Fan-led review of live and electronic music

Status / emerging findings

• Report published 17 April 2026 with 40+ recommendations spanning ticketing reform, grassroots support, safety standards, and accessibility
• Key demands: ban ticket resale above face value with enforcement; mandatory levy on large events to fund grassroots venues if voluntary measures fail; standardised accessible ticketing across all platforms
• Competition concerns flagged: CMA urged to monitor large corporations' dominance in live music; ICO to clarify fan data protections and transparent use by promoters and artists
• Cultural infrastructure gaps identified: councils lack dedicated music cabinet members; no national guidance on venue repurposing; 'agent of change' planning principle needs embedding in English law
• Safety and welfare: venues must provide visible reporting mechanisms for harassment/assault; consistent staff training on safeguarding; disability-led organisations to help standardise accessible ticketing

Why it matters

The live music industry sustains thousands of grassroots venues and emerging artists, but faces existential pressure from ticket speculation, data misuse, safety failures, and grassroots venue closures—this review proposes concrete legal and funding fixes that will reshape how gigs are sold, promoted, and governed.

Tone arc

Report maintains consistent consumer-protection and industry-sustainability frame throughout. Began as government-rejected recommendation (2024), reframed by committee as independent citizen-led inquiry; tone shifts from procedural (fan engagement, data collection) to prescriptive (legislative demands on ticketing, levy powers, planning reform).

Key witnesses

Lord Brennan of Canton (review chair), Dame Caroline Dinenage (committee chair), Music Venue Trust, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Department for Culture, Media and Sport