Inside Live Nation’s sponsorship strategy and global venue push

Chris Marking, the new EVP of international venue sponsorship, tells IQ about the company's Asia expansion and why sponsors are becoming “concierges”

News 28 April 2026

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AR Rahman, Rushil Ranjan

A.R. Rahman’s Albert Hall production ‘built to travel’

The team behind the showcase of the acclaimed Rahman's music tell IQ about its international potential

News 28 April 2026

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OCESA unveils Coliseo GNP Seguros in Guadalajara

The Mexican live powerhouse is renovating the university-affiliated Estadio 3 de Marzo, with the aim of reopening it in August

News 28 April 2026

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Maharashtra state officials move to streamline event permissions

Leaders are looking to introduce a single-window clearance system to help bolster shows in the Indian state, which includes Mumbai

News 28 April 2026

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Eduardo Olea

Industry Insights: Eduardo Olea

From ticketing roots to arena ownership, BeatHub is building Colombia’s live music ecosystem: driving regulation, infrastructure and 360° experiences for fans and artists

News 28 April 2026

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Tour news: BINI goes global

Plus North American dates announced by LCD Soundsystem, Beck, and Geese

News 28 April 2026

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‘New leaders, new rules’: FOCUS Wales prepares for 16th edition

The conference will explore how artists, organisations, and communities can collaborate to create a more accessible and diverse ecosystem

News 27 April 2026

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Bluesfest director ducks questions on ticketholder refunds

In Australian media footage, Peter Noble also appeared to dismiss accusations of bullying levelled against him

News 27 April 2026

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‘Artists can make more from merch than performance fees’

News 27 April 2026

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Does Las Vegas need another arena?

News 27 April 2026

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DEAG raises revenue by a third

News 27 April 2026

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HYBE chairman’s arrest warrant rejected for insufficient evidence

News 27 April 2026

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Concert Kit

Live Nation and Bruno Mars dispute Concert Kit partnership claims

The new biometric ticketing tool retracted statements that it was linked to Bruno Mars' 'The Romantic' tour

News 24 April 2026

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Featured Artists Coalition UKAT awardess (FAC)

FAC announces its first beneficiaries of UKAT fund

The UK sector body will fund 211 shows from 26 artists with a total injection of £125,000 (€144,000)

News 24 April 2026

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Festival news: Rock en Seine locks in lineup

News 24 April 2026

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Roskilde Festival pledges €2m to youth and cultural causes

News 24 April 2026

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NoNonsense sets the scene for staging’s next frontier

Co-founder and director Liz Madden tells IQ about the balancing act between scale and safety as touring productions look to reach the next level

News 24 April 2026

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FACTOR launches CA$2m investment for Canadian live sector

The CLMA and government-backed schemes will award CA$2m in funding to homegrown festivals and promoters

News 23 April 2026

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Movers & Shakers: Sphere, Kai Tak, Legends Global

Co-op Live, AEG Presents, Peachtree, and IAG have also announced new additions and promotions in the latest roundup of industry movement

News 23 April 2026

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Ticketmaster to reallocate scalped tickets for Harry Styles’ NYC shows

The ticketing giant will put "thousands" of tickets into a fan lottery for the star's 30-night stand at Madison Square Garden

News 23 April 2026

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Issue 143 Mar 2026

The Country Special

Country music's global export growth; Nigel Hassler's 40 years; The Biffy Clyro Futique tour report; and more...

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Platinumlist launches AI analytics tool for GCC organisers

Artist Intelligence will combine real-time streaming metrics and historical sales data to help inform decision-making

News 23 April 2026

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Ivana Dragila Head-of Communication-BandPitch, VIP Booking

BandPitch platform aims to streamline artist discovery

The new tool matches bookers and managers to artists in "more structured approach" to discovery

News 23 April 2026

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The Weeknd run showcases Mexico’s stadium momentum

OCESA executives point to a prolonged post-pandemic “honeymoon”, rising music tourism, and increasing pressure on routing and scheduling

News 23 April 2026

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30e strikes exclusive deal to produce events at The Maracanã

The Brazilian entertainment company will manage the venue's concert schedule around its football commitments

News 22 April 2026

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DWP launches new concerts business unit

The independent festival promoter has also struck a deal with Elizabethtown, KY, to consult on a new amphitheatre

News 22 April 2026

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AsiaWorld-Expo shares its key sustainability strategies

The Hong Kong venue breaks down some of the key changes its team implemented to earn A Greener Future certification

