Music giant's stake in festival company

Live Nation Entertainment is now the majority shareholder in the company which was founded by Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor in St Annes in 2009 – but the Fylde pair have pledged it is very much a case of business as usual, and are confident the deal, for an undisclosed sum, will lead to further growth.

“After an incredible seven years operating as an independent promoter in the UK we are now looking forward to our new life as part of the Live Nation family and we are really excited,” said Cuffe and Taylor.

“It’s very much business as usual as we continue to grow and develop our core brands of Lytham Festival, Greenwich Music Time and Scarborough Open Air Theatre while also developing our touring operation, taking established artists into new and exciting regional venues.”

“The music industry is very much a high risk business and this deal takes much of the risk out of it for us. Daniel and I are keen to bring the biggest names possible to venues such as Lytham and this will open a lot of doors for us in accessing even bigger stars. It’s very much a strategic takeover by Live Nation and will really help us grow.”

Cuffe and Taylor currently employ 18 full-time staff at their offices at Bartle Court Business Centre, near Preston, having moved there in 2014 from their original base in St Annes, where they had four staff. They also have an office in London and during the summer, when the majority of their events are being held, they employ hundreds.

Live Nation Entertainment operates concert promotions, venue operations, sponsorship and ticketing solutions and has acquired no fewer than 11 businesses since the start of 2016.

Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment president and CEO, said: “Our mission at Live Nation has never been clearer.

“We want to connect fans with the artists they love, and through this deal with Cuffe and Taylor we are able to offer fans in the UK more choices than ever before.”

Denis Desmond, chairman of Live Nation UK, added: “We look forward to welcoming Cuffe and Taylor to the Live Nation team to expand our overall presence across the UK regional markets. Both Daniel and Peter will jointly head up the new venture with Live Nation and the existing Cuffe and Taylor team and continue to deliver exceptional experiences for artists and fans.”

Cuffe and Taylor have seen Lytham Proms grow from a single-night event in 2010 to what will this year be a five-night festival of music featuring the likes of Olly Murs and Madness. Last year, they promoted nationwide tours by the likes of Rod Stewart and Dame Joan Collins, and Cliff Richard and The Beach Boys are among those being promoted this year.