Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on competition and market concentration within the UK live music industry; what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of vertical integration between promoters, venues and ticketing operators on competition, consumer choice and independent operators; whether she has assessed the potential effect of exclusivity arrangements and barriers facing grassroots venues, festivals and independent promoters; what assessment she has made of concerns relating to the use of customer data by vertically integrated ticketing operators; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a full Competition and Markets Authority market investigation into the live music industry before the end of 2026.

The government is committed to supporting a flourishing live music industry. The UK music sector’s status as a global powerhouse relies on a pipeline of high-quality talent, from local grassroots to major arena artists. We will soon launch a £30 million Music Growth Package (2026-29) and publish a Music Plan, drawing together all that the government is doing to support the music industry to make the UK the best place in the world to create, play and invest in music.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as the UK’s lead consumer and competition authority, has a statutory duty to promote competition for the benefit of consumers. It is the role of the CMA to examine potential breaches of competition law, including abuse of a dominant position, and investigate markets if it thinks there are competition or consumer problems. As an independent authority, the CMA has discretion to investigate competition matters which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.