Maybe it’s time to scrap Spotify Wrapped?
By pushing playlists over albums, Spotify’s algorithm encourages us to outsource our taste and see music as a background distraction
Live Nation
The ‘Cable Cowboy’: The US billionaire who made Ireland his home-from-home
‘Cable cowboy’ also owns two large estates, at Humewood in Wicklow and Castlemartin in Kildare, and regularly stays at both
Olivia Rodrigo and Girls Aloud sellout shows help boost profits at 3Arena to €18.2m
More than one million fans flocked to concerts at Dublin’s former Point Depot last year
Who really owns the music festival you’re heading to this summer?
Artists and fans are protesting against events being gobbled up by private equity firms
Inside Ireland’s music festival industry: ‘You can haemorrhage money very quickly’
For promoters, there are risks, tight margins and pinch points. Still, as the summer season begins, optimism prevails
How Live Nation calls the tune for the live music industry
Rivals and competition experts fear the White House will not pursue its predecessor’s antitrust case against the events giant
Electric Picnic promoters to seek permission for 80,000 tickets a day
Increase in capacity of 5,000 a day on last year would make 2025 the biggest festival in Electric Picnic’s 22-year history
‘He was my baby, and he died needlessly’: Former child star Rory Sykes dies in LA fires
Sykes’s mother says ‘all phone lines were down’ and local fire station had ‘no water’
Irish WWE star Lyra Valkyria: ‘At its core, we’re storytellers. Everything comes down to good versus evil’
With its mix of larger-than-life faux rage in the ring and genuine connection with fans, it’s not hard to understand the huge popularity of WWE – and it means big business, too, for Netflix
The Cure’s Robert Smith: ‘I wear lipstick, I’m 65. I’m not the person to stand up to say what’s wrong with the world’
The Cure’s Robert Smith interview: With his band’s first new album in 16 years just released, post-punk’s dark prince discusses enduring on his own terms and clashing with the most powerful company in live music
‘We are happy with the price’: Music promoter Denis Desmond on buying Rory Gallagher’s guitar
Fender Stratocaster is acquired for more than €1 million at auction in London
Oasis, Ticketmaster and the great rock’n’roll swindle
The ticket company’s dynamic pricing works on the principle that it can charge as much as we’re willing to pay. So choose which bands to see carefully
Oasis tickets controversy: ‘People say it was better in the old days. It really wasn’t’
Amid calls for Ticketmaster’s ‘dynamic pricing’ to be investigated, the company’s former MD says it is not a monopoly and will remain popular
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices