$2.4M Live Nation Wage and Hour Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Knowles v. Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., No. 23CV014270

If you worked an hourly or non-exempt job for Live Nation or House of Blues Entertainment in California between September 2020 and July 2025, money may already be coming your way — no form to fill out. Live Nation agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle claims it shorted workers on wages, breaks, and reimbursements. Here’s what you need to know.

Live Nation Wage and Hour Settlement — Key Facts

Settlement Amount	$2,400,000
Claim Deadline	None — payment is automatic for anyone who doesn’t opt out
Who Qualifies	Current and former hourly/non-exempt CA employees of Live Nation or HOB Entertainment, Sept. 16, 2020–July 11, 2025
Estimated Payout	Pro rata by workweeks worked; individual PAGA payout pro rata by pay periods worked
Proof Required	No — based on Live Nation’s own payroll records
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; final approval hearing pending
Court & Case Number	Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento — No. 23CV014270
Law Alleged	California Labor Code wage and hour violations; Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA); Unfair Competition Law
Administrator	CPT Group, Inc.
Official Claim Site	cptgroupcaseinfo.com/KnowlesSettlement
Last Updated	July 23, 2026

Who Are Live Nation and HOB Entertainment, and Why Are They Being Sued Over Wages?

Live Nation runs concert venues and events across California, and HOB Entertainment — the House of Blues brand — is named alongside it as a co-defendant. Both rely on large hourly workforces for box offices, security, hospitality, and event operations, the kind of scheduling-heavy jobs where wage and hour disputes over breaks, rounding, and reimbursements show up again and again in California employment litigation.

What Did Live Nation Allegedly Do to Hourly Workers Between 2020 and 2025?

Former employee Jordan Knowles filed suit alleging Live Nation and HOB Entertainment shorted hourly workers in a long list of ways: failing to pay minimum and overtime wages, denying proper meal periods and rest breaks, not paying accrued sick time or vacation pay, issuing inaccurate wage statements, not reimbursing business expenses, and using a rounding policy that allegedly shaved time off paychecks. The complaint also alleges the companies didn’t provide suitable seating where required and secretly underpaid wages through chargebacks.

Live Nation strongly denies all of it and says it followed California law throughout. Both sides hired a neutral mediator, and the case settled rather than heading toward a trial on class certification and liability.

Are You Part of the Live Nation Wage and Hour Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you. There are actually two overlapping groups, and which one you’re in changes your options.

• Class Members: anyone who worked an hourly or non-exempt job for Live Nation or HOB Entertainment in California any time between September 16, 2020 and July 11, 2025
• PAGA Members: anyone who worked an hourly or non-exempt job for either company in California any time between October 24, 2022 and July 11, 2025 — a shorter, more recent window tied to when the PAGA notice was filed

Most people who qualify fall into both groups. If Live Nation’s payroll records show you meet either definition, you don’t need to submit anything — you’re already in.

Related article: Trump Administration Research Grants Lawsuit, Were You Affected? — Thakur v. Trump, No. 3:25-cv-04737-RFL

Workers Outside California — Are You Still Covered?

No. This settlement is limited to hourly and non-exempt employees who worked in California specifically, since the underlying claims are built entirely around California Labor Code and PAGA, which only apply to work performed in that state.

Unsure whether your specific dates or job classification count? A free consultation with an employment wage and hour attorney can help you sort out the details, especially around the opt-out decision below.

How Much Can Live Nation Settlement Class Members Get?

Your payout depends on how long you worked there, not a flat number. The Administrator calculates your Individual Class Payment by dividing the Net Settlement Amount by the total workweeks worked by everyone in the class, then multiplying that by your own workweeks. If you’re also a PAGA Member, a separate Individual PAGA Payment is calculated the same way, using pay periods instead of workweeks — that money comes from a $450,000 PAGA penalty pool, with 25% going to workers and 75% going to the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Before any of that gets divided up, the settlement fund pays Class Counsel fees of up to $800,000 (one-third of the total), litigation costs up to $25,000, a $10,000 service award to Jordan Knowles for bringing the case, and up to $75,000 to CPT Group for administering it all.

Here’s something worth knowing: 25% of your Individual Class Payment counts as taxable wages, reported on a W-2, and the rest is treated as interest and penalties, reported on a 1099. Neither side is giving you tax advice — talk to a professional if you have questions about what you’ll owe.

What Do You Need to Do to Get Paid?

