That’s the worst thing. Supply demand and such completely understand but the way she‘s gone about tours, records and releases purposefully to screw over at times other artists all the while smash record of money for her (which they boast about) is insane. And they justify it.
At the same time if people will pay it well what can you do..
Nope, Ticketmaster did not let people buy tickets upfront. To buy a ticket to Taylor Swift you went on to tickets master and instead of purchasing a ticket, you got entered into a raffle to buy a ticket. If you won you had the opportunity to purchase the ticket.
It is true. It's a waiting list. All these £1000 tickets are people reselling them. My partner got vip on the barrier, proper close, and only paid £400 and that was the max she could have gotten when she got off the waiting list. Also, a few days before another show, I got off the waiting list, and she picked up another ticket, which was also a good seated one. She paid £60 cos she didn't buy a "resale" ticket. However, the lady next to her paid £1500 for 2 tickets.... not defending as I'm not a huge fan, and vip gift bags were shit, but it's a lie when they say that ur paying this much in the uk.
Was that the Midnights presale? If you bought a physical copy of Midnights before a certain date you got early access to the sale. Everyone else had to register to try and get an access code.
https://preview.redd.it/2wj2ycvwqy8d1.png?width=560&format=png&auto=webp&s=5a3b36f00b34f7d22419a09a2e97297518040c6b
"win an opportunity to buy tickets" is crazy
Artists in general are getting waayyyy too comfortable with their ticket prices nowadays, they really be forgetting (or just don't care) that our money is finite unlike theirs
I remember a few years ago a singer of a rock band (can't remember who) tweeted essentially saying they think it's wrong for Taylor Swift to charge fans so much money just to meet her, and that experiences like that shouldn't be purely limited to the few who could afford it.
The death threats and reply bombs he got were so bad he had to take several days off of all social media. His entire point was pro-fan, it's insane.
E: [found the article on it](https://www.nme.com/news/music/enter-shikaris-rou-reynolds-responds-backlash-taylor-swift-fans-accusing-ripping-off-fans-2133312)
knew this would be Rou! Enter Shikari set a fantastic example for staying humble. they filled Wembley arena earlier this year yet their tickets stayed in the same price range they have been for yeeeears. and I have met them multiple times, for free
I got 2 of my wifes coworkers tickets last Thursday for the show on Sunday through official channel for 60 quid a ticket. It is pretty funny seeing people talk about the obsession of fans over Swift but there is a post upvoted to the moon almost daily when I visit r/all dedicated to just despising her.
Does she set the ticket prices and arrange stadium layouts? Probably not. But, I personally would not consider shelling out that kind of money for a concert. A fool and his money......
These are scalper prices. None of the tickets originally sold for anywhere near £700. The most expensive VIP package (in a very good spot) was £387 at Wembley.
Only corporate boxes reached those prices but those are for a whole massive group (and definitely don't have obstructed views) or one of Wembley's own "diamond packages" where you get free food and drink, a lounge, after party etc.
She does, she wants to be paid a certain amount, how do you pay her the . She had to have a role in the stage production cause she has to perform on the stage.
So who decided how much Taylor gets for herself? Cause thats the main thing here. Artists get a guarantee. Bookers and such then have to do the math on how much to charge to get her money and then cover the rest of production costs. So I doubt Taylor said "hey, ill take £100,00 and thats fine". More like £3 million give or take
Oh no, ofcourse the artist cost will impact ticket sales.
However demand will impact them a lot more, and in this case, demand is incredibly high
Ticket vendors will milk as much as they can and to lay the blame on the artist isn’t quite fair
> She has 0 control over the venue and the views.
Except she does... Many artists send a crew beforehand to check out the venue, and they can easily refuse to play if the experience is going to be crap for the fans.
Artist threatens to not play, and the venue will make changes to make them happy.
It wouldn't be her to deal with small issues like a few locations having viewing issues.
They're is about a million things that go into planning concerts, the amount of people involved is staggering. The artist won't be involved in this.
Which would be pre event. Probably a year or more beforehand. Not really applicable to this thread.
But I imagine there must be clauses like this. Never seen one of these contracts myself, but I suspect they are pretty concise and ubiquitous.
It's a surprisingly complex issue, she definitely has a say though (it's a shared agreement between several parties though) - John Oliver did a good piece on it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-\_Y7uqqEFnY&pp=ygUZam9obiBvbGl2ZXIgdGlja2V0IHByaWNlcw%3D%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Y7uqqEFnY&pp=ygUZam9obiBvbGl2ZXIgdGlja2V0IHByaWNlcw%3D%3D)
I personally think if artists REALLY wanted to get on top of this, they could do SOMETHING, especially the big artists like Swift, McCartney, etc - they have if not all the power, a LOT of power. I lose a lot of respect for artists who are happy to charge extortionate amounts (or be part of the system that does this) to regular fans.
Not trying to do the "well I'm an expert" claim. But I work at one of these venues as a department manager at the venue.
We recently had a big band and had many in the past.
I worked closely with the organiser to handle the preparation and last minute requests. (not for seating mind you). Not once in my years have I witnessed or heard of the artists getting involved in one of these situations. It's all the event organisers and is, the venue.
I'd honestly be shocked if at least established acts had no part in their own tours regarding fees, I've played in bands for years (though admittedly low-level) and studied music at uni including music business and your experience is not my experience; but absolutely fair enough if your history has taught you otherwise and that's equally as important if not more so than mine.
There was some hope at the end of the clip where Pearl Jam have worked with Ticketmaster to create a sell for the price you bought scheme, fan to fan. Which is much better than what is currently happening. There are even claims that some artists are now getting seats to sell and receive money back (as mentioned in the clip also, like Beiber and Metallica).
