The competition rules for municipal venues have been tightened: Suspected cartel formation. The Competition and Consumer Authority has tightened competition rules for 38 municipal venues following suspicions of cartel agreements. Several venues have been accused of coordinating ticket prices, which has been deemed problematic behavior. The Competition and Consumer Authority has been following the media coverage of the case, including reports from Fredericia Dagblad and Berlingske, which have exposed suspicious conditions.
An email correspondence between Kulturværftet in Helsingør and Mantzius Live in Birkerød, which Berlingske has had access to, shows that the two venues have coordinated market segmentation and ticket prices for specific artists. In addition, Fredericia Dagblad has reported on West Jutland venues that have collaborated on ticket prices. Last year in March, the media described how Tobakken and Tøjhuset were raided as part of an investigation into suspected price coordination.
The Competition and Consumer Authority has conducted digital raids on several of the venues involved. After these visits, the authority has decided to tighten competition rules. The authority emphasizes in its press release that venues should avoid exchanging sensitive competition information and coordinating prices.
Although the Competition and Consumer Authority has chosen not to pursue the case further at the present time, the case may be reopened if new information comes to light. Deputy Director Tine Rønde states that the authority will continue to monitor the market and is ready to take action if necessary.