Olivia Dean, the Grammy-nominated artist, has successfully advocated for her fans, resulting in partial refunds from Ticketmaster and AXS. This victory comes after Dean criticized these platforms as “exploitative” due to exorbitant resale prices for tickets to her North American tour. Reports indicate that resale tickets had been listed at up to 14 times their original cost, prompting Dean’s strong response.
In a statement shared on her social media on March 7, 2024, Dean expressed her outrage, stating, “Live music should be affordable and accessible and we need to find a new way of making that possible. BE BETTER.” She condemned the practices of Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and AEG, declaring that their resale policies were “vile” and contrary to the wishes of both artists and fans.
In a positive development, Dean announced that both Ticketmaster and AXS would refund the difference to fans who purchased tickets above face value. Additionally, she confirmed that the resale prices for tickets to her upcoming shows would be capped at face value throughout the North American leg of her tour. “Every artist and their team should be granted the option to cap resale at face value ahead of on sale, to keep the live music space accessible for all,” she wrote.
Dean further highlighted the challenges posed by the secondary ticket market, calling it “an exploitative and unregulated space” that needs reform. She expressed gratitude to her fans for their patience and excitement about meeting them at her performances.
In response to Dean’s advocacy, Michael Rapino, CEO of Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation Entertainment, acknowledged her concerns. He stated, “We share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets.” While Rapino noted that they cannot enforce resale policies on other marketplaces, he echoed Dean’s call for improvement.
The issue of ticket resale has garnered increased attention in recent weeks, particularly after the U.K. government announced plans to ban the resale of concert and sports tickets above face value. This initiative aims to combat ticket scalping, which has long plagued fans. U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy remarked, “For too long, ticket touts have ripped off fans, using bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices.” The government anticipates that these measures could save fans approximately £112 million (about $146 million) annually.
Prominent artists, including Coldplay and Dua Lipa, have voiced their support for the government’s proposed legislation. As Olivia Dean’s tour approaches, her successful negotiation with Ticketmaster and AXS may set a new standard for ticket sales and resales in the music industry, potentially leading to broader changes in how tickets are marketed and sold in the future.