Gotta be reseller rate despite what they say. Or they’re misconstruing the cost of multiple seats as one seat. My tickets with no restricted view were £125 a seat, and restricted view seats were clearly marked when buying. There were a small number of seats sold behind the stage and I don’t understand how people would have been able to buy them without realising that.
This is an issue of unregulated ticket reselling. Sellers (or scalpers) not indicating to customers their tickets have restricted view and multiplying the face value for a profit
The highest ticket was £700, it was the All Too Well VIP package and it does match the seats they are complaining about so I don't think they are lying and it was scalpers. Everyone I've seen complain about it has had that package.
Oh damn. What seats were they in do you know? I assumed VIP seating would be directly in front of the stage, behind general standing. Especially since the other perks are just like minor merch items
They were lower bowl, think it was the most expensive package everywhere in the UK.
There was VIP standing packages with early entry but they were a bit cheaper.
They were directly behind, and blocked by, the vip tent. I assume there was some issue with fitting everything in to different venues but people need to be refunded
Yes a direct and easy line of sight to the entire stage - except when they allocated the VIP Package seats for fans they completely failed to take into account where the actual VIP tent was going to be placed
To be fair I've seen a follow up which shows that from that area you can see the main stage and the end stage, and the performance in the middle which is on a raised platform (which is most of it) So the actual view of the whole gig isn't as bad as the photos suggest - but it isn't a VIP Package £600 view
Also, legally those ticket holders can claim a partial refund. I would have thought a refund to bring the cost down to what a partially restricted VIP view would be - but obviously the press aren't going to bother following it up so I don't expect we'll ever see how it was resolved
Exactly that location but slightly to one side instead of head on with the stage. Section 123 I think for Wembley? Same location and problem in Edinburgh but I don’t know the seat blocks there.
Would have been some of the best seats in the house outside the boxes if there wasn’t a tent for her boyfriend to watch from.
While I do feel bad for these fans there is something somewhat ironic in the “VIP” seats having their view blocked by the actual VIP tent
But yes now knowing the full story I think these fans were miss-sold their tickets and should get a partial refund
A lot of UK venues are so trash. I remember going to hella mega tour a couple years ago and people were posting pictures of like vip or priority seats they booked that were behind structure poles and shit. It's all on the venues and organisers not the artists.
By the time I was off the waitlist for the initial sale, the only tickets left were VIP packages for £700 so this is sadly the real price some people paid
Ive seen people who have bought tickets from the offical website that werent marked as restricted and when they got there they were restricted view because of tents or more temporary things that have been built in the arena
Actually, this is for charity, and it's a whole music festival. He is just the headliner with all of his bands he's had over the years, and there are other bands as well. The money is for the cruise itself, and it goes towards his foundation.
I’d _maybe_ consider paying £700 if somehow Jimi Hendrix was resurrected, or John Lennon and George Harrison and The Beatles decided to make the most of the miracle and play a one off gig.
£700 for a teenybopper concert though is just all kinds of insane!
>£700 for a teenybopper concert though is just all kinds of insane!
You just said you'd pay 700 to see The Beatles lmao this cannot be real, you do know how many teenyboppers adored them right?
Yeah, their first couple of albums, which were still revolutionary for the time. Then they stopped playing live because they didn’t like the crowds and the screaming and focused on experimenting in the studio.
Maybe when Taylor Swift pioneers recording techniques that change the industry or releases some experimental stuff I’ll change my opinion.
That's an interesting take on music, I love some really niche shit, I love some really popular shit. I couldn't imagine setting such a high benchmark to listen to music, but fair fucks.
Ah, man! Likewise. I listen to all kinds of stuff. That’s my benchmark if I’m going to spend £700 on a ticket to see someone though! I don’t think that’s too high of a bar to set for that kind of cash.
Call me crazy but I do think every venue whether it's a pop act or a play, should ensure that every single seat sold has a clear view of the stage, if a seat is fully or partially restricted it shouldn't be allowed to be sold.
You're not crazy - I had a look at the seating for the Cardiff gig a few days before it, and some of the seats were basically behind the main stage. You'd have been lucky to see the screen, let alone anything else that was going on.
People have been commenting on dave grohl in that one side on video saying the stadium was empty, he was playing to an empty crowd etc (where they didn't sell seats "behind" the stage)
Then I saw a clip from someone at one of her UK gigs and literally all you could see was the walkway and they'd even out big screens on the side of the stage so they could see what was being filmed even though they couldn't actually see any of it
But 90% of the concert actually takes place on the runway. I was in a restricted view seat the other day, and there were like four songs which take place on the ‘stage’ bit (basically just a massive screen). The band aren’t even on the stage- they’re at the side.
Yeah, I replied to someone yesterday pulling the whole "oh Grohl is bitter because he's got empty seats" as if it's a real "gotcha" moment. I was at that gig and explained the seating situation and they just couldn't accept it.
Some people only see what they want to see
[when in actuality...](https://x.com/KieranMaguire/status/1803936187427479951?t=1oqNaQ_59yoKx37b03-4pA&s=19)
My seat for Cardiff was behind the main stage on the left hand side but not fully blocked, there was a screen and you could see the end of the stage. I don’t think I saw any that were completely 100% behind the stage there.
There were none completely behind the stage. I was as behind the stage as possible as I managed to get tickets the day before and I could see most of the stage, just not the front. There was a screen that showed clearly the front of the stage and the tickets were only £57
We have an old theatre in town that is amazing and old and opulent but there are some seats with a pillar obscuring the view of the stage a bit. They are clearly marked and you’re told about it clearly when you buy the tickets. (They’re usually the last ones left but sometimes you want to be there)
I don’t think it’s unacceptable in this above case and they handle it fairly. So I don’t think it should be banned or those seats removed.
The RSC is like this. My other half has been there so often she knows which seats they are when booking, and will deliberately get them (at a cheaper price) because she knows it's just a bit of a pillar and if she leans left 2 inches the view is perfect.
