Olivia Dean wins Ticketmaster refunds for fans after criticising resale market

Olivia Dean has slammed the ticket resale market as “exploitative” after securing partial refunds for her fans from Ticketmaster and AXS.

Some resale tickets for the singer’s upcoming North American tour were reportedly put on ticketing platforms significantly above face value.

After Ticketmaster agreed to offer fans a partial refund, Dean urged the music industry to “protect people” and “community” by opting to cap re-sale tickets and ensure live music remains “accessible for all”.

In a statement shared on her Instagram story on Thursday, Dean said: “After many conversations with my team, Ticketmaster and AXS have agreed to refund the difference to anyone who has paid over face value for a ticket and will cap all future ticket resale prices to face value for the North American run of the tour.

“The secondary ticket market is an exploitative and unregulated space and we as an industry have a responsibility to protect people and our community.”

Ticketmaster announced on Wednesday that it would issue partial refunds for fans who have already purchased resale tickets for the tour and these would be processed by 10 December.

After tickets for her tour sold out in minutes on 21 November and began appearing on resale sites, Dean addressed the major ticketing companies on Instagram.

“@Ticketmaster @Livenation @AEGPresents you are providing a disgusting service,” she wrote.

“The prices at which you’re allowing tickets to be re-sold is vile and completely against our wishes. Live music should be affordable and accessible and we need to find a new way of making that possible. BE BETTER.”

Michael Rapino, chief executive at Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent company, said he shared “Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets.

“While we can’t require other marketplaces to honour artists’ resale preferences, we echo Olivia’s call to do better and have taken steps to lead by example.

“We hope efforts like this help fans afford another show they’ve been considering – or discover someone new.”