An issue that’s been seemingly bubbling under the surface since live music returned is fans dealing with dynamic ticket pricing on Ticketmaster. For example, fans of Bruce Springsteen have been subject to intense price hikes at any given moment, in some cases tickets skyrocketed all the way to $5,000. Now, The Boss has spoken up about the issue of surging ticket prices in the midst of the Ticketmaster fiasco over one of Taylor Swift’s upcoming projects: The Eras Tour.
Fans of Springsteen faced a similar issue as Swifties when they tried to buy tickets for his first tour with the entire E Street Band since 2017 earlier this summer. He recently addressed the Ticketmaster debacle with Rolling Stone (via Insider) saying it was “confusing” for fans. He also noted that the majority of his “tickets are affordable,” and for the majority of his career tickets for his shows have been under market value. He then went on to talk about his upcoming tour, and why they used dynamic pricing, saying he wanted to do “what everybody else is doing.” He elaborated on this choice, saying:
This time I told them, 'Hey, we're 73 years old. The guys are there. I want to do what everybody else is doing, my peers.' So that's what happened. That's what they did.
While Springsteen's tickets may have been under market value in years past, they were not this time, and fans were not happy about it, just like Swifties.
While the demand for Eras Tour tickets and the cancellation of the general sale were the big points of contention among Swift's fans, the cost of attendance was another major issue. And even though the ticket company has apologized for the brouhaha, Swift’s fans are still livid because they can't buy a ticket without paying an absurd amount of money. To contextualize the prices a bit, to buy resale tickets on StubHub for Swift's show at MetLife Stadium a fan would have to pay more than $700 to sit in the nosebleeds, and over $3,000 for floor seats.
The issue with the surging ticket prices comes down to resale and Ticketmaster's “dynamic pricing” model, which makes it so the prices of tickets can fluctuate based on the demand for a show. So, if a show is in high demand, like tours for Springsteen and Swift, the prices skyrocket, whereas prices for lesser-known artists will decrease if there’s not a massive demand.
The Boss elaborated on his thoughts about the surging prices, saying:
But ticket buying has gotten very confusing, not just for the fans, but for the artists also. And the bottom line is that most of our tickets are totally affordable. They're in that affordable range.
According to the article, Springsteen’s tour tickets jumped from $400 to $5,000 for floor tickets because of this model.
The “Born to Run” singer noted that he understands the decision was not one fans appreciated, and he said he does not “like to be the poster boy for high ticket prices.” He also said he’d reconsider using dynamic pricing in the future, because of how angry the fans were.
Like Springsteen, Swift also addressed the issues with Ticketmaster. She wrote in an Instagram story that the situation really “pisses [her] off” because many of her fans couldn’t get tickets and those who did felt “like they went through several bear attacks” to secure them. The “Anti-Hero” singer also said she is working to “provide more opportunities” for her fans to see her.
Ever since live music returned, it seems like tickets have been more in demand than ever -- I mean Swift’s tour announcement alone wreaked havoc on brides' plans for Pete’s sake -- and prices have surged to incredibly expensive (and unaffordable) heights.
While fans have not calmed down about Swift’s tickets, Springsteen’s tour is another example of the issues concertgoers have had with Ticketmaster and dynamic pricing while trying to secure tickets to live out their "Glory Days."