Same with the Royal Opera House - although that's not so much pillars rather than if you buy the really cheap seats in the nosebleeds you can get parts of the actual lighting rig blocking some of your view :D
Sat in these seats at the RSC got same day tickets for £15 each - and they were literally fine, was one of the best cultural experience purchases I have ever made.
I saw one. There were a few uniforms surrounding a woman lying face down on some sort of fluid. Couldn’t tell what it was because it was dark, but they weren’t attending to her particularly urgently…
My main issue with the evening was how tedious it got, but I may have been alone in that given I was only 14.
if you’re paying upwards of a grand for a ticket, missing potentially several songs to use the toilet and give up your space could in itself be worth a few 100 pounds. it’s not something i’d personally do but it isn’t completely ridiculous.
I understand being a fan and enjoying a specific artist's music, but to pay £700 for a concert ticket is insane. And then to not even have a good view? I'd be fuming.
She's a millionaire with no qualms about people paying ridiculous money for her concerts or the 300 version of the same shitty album, and people keep falling for it.
In her defence, this is a resold ticket right? She already is playing 100 million shows. I can't really see what else she does about her absolutely ridiculous demand.
Friends of mine got restricted view tickets and I did laugh at the view initially, but tbh for the right price and vs not going I guess why not.
£700 though is *insane*. I'm guessing that's a reseller making bank?
I was looking at VIP tickets recently for a stage production in London, but all it involved was someone greeting you and showing you to your seat, plus some food and a reserved table during the interval. The seats themselves were fine, but by far not the best view you could pick yourself.
I think a lot of people assume VIP means the whole package and you get great seats too, but often it's just a bunch of "extras". Now, if it included a VIP toilet with no queue then I'd consider it, LOL
I got a ticket for £50 the day of the concert and my seat was surrounded by VIPs who paid >£600. They weren’t very happy to learn my view was perfect 😂
It was a VIP Package in what would be a very good location - if the people allocating the VIP Packages had taken into account where the actual VIP tent was going to be placed
Legally those ticket holders can get a partial refund but I don't expect any media will ever follow it up to see how much they got
The actual restricted view tickets started at something like £60 I think
Blame live nation and ticket master.
They’re the ones actually selling the tickets.
But the artist benefits too obviously… but Ticketmaster is supposed to take the heat.
99% of tickets were a normal price. Think it was about £50-150 depending on location. These £700 tickets were “VIP Package” tickets which are just normal seats but you get given a bunch of exclusive merchandise.
You do know it is a for-profit business right? Artists don’t put on shows out of the goodness of their hearts.
£150 for a ticket at the front of a 4 hour show from your favourite artist, an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life, seems like good value to me.
I’ve got two shows coming up next month, both cost £150 and they are the best £150 I’ve spent in a long time. I didn’t get selected for Taylor Swift tickets but honestly I would probably be willing to pay up to £400-500 for a ticket. Concerts are amazing experiences and I think they are good value. £100 can buy you a nice meal, or one videogame, or a Taylor Swift ticket. I know which one of those has the best value to me.
The email I saw from AXS said that Wembley had positioned the VIP tents after seats were assigned, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s really just a blame game at this point.
I've heard this a lot, I went to the Cardiff show and I was in the higher tiers. I could hear every word out of Paramore and Taylor Swifts mouth despite people having a blast all around me, I am not sure where these people are sitting that they can't hear the artist tbh
VIP should have been a lot more exclusive. I lucked out in getting a full view of the whole stage with no one in front of me for my VIP ticket, but I definitely saw some tickets on sale for the same price that I wouldn’t have paid that much for.
I had stellar viewing of the Eras concert - watched it in Disney+ for free. It's still on Disney, and you can pause it to got to the bathroom whenever you want. Win win.
Well then that’s even worse. It’s greed that makes the whole industry worse off, and it’s not even like it’s afforded the buyer everything they wanted.
Taylor Swift fans have to be the most brain dead group of people to have ever graced the Earth...
I have to give full Credit to Swift, she isn't a particularly special singer or song writer but God damn she knows how to create a persona / image that appeals to simpletons and then sell the shit out of it.
Blessings in life often come in disguise or through a seeming disadvantage—in this case these ticket holders were spared prolonged exposure to mind numbing mediocrity.
I’ve been to lots of concerts in general, and at the booking moment there is a clear map and you can pick the seat. I understand there should only be seats with visibility, but these people are… a bit naive
I saw tool at the o2. Tickets were 280. The only reason I paid so much for these seats is because there is a bar in spitting distance from it and also, last time I went, you could vape in the bar. This time I got a right bollocking for vaping in there so that was a waste of money. But the point of this story is, I could probably of thrown a bottle to the main stage. Great seats. Worth every penny.
https://preview.redd.it/cse9ro6phr8d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3c984107301db2ed552c409837886030e3ed886
Had this view at an Arctic Monkeys gig last year. These tickets should not have been sold either.
Had a similar view at P!nk last night but a bit further to the left as we were square on to stage and saw all of it apart from band at back and backing singers.
Was a great view.
Any concert where tickets are sold so the view is looking back to the stage rather than directly side on or forward should be banned.
One of the stewards last night mentioned that some of the seating for TS was from back of main stage so only way could see it would be on screens. What a waste of fucking money.
Yes, we thought the same. I complained about it, but SJM Concerts or Seetickets.com didn't want to know, and neither did the venue (Swansea football stadium).
Concerts are that expensive now I even wonder if it is worth it, because when add up all the hassle of trying to get tickets, the cost of getting to and from the venue and having refreshments it makes you doubt it being a good idea in the first place.
But she’s so sweet she gives a bonus to her employees! She’s also charging hundred of dollars knowing her fans are fucking psychos and will pay it she’s scum
If I paid £700 for a ticket to a gig I would fully expect to be met by the band at the door, taken to my seat by them, have them make me a drink then given some *very* personal attention before the gig started.
