Katy Perry’s ‘Lifetimes’ tour wrapped last month, bringing in more than $134m (£99m/€115m) total gross ticket sales.

According to a report from Billboard, the American artist’s management said the tour sold more than 1.05 million tickets from 91 shows in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

It also raised money for good causes, with more than $264,000 collected in the US for Perry’s Firework Foundation to go towards empowering children through arts initiatives. In the UK, just over £81,000 was secured for the Music Venue Trust thanks to £1 being donated from each ticket sale.

Ticketmaster is urging a federal judge in Los Angeles to throw out the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's case accusing it of working with resellers to gouge fans, saying the law it is accused of violating applies only to resellers, not ticketing platforms.
Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation (LYV.N), opens new tab urged U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong to dismiss the case.

The AEG Presents UK CEO is forecasting another strong 12 months for the industry after technological advancements in 2025

Noted talent agent Tony Goldring has reportedly signed on with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as an agent in the company’s touring division.

According to IQ Magazine, Goldring, who is based in Los Angeles, will focus on supporting global touring across the agency’s roster.

A veteran of the live entertainment world, Goldring spent more than two decades at WME, including stints as head of the international touring department, where he helped to create and expand touring opportunities for high-profile clients such as Rihanna, Shakira, Pitbull, and Alicia Keys.

Lorde, Stray Kids and A$AP Rocky are set to headline the 2026 edition of Governors Ball, New York City’s signature music festival. Gov Ball will return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens from June 5-7, coinciding with New York Music Month.

Other artists on this year’s bill include Baby Keem, Kali Uchis, Jennie, Katseye, Geese, Major Lazer, Pierce the Veil, Dominic Fike, Blood Orange, Clipse, Mariah The Scientist, Wet Leg, Amyl and The Sniffers, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, The Dare, 2hollis, Ravyn Lenae, Japanese Breakfast, King Princess, Flipturn, Thee Sacred Souls and many more.

K-pop stars BTS are set to embark on a world tour in support of their currently unnamed fifth album, which was recently announced.

BTS took a nearly four-year hiatus, with members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook completing South Korea’s mandatory military service, and some pursuing solo projects.

The album will be released on March 20, and feature 14 new tracks.

Defunct ticketing startup Fanimal has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster for allegedly utilising anticompetitive practices to keep the business out of the market, according to reports.

Fanimal claimed that the pair’s long-term agreements with venues prevented the startup from competing fairly for large concert venues and lucrative events.

Additionally, Fanimal accused Live Nation-Ticketmaster of anticompetitive conduct including tying, leveraging, threats to venues and refusals to deal.

Live Nation isn’t just defending itself—it’s trying to end the fight before it even reaches the ring. In its latest legal salvo, the entertainment giant is making a high-stakes push to kill the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit, arguing that prosecutors have failed to produce a single shred of evidence that the company actually harmed the industry.

In a reply brief filed December 29 (embedded below), lawyers for Live Nation and Ticketmaster urged a federal judge to grant summary judgment. Their goal? Convince the court that the government’s case is so thin on facts that a jury trial isn’t even necessary. This comes in response to a December 15 filing where the DOJ and a massive coalition of state attorneys general insisted that the evidence of “interlocking monopolies” is more than enough to go to trial.

Washington, D.C.’s iconic Kennedy Center has become the hottest ticket in town—if you’re looking for drama offstage. After the board voted to include Donald Trump’s name on the building – Cue the cancellations.

First to bow out was jazz veteran Chuck Redd, who pulled the plug on his beloved Christmas Eve Jazz Jam after spotting the new signage. His reasoning? Seeing “Trump” on the Kennedy Center was enough to make his vibraphone go silent. The venue’s president, Richard Grenell, didn’t take kindly to the move, firing off a letter demanding $1 million in damages and calling the cancellation a “political stunt.”

But Redd wasn’t alone. Jazz septet The Cookers canceled their New Year’s Eve gigs, citing jazz’s roots in freedom and hinting that the renaming didn’t exactly scream “liberty.” Meanwhile, Alabama folk singer Kristy Lee announced on Instagram that she’d rather play from her living room than on a stage “rebranded for somebody else’s ego.” Her words: “Canceling shows hurts, but losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.” Ouch.

Two more acts have canceled their upcoming performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the wake of Donald Trump adding his name to the historic forum, according to the New York Times.

A veteran jazz septet known as the Cookers canceled two New Year’s Eve performances. They announced the move in a statement on Monday, writing, “Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice.”

Heavy metal fans in South Carolina were disappointed to discover that the Lamb of God concert they expected was actually a performance about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Ticket reseller StubHub apologized on Monday (Dec. 22) after accidentally listing the Virginia-based rock band instead of Christian musician Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God, a concert featuring music about the stories of Christ, held at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium on Dec. 20.