News 22 April 2026

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Ultra’s battery-powered triumph: ‘This is the future of live’

The electronic festival recently made history by deploying a zero-emission battery system from Showpower at its US edition last month

News 22 April 2026

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Barsento Madrid

Live Nation and OVG Madrid arena gets green light

A new 20,000-cap arena will be built alongside sports and educational facilities to bolster Madrid's live offering

News 22 April 2026

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LATEST JOBS

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Season starters: LatAm takes the lead

Josefina Armendariz explores how growing operational maturity, scale, and engaged audiences are driving Latin America’s festival boom

Feature 16 February 2026

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Cuarteto: The Argentinian party music going global

Cuarteto’s rise is being driven less by streaming and more by a relentless live model, with high-frequency shows, loyal audiences, and a touring logic built for scale

Feature 30 March 2026

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Viva Lat’Indie’ America!: A look at LatAm’s independent players

Though deemed unprofitable, Latin America’s indie music scene remains strong while facing global hurdles

Feature 06 April 2026

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The Festival Summer 2025

It may have been a year of yet more challenges, but festivals have continued to thrive thanks to the creativity, joy, and determination of their teams.

Feature 05 January 2026

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The State of Independents: Carving Their Own Paths

While consolidation continues across the festival business, Europe’s independents continue to carve their own paths

Feature 05 January 2026

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MOST POPULAR

QUICK READS

OCESA unveils Coliseo GNP Seguros in Guadalajara

2 minute read

Maharashtra state officials move to streamline event permissions

3 minute read

Tour news: BINI goes global

3 minute read

‘New leaders, new rules’: FOCUS Wales prepares for 16th edition

2 minute read

Justin Bieber’s Coachella merch sales soar to $15m

News 22 April 2026

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Arrest warrant sought for HYBE chairman over fraud allegations

News 21 April 2026

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Barclays Arena: ‘We as an arena should help develop artists’

News 21 April 2026

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Karol G announces global stadium tour

News 21 April 2026

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Lev3ls grassroots venues

UK’s Music Venue Trust announces funding package for grassroots venues

The funding includes £200,000 (€230,000) raised through The LIVE Trust's voluntary ticket levy

News 21 April 2026

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BBC Proms

BBC Proms announces programme for 2026 edition

The longstanding classical music festival will feature 86 separate proms across eight weeks

News 21 April 2026

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EU firms eye noise prediction standard to aid festival planning headaches

News 21 April 2026

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Eurovision’s 70th anniversary controversy over Israel’s participation

News 21 April 2026

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Live Nation settles deceptive ticketing claims in DC for $9.9m

The entertainment giant will pay to resolve an investigation by the capital's Attorney General, separate from the antitrust suit

News 21 April 2026

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UK’s Shambala moves to employee ownership

In a bid to maintain its independence, the festival's parent company Kambe Events has announced its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust

News 21 April 2026

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‘Standards have changed’: Ecuador’s growing international visibility

After promoter Feel The Club announced a new festival for the country, CEO Juan Carlos Dominguez tells IQ the nation is on the verge of a live music boom

News 20 April 2026

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Transport firm KB Event restructures leadership team

Founder Stuart McPherson is stepping away from his role as CEO of the UK/Ireland-based company after a management buy-out

News 20 April 2026

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REPORT

LATAM Live 2026

New by IQ for 2026, read all about Latin America's booming music industry.

More Info

COMMENT

The role of the System-Breaking Grand Concert in Hungary’s struggle for System Change

Tamás Kádár

Sziget Festival CEO Tamás Kádár explains how a mass public concert energised voters ahead of Hungary's recent election

COMMENT 24 Apr 2026

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We come one: how live music creates physical synchrony

Paul Dolan

Behavioural scientist professor Paul Dolan dives into how live music helps us connect physically as well as emotionally

COMMENT 23 Apr 2026

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The launch of the UK Artist Touring Fund is a moment of real significance

Kelly Wood

Kelly Wood, National Organiser for Live, Theatre & Music Writers at Musicians' Union, outlines the fund's impact on the wider touring ecosystem

COMMENT 18 Mar 2026

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Putting on a show and supporting those in crisis is a clear win-win

Dr Natalie Roberts

As ILMC kicks off, Dr Natalie Roberts from charity partner Médecins Sans Frontières describes the impact live music can make

COMMENT 24 Feb 2026

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Poor mental health in music is not inevitable – let's come together to change it

