Ownership Concentration: Mapping the Cultural Landscape
Sound & Culture Summit
In recent years, audiences have been surprised to learn that some of their favorite festivals were bought up by private equity funds—often with values far removed from the communities these festivals grew out of. But this shift is not new: across Europe and beyond, ownership concentration has gradually reshaped the live music sector, with just a handful of players now controlling a wide range of festivals, booking agencies, venues, ticketing platforms, media, artist management services, and more.
French researcher Matthieu Barreira has been tracking this dynamic through a work commissioned by the French union Syndicat des Musiques Actuelles (SMA). His research shows that today, in France, ten major operators dominate a significant part of the industry. For audiences, policymakers and cultural workers, these findings are crucial: they reveal how fragile the sector has become, and how corporate strategies of “soft power” are increasingly redefining the future of live music.
This talk will open with a preview of new maps created by Matthieu Barreira for Live DMA, a European network of national live music associations; Reset!, a European network of independent cultural and media organisations; and SMA, which illustrate ownership concentration at both the European festival and venue levels. These maps (due for public release at the end of 2025) offer a rare overview of who really owns live music in Europe.
Moderator: Laurent Bigarella
Speakers: To be announced
This program is curated by Reset!.