3 February 2023
NEW YORK (WPIX) – It’s easy to imagine millions of Beyoncé fans across the country logging into their Ticketmaster accounts this week and thinking, “You Won’t Break My Soul.”
Consider it a declaration of sorts, made by weary concertgoers who wonder if the company has learned its lesson after a botched Taylor Swift concert ticket rollout outraged thousands of her fans (known as “Swifties”) who were unable to buy tickets.
Or, as one Beyoncé fan tweeted, “Ticketmaster better get it together because the beyhive does not play at ALL.”
In a statement published on its website, Ticketmaster is already warning that many fans will have a tough time securing tickets, but for different reasons.
“Fan demand already exceeds the number of tickets available by more than 800% based on the registration numbers in the Group A cities,” reads the statement. “It is expected that many interested fans may not be able to get tickets because demand drastically exceeds supply.”
Shabazz, a fan from NYC who spoke with Nexstar’s WPIX on Thursday, thinks Ticketmaster is being extra cautions because they can’t afford another controversy.
“I believe they learned their lesson because they’re dealing with the bottom line,” said Shabazz, who didn’t give a last name.
For Beyoncé’s upcoming “Renaissance” World Tour, Ticketmaster is already enacting the following:
Staggered ticket sales
Use of its “Verified Fan” technology to avoid bots, and the granting of access codes to purchase tickets by lottery
Registration time windows which vary by location
Attorney David Schwartz says even after Ticketmaster’s recent Congressional testimony, it’s still unclear whether these new measures will result in easier access to concert tickets.
“You’ve got such a volume of people controlled by one company and how much they pay for their ticket prices,” said Schwartz. “When it’s so high on the market coming out of the first party like Ticketmaster is, that’s a major problem.”
A fan identified only as Lendy, a mom who lives in Manhattan, said she hopes this time around, the ticket prices are more accessible and affordable.
“Where do the fans fall into this? Do I have to be a multi-millionaire to be able to go to Dubai? No, I can’t. I live in New York. My child should be able to see an artist — whoever it is. Not only Beyoncé. They should be able to see an artist they like. At an affordable price,” said Lendy.
Beyoncé will begin her world tour in Sweden in May, with subsequent stops scheduled for Europe, Canada and the United States. The tour announcement, made Wednesday, came days before the Grammy Awards on Sunday, where the global superstar is poised to make Recording Academy history.
Beyoncé, the most decorated woman in Grammy history with 28 wins, could break the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti’s record for most awards won if she nabs another four awards. She’s nominated for nine awards at the 2023 ceremony, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.