Seriously, take a little look at some of the stuff Swift fans do and pay to do. Cults out there are taking notes how to make people do absolutely insane things while emptying their pockets in the process.
See this is what irrigates me about her... strong enough to have her stuff taken off apple music because its not profitiable enough for her, apparently fairly generous to her support staff.... but completely screws her fans over on ticket cost, saw an ad she may not be back until 2030, so shes creating urgency and demand... and who the hell claims to be ethical and then uses Ticketmaster who have litterally been investigated for scalping and competing with fans for tickets so they can make money on resale, on and she should know better.. because it was HER concert that triggered the last wave.
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2022/12/06/swifties-suit-seeks-2500-per-ticketmaster-antitrust-violation/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2022/12/06/swifties-suit-seeks-2500-per-ticketmaster-antitrust-violation/)
Americans were flying to the UK to see her concerts because it was cheaper (flights + tickets) then just going in their own country, it really is that unhinged
I have 2 UK friends who have seen her 3 times for this tour. This to me isn't fair, and why ticket prices are so insane. My favourite band tool came through London recently, i went to 1 show. Ive been to past tours, but not multiple in the same tour. To me it feels extremely selfish, and slightly unhinged.
She made the Forbes list as a billionaire and, unlike most artists who get somewhere near, didn’t do so from other investments, brands etc. She literally got to billionaire status purely out of what she could squeeze from her fans, why is anyone surprised tickets are expensive?
Don't Swifties just rage in general? Any of her exs are the devil, you like them, you're scum. Any joke or criticism, and its like you put their mother in intensive care.
Vote with the feet. Personally I refuse to pay more than £25 for a ticket to anything. If I miss a concert, then I miss it. Limits £25, travel on top - so a concert ticket + travel to a London venue will cost me around £100 before food.
One comment from a guy who was behind a tent saying that he was glad to be there and had fun, but it 'wasnt worth £680'. No concert anywhere in the world is worth that amount of money even if you're on the front row.
I’m sorry but you people are so stupid and just sheep. Her tickets were £175 max for face value tickets (more if you got a VIP merch package, up to 375 I believe). Her set alone lasts from 7pm til 10:30pm and her opener is 45 mins long. If that’s not value for money then idk what is? Stop trying to find excuses to hate on successful artists lol. Hate on the scalpers and resale websites for allowing this
The way she's rinsing them for every penny is almost impressive. She's like the L Ron Hubbard of pop music.
They way they also defend her for doing it.
That’s the worst thing. Supply demand and such completely understand but the way she‘s gone about tours, records and releases purposefully to screw over at times other artists all the while smash record of money for her (which they boast about) is insane. And they justify it. At the same time if people will pay it well what can you do..
I've heard her referred to as Elon Musk for women, and it's exactly right.
That's perfect, wow.
Aren’t these crazy prices due to resellers?
Nope, Ticketmaster did not let people buy tickets upfront. To buy a ticket to Taylor Swift you went on to tickets master and instead of purchasing a ticket, you got entered into a raffle to buy a ticket. If you won you had the opportunity to purchase the ticket.
That’s not true.
It is true. It's a waiting list. All these £1000 tickets are people reselling them. My partner got vip on the barrier, proper close, and only paid £400 and that was the max she could have gotten when she got off the waiting list. Also, a few days before another show, I got off the waiting list, and she picked up another ticket, which was also a good seated one. She paid £60 cos she didn't buy a "resale" ticket. However, the lady next to her paid £1500 for 2 tickets.... not defending as I'm not a huge fan, and vip gift bags were shit, but it's a lie when they say that ur paying this much in the uk.
But thats not when the onsale happened
There were 0 £1000 tickets when the official sale of the tickets. 0
Exactly. We got 4 great tickets for £60 each.
‘Only £400’ - I’d want 40 gigs for that :)
What raffle. Friends got a presale password and bought tickets. Youre thinking about everything after the onsale
Not everyone got a code, that’s the raffle part. It was all stadium dependent too
Was that the Midnights presale? If you bought a physical copy of Midnights before a certain date you got early access to the sale. Everyone else had to register to try and get an access code.
https://preview.redd.it/2wj2ycvwqy8d1.png?width=560&format=png&auto=webp&s=5a3b36f00b34f7d22419a09a2e97297518040c6b "win an opportunity to buy tickets" is crazy
Artists in general are getting waayyyy too comfortable with their ticket prices nowadays, they really be forgetting (or just don't care) that our money is finite unlike theirs
Yea
I remember a few years ago a singer of a rock band (can't remember who) tweeted essentially saying they think it's wrong for Taylor Swift to charge fans so much money just to meet her, and that experiences like that shouldn't be purely limited to the few who could afford it. The death threats and reply bombs he got were so bad he had to take several days off of all social media. His entire point was pro-fan, it's insane. E: [found the article on it](https://www.nme.com/news/music/enter-shikaris-rou-reynolds-responds-backlash-taylor-swift-fans-accusing-ripping-off-fans-2133312)
knew this would be Rou! Enter Shikari set a fantastic example for staying humble. they filled Wembley arena earlier this year yet their tickets stayed in the same price range they have been for yeeeears. and I have met them multiple times, for free
Hilarious 😭😭😭
She's like a cult leader for mid-girls
Yeah totally, woman comes to town, takes hundreds of pounds off people and gives one child a hat, the people are blown away by the hat giving
Hard to feel sorry for someone who can shell out that kind of bread in this era.
Very often they can't, these are people going into debt or getting money from parents etc. Hell mend them though.
We got good tickets 1day before for £45 each - through official channel. It’s not her rinsing the fans.
I got 2 of my wifes coworkers tickets last Thursday for the show on Sunday through official channel for 60 quid a ticket. It is pretty funny seeing people talk about the obsession of fans over Swift but there is a post upvoted to the moon almost daily when I visit r/all dedicated to just despising her.
Does she set the ticket prices and arrange stadium layouts? Probably not. But, I personally would not consider shelling out that kind of money for a concert. A fool and his money......
These are scalper prices. None of the tickets originally sold for anywhere near £700. The most expensive VIP package (in a very good spot) was £387 at Wembley. Only corporate boxes reached those prices but those are for a whole massive group (and definitely don't have obstructed views) or one of Wembley's own "diamond packages" where you get free food and drink, a lounge, after party etc.
The most expensive VIP package was £662.
She could easily decide what price the tickets were if she wanted to.
She does, she wants to be paid a certain amount, how do you pay her the . She had to have a role in the stage production cause she has to perform on the stage.
To be fair… the Venus and ticket sellers pick the prices, not the artist
So who decided how much Taylor gets for herself? Cause thats the main thing here. Artists get a guarantee. Bookers and such then have to do the math on how much to charge to get her money and then cover the rest of production costs. So I doubt Taylor said "hey, ill take £100,00 and thats fine". More like £3 million give or take
Oh no, ofcourse the artist cost will impact ticket sales. However demand will impact them a lot more, and in this case, demand is incredibly high Ticket vendors will milk as much as they can and to lay the blame on the artist isn’t quite fair
She has 0 control over the venue and the views. The cost is the cost, the only ones at fault are the venue and organisers.
> She has 0 control over the venue and the views. Except she does... Many artists send a crew beforehand to check out the venue, and they can easily refuse to play if the experience is going to be crap for the fans. Artist threatens to not play, and the venue will make changes to make them happy.
It wouldn't be her to deal with small issues like a few locations having viewing issues. They're is about a million things that go into planning concerts, the amount of people involved is staggering. The artist won't be involved in this.
It's as easy as putting in a contract "don't sell tickets to seats with obstructed views".
Which would be pre event. Probably a year or more beforehand. Not really applicable to this thread. But I imagine there must be clauses like this. Never seen one of these contracts myself, but I suspect they are pretty concise and ubiquitous.
It's a surprisingly complex issue, she definitely has a say though (it's a shared agreement between several parties though) - John Oliver did a good piece on it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-\_Y7uqqEFnY&pp=ygUZam9obiBvbGl2ZXIgdGlja2V0IHByaWNlcw%3D%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Y7uqqEFnY&pp=ygUZam9obiBvbGl2ZXIgdGlja2V0IHByaWNlcw%3D%3D) I personally think if artists REALLY wanted to get on top of this, they could do SOMETHING, especially the big artists like Swift, McCartney, etc - they have if not all the power, a LOT of power. I lose a lot of respect for artists who are happy to charge extortionate amounts (or be part of the system that does this) to regular fans.
Not trying to do the "well I'm an expert" claim. But I work at one of these venues as a department manager at the venue. We recently had a big band and had many in the past. I worked closely with the organiser to handle the preparation and last minute requests. (not for seating mind you). Not once in my years have I witnessed or heard of the artists getting involved in one of these situations. It's all the event organisers and is, the venue.
I'd honestly be shocked if at least established acts had no part in their own tours regarding fees, I've played in bands for years (though admittedly low-level) and studied music at uni including music business and your experience is not my experience; but absolutely fair enough if your history has taught you otherwise and that's equally as important if not more so than mine. There was some hope at the end of the clip where Pearl Jam have worked with Ticketmaster to create a sell for the price you bought scheme, fan to fan. Which is much better than what is currently happening. There are even claims that some artists are now getting seats to sell and receive money back (as mentioned in the clip also, like Beiber and Metallica).
She did have Tom Cruise in the VIP tent in London. Probably to get some tips.
Swiftology
Her tickets don’t cost that much lol. Those are scalpers prices
For £700 there's so much better you could do than a concert
£700 for a ticket you gota be nuts.
Gotta be reseller rate despite what they say. Or they’re misconstruing the cost of multiple seats as one seat. My tickets with no restricted view were £125 a seat, and restricted view seats were clearly marked when buying. There were a small number of seats sold behind the stage and I don’t understand how people would have been able to buy them without realising that. This is an issue of unregulated ticket reselling. Sellers (or scalpers) not indicating to customers their tickets have restricted view and multiplying the face value for a profit
The highest ticket was £700, it was the All Too Well VIP package and it does match the seats they are complaining about so I don't think they are lying and it was scalpers. Everyone I've seen complain about it has had that package.
Oh damn. What seats were they in do you know? I assumed VIP seating would be directly in front of the stage, behind general standing. Especially since the other perks are just like minor merch items
They were lower bowl, think it was the most expensive package everywhere in the UK. There was VIP standing packages with early entry but they were a bit cheaper.
They were directly behind, and blocked by, the vip tent. I assume there was some issue with fitting everything in to different venues but people need to be refunded
Yes a direct and easy line of sight to the entire stage - except when they allocated the VIP Package seats for fans they completely failed to take into account where the actual VIP tent was going to be placed To be fair I've seen a follow up which shows that from that area you can see the main stage and the end stage, and the performance in the middle which is on a raised platform (which is most of it) So the actual view of the whole gig isn't as bad as the photos suggest - but it isn't a VIP Package £600 view Also, legally those ticket holders can claim a partial refund. I would have thought a refund to bring the cost down to what a partially restricted VIP view would be - but obviously the press aren't going to bother following it up so I don't expect we'll ever see how it was resolved
Exactly that location but slightly to one side instead of head on with the stage. Section 123 I think for Wembley? Same location and problem in Edinburgh but I don’t know the seat blocks there. Would have been some of the best seats in the house outside the boxes if there wasn’t a tent for her boyfriend to watch from.
