Get Involved

We need everyone’s voice. Whether you’ve got five minutes or five hours, here are some simple, powerful ways you can help protect Portland’s independent music scene.

1) Email City Council

Let your representatives know where you stand.
A quick, respectful email to City Council can make a huge difference. Tell them you support the temporary moratorium on large venue development and believe Portland should prioritize its homegrown music scene — not corporate expansion.
📧 Email: council@portlandmaine.gov
📧 CC: publiccomment@portlandmaine.gov
Not sure what to say? We’ve got talking points below.

2) Sign the Petition

Numbers matter. Add your name to help us build momentum.
We’re gathering signatures to show Portland leaders just how many people support this effort. If you believe in keeping Portland’s music scene local and independent, sign and share.

3) Show up on Aug 11

Your presence speaks volumes.
City Council will vote on the moratorium on Monday, August 11 at 5:30 PM. Public comment is in-person only, and showing up - even if you don’t speak—sends a strong message.

4) Spread the Word

Talk to your friends, family, neighbors—even strangers at shows.
One of the most powerful tools we have is conversation. Share this issue on social media, text it to your group chat, or bring it up next time you’re out seeing live music. The more people know what’s happening, the more support we get.

5) Support Portland’s Local Independent Venues

Keep showing up for the places that make Portland’s music scene what it is.
Buy a ticket. Go to a show. Follow your favorite venues and artists. Independent venues rely on your support, and every bit counts… especially now.

Not Sure What To Talk About? Here Are Some Starting Points!

The City should not be doing business with Live Nation.

  • The US Justice Dept. has deemed Live Nation “a criminal enterprise” in their anti-trust case, which has the backing of 40 states’ attorney generals. 

  • Lawsuits with the backing of 40+ states are nearly once-in-a-generation, reserved for some of the most evil, predatory corporations one can imagine: Big Tobacco, Purdue Pharma (makers of Oxycontin), Facebook…

  • The monopoly practices are so extreme that it has the backing of most Republican-led states.

  • Even the Trump Justice Dept. has declined to throw out the case. 

Live Nation’s proposed venue would wreak havoc on the local economy, shuttering businesses, through their documented business model of monopoly domination. 

  • They crush competition, drive ticket prices up, drive wages down, and leave audiences, musicians, and arts workers alike with fewer opportunities.

  • After entering a new market, Live Nation deliberately consolidates power, buying up smaller venues and driving those that won’t work with them out of business. 

Live Nation exploits music audiences. 

  • Through their ownership of Ticketmaster, they gouge audiences with exorbitant fees and “surge” pricing.

The venue would be a nightmare for downtown traffic, parking, and pedestrian safety.

  • Live Nation’s proposal for a 3,300 capacity venue includes no plan to create any new parking. 

  • Their “parking plan” only includes existing garages and they are not bound by any city law to see this “plan” through.  

Live Nation’s proposed project would offer nothing new.

  • Any band that would play at the Live Nation development can be accommodated in existing venues — either the publicly-owned and operated Merrill Auditorium and Cross Insurance Arena, or the State Theatre and Thompson’s Point.

A moratorium is a legally sound, common sense next step for City Council to take.

  • City Council needs to treat this project as the existential threat it is. 

  • The Portland arts and music community does not want to see this project come to fruition and we need advocacy and leadership from our elected officials.

The moratorium gives the city a position to negotiate from.

  • LiveNation has unofficially offered the City a meager public benefit package, but the City has no way of holding LiveNation to this and no way to negotiate a package that would actually benefit the City in any meaningful way.

Looking to learn more? Check out these articles we’ve gathered on Live Nation: