The 2026 National Independent Venue Association conference kicked off its opening session at the gorgeous Pantages Theatre (built in 1916) in Minneapolis with NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker leading a rather epic and sprawling two-hour session.

New partnerships with Bandsintown, ROSTR, MasterTour, and DoStuff are designed to strengthen the independent live music ecosystem for years.

Announcing the launch, coalition partner NIVA also says it has identified 6,000 deceptive URLs and called on states to bring additional consumer protections

What’s the best way to decommission secondary ticketing scams? Demand refunds, call out resale platforms, and contact lawmakers, according to Fix the Tix, which has launched a “Fan Action Center” designed to help shortchanged customers.

Two former top antitrust attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice who were central to its case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster had strong words for the department following its abrupt settlement with the company just one week after the trial — which saw the DOJ and over 30 states accusing the company of monopolistic business practices — began in March.

Announced at NIVA '26, Fix the Tix launched a new Fan Action Center following reports of the existence of 6,000+ deceptive ticketing websites.

During the opening session of NIVA '26, Bandsintown and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) unveiled plans for Live Independent Month, a nationwide celebration set to launch in Summer 2027, alongside the introduction of the Live Independent Pulse Survey, a new monthly reporting initiative designed to track the health of independent live entertainment businesses across the United States.

Keeping the Crocodile an independent music venue, as it has been for 35 years, was important to the outgoing ownership group and staff. The sale was announced Monday as the National Independent Venue Association had its annual conference in Minneapolis.

Concert professionals from around the country will converge on Minneapolis for the fifth annual National Independent Venue Association Conference, scheduled June 7-10 at various venues.