Nothing, if you’re comfortable participating. Live Nation is required to fund the entire $2.4 million without requiring anyone to submit a claim form — a single check combining your Individual Class Payment and any Individual PAGA Payment will be mailed to the address on file once the settlement is final. Live Nation must fund the settlement within about 23 days after the judgment becomes final, and checks go out within 10 days after that.

One thing worth double-checking: the number of workweeks or pay periods Live Nation’s records show for you. If you think it’s wrong, you can challenge it by sending supporting documents — pay stubs work well — to CPT Group within the same response window as the opt-out and objection deadlines, explained below.

If you move, notify the Administrator so your check doesn’t go to an old address. Checks void about 180 days after mailing, and uncashed funds go to the California Controller’s Unclaimed Property Fund in your name rather than back to Live Nation.

Should You Opt Out or Object to the Live Nation Settlement?

What Opting Out Actually Means — and Its Limits

You can opt out of the class action portion of this settlement, which means giving up your Individual Class Payment but keeping the right to sue Live Nation yourself over wage claims. Here’s the catch that makes this settlement different from most: you cannot opt out of the PAGA portion. Every PAGA Member gets an Individual PAGA Payment and gives up PAGA claims, whether or not they opt out of the class settlement. To opt out of the class portion, you need to send a signed written request to CPT Group within the Response Deadline — 60 days after your Class Notice was mailed, or 74 days if your notice had to be re-mailed.

How to Object to the Settlement

If you don’t opt out, you can object to any part of the deal — the settlement amount, the attorneys’ fee request, or the service award to Jordan Knowles — by sending a written objection to CPT Group by the same deadline, or by showing up to speak at the Final Approval Hearing directly.

Talk to a class action lawsuit attorney before your Response Deadline if you’re weighing whether to opt out.

Live Nation Wage and Hour Settlement — Key Dates

Milestone	Date
Preliminary Approval Hearing	January 30, 2026
Class Notice Mailing	Within 15 days of Live Nation delivering payroll data to CPT Group
Response Deadline (Opt-Out, Objection, Workweek Challenge)	60 days after your Class Notice is mailed (74 days if re-mailed)
Final Approval Hearing	September 11, 2026, 9:00 a.m., Sacramento County Superior Court
Settlement Funding by Live Nation	~23 days after judgment becomes final
Checks Mailed	Within 10 days after Live Nation funds the settlement

Live Nation Wage and Hour Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 23CV014270

Do I need to file a claim to get paid in the Live Nation settlement?

 No. This is a non-reversionary settlement, meaning Live Nation must fund the full $2.4 million and CPT Group mails checks automatically to everyone who doesn’t opt out — there’s no claim form.

Is the Live Nation wage and hour settlement legitimate?

 Yes. It’s overseen by the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, and administered by CPT Group, Inc., a court-appointed, independent settlement administrator.

When will Live Nation settlement payments be sent?

 Checks are expected within about 10 days after Live Nation funds the settlement, which happens roughly 23 days after the judgment becomes final. The Final Approval Hearing is September 11, 2026.

Can I opt out of the PAGA portion of this settlement?

 No. PAGA Members receive an Individual PAGA Payment and release PAGA claims regardless of whether they opt out of the class settlement — the two portions aren’t treated the same way.

What if I think my workweeks or pay periods were calculated wrong?

 You can challenge Live Nation’s numbers by submitting supporting documents like pay stubs to CPT Group within your Response Deadline. Without contrary evidence, the Administrator will use Live Nation’s records as accurate.

Will my Live Nation settlement payment be taxed?

 Yes, partially. 25% of your Individual Class Payment is treated as wages and reported on a W-2; the rest is reported on a 1099. Consult a tax professional about your specific situation.

What specific violations does this settlement cover? 

Unpaid minimum and overtime wages, missed meal periods and rest breaks, unpaid sick and vacation time, inaccurate wage statements, unreimbursed business expenses, lack of suitable seating, unlawful rounding, wage chargebacks, and related California Labor Code and PAGA violations.

Sources Used in This Article

• Class Action and PAGA Settlement Agreement, Knowles v. Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., No. 23CV014270: https://www.cptgroupcaseinfo.com/KnowlesSettlement/Documents/Settlement%20Agreement.pdf
• Order Granting Preliminary Approval of Class and Representative Action Settlement: https://www.cptgroupcaseinfo.com/KnowlesSettlement/Documents/Preliminary%20Approval%20Order.pdf
• Official Settlement Case Information Site, CPT Group, Inc.: https://www.cptgroupcaseinfo.com/KnowlesSettlement/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official Settlement Agreement and Preliminary Approval Order on July 23, 2026. Last Updated: July 23, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.