As Taylor Swift continues her record-breaking Eras Tour, many American fans are grappling with exorbitant ticket prices. The cheapest tickets for her remaining U.S. dates have skyrocketed on resale markets, reaching $2,500, which is a substantial increase from their original price of $49. For some, including fans like Jacki Thrapp, the possibility of attending a European show appears cheaper than staying in the States. "Americans are paying so much money, and a lot of Taylor Swift fans are people in their 20s and 30s. We’re paying so much money to see her in the U.S. when a lot of us still can't even afford a house," she expressed.
Interestingly, while purchasing tickets on the secondary market is rampant in the U.S., it is not a common practice in Sweden. Jacki found herself paying less than $200 for her concert tickets in Sweden, where the markup on resale tickets is notably lower. In other European countries, legislation has been enacted to curb the pricing chaos. For instance, in Germany, tickets cannot be resold for more than a 25% increase above face value, and countries like Italy and Portugal have gone even further, instituting laws that prevent any resale above the original ticket price.
In contrast, there are no restrictions in the U.S. or the UK, allowing ticket resale prices to soar as high as the market will bear. As recently as April, a collective of 250 musical artists, including big-name icons like Billie Eilish and Cyndi Lauper, signed an open letter denouncing "predatory resellers" and describing the current ticketing system as "broken." There appears to be a growing consensus that changes are necessary to protect fans and ensure fair pricing.
In the UK, there might be hope on the horizon as the Labour Party hints at potential reforms, including plans to cap resale prices of tickets should they form a new government—this sets a promising tone for those frustrated with the ticketing landscape.
Despite this proposed reform, current laws in the UK and US do little to alleviate a pair of persistent issues: the prevalence of touts—individuals who profit from reselling tickets in bulk right after they go on sale—and the increasing risk of counterfeit tickets. For instance, hundreds of fans hoping to purchase tickets for Taylor Swift’s recent UK performances fell victim to scams, highlighting this ongoing challenge.
Asher Weiss, the chief executive of ticketing startup Tixologi, posits that technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), could provide viable solutions to the ongoing ticketing crisis. Weiss shared insights into how ticket touts operate, explaining, "People [touts] will buy a ticket and list it on multiple marketplaces for secondary sale. And then even if it sells on one, they won’t take it down off the other one. So multiple people end up with the same ticket, trying to get in."
To counteract this trend, Tixologi is developing an AI-based system to identify and flag suspicious purchasing behavior, particularly instances where tickets are being bought in bulk from the same IP address. Furthermore, the firm is implementing blockchain technology to ensure that there is only one legitimate copy of each ticket in circulation, reducing the chances of duplication and counterfeit issues.
The added security measures include an electronic ticket system featuring rotating QR codes that are extremely difficult to replicate. Venues and artists have the option to enable a “disable transfers” function, which precludes users from simply passing their tickets on to others, complicating the resale process further.
Another company, Seat Unique, is working in partnership with venues like Wembley Stadium to implement a dynamic pricing model for tickets sold directly for events like Taylor Swift’s upcoming shows later in the summer. According to its founder, Robin Sherry, this model is revolutionary, as it enables ticket prices to fluctuate based on real-time demand.
Dynamic pricing aims to ensure that both artists and venues receive the financial benefit of increased demand, rather than allowing secondary ticket sellers to monopolize profits. Sherry noted, "It’s ultimately about keeping tickets in the hands of fans not scalpers" and emphasized how AI could also enhance the marketing of concerts through targeted advertising based on user preferences.
Amid these discussions of technology as a solution to combat ticket scalping and improve the buying experience, it’s noteworthy that AI isn't just being utilized for ticket distribution; it's also creeping onto the concert stage. Later this year, concertgoers in London will experience an AI-powered hologram of Elvis Presley, with creator Andrew McGuiness claiming the technology will transform the performance landscape with a deeply lifelike representation that he likened to "time travel."
Jacki Thrapp remains hopeful, reflecting, "This was the first time I've ever left America to see one of my favorite artists, but there has to be a better way to do this.” In her experience seeking out a European concert, she highlights the urgency for innovative advancements that could reshape how fans access live events.
As technology advances, companies like Tixologi and Seat Unique are actively working to leverage AI to alleviate the burdens associated with the current ticketing debacle, a move that may soon redefine how tickets are bought and sold. While Taylor Swift fans may still be left wondering what the future holds, one thing is clear: the industry is ripe for digital disruption aimed at returning integrity and fairness to the concert ticketing process.
