Ticketmaster is facing ongoing scrutiny for its pricing around several high-profile tours, allowing bots to run wild, and just generally making the online ticket-buying experience miserable. But some touring artists are finding new (old) ways to sidestep Ticketmaster.
On Thursday, musician Maggie Rogers told fans looking for tickets for her newly announced U.S. summer tour that “We’re going old school,” and allowing fans to purchase tickets in person one day only (April 7) at the venue’s box office, citing the “intense ticketing fees” and “bot activity” keeping tickets away from fans.
@maggierogers fuck bots + fuck fees. buy a ticket in person. tomorrow only. link in bio.
♬ Symphony – Maggie Rogers
“Seems a little obvious,” Rogers laughs. “But it’s a way to get rid of some of the fees and get tickets directly into your hands.”
“LOVE THIS IDEA!!” said one commenter. “I know it’s not ideal for everyone, but it’s a GREAT step in the right direction.”
Ticketmaster’s handling of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was so disastrous, it triggered a flood of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints from Swifties. Last month, fans who bought tickets for the Cure’s upcoming tour were given a partial refund at the request of singer Robert Smith, who has continued, via Twitter, keeping fans in the loop regarding pricing for different venues. While the band tried to keep ticket prices reasonable, in some cases the Ticketmaster fees were allegedly more than the actual tickets.
He tweeted on March 31 that roughly 7,000 tickets for the tour were canceled because they were held by “fake accounts” or were about to be resold.
This morning, Rogers reported from the Music Hall of Williamsburg box office, and fans posted videos and photos from the line, where people seemed generally happy and got to talk to each other (and Rogers) face to face. Fans in other cities also posted their lines.
We reached out to Rogers for comment.