In the latest live music industry news:
FTC Key Ticket Resale Lawsuit To Continue
A US federal judge denied ticket reseller Key Investment Group’s motion to dismiss a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission.
The suit alleges the company and affiliates Epic Seats, TotalTickets.com and Totally Tix used unlawful tactics to exceed ticket purchasing limits. Key allegedly made $5.6M reselling inflated concert tickets between 2022 and 2023, including more than $1M for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Portland Stops Proposed Live Nation Venue
The Portland, Maine City Council has passed a landmark ordinance that will prevent the development of a proposed Live Nation–backed venue that supporters say will protect the city’s independent live entertainment ecosystem.
Portland’s independent live entertainment community, led by the Maine Music Alliance and The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), fought for the ordinance.
“Illegal monopolization in the live entertainment industry is playing out city by city, venue by venue, but Portland saw potential trouble on the horizon and acted,” says Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. “Their community spoke up, their leaders listened, and together they showed that when market power moves to corporatize culture, cities can step in and stop it. We urge local leaders nationwide to use the tools available to them to learn from what happened in Portland this week.”
Marathon Live Expands
Marathon Live has added Kicker’s Saloon in Jacksonville Beach, FL to its venue management portfolio. In addition, Marathon's Chattanooga event facility The Signal is expanding at the former Chattanooga Choo Choo Convention Center into three separate spaces:
• Concert Hall – 1,500 capacity room
• The Parlour – 550 capacity room, formerly known as The Ballroom
• The Commons –a multi-configuration event space
Live Nation Buys Indie Promoter Louder
Live Nation has acquired Louder, the independent UK promoter behind Brighton’s On The Beach and hundreds of club shows.
Louder’s portfolio also includes Worried About Henry, Piano People and the Electric Bay Festival in Torquay.
New Crop of 'Participatory' Music Festivals
Hypebot's Jeremy Young writes how Festivals like Dirtybird Campout, Showcation, Camp Wildfire, and others are about participatory nostalgia and play; not just blockbuster lineups.
"Millennials now dominate festival attendance with more disposable income, but less interest in passive entertainment. They don’t just want to watch a show — they want to participate in a world."
"Traditional festivals offered spectacle. These newer models offer belonging."
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