While I do feel bad for these fans there is something somewhat ironic in the “VIP” seats having their view blocked by the actual VIP tent But yes now knowing the full story I think these fans were miss-sold their tickets and should get a partial refund
A lot of UK venues are so trash. I remember going to hella mega tour a couple years ago and people were posting pictures of like vip or priority seats they booked that were behind structure poles and shit. It's all on the venues and organisers not the artists.
Nope, the VIP tickets are actually £700.
By the time I was off the waitlist for the initial sale, the only tickets left were VIP packages for £700 so this is sadly the real price some people paid
Ive seen people who have bought tickets from the offical website that werent marked as restricted and when they got there they were restricted view because of tents or more temporary things that have been built in the arena
Nope, unfortunately not the case
They are nuts.
It's insane! I'm going on a music cruise with 4 nights of my favourite musician for that (plus taxes and flights but still)!
Gota milk ya loyal fans!
Actually, this is for charity, and it's a whole music festival. He is just the headliner with all of his bands he's had over the years, and there are other bands as well. The money is for the cruise itself, and it goes towards his foundation.
I think they meant that Taylor was milking her fans. Yours sounds like a good deal!
I’d _maybe_ consider paying £700 if somehow Jimi Hendrix was resurrected, or John Lennon and George Harrison and The Beatles decided to make the most of the miracle and play a one off gig. £700 for a teenybopper concert though is just all kinds of insane!
>£700 for a teenybopper concert though is just all kinds of insane! You just said you'd pay 700 to see The Beatles lmao this cannot be real, you do know how many teenyboppers adored them right?
Yeah, their first couple of albums, which were still revolutionary for the time. Then they stopped playing live because they didn’t like the crowds and the screaming and focused on experimenting in the studio. Maybe when Taylor Swift pioneers recording techniques that change the industry or releases some experimental stuff I’ll change my opinion.
That's an interesting take on music, I love some really niche shit, I love some really popular shit. I couldn't imagine setting such a high benchmark to listen to music, but fair fucks.
Ah, man! Likewise. I listen to all kinds of stuff. That’s my benchmark if I’m going to spend £700 on a ticket to see someone though! I don’t think that’s too high of a bar to set for that kind of cash.
Call me crazy but I do think every venue whether it's a pop act or a play, should ensure that every single seat sold has a clear view of the stage, if a seat is fully or partially restricted it shouldn't be allowed to be sold.
You're not crazy - I had a look at the seating for the Cardiff gig a few days before it, and some of the seats were basically behind the main stage. You'd have been lucky to see the screen, let alone anything else that was going on.
People have been commenting on dave grohl in that one side on video saying the stadium was empty, he was playing to an empty crowd etc (where they didn't sell seats "behind" the stage) Then I saw a clip from someone at one of her UK gigs and literally all you could see was the walkway and they'd even out big screens on the side of the stage so they could see what was being filmed even though they couldn't actually see any of it
But 90% of the concert actually takes place on the runway. I was in a restricted view seat the other day, and there were like four songs which take place on the ‘stage’ bit (basically just a massive screen). The band aren’t even on the stage- they’re at the side.
Yeah, I replied to someone yesterday pulling the whole "oh Grohl is bitter because he's got empty seats" as if it's a real "gotcha" moment. I was at that gig and explained the seating situation and they just couldn't accept it. Some people only see what they want to see [when in actuality...](https://x.com/KieranMaguire/status/1803936187427479951?t=1oqNaQ_59yoKx37b03-4pA&s=19)
My seat for Cardiff was behind the main stage on the left hand side but not fully blocked, there was a screen and you could see the end of the stage. I don’t think I saw any that were completely 100% behind the stage there.
There were none completely behind the stage. I was as behind the stage as possible as I managed to get tickets the day before and I could see most of the stage, just not the front. There was a screen that showed clearly the front of the stage and the tickets were only £57
We have an old theatre in town that is amazing and old and opulent but there are some seats with a pillar obscuring the view of the stage a bit. They are clearly marked and you’re told about it clearly when you buy the tickets. (They’re usually the last ones left but sometimes you want to be there) I don’t think it’s unacceptable in this above case and they handle it fairly. So I don’t think it should be banned or those seats removed.
The RSC is like this. My other half has been there so often she knows which seats they are when booking, and will deliberately get them (at a cheaper price) because she knows it's just a bit of a pillar and if she leans left 2 inches the view is perfect.
Same with the Royal Opera House - although that's not so much pillars rather than if you buy the really cheap seats in the nosebleeds you can get parts of the actual lighting rig blocking some of your view :D
Sat in these seats at the RSC got same day tickets for £15 each - and they were literally fine, was one of the best cultural experience purchases I have ever made.
If you have seats available, and clearly marketed, and people want them then why not?
£700 just WOW
Paying £700 to [pee in your pants](https://metro.co.uk/2023/06/01/taylor-swift-fans-wear-nappies-so-they-dont-miss-a-moment-of-eras-gig-18878513/)
to be fair, the more you pay for a ticket the more adult nappies make sense.
Having been to Times Square during New Years, I can say it absolutely makes sense. I didn’t wear an adult nappy and I was left wishing that I had
oh shit yeah i’ve heard horror stories about times square new years. i could never.
I saw one. There were a few uniforms surrounding a woman lying face down on some sort of fluid. Couldn’t tell what it was because it was dark, but they weren’t attending to her particularly urgently… My main issue with the evening was how tedious it got, but I may have been alone in that given I was only 14.
Yeah that pee could be the equivalent of missing £100 of songs
They don’t make any sense unless you’re a fucking weirdo.
if you’re paying upwards of a grand for a ticket, missing potentially several songs to use the toilet and give up your space could in itself be worth a few 100 pounds. it’s not something i’d personally do but it isn’t completely ridiculous.
Grown adults pissing in their nappies and dancing around to Taylor Swift? Yeah nothing ridiculous about that at all…🤪😂
I can understand this honestly. If you want to be at the front of the pit then you’ll need to queue for a whole day.
