Singer Olivia Dean has successfully pressured Ticketmaster into capping resale prices and issuing refunds for her North American tour, condemning the “exploitative” and “vile” secondary ticket market.
The breakthrough came after Dean publicly called out the ticketing giant last week in an open letter. This was prompted by resale tickets for her shows being listed at over 14 times their original price, with some exceeding $1,000.
In response, Ticketmaster announced it would cap future resale rates for her tour and refund fans for the markup they had already paid on its platform. The CEO of its parent company, Live Nation, stated they “share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible.”
While thanking the company, Dean used the victory to push for broader industry-wide change. On Instagram, she argued that “every artist and their team should be granted the option to cap resale at face value” before tickets go on sale to protect fans.
The incident highlights a growing movement against ticket resale profiteering. Other artists like Hayley Williams have used similar caps, and the UK government recently confirmed plans to ban the resale of tickets for more than their original face value, a measure supported by major artists like Coldplay and Dua Lipa.
By James Kisoo