Sarah Woods

For Helplines Awareness Day, charity CEO Sarah Woods unveils a new targeted mental health support scheme for the live industry

COMMENT 23 Feb 2026

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Enhyphen Blood Saga World Tour

Tour news: Enhyphen and Jessie Ware announce global dates

News 20 April 2026

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Live music delivers €6 billion impact for Spain

News 20 April 2026

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Kanye West’s Poland and Switzerland dates cancelled

News 20 April 2026

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Touring exhibitions event Teo Live plots 2026 gathering

News 20 April 2026

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Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball reports €356.6m gross

The tour becomes the singer's top-grossing tour, according to new figures published by Billboard

News 17 April 2026

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Pollstar Live 2026

Pollstar Live! 2026 wraps up

Live music leaders gathered in Los Angeles for the industry conference to discuss a range of issues facing the live business

News 17 April 2026

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Conference update: ARMC, The Great Escape

News 17 April 2026

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EDM drives Easter activity in Lagos’ expanding live calendar

News 17 April 2026

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K-pop’s ‘Big Four’ unite for global music festival joint venture

HYBE, JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and YG Entertainment are coming together to launch a touring event "bigger than Coachella"

News 17 April 2026

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Justin Bieber rakes in $5m in Coachella merch sales

Through his Skylrk brand, the headliner's takings are more than double the previous festival record, which was set across both weekends

News 17 April 2026

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UK govt dedicates £2.25m to grassroots venues

Parliamentary review calls for UK Music Fan Association to support live sector

A major 'fan-led review' recommends giving fans greater representation in policy decisions in the industry

News 17 April 2026

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Milan: The engine of Italy’s live music boom

Behind Milan's growing musical prestige are an advantageous location, a sophisticated audience, and a brand-new arena

Feature 16 April 2026

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REPORT

International Ticketing Report 2025

The only global guide to the live entertainment ticketing market – for anyone interested in or working in live event ticketing

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Atlas Arena Lodz

Poland’s Atlas Arena completes renovation

News 16 April 2026

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Charlotte’s $1bn pledge to become major touring hub

News 16 April 2026

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Live Nation shares dip in wake of monopoly trial verdict

News 16 April 2026

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LIDO festival 2025

Festival news: LIDO and Out 2 Lunch postpone

News 16 April 2026

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Spotify to spotlight US indie venues with NIVA partnership

As part of a year-long alliance, the streaming giant will highlight spaces across the country as it expands its in-platform live options

News 16 April 2026

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Jury finds Live Nation has acted as a monopoly

The live entertainment giant says that "the jury's verdict is not the last word on this matter" and vows to fight on

News 15 April 2026

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KISS confirm 2028 for avatar show launch

News 15 April 2026

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MVT campaign calls for scrutiny of UK licensing fees

News 15 April 2026

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The latest IMS Business Report illustrates the scale of the damage to the electronic music industry in 2020

Copenhagen collective rebrands after Boiler Room legal threats

Live music collective and venue Spoiler Room says it received legal letters over name similarities

News 15 April 2026

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Arena Cordoba Argentina

Córdoba: the rising star of Argentina’s touring route

Already a developing secondary market, now a new 12,000-cap arena proposal could solidify the city’s status as an unmissable Latam stop

News 15 April 2026

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Movers & Shakers: PRG, Live Nation, Icon Concerts

Oak View Group and Creative Artists Agency have also announced new additions and promotions in the latest roundup of industry movement

News 15 April 2026

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Kanye West postpones France concert, adds Poland date

The rapper's return to touring has taken a new twist after the French interior minister reportedly sought to block his show in Marseille

News 15 April 2026

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The Latest Reports

LatAm Live 2026

European Festival Report 2025

Global Promoters Report 2025

International Ticketing Report 2025

Global Stadium Report 2025

Global Arena Guide 2025
Touring Business Handbook 2025 Cover

Touring Business Handbook 2025

COMMENT

At Sziget, neutrality has never been an option

Tamás Kádár

After their Take A Stand award win, CEO Tamás Kádár reconfirms the Hungarian festival's commitment to the LGBTQ+ community

COMMENT 11 Feb 2026

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The human need for connection has not gone anywhere

Alex Mahon

New Superstruct CEO Alex Mahon highlights the growing importance of concerts and festivals in the digital age

COMMENT 12 Jan 2026

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Music has a power that goes far beyond entertainment

Emma Banks

Nordoff and Robbins chair Emma Banks discusses how the next generation of CAA leaders are delivering change to charities and communities

COMMENT 22 Dec 2025

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Going independent isn't just a romantic idea

Johanna Beckman

Promoter Johanna Beckman describes how fledgling Swedish independent company Rush Ent. is doing things differently

COMMENT 18 Dec 2025

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We have proven that being boutique and being global are not opposites

Eduardo Basagaña

EB Producciones CEO Eduardo Basagaña outlines his company’s assent as a small independent outfit in a sea of huge conglomerates

COMMENT 17 Dec 2025

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REPORT

Global Stadium Report 2025

The Global Stadium Report is the first publication dedicated to global stadium touring worldwide.