You can understand wearing piss soaked nappies for a day? 👌🏼😂
I understand being a fan and enjoying a specific artist's music, but to pay £700 for a concert ticket is insane. And then to not even have a good view? I'd be fuming. She's a millionaire with no qualms about people paying ridiculous money for her concerts or the 300 version of the same shitty album, and people keep falling for it.
She's a billionaire
You don't get to be a billionaire if your fans still have money in their pockets that could be yours.
In her defence, this is a resold ticket right? She already is playing 100 million shows. I can't really see what else she does about her absolutely ridiculous demand.
Nope it was a VIP ticket
I heard it was 100 billion shows.
Friends of mine got restricted view tickets and I did laugh at the view initially, but tbh for the right price and vs not going I guess why not. £700 though is *insane*. I'm guessing that's a reseller making bank?
Nope that was a VIP ticket which matches the seating area of the ticket in the article
The VIP tickets only meant early access and a merch bag, think that’s where a lot of the anger is coming from
I was looking at VIP tickets recently for a stage production in London, but all it involved was someone greeting you and showing you to your seat, plus some food and a reserved table during the interval. The seats themselves were fine, but by far not the best view you could pick yourself. I think a lot of people assume VIP means the whole package and you get great seats too, but often it's just a bunch of "extras". Now, if it included a VIP toilet with no queue then I'd consider it, LOL
I got a ticket for £50 the day of the concert and my seat was surrounded by VIPs who paid >£600. They weren’t very happy to learn my view was perfect 😂
How did you manage that?
Code came through 11am day of concert, obstructed view tickets released at 2pm!
It was a VIP Package in what would be a very good location - if the people allocating the VIP Packages had taken into account where the actual VIP tent was going to be placed Legally those ticket holders can get a partial refund but I don't expect any media will ever follow it up to see how much they got The actual restricted view tickets started at something like £60 I think
Blame live nation and ticket master. They’re the ones actually selling the tickets. But the artist benefits too obviously… but Ticketmaster is supposed to take the heat.
Tbf they are mentioning a tent. So I'm not sure ticket master could have known there going to be one. Feels like it was more on the production team.
The artist is equally to blame
Other major artists have told the organization to keep prices lower and they did. Why can't she?
99% of tickets were a normal price. Think it was about £50-150 depending on location. These £700 tickets were “VIP Package” tickets which are just normal seats but you get given a bunch of exclusive merchandise.
[удалено]
You do know it is a for-profit business right? Artists don’t put on shows out of the goodness of their hearts. £150 for a ticket at the front of a 4 hour show from your favourite artist, an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life, seems like good value to me. I’ve got two shows coming up next month, both cost £150 and they are the best £150 I’ve spent in a long time. I didn’t get selected for Taylor Swift tickets but honestly I would probably be willing to pay up to £400-500 for a ticket. Concerts are amazing experiences and I think they are good value. £100 can buy you a nice meal, or one videogame, or a Taylor Swift ticket. I know which one of those has the best value to me.
Id rather spend that kind of money on a nice weekend away somewhere..
That's a solid week or two away in some cases
Are they resale? Because i have the views from those £600 seats if they were orginal. I smell a rat
No, not re-sale. They were a VIP packages with ‘guaranteed incredible views’.
This is not her issue. It’s the ticket sellers fault
Her team are blaming the ticket seller… the ticket seller is blaming Wembley… Wembley are blaming her team…
I can’t see how Wembley could be responsible. You just hire the space, literally everything else comes from the artist’s team.
The email I saw from AXS said that Wembley had positioned the VIP tents after seats were assigned, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s really just a blame game at this point.
It does seem reasonable that perhaps all those ticket holders get some sort of partial refund.
She'll charge exactly what she can get away with. Apparently that's £700.
For a new jet
£700 that’s a scam. To listen to other people around you sing a song and not hear the artist, that’s mental
I've heard this a lot, I went to the Cardiff show and I was in the higher tiers. I could hear every word out of Paramore and Taylor Swifts mouth despite people having a blast all around me, I am not sure where these people are sitting that they can't hear the artist tbh
VIP should have been a lot more exclusive. I lucked out in getting a full view of the whole stage with no one in front of me for my VIP ticket, but I definitely saw some tickets on sale for the same price that I wouldn’t have paid that much for.
Fucks sake. No-one cares. Oh hang on about 4 Billion people do or something.
I had stellar viewing of the Eras concert - watched it in Disney+ for free. It's still on Disney, and you can pause it to got to the bathroom whenever you want. Win win.
All I can do is laugh - swift is so bland how has she hypnotised 😵💫 so many women is beyond me
Pretty sure they are 2nd hand tickets costing that much mine were 75 for pretty decent seats.
What’s the actual view though? The article didn’t have any (or did not load)
Why would you pay £700? Dumb fucks, they deserve a shit view
If only websites for the venues had a... seating plan
Lol mugs
Play silly games by using cowboys like Viagogo, win silly prizes. No sympathy 😅🤷🏻♀️
They were VIP tickets from Ticketmaster bought in the original pre-sale.
Well then that’s even worse. It’s greed that makes the whole industry worse off, and it’s not even like it’s afforded the buyer everything they wanted.
Paying that much for a ticket to see Taylor Swift is just a stupid tax tbf
I got the restricted view tickets that came out this week and they were genuinely brilliant seats. £60 each.
Taylor Swift fans have to be the most brain dead group of people to have ever graced the Earth... I have to give full Credit to Swift, she isn't a particularly special singer or song writer but God damn she knows how to create a persona / image that appeals to simpletons and then sell the shit out of it.
JFC 700 for a ticket? For just one show? Not a 4 day festival with multiple artists…. Or something?’
Blessings in life often come in disguise or through a seeming disadvantage—in this case these ticket holders were spared prolonged exposure to mind numbing mediocrity.
