Brussels, November 12, 2025 — The Belgian authority has launched an investigation into Live Nation’s acquisition of the Pukkelpop music festival following a directive from the Minister for Economic Affairs.
The probe will assess the potential effects of the deal on competition in the organisation of major music festivals in Belgium and in the broader live entertainment market, where Live Nation already operates as a vertically integrated player.
Live Nation, a global leader in live entertainment, is active across the Belgian market through artist management, concert promotion, and ticketing. It organises major festivals such as Rock Werchter, Dour, and Graspop, manages leading venues including Forest National and Lotto Arena, and operates ticket sales via Ticketmaster. Pukkelpop, held annually in Kiewit, Flanders, is one of the country’s five largest music festivals with a capacity of around 250,000 visitors.
The investigation, to be conducted independently by the authority’s Prosecution and Investigation Service, will apply competition rules addressing restrictive agreements and abuses of dominance under both Belgian law and EU provisions, including the Court of Justice’s Towercast case law on non-notifiable concentrations.
The authority stressed that the opening of the investigation does not prejudge its outcome and that Live Nation will be fully involved in the proceedings.
