🎟️ Trump vs. Live Nation: What the Latest Ticketing Moves Mean for Fans, Artists & Indie Venues

If you thought the drama around concert tickets had peaked, buckle up — things are heating up again. Over the past few months, former President Donald Trump has rekindled attention on ticketing practices, particularly around Live Nation / Ticketmaster, by pushing regulatory action, executive orders, and signaling new oversight. For anyone in the music business — artist, promoter, or fan — this could shift the power dynamics of how tickets are sold and resold. Let’s break down the latest developments (and what they might mean for your next gig).

What Trump Has Done (So Far)

1. Executive Order on Ticket Scalping (Apr 2025)

In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing abusive ticket resale practices, especially those enabled by bots and scalpers. The Guardian+2TIME+2

• The order directs enforcement of existing laws — especially the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act — and emphasizes price transparency in ticket sales. TIME+2The Guardian+2

• It calls on the Attorney General and Treasury to ensure scalpers are abiding by IRS rules when reselling tickets. The Guardian

• It also urges Congress to consider placing limits (caps) on ticket resale pricing. Variety+3The Guardian+3TIME+3

Live Nation publicly supported the order and expressed willingness to engage in “meaningful resale reforms.” TIME+3The Guardian+3CMU | the music business explained+3

2. Reignited FTC Lawsuit & Regulatory Push

Fast-forward to September 2025: the Federal Trade Commission, joined by seven U.S. states, filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. CBS News+5Federal Trade Commission+5Reuters+5

Key points from the complaint:

• The lawsuit alleges Ticketmaster and Live Nation colluded with ticket brokers (i.e. scalpers) by letting them bypass ticket-purchase limits set by artists and venues, then profiting off resale margins. CMU | the music business explained+4Reuters+4Scripps News+4

• It accuses the companies of “bait-and-switch pricing,” advertising tickets at lower prices than what consumers actually pay once all fees are added. The Guardian+3Federal Trade Commission+3Scripps News+3

• According to internal emails cited in the complaint, Live Nation / Ticketmaster leadership allegedly “turn a blind eye as a matter of policy” to scalpers violating purchasing limits. Reuters+3Federal Trade Commission+3The Guardian+3

• Between 2019 and 2024, the FTC claims Ticketmaster collected $3.7 billion from resales while allowing brokers to dominate ticket inventory. Scripps News+3Reuters+3Federal Trade Commission+3

• The complaint also claims failure to disclose full ticket prices (fees, markups) violates consumer protection laws. Federal Trade Commission+2The Guardian+2

Notably, the lawsuit leans on language tying back to Trump’s executive order, stating:

“President Donald Trump made it clear … the government must protect Americans from being ripped off when they buy tickets to live events.” Federal Trade Commission

3. Live Nation Proposes Resale Price Cap

Back in mid-2025, Live Nation suggested implementing 20% resale caps (i.e. resellers would be limited to selling tickets at no more than 20% above face value). VarietyThis is noteworthy because it signals that the company may be positioning itself to adapt (or preempt harsher regulation). Whether such a cap would be enforceable or effective — especially when many scalpers use complicated tactics — is still up for debate.

Why All This Matters to the Music Ecosystem

From the perspective of your record store’s audience (fans, local bands, indie promoters, etc.), here are the stakes.

For Fans

• Better access / lower markups: If the regulatory push forces ticketing platforms to clamp down on bots and scalping, more tickets might stay in the hands of real fans at fairer prices.

• Greater pricing transparency: One long-standing gripe is hidden fees (service, processing, delivery, etc.) that aren’t disclosed until checkout. The legal push emphasizes showing full prices upfront.

• Risk of backlash or loopholes: Even with new rules, scalpers adapt. Enforcement is key, and platforms could try to find new workarounds (e.g. using third-party sites, bundling, etc.).

For Artists & Smaller Promoters / Venues

• More control and fairness in primary sales: If ticketing becomes more regulated, artists might regain power over how many tickets are sold to fans vs. brokers.

• Reduced friction: Fewer bot-driven crashes, oversells, and system outages could make the fan experience smoother, improving goodwill and reducing churn.

• Cost structures change: If resale margins are curtailed, ticketing platforms might push harder on service fees or ancillary revenue streams.

• Monitoring compliance: Artists and promoters may need to pay closer attention to ticket allocations, auditing how many tickets end up in resale and who bought them.

For Live Nation / Ticketmaster & Big Ticketing Platforms

• Legal and financial risk: The FTC lawsuit, and broader antitrust scrutiny, pose serious threats. If courts side with regulators, Live Nation might be forced to alter its business model or spin off parts of the company.

• Reputation impact: Angry fans are vocal, and mistrust in ticketing could hurt relationships with artists and venues.

• Regulatory pressure: Trump’s order and the lawsuit push the agency and courts to take stricter stances. Platform decisions now carry political weight.

• Strategic pivoting: The resale price cap proposal may be an attempt to appear proactive or to temper backlash before regulation bites harder.

What to Watch Next

1. Court outcomes & injunctionsThe case will likely play out over years. But early rulings or injunctions (blocking certain practices) may shift how tickets are sold in 2026.

2. Legislative action / CongressTrump’s executive order called on Congress to act. New bills could impose resale caps, stricter oversight, or transparency laws.

3. Artist / promoter reactionsExpect more artists to demand transparency or even explore alternative ticketing platforms (like more decentralized ticketing, blockchain, or smaller independent ticket providers).

4. Ticketing platform responsesPlatforms might introduce new compliance systems, stricter identity checks, or limit secondary marketplaces allowed on their ecosystem.

5. Fan / consumer activismPressure from fans (social media, boycotts) could push venues, promoters, and platforms to adopt more fan-friendly policies proactively.