3 - 5 in Ocean City, MD.

Cancelations, Changes

  • Sundance Film Festival announced plans to move the iconic fest from Park City, UT to Boulder, CO in 2027. The Utah Governor quickly announced plans to create a replacement film festival using Sundance-allocated funds.

  • FKA Twigs has canceled the US stops of her tour due to failing to secure visas in time.

  • The Afterlife Festival in Mexico City has been canceled, just a month after its announcement. Organizers said the cancellation is due to "unforeseen technical and licensing issues" with the venue, Hipódromo De Las Americas.

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