Every time a popular artist goes on tour, fans from all over the country — and the world — jump onto Ticketmaster, get a presale code, wait in the queue, and then…nothing. The tickets are either unreasonably priced, sold out, or doubled in cost by extra fees.
While all concerts share the same sentiment, gathering to listen to live music and celebrate the artists, these tours are show-stopping events, all with their own unique sets, costumes, and performances. No fan wants to miss out on the opportunity to witness their favorite artist taking the stage and performing their favorite songs.
Typically, fans are disappointed every time tour dates drop. Take Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour, for example. After the presale, Ticketmaster had to cancel the general sale due to an “extraordinarily high demand.” If you weren’t a part of the Verified Fan presale, chances are you didn’t get tickets, or you had to pay a ridiculous amount to get them from a reseller.
And this isn’t just a one-time disaster — it’s part of a bigger, ongoing problem. Ticketmaster has previously been unfair to fans wanting to buy tickets solely because they want to see the show, allowing bots to infiltrate the queue and purchase large amounts of tickets at a time, later selling them for an extremely inflated price.
I saw this issue firsthand with Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet tour last fall. I wasn’t able to take part in the presale, so I went to check at a later date, and I couldn’t find a ticket for less than $900. That number doesn’t encompass taxes, fees, transportation, outfits, or food. Even though I loved her album, it just wasn’t worth it!
Artists try to make up for this issue by adding other legs to their tours, usually in the United States, giving more people a chance to see their shows.
However, I don’t think that this is a problem that falls on the artist to solve. The artist is there to perform for their fans. They aren’t the ones controlling how tickets are sold, adding hidden fees, and selling them at expensive prices.
While some artists can influence pricing, the bigger system of fees and resales is often out of their hands. The artists also don’t benefit from resellers, as that money gets put right into the reseller’s pocket.
Plus, these extra shows are typically in cities that the artist hasn’t visited previously, so add hotel and additional travel expenses on top of the aforementioned expenses.
I’m not trying to say that concerts are pointless or that they shouldn’t exist at all. They are a great way for a community of fans to come together and listen to and celebrate their favorite artist. I love seeing live music, even if I’m unfamiliar with the band or artist that’s playing.
But how can a community of fans come together if they have to sit in a 90,000-person line, compete with bots and resellers, and then, after all that, pay an arm and a leg to do so?
Fans are the ones who are responsible for an artist’s fame, and yet they aren’t the ones seeing the shows. I don’t think that’s right. Nobody should have to miss out on their favorite artist’s concerts for reasons that are outside of their control.
Fans deserve better. It’s time for real solutions to make live music accessible again.
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