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High-Stakes Trial Against Live Nation Enters Final Phase

By  |  April 12, 2026

A courtroom battle over the future of the live entertainment industry reached a critical moment this week as attorneys for dozens of U.S. states squared off against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster during closing arguments in a major antitrust trial.

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    According to AP News, a lawyer representing 34 states urged a federal jury to find that Live Nation has monopolized the concert business and driven up ticket prices for consumers. The argument, delivered Thursday in Manhattan federal court, framed the company as dominating the industry through anti-competitive practices.

    Jeffrey Kessler, arguing on behalf of the states, told jurors that the evidence presented throughout the trial demonstrated clear violations of antitrust laws. He emphasized that the legal threshold in a civil case is lower than in criminal proceedings, noting that the states only needed to prove their claims by a preponderance of the evidence.

    Kessler described the company in stark terms, calling it a “monopolistic bully” that has taken deliberate steps to entrench its dominance. He argued that Live Nation’s actions “kept digging the moat around the monopoly castle in order to protect their market position,” according to AP News.

    Read more: Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino Defends Company in Manhattan Antitrust Trial

    The states’ case hinges in part on market share data. Kessler pointed to figures showing Live Nation controls approximately 86% of the concert market and 73% of the broader live events market when sports are included. Per AP News, he argued that such dominance is strong evidence of monopoly power.

    On the other side, Live Nation’s legal team pushed back forcefully, rejecting the accusations and portraying the company as operating in a competitive and thriving marketplace. Defense attorney David Marriott told jurors that the states had failed to meet their burden of proof.

    “They can’t, and they didn’t,” Marriott said, insisting that Live Nation has not behaved as a monopolist and instead competes fairly in what he described as a booming concert industry.

    The case has already seen significant developments. The federal government, which initially led the lawsuit filed in 2024, recently reached a settlement with Live Nation. According to AP News, that agreement included concessions related to ticket sales at dozens of amphitheaters owned by the company. The settlement temporarily delayed the trial while states attempted—largely unsuccessfully—to negotiate their own resolution.

    With closing arguments now complete, Judge Arun Subramanian has instructed the jury on the applicable law. Jurors are expected to begin deliberations Friday, a process that could determine whether one of the most powerful companies in live entertainment will face major legal consequences or emerge vindicated.

    Source: AP News