Live Nation’s Pukkelpop deal approved with ten-year independence safeguard
Live Nation will retain formal ownership of the Belgian festival while making "binding" commitments to keeping creative control with its founder for a ten-year period
News By Ciaran Donnelly | 15 September 2026
Live Nation’s acquisition of Belgium’s Pukkelpop Festival has been approved by the country’s competition authority, after the company made “binding” commitments to keep creative direction of the event with the festival’s founder for at least ten years.
A new decision by the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) will mean that Pukkelpop organisers will keep full independent control over “all artistic, commercial and other decisions relating to the organisation of the festival”, the regulator said. This includes the…