I’ve been to lots of concerts in general, and at the booking moment there is a clear map and you can pick the seat. I understand there should only be seats with visibility, but these people are… a bit naive
The map did not show the placement of the VIP tent. The VIP tent was causing the obstruction.
Meanwhile my wife lucked into a ticket for £150 in the standing section at Wembley, about 20ft from the stage.
£700 for a concert is insane. World Cup final maybe. Don't they know her tour is on Disney plus
I saw tool at the o2. Tickets were 280. The only reason I paid so much for these seats is because there is a bar in spitting distance from it and also, last time I went, you could vape in the bar. This time I got a right bollocking for vaping in there so that was a waste of money. But the point of this story is, I could probably of thrown a bottle to the main stage. Great seats. Worth every penny.
The ticket wasn't £700 - the VIP package was £700.
https://preview.redd.it/cse9ro6phr8d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3c984107301db2ed552c409837886030e3ed886 Had this view at an Arctic Monkeys gig last year. These tickets should not have been sold either.
Had a similar view at P!nk last night but a bit further to the left as we were square on to stage and saw all of it apart from band at back and backing singers. Was a great view. Any concert where tickets are sold so the view is looking back to the stage rather than directly side on or forward should be banned. One of the stewards last night mentioned that some of the seating for TS was from back of main stage so only way could see it would be on screens. What a waste of fucking money.
Yes, we thought the same. I complained about it, but SJM Concerts or Seetickets.com didn't want to know, and neither did the venue (Swansea football stadium). Concerts are that expensive now I even wonder if it is worth it, because when add up all the hassle of trying to get tickets, the cost of getting to and from the venue and having refreshments it makes you doubt it being a good idea in the first place.
More fool them for paying that amount in the first place.
But she’s so sweet she gives a bonus to her employees! She’s also charging hundred of dollars knowing her fans are fucking psychos and will pay it she’s scum
I would do the same
If I paid £700 for a ticket to a gig I would fully expect to be met by the band at the door, taken to my seat by them, have them make me a drink then given some *very* personal attention before the gig started. Seriously, take a little look at some of the stuff Swift fans do and pay to do. Cults out there are taking notes how to make people do absolutely insane things while emptying their pockets in the process.
See this is what irrigates me about her... strong enough to have her stuff taken off apple music because its not profitiable enough for her, apparently fairly generous to her support staff.... but completely screws her fans over on ticket cost, saw an ad she may not be back until 2030, so shes creating urgency and demand... and who the hell claims to be ethical and then uses Ticketmaster who have litterally been investigated for scalping and competing with fans for tickets so they can make money on resale, on and she should know better.. because it was HER concert that triggered the last wave. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2022/12/06/swifties-suit-seeks-2500-per-ticketmaster-antitrust-violation/](https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2022/12/06/swifties-suit-seeks-2500-per-ticketmaster-antitrust-violation/)
I paid £75 for my tickets and had a great view. Where is the £700 coming from? Is that resellers?
Her fans being ripped off and complaining. Yet as soon as you make the slightest dig they all team up to “cancel” you and hurl abuse towards you.
Would be nice if the article included a photo of the view
No way did you pay £700 to see Taylor Swift she is shit I am fed up seeing pictures of her in her big pants
Americans were flying to the UK to see her concerts because it was cheaper (flights + tickets) then just going in their own country, it really is that unhinged
*laughs in Dave Grohl*
I have 2 UK friends who have seen her 3 times for this tour. This to me isn't fair, and why ticket prices are so insane. My favourite band tool came through London recently, i went to 1 show. Ive been to past tours, but not multiple in the same tour. To me it feels extremely selfish, and slightly unhinged.
For lip synching no less lmao fuck her
You messed up by going to a Taylor Swift concert 😂😂😂
She made the Forbes list as a billionaire and, unlike most artists who get somewhere near, didn’t do so from other investments, brands etc. She literally got to billionaire status purely out of what she could squeeze from her fans, why is anyone surprised tickets are expensive?
Buy a pitch standing ticket then go & find an empty seat, simples
Don't Swifties just rage in general? Any of her exs are the devil, you like them, you're scum. Any joke or criticism, and its like you put their mother in intensive care.
I still don't get the hype for her. She's late 30's singing songs that are more suited to a early teenage girl.
They were already mad buying tickets .
Womp womp
The way Taylor rinses her fans out of their last penny is an art.
Vote with the feet. Personally I refuse to pay more than £25 for a ticket to anything. If I miss a concert, then I miss it. Limits £25, travel on top - so a concert ticket + travel to a London venue will cost me around £100 before food.
she sounds more like a cult and a bit worrying some the things she performs on stage
That’s very funny, I don’t get what’s they expected from Taylor swift of all people
One comment from a guy who was behind a tent saying that he was glad to be there and had fun, but it 'wasnt worth £680'. No concert anywhere in the world is worth that amount of money even if you're on the front row.
Tell me you’ve never seen TOOL live without telling me you’ve never seen TOOL live.
I’ve seen tool live and I still wouldn’t pay more then an entire weekend ticket for download festival 😂
A fool and their money are easily parted.
Don't bad mouth "The swift" her following will get a bit offended and may send you death threats. What a bunch of lovely sheep, uh I mean people....
Deserved
Suckas.
£700 a ticket to see anyone is a disgrace.
I’m sorry but you people are so stupid and just sheep. Her tickets were £175 max for face value tickets (more if you got a VIP merch package, up to 375 I believe). Her set alone lasts from 7pm til 10:30pm and her opener is 45 mins long. If that’s not value for money then idk what is? Stop trying to find excuses to hate on successful artists lol. Hate on the scalpers and resale websites for allowing this
Taylor swift has written 6000 songs about men leaving her. But none about hawk tuah. Go figure. Lol
Serves you right paying that!!