Committee publication · Special Report · 17 April 2026 · HC 1628
5th Special Report - Fan-led review of live and electronic music
Summary
This Special Report by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee publishes a fan-led review of live and electronic music, chaired by Lord Brennan of Canton. Commissioned after the government rejected a 2024 recommendation for such a review, it synthesises input from 4,144 survey respondents and roundtable events across the UK to identify systemic challenges—ticketing transparency, venue sustainability, safety, accessibility, transport—and proposes seven core principles (the Fans' Charter) for industry and government action.
Key findings
- Live and electronic music generated £6.7 billion in consumer spending (2024) and £2.47 billion in electronic music activity (2025), yet fans feel excluded from decision-making and report exploitative ticketing practices, inadequate venue support, and genre-based funding inequalities.
- Secondary ticketing scalping costs fans £145 million annually; ticket price markups on resale platforms reach £1,289+ above face value. Government announced November 2025 ban on above-face-value resale, projected to save fans £112 million per year.
- Structural inequalities: jazz receives 2% of Arts Council England's music budget versus 49% for opera; Black music and electronic genres face disproportionate policing and licensing bias; classical and folk music struggle with geographic reach and audience perception.
- Disabled fans cannot legitimately resale accessible tickets tied to specific access requirements, denying them equal resale rights; digital-only ticketing excludes people without smartphones.
- The 'Seven Essentials of Live' (Celebration, Ticketing, Grassroots, Safety, Accessibility, Transport, Voice) form the Fans' Charter, embedding principles of respect, transparency, and community support across all stakeholders—venues, promoters, artists, councils, and government.
Recommendations
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport should commission research to strengthen data on underrepresented live and electronic music genres to inform policy and funding decisions.
- Local authorities should embed cultural diversity in music fully within local music plans.
- UK Government should work with regional mayors and councils on mechanisms to support music career pathways across all genres in collaboration with industry and devolved nations.
- Councils and cities should publish music strategies outlining involvement in cultural champion schemes (Music Cities Network, City/Town of Culture, UNESCO Creative Cities).
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport should establish an annual rotating roadshow celebrating live and electronic music and local musical heritage.
- Ticketing platforms and venues must provide transparent pricing displays, eliminate hidden fees, and clearly explain charges and their beneficiaries.
- Implement protections against bots and ticket scalpers; prioritise fan data access for artists and promoters to combat automated resale.
- Reinstate physical ticket options and ensure box office availability for those without smartphones.
- Enable disabled fans to resale accessible tickets by decoupling access requirements from resale restrictions.
- Ensure secondary ticketing sites clearly identify themselves and provide fraud protection; support Which? consumer guidance.
- Grassroots venues and community spaces require sustained public and philanthropic funding; councils should adopt Local Music Action Charter themes (revitalise economy, support pipelines, strengthen identity, build access).
- Venues and promoters should adopt safety protocols prioritising protection from injury, crime, violence, harassment, and discrimination; establish specialist training on hate crime and sexual harassment.
- Accessibility planning must be integrated into venue design, booking, and promotion; ensure accessible information formats and pricing equity for disabled attendees.
- Transport authorities should integrate live music into transport planning; government should work with local partners on event-responsive infrastructure.
- Establish formal mechanisms for fan voice in industry decision-making; support fan-led governance initiatives and diversity advocacy.
Tone
CriticalTopics
live-musicticketingconsumer-protectionpublic-financeaccessibility
Key actors
Lord Brennan of Canton, Dame Caroline Dinenage, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Live Nation / Ticketmaster, Arts Council England, Which? (consumer group), UK Music, Resident Advisor
Notable line
“Fans are the lifeblood of the music industry but often feel neglected and ripped off.”
Key Quotes
“Fans are the lifeblood of the music industry but often feel neglected and ripped off. In some sectors of the modern world of commerce, the annoyance economy appears to be the norm, where consumers are subjected to lousy levels of impersonal service and predatory pricing practices.”
“This review calls on everyone involved in live and electronic music, from ticketing platforms to venues, from artists to promoters, from managers to councils, to treat fans with respect.”
“… we created dubstep, UK garage, drum and bass, jungle. Those genres, no one can take them away from us.”
“Since I found the EDM (electronic dance music) scene over 3 years ago my life has changed dramatically for the better and I was able to escape hopeless depression. The combination of dancing, the music and the community is necessary and lifesaving.”
“The biggest issue facing live music in my opinion is the monopoly of companies such as Ticketmaster and Live Nation.”
“I think tickets price transparency is vital to saving the music industry.”
“Controlling ticketing data also means that these venues can more effectively and directly communicate with and market to their customers building audiences for artists at various stages in their careers and ultimately strengthening the ecosystem.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