Portland Maine Live Nation

Photo Credit: Aerial view of Portland, Maine by Alex Boykov / CC by 4.0

The Portland City Council met today over newly released data revealing the major threat to Maine’s $550 million live event economy—Live Nation.

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has released a new economic impact report showing Maine’s independent live venues, promoters, and festivals are a significant driver of the state’s economy, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs per year. However, NIVA warns that this locally rooted, high-impact industry is now under direct threat from a Live Nation-backed 3,300-seat venue in downtown Portland.

As a result, NIVA has urged the Portland City Council to pass a moratorium at its meeting today (August 11) to protect Maine’s live performance economy from monopoly control.

On Monday, NIVA’s leadership joined Maine’s independent venues, promoters, and artists to deliver a united message to City Hall: don’t let Live Nation destroy what makes Portland’s music and live performance culture exceptional.

Together, they warn that allowing Live Nation into Portland’s market will put the city’s small and mid-size venues in direct jeopardy and siphon economic benefits away from Maine communities. They further warn of handing unprecedented control of the local live performance pipeline to a corporation already facing an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice and 40 state attorneys general.

“Portland already has a rich and self-sustaining music ecosystem. The Live Nation project would strip value from this community and send it to shareholders across the globe,” said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. “City Council has a clear choice today: protect Main Street, or hand it over to a monopoly.”

According to NIVA’s newly released economic impact report, Maine’s independent venues, promoters, and festivals contribute more than $273.25 million to Maine’s GDP while supporting 4,057 jobs in the state. They also lead to a non-venue tourism spending impact of $47.18 million, while contributing an economic output of $550.26 million.

“Portland’s music scene is part of the city’s identity. It’s been built show by show, venue by venue, to benefit Maine artists and Maine fans,” said Lauren Wayne, President of State Theatre Presents. “A monopoly-operated venue would put that legacy at risk and erode the local character that makes this city unique.”

“We’re prepared to fight every step of the way to prevent Live Nation from having the opportunity to inflict harm on what has taken us decades to build,” said Scott Mohler, Executive Director of the Maine Music Alliance.

Maine state law authorizes municipalities to enact a moratorium when “the application of existing comprehensive plans, land use ordinances, or regulations is inadequate to prevent serious public harm from residential, commercial, or industrial development.” NIVA asserts that this standard is clearly met.

Passing a moratorium would give the City of Portland and Maine’s music community the time to collaborate with the developer on a project that supports, rather than undermines, the state’s cultural infrastructure.

“This is not cultural development—it’s cultural strip mining,” said Parker. “Once it starts, the damage will be permanent. City Council must act now to protect Portland’s economy, culture, and the livelihoods of thousands of Mainers.”