MPs press competition watchdog to probe live music industry’s ‘dominant’ firms Business A government committee has urged the competition watchdog to launch a probe into the UK’s live music industry and the most “dominant firms”. The Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee said on 18 October it is “pressing” the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to launch a full market investigation into the live music industry in [...]
HMV shuts flagship Oxford Street store just three years after comeback Retail HMV is set to close its flagship Oxford Street store just three years after its comeback to the location where it was founded more than a century ago. The music and entertainment retailer said the site will shut its doors in March next year, blaming a doubled rent bill and the cost of “substantial” renovations. [...]
Virgin Media O2 defends arena deal as £200m price tag disputed Media Virgin Media O2 has pushed back at claims it is paying around £200m to keep its name on the O2, as the heavily indebted telecoms group commits to another decade of one of Britain’s longest-running sponsorship deals. The company and venue owner AEG have not disclosed the value of the agreement, which will keep the [...]
Apple unveils new 600 capacity music venue in London – see pictures September 22, 2026 Apple is launching a new music venue in London with space for 600. The venue near Battersea Power Station has not yet revealed an opening date, but promises to connect fans and artists through intimate shows. The venue will have views towards the river and the Battersea Power Station and will cater to seated and [...]
Jay-Z tour review and special guests: He’s still got it September 10, 2026 Jay-Z delivers a joyous Tottenham show packed with classics, spectacle and nostalgia, while stadium hospitality adds polish; read the review.
The St Paul’s Cathedral Fabric outrage is a ridiculous moral panic September 8, 2026 St Paul’s Cathedral has announced a four-year collaboration with Fabric nightclub that will see DJs being brought into the capital’s most lauded pews, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The four-year project has provoked outrage among groups including traditionalist Christians and historic preservation societies. Descendants of Lord Nelson called the events “an insult” to his memory, [...]
Dolly Parton: The rhinestone capitalist August 27, 2026 Dolly Parton is often celebrated as a working class hero, but her entrepreneurial triumphs can be read as a fable of capitalism too.
Trainspotting the Musical: A bad, bad trip down memory lane July 23, 2026 Trainspotting the Musical | Theatre Royal Haymarket | ★☆☆☆☆ I was 13 when Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting adaptation was released – I’d never seen anything like it and it became a seminal text of my teenage years. Two decades later, I luxuriated in the condensed hit of nostalgia of the 2017 sequel. I’ve read the books: [...]
Is ABBA Voyage suitable for children? You bet it is! July 23, 2026 It’s one of those questions that follows a person for a lifetime: what was your first gig? The Spice Girls at Wembley, since you asked – a fact at which I cringed during my goth phase but of which I am now proud. A young person’s first experience of live music is a defining moment [...]
Jeff Goldblum plays the cinematic hits at joyful Royal Albert Hall show July 22, 2026 Jeff Goldblum at the Royal Albert Hall | ★★★★☆ Nobody does it like Jeff. Not my words but those printed on the t-shirt of a fan at his show at the Royal Albert Hall. Few actors have forced their way into the cultural zeitgeist quite like Jeff Goldblum, whose personality looms over everything he does [...]