Liam Byrne's Commons committee has urged the Competition and Markets Authority to open a full market investigation into Live Nation before the end of the year.
The Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee raised concerns about market dominance and what its inquiry described as a climate of fear among parts of the live-music industry.
The committee said Live Nation directly controlled 58 per cent of the 23.1 million primary tickets on sale in 2025. It put the share at 66 per cent when affiliated businesses were included.
MPs also highlighted long-term agreements, restrictive exclusivity and the potential advantage created by access to data across different parts of the market. They said limited uptake of the voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music was widely attributed to Live Nation's failure to implement it.
Byrne, the Labour chair of the committee, said: "Britain's live music industry should reward talent, not simply market power. We found a climate of fear, barriers for artists and grassroots venues missing out." The committee has asked the watchdog for details of its intended action and timetable.
The request does not itself begin a formal investigation or determine that competition law has been breached. The next substantive decision rests with the CMA.
