Photo by Wendy Wei
Most of Europe’s largest music festivals are connected to just four corporate giants, according to new research shared by Live DMA and the Reset! Network. The ownership maps, published this week, link more than 150 major events across the continent to Live Nation, AEG, CTS Eventim and Superstruct Entertainment, signalling a significant consolidation of influence in the live music market between 2022 and 2025. The findings point to a live ecosystem in which festivals, ticketing platforms and major venues are increasingly housed under the same corporate umbrellas, raising questions around competition, diversity and long-term sustainability.
The analysis was developed to bring greater transparency to an industry where ownership structures are often opaque. Live DMA, which represents over 3,000 clubs, venues and festivals across Europe, emphasised that while the maps are not exhaustive, they are based on publicly available information and offer a clear snapshot of how consolidation operates in practice. Industry bodies including the UK’s Association of Independent Festivals have previously warned that such concentration risks monopolistic behaviour, with recent artist withdrawals from events such as Sónar, Lost Village and Field Day highlighting growing scrutiny of parent company affiliations.
For audiences, artists and policymakers alike, the research sharpens a central question facing Europe’s live music sector: when buying a festival ticket, what wider ecosystem is being supported — and what kind of cultural landscape does this consolidation ultimately produce?
