Music bosses pass Tory blame to Labour over ticket tout row Tech When Labour announced plans last November to cap ticket resale prices, many in the live music industry thought a campaign that had dragged on for nearly two decades was finally approaching a conclusion, writes Saskia Koopman. The government pledged to make it illegal to resell tickets above face value, cap fees charged by resale platforms [...]
Sign of the Dimes: Harry Styles Wembley run to drive £1bn spending frenzy Hospitality Harry Styles’ 12-night Wembley residency is set to rake in more than £1bn in spending in the capital, smashing previous records set by Taylor Swift concertgoers. The Mancunian popstar is expected to attract £88.3m in spending per night, far higher than the £66.5m recorded during Taylor Swift’s UK Eras Tour dates in 2024, according to [...]
Outernet CEO: Profiting from art shouldn’t be shameful Opinion The stigma of 'selling out' is unhelpful and outdated. Art and commerce have always coexisted, writes Outernet CEO Philip O'Ferrall.
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square launches bid for Universal Music Group April 7, 2026 An investment company helmed by billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman has offered to buy the world’s largest music company in a $63bn bid. Pershing Square said on Tuesday it plans to form a new US-listed company through a merger with Universal Music Group (UMG), pulling its Amsterdam listing. The deal would give Universal investors [...]
Spotify says UK music industry ‘in really strong position’ March 3, 2026 A year ago, the UK music industry was in a bout of slipping global chart shares and fewer breakthrough stars. Yet following this weekend’s Brit Awards, Spotify claims that export growth and rising royalty payments are pointing to an industry revival. In 2025, the streaming giant paid out £860m to UK artists and their rights [...]