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‘Quintessential promoter’ Donald Tarlton passes

News 15 April 2026

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Usher & Chris Brown team up for co-headlining stadium run

News 14 April 2026

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Tech tie-ups power resale ‘reprioritisation’

News 14 April 2026

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Pulp Rough Trade Records

Rough Trade to mark 50 years with Southbank Centre event

News 14 April 2026

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Maroon 5 to lead new Ecuadorian festival

Major Latam promoter Feel The Club will debut the one-day FTC Live al Parque in the capital city of Quito this August

News 14 April 2026

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EventBrite app refresh

Eventbrite makes layoffs following Bending Spoons acquisition

The ticket marketplace said a trimmed team will aid its five-headed 'modernisation' strategy

News 14 April 2026

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O2 pens SSE Arena Belfast naming rights partnership

News 14 April 2026

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Coachella performers Sombr & The Strokes roll out tours

News 14 April 2026

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Dennis Tawiah, Ghana Party in the Park

How Ghana Party in the Park became a launchpad for Ghanaian artists abroad

IQ hears from promoter Dennis Tawiah about how the diaspora festival forged a platform for Ghanaian music

News 13 April 2026

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Twickets’ vision of the global scalability of face-value resale

Founder Richard Davies talks takeaways from the Oasis partnership, expanding into the festival world, and what's coming next in an interview with IQ

News 13 April 2026

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Lev3ls

Lev3ls launches London showcase series for international acts

The series is aiming to provide a platform for emerging acts to make London debuts alongside global touring musical talent

News 13 April 2026

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ROAM’s Jess Kinn upped to partner: ‘I’m excited for what this means’

At the same time, the global agency has hired Malaika Thomas as head of tour marketing and Saskia Collins as head of EU brand partnerships at in-house agency companyX

News 13 April 2026

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Nubank Parque

São Paulo’s Allianz Parque set for new name with Nubank deal

The financial services company has bought the naming rights and will put the new name to a fan vote

News 13 April 2026

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Coachella’s 25th anniversary edition proves momentous

Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G delivered major sets during the Goldenvoice-promoted California institution

News 13 April 2026

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Jack White

Tour news: Jack White announces headline tour, Gorillaz takes ‘The Mountain’ to India

Plus tour announcements from Courteeners, Bleachers, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and more

News 10 April 2026

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Ticketmaster unveils app within ChatGPT

The new integration will allow users to discover events and purchase tickets through the chatbot, which boasts over 900 million weekly users

News 10 April 2026

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StubHub fined $10m in undisclosed fee row

The US Federal Trade Commission found the company had failed to disclose mandatory fees in 2025

News 10 April 2026

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Sony & Universal join forces to produce Asian music festivals

In addition to large-scale events, the record labels' new joint venture will seek to bolster Japanese artists' international activity

News 10 April 2026

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Jury begins deliberations in Live Nation trial

Closing arguments were made yesterday as more than 30 US states push to break up the live entertainment giant

News 10 April 2026

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Björk to host Icelandic solar eclipse rave

The Icelandic star has announced a one-day event aligned with the total solar eclipse in August, taking place south of Reykjavik

News 10 April 2026

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How country music became one of the biggest export stories of the last decade

IQ charts the takeover of country music, once considered a niche genre, but now one of the fastest-growing worldwide

Feature 10 April 2026

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Oak View Group bolsters programming and content leadership

Becky Colwell takes over as president of programming and content, with Mark Shulman also promoted

News 09 April 2026

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IFF launches in LA and moves into new home in London

The world's leading event for festivals and agents enters North American market for the first time while IFF LDN moves to Outernet

News 09 April 2026

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Movistar Arena delivers €577m economic lift to Madrid

In 2025, the arena welcomed 2.1 million attendees across 381 events, landing it among the most active arenas in the world

News 09 April 2026

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