LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--
AB InBev (Brussel:ABI) (BMV:ANB) (JSE:ANH) (NYSE:BUD) and Live Nation today announced AB InBev as the exclusive beer and cider partner for Live Nation in the United Kingdom, spanning festivals, venues, and outdoor shows. The unprecedented scale of the partnership connects brands, including Budweiser, Corona, San Miguel, Stella Artois and more, to millions of music fans of a legal drinking age.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112712662/en/
AB InBev brands will be centre stage at marquee moments like the legendary Pepsi MAX presents Reading & Leeds Festival, Scotland’s biggest music event, Pepsi MAX presents TRNSMT, as well as unmissable lineups at outdoor shows like Glasgow Summer Sessions and TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival. In addition to more than 20 festivals, AB InBev will activate across all Academy Music Group venues, including O2 Academy Brixton and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, two of London’s most renowned live music destinations.
“Music is a universal passion point for our consumers, and our brands have been part of music culture for decades,” said Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer of AB InBev. “Beer is the perfect choice for live music experiences because it’s the beverage of moderation and socialization. With this new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Live Nation, our brands will have even more occasions to create unforgettable experiences for music fans.”
For decades AB InBev and Live Nation have activated globally, reaching millions of fans at music experiences across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Building on this long history of collaboration between the world’s leading brewer and the world’s leading live entertainment company, this partnership creates more opportunities for fans of legal drinking age to celebrate together.
“AB InBev has been an incredible partner to music fans around the world across many Live Nation venues and festivals,” said Russell Wallach, Live Nation’s Global President of Media & Sponsorship. “The UK has some of the world’s most passionate live music fans and legendary festivals. Live music culture runs deep here, and together, we’re committed to making those experiences even better for fans.”
Together, the companies will collaborate across strategy, creative and fan engagement to make great beer and cider an authentic part of the live music experience, with Budweiser at the forefront, drawing on its global legacy in live music. In addition to curated beverage lineups, brands across AB InBev's portfolio will bring fans of legal drinking age closer to the music through immersive experiences, on-trade activations, and digital integrations.
While exclusive to the UK, this partnership strengthens a global relationship between AB InBev and Live Nation that will continue to deliver memorable experiences for music fans around the world.
ABOUT AB InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). As a company, we dream big to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in the world. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser ®, Corona ®, Stella Artois ® and Michelob Ultra ®; multi-country brands Beck’s ®, Hoegaarden ® and Leffe ®; and local champions such as Aguila ®, Antarctica ®, Bud Light ®, Brahma ®, Cass ®, Castle ®, Castle Lite ®, Cristal ®, Harbin ®, Jupiler ®, Modelo Especial ®, Quilmes ®, Victoria ®, Sedrin ®, and Skol ®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 144 000 colleagues based in nearly 50 countries worldwide. For 2024, AB InBev’s reported revenue was 59.8 billion USD (excluding JVs and associates).
ABOUT LIVE NATION UK
Live Nation UK is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.
Live Nation x AB InBev
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.
Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
The Latest:
The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.
The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.
Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.
“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.
Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.
Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.
Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.
Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.
Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.
A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)