Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and DMV native Olivia Dean has some big news! She will start her much-anticipated “The Art of Loving” tour from San Francisco, California with the first concert in July 2024. While this tour is definitely historic and triumphant, it may be a turning point for her. She can’t wait to meet fans in key markets such as Los Angeles, Denver, Boston, and New York City. The tour will wrap up in August 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Earlier this month, on November 1, Dean announced her tour plans, creating an electrifying buzz among her intricate fanbase. It was just a few weeks ago, on November 18, that presale tickets went on sale. This provided excited fans their first chance to get tickets for the subsequent shows. Soon after the presale started, disputes over ticket resale prices surfaced.
Later, on November 21, Dean took to Instagram to express her exasperation. She slammed Tockmaster for allowing these resale ticket prices to shoot up to almost $1,000. She lambasted both Ticketmaster and its parent companies, Live Nation and AEG, accusing them of providing a “disgusting” service. Dean expressed her dissatisfaction with the predatory nature of the ticket resale industry.
“I’m sorry that there seems to be an issue with ticket re-selling and pricing,” – Olivia Dean
Dean further commented, “My team are currently looking into it. It is extremely frustrating as the last thing I want is for anyone to be scammed or overcharged for our show. Please be wary of buying tickets in the comment sections as it is most likely a scam.” Her comments emphasise that she cares deeply for her fans and wants to ensure they have the best experience possible when buying a ticket.
In response to this backlash, Ticketmaster released a press release applauding Dean’s decision and her demand for more affordable live music. They acknowledged the high demand for tickets to her upcoming tour and announced that refunds would be processed by December 10 for those who paid above face value for their tickets.
Ticketmaster has publicly admitted that they recently activated a Face Value Exchange to Dean’s tour. This includes ensuring that any future resale ticket sales on their marketplace platform will be limited to the original ticket price, plus no additional fees. This decision should be viewed as one agency action in a concerted effort to protect consumers. Dean characterized the environment today as an “exploitative and unregulated space.”
“After many conversations with my team, Ticketmaster and AXS have agreed to refund the difference to anyone who has paid over face value for a ticket and will cap all future ticket resale prices to face value for the North American run of the tour,” – Olivia Dean
Dean made an impassioned call to the live music industry to course correct. He thinks artists in general should be empowered to limit resale floor prices prior to the start of sales on primary tickets. She also doubled down on her commitment to ensuring that live performances remain affordable and accessible to all fans.
“The secondary ticket market is an exploitative and unregulated space and we as an industry have a responsibility to protect people and our community. Thank you for your patience and I’m looking forward to seeing all you real humans at the show. Stop the bots,” – Olivia Dean
This uproar over skyrocketing ticket prices exposes a long-standing problem ingrained within the music industry that hurts both artists and … Continued. As Olivia Dean prepares for her upcoming tour, she continues to advocate for fairness in ticket sales and accessibility for her audience.
