Belgian Competition Authority investigates Live Nation’s takeover of Pukkelpop music festival
The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) announced on 12 November 2025 the opening of an investigation into Live Nation’s acquisition of the Pukkelpop music festival, on the instruction of the Minister for Economic Affairs.
Live Nation is a global leader in live entertainment and holds a strong position in Belgium. Its activities span the entire value chain: artist bookings; festival organization, including major events such as Rock Werchter, Dour and Graspop; venue management (AFAS Dome, Trixxo Arena, Forest National, Lotto Arena and Capitole Gent); and ticketing through its Ticketmaster platform.
Pukkelpop, one of Belgium’s five largest festivals, attracts around 250,000 visitors annually in Hasselt, making its acquisition a strategic expansion for Live Nation.
The BCA’s investigation will primarily assess the likely effects of Live Nation’s acquisition of Pukkelpop on competition in the organization of music festivals in Belgium, as well as in the broader live entertainment sector, given Live Nation’s development into a growing ecosystem. The concern is whether this expansion could lead to anti-competitive practices, such as restrictive agreements or abuse of a dominant position.
The transaction was not subject to Belgian or EU merger control rules, as it did not meet the applicable financial thresholds. Consequently, the BCA will apply these provisions in accordance with the principles laid down by the Court of Justice of the EU in its Towercast judgment of 16 March 2023, which established that certain mergers may be examined under abuse of dominance rules even when they fall outside the scope of traditional merger control thresholds. The investigation is therefore based on Belgian and EU competition law, notably Articles IV.1 and IV.2 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law and Articles 101 and 102 TFEU.
The outcome of this case could set an important precedent for the application of competition law to the live entertainment industry in Belgium and beyond.
