If you attend big-name concerts or other high-profile live events, you’ve probably developed a low-simmering frustration with Ticketmaster. In recent months, the frustrations that many have with the ticketing service and its high prices, lack of competition and fees have made national headlines. Why? The service’s botched handling of a Taylor Swift tour presale left a very vocal fanbase with a target for their ire — which could lead to governmental action against Ticketmaster.
Now, another famous musician is at the center of another Ticketmaster-related controversy. This time out, as per Pitchfork’s report, it’s Bad Bunny, who was set to play the massive Estadio Azteca. What went wrong? According to Vulture’s investigation, venue security barred a significant number of ticket holders from entering the venue. Security reportedly told them that their tickets were counterfeit.
Here’s the problem: many of the people prevented from entering the stadium did, in fact, have genuine tickets. You can probably see why they weren’t happy to be barred from entry.
One attendee noted that the venue was only 60% full when the concert began.
In the wake of the controversy, both Ticketmaster and Estadio Azteca released statements pointing to a significant number of duplicated tickets as the reasons for the controversy. The stadium’s own statement also said that tickets designated as duplicated were themselves marked down as invalid.
Ticketmaster stated that they would provide a refund to anyone with an electronic record indicating that they were unable to enter the venue — though it’s not clear what confirmation of not being able to attend a concert would look like. For now, it’s another frustrating moment for Ticketmaster — and another infuriating moment for music fans.
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