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Olivia Dean has openly criticized the concert ticketing industry, labeling it as “exploitative” and unjust after she managed to secure a partial refund for her fans from Ticketmaster and AXS. The controversy arose when resale tickets for her North American tour were found being sold at exorbitant prices, sometimes exceeding 14 times the original face value, with certain tickets going for over $1,000 (£750). Reacting to this, Dean penned an open letter to ticketing companies, describing such profiteering as “disgusting” and “vile,” and demanded improvements in the system.
In response to the backlash, Ticketmaster announced that future resale ticket prices for Dean’s tour would be capped. Additionally, the company committed to refunding fans who had already paid inflated prices through their platform. Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent company, expressed alignment with Dean’s goal of maintaining live music’s affordability. He emphasized, “We share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets.” Rapino acknowledged the challenges posed by other marketplaces but stated that Ticketmaster is striving to “lead by example” in creating fairer access to live events.
Olivia Dean herself, who has become one of this year’s breakout music artists with four songs simultaneously charting in the UK’s Top 20, took to Instagram to stress the importance of protecting fans and the industry from the unchecked secondary ticket market. She insisted, “Every artist and their team should be granted the option to cap resale at face value ahead of [tickets going] on sale, to keep the live music space accessible for all.” Dean also thanked her supporters for their patience and expressed excitement to see her audience in person at upcoming shows.
The issue of ticket reselling at inflated prices is gaining broader attention. While some artists like Hayley Williams and Chappell Roan have successfully capped resale prices, Dean’s tour initially did not implement such measures. In the UK, the government is moving forward with plans to make it illegal to resell tickets for more than their original purchase cost. This legislative effort follows a call from major music figures, including Coldplay and Dua Lipa, who urged the prime minister to tackle “extortionate and pernicious” ticket prices. Dean shared similar sentiments in a heartfelt message, highlighting the emotional and financial toll of ticket touting on both artists and fans, and reinforced the importance of fair resale practices to preserve accessibility and equity in live music experiences
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