In some places, concert-goers have to be prepared for challenging conditions when buying tickets. According to the ticket seller CTS Eventim, many tickets in Germany have become more expensive. In addition, there are new ways of selling and pricing tickets in certain cases. “We see that not every consumer is offered the same prices, they vary depending on the time of day,” said a spokesman for the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center e.V.
A spokeswoman for Eventim said: “Tickets have in many cases become more expensive in recent years, mainly due to the requirements of the organizers and artists, who have to deal with considerable price increases themselves.”
Taylor Swift tickets only after registration
And there are other peculiarities. Before the start of the presale for US superstar Taylor Swift’s tour of Germany on July 12, fans had to adapt to a new procedure. For example, they could initially register for a notification of pre-sale – but cannot automatically take part in the pre-sale. Only a select part of the fans can try to get tickets on Wednesday. Others are on a waiting list. If you haven’t registered in advance, you won’t be able to get tickets.
“This procedure is a novelty for us,” said the organizer FKP Scorpio on request, referring to the artist’s management. Swift’s German tour will start in July 2024.
Demand determines ticket prices
In the USA, the industry giant Ticketmaster has been causing irritation among concert-goers with a new pricing system since last year. There, demand drives ticket prices for many artists, similar to the principle used by airlines and hotels. Ticket prices, which normally cost around US$100, can then rise to US$300 if many fans want to order tickets at the same time as the sales launch.
The system makes school. Organizers of concerts by Harry Styles, Coldplay or the Korean band Blackpink, for example, also let prices skyrocket in Great Britain in line with demand. On social media, many fans reacted with outrage to the sometimes astronomical amounts. “Basically: You have no right to have every ticket cost the same,” says the speaker at the consumer advice center. Anyone who wants to go to a concert is at the mercy of the opaque procedure. But he gives one tip: “If you want the ticket, you can at least look it up on different devices at the same time and compare whether you can find a cheaper price somewhere.”