ChatGPT’s integration push has reached the ticketing world, where StubHub’s launched a “discovery experience” affording users access to “live ticket availability and pricing in real time.”
The ticket-resale platform today disclosed its high-profile tie-up with ChatGPT, which is on something of an integration streak at present. Now, joining the likes of Apple Music, Spotify, Booking.com, and Expedia, StubHub is plugging passes directly via the chatbot.

As described by the involved parties – interestingly, StubHub’s release mentions the overarching OpenAI a grand total of once – prospective customers can simply ask ChatGPT to find suitable event passes.

Lawyers for Live Nation and Ticketmaster are calling for the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against them last September by the Federal Trade Commission and seven states in a motion filed Jan. 6.

The companies claim that the suit is an “egregious instance of agency overreach” and that much of the FTC’s case against them, which cites the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016, is a misapplication of that law.

Planning for the 2026 and 2027 festival seasons means “navigating a market in flux” according to ticketing software provider, Vivenu.

The Dusseldorf-headquartered business highlighted that only about 15% of festivals are currently operating at a profit and that the industry is experiencing the ‘Barbell Effect’ – a situation where global giants and niche community events are flourishing, but the middle market faces increasing pressure.

Vivenu argued that the core challenge is the increasing unpredictability of sales cycles.

A class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster was authorized by the Quebec Superior Court on Monday. The U.S. company is accused of charging abusive service fees on ticket sales — fluctuating based on ticket price as opposed to the cost of the service — violating Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act and the Quebec Civil Code.

The lawsuit was first filed in 2024 by Montreal law firm Paquette Gadler on behalf of Felipe Morales, representing Quebecers who’ve bought tickets through Ticketmaster to shows in North America since July 2021.

A date for the trial has not yet been announced.

The 19-time Grammy Award-winning banjoist and bandleader was booked to play with the National Symphony Orchestra in February.

A proposed class action filed in California federal court accuses Ticketmaster of unlawfully using third-party tracking technology to capture and transmit users’ browsing data to major advertising and analytics firms without adequate notice or consent.

The lawsuit, filed Jan. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by plaintiff Jeffrey Scruggs, targets Ticketmaster LLC. Scruggs seeks to represent all California residents whose browsers were subjected to the “installation, execution, embedding, or injection” of tracking tools while using Ticketmaster.com during the applicable statute of limitations.

While recent litigation against Ticketmaster has largely focused on “junk fees” and market dominance, this case centers strictly on digital privacy. It alleges that Ticketmaster’s advertising and analytics “Trackers” function as illegal surveillance devices under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).

Live Nation has signed an agreement to acquire Paris La Défense Arena, Europe’s largest indoor venue, from Ovalto for an undisclosed sum. According to today’s (Jan. 6) press announcement, “this landmark deal will bring more shows, upgraded facilities and major benefits to Paris, Île-de-France and the wider French live entertainment industry.” Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the French Competition Authority.

Collecting, understanding, and using data has become vital for creatives to best understand their fans and find innovative ways of reaching new audiences.

As an artist, carving out a space for yourself in what is already a crowded industry can prove to be incredibly challenging.

Therefore, finding creative solutions are essential for cultivating a loyal fanbase and continual growth.

Data could provide the key for artists big and small to unlock new ways of selling more tickets and engaging fans earlier and more often.

As competition intensifies across the ticketing sector, platforms are under increasing pressure to offer faster access to ticket revenues in order to win and retain promoters.

However, when relationships break down, cases like a recent legal dispute in Sweden highlight a persistent question for the industry: who ultimately bears the risk when events fail?

A disagreement between Swedish white-label ticketing company Tickster and promoters Rock Concerts Sweden and Giants of Rock erupted into legal action earlier this year, shining a spotlight on how strained B2B relationships in live entertainment can quickly turn into a consumer-facing problem.

With 2026 knocking at the door, what would be on your New Year’s wish list for the live entertainment and ticketing industries?

TheTicketingBusiness Asia 2025 headed back to Hong Kong with the impressive Kai Tak Sports Park playing host. 

Taking place alongside TheStadiumBusiness Asia 2025, ticketing leaders, promoters, venue operators and executives attended from across the Asia-Pacific region.

After multiple sessions tackling key topics such as talent, touring, fans, IP and more, guests were invited to attend ‘The Ticketing Town Hall’.

Marketplace StubHub has launched an app on ChatGPT, further developing the discovery experience.

The integration will enable fans to find live events easily by asking ChatGPT to ‘find me a game’ or ‘find me the best view for the game on Saturday’. Instead of a typical web search, ChatGPT will open an interactive StubHub app experience directly in the conversation.

Phish returns to Madison Square Garden December 28 – 31 (New Year’s Eve) to cap 2025 with a four-night New Year’s Run. Livestreams for all four shows are now available for pre-order via LivePhish.com.

The four-night stand will be the band’s 88th – 91st shows at MSG, where they first played on December 30, 1994. Phish celebrated New Year’s Eve at The Garden each year since 2010, save for 2014 in Miami and pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, keyboardist Page McConnell and drummer Jon Fishman also celebrated New Year’s Eve at MSG in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2002.