Festival leaders: Four companies own majority of Europe’s largest music festivals

Festival leaders: Four companies own majority of Europe’s largest music festivals

The majority of Europe’s largest music festivals are now owned by just four companies, according to new research published by Live DMA and Reset!.

The report, titled Who Owns Europe’s Live Music Spaces?, maps more than 150 major festivals operating under AEG, Live Nation, CTS Eventim and Superstruct Entertainment.

The findings point to the extensive European footprint of US-based Live Nation, which operates around 120 subsidiaries across the region and reported turnover of approximately $16.7 billion in 2022. CTS Eventim generated roughly $1.9 billion in sales across more than 20 countries that same year, reinforcing the financial influence of the industry’s largest players.

Superstruct Entertainment, acquired by private equity firm KKR in 2024, operates more than 80 festivals across Europe and Australia. The company has faced criticism related to wider investment interests connected to weapons manufacturing, the Coastal GasLink pipeline and Israeli corporations operating in occupied Palestinian territories.

Commenting on the report, European Parliament member and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education Emma Rafowicz said growing concentration within the live music ecosystem “threatens cultural diversity and the independence of artists and producers,” calling for limits on vertical integration and tighter restrictions on multi-event ownership.

While the report highlights significant consolidation at the top of the market, it also notes that many grassroots and mid-sized festivals across Europe remain independently or locally owned.

📱Discover more on the Electric app.

Words: Steve John / Imagery: mixmag.net