A committee of UK MPs is turning up the pressure on Britain's competition watchdog. On October 18, 2026, the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee said it is pressing the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to launch a full market investigation into the UK live music industry before the end of the year, repeating concerns about the reach of Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, across promotion, venues, festivals and ticketing.
Why MPs say the CMA should act
The push follows a report the committee published in May, in which it first asked the CMA to look at the sector and described a “climate of fear” around dominant firms. According to Music Week, the report found that concerns about Live Nation's position “raised red flags” against all three of the CMA's factors for assessing market dominance, and that the scale and integrated nature of the business made it difficult for artists and managers to operate independently of its network.
The report also said Live Nation used long-term agreements with restrictive exclusivity terms that made access to its venues contingent on participation in its festivals, and that its control of ticketing infrastructure let it retain customer data, including from competitors. Its headline figure: Live Nation directly controlled 58% of the 23.1 million primary tickets on sale in the UK in 2025, rising to 66% when sales controlled by affiliated companies were included. The report also said the limited uptake of the voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets, meant to support grassroots music, was widely attributed to Live Nation's failure to implement it.
“Britain's live music industry should reward talent, not simply market power,” said Liam Byrne MP, the committee's chair. “We found a climate of fear, barriers for artists and grassroots venues missing out.” He added that the CMA must launch a full investigation because “fans and performers deserve a fair deal.” The committee said it is writing back to the CMA asking for details and a timeline of its next steps.
What Live Nation and the CMA say
Live Nation has pushed back. Responding to the committee earlier in 2026, the company said the report “misrepresents the UK live music industry by relying on inaccurate data and unsupported conclusions.” A spokesperson said Live Nation “competes every day for tours, venues and artists in a highly competitive market” and would engage constructively with any process, but that debate “must be based on evidence, not allegation and hearsay.” Music Week reported that the company has disputed the UK market share figures in the report.
The CMA has not yet announced a full market investigation. A CMA spokesperson, quoted by London Insider, said the watchdog is “giving active and careful consideration to undertaking markets work in this area.” In its earlier response, the CMA said it planned for its board to consider in the autumn whether to start formal markets work, and that it would write to the committee afterwards. Kate Dearden MP, Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection, wrote to the committee that the government does not consider it appropriate to “pre-empt or direct” the CMA's statutory powers.
How we got here
MPs began pursuing the issue after fan complaints about ticket sales for Oasis' 2025 reunion tour. The CMA ultimately found no evidence of dynamic pricing on that tour and secured commitments from Ticketmaster on the fair treatment of fans. The UK pressure lands while Live Nation is also fighting in the United States, where the FTC has sued its Ticketmaster arm over alleged violations of the BOTS Act, a case Live Nation calls “misguided.”
For fans, the committee's concerns cover the whole chain of a concert, from who promotes the tour and owns the venue to who sells the ticket. The next marker is the CMA's answer to the committee's request for details and a timeline.