Singer-songwriter Niall Horan is joining the growing list of musicians battling Ticketmaster. The singer will soon embark on a world tour for his upcoming album “The Show.” Horan has seen a busy few months, with coaching on NBC’s “The Voice” and stopping by the states to play Boston Calling this past weekend.
Fans took to social media to express frustration over the debacle surround their favorite former One Direction member. From long wait times to missing pre-sale codes, the sale was anything but smooth.
if you're tryna get tickets for niall horan and you see this can we start a petition to ban Ticketmaster from life pls pic.twitter.com/t5ydCuOtPa
— faheem (@FaheemCFC) May 30, 2023
Some used reaction memes to describe their disappointment with the outcome of the presale.
niall horan pulling up to his UK shows after ticketmaster let a total of 5 people get tickets pic.twitter.com/pTjJB67EE3
— jess luigi ????????️ (@lustrecherrytv) May 30, 2023
The Ticketmaster Saga
The debacle comes after a string of botched ticket sales from the ticketing conglomerate since 2022. Notably, the presale for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” did not share codes with everyone who signed up, and had all tickets sell out in the presale before general admission could even begin. An army of angry fans led the charge against Ticketmaster, leading to a Senate judiciary hearing on the company.
In addition to the several botched sales, which affected Beyoncé, The Cure, Taylor Swift, The Jonas Brothers, and more, the conglomerate also charges exorbitant and vague “processing fees” on all sales. The fees, along with the company’s dynamic pricing system, are what had several senators, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, questioning whether they violated anti-trust legislation.
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The issue extends far beyond established artists. Indie soul-pop duo Lawrence testified before the senate regarding their difficult experiences with the company from a musician’s standpoint.
Clyde Lawrence of @lawrencetheband says Ticketmaster once charged an 82% fee on top of the base ticket price for a spring 2022 show. pic.twitter.com/ris70XwQjT
— The Recount (@therecount) January 24, 2023
The company continues to allow resellers to mark up tickets and sell them through their platform, resulting in significant inflation. Such has especially been the case for Taylor Swift’s concerts.
everyone: “when are you going to drop metlife tickets?”
ticketmaster: pic.twitter.com/LSZhBZS8PA
— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) May 25, 2023
Today, a fan waited seven hours in the “queue” to purchase tickets to Niall Horan’s concert.
7 hours but I DID IT #NiallHoran pic.twitter.com/b83XiqxgoD
— Becci Mansell (@beccimansell) May 30, 2023
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Neither Ticketmaster nor Niall Horan have addressed the presale issues today. Horan’s upcoming album “The Show” drops on streaming services on June 9.
