Freakonomics - Why Is the Live-Event Ticket Market So Screwed Up?

eSully

Don't think I've seen this posted yet. It's well worth a listen!

"The public has almost no chance to buy good tickets to the best events. Ticket brokers, meanwhile, make huge profits on the secondary markets.

Here’s the story of how this market got so dysfunctional, how it can be fixed – and why it probably won’t be."

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/live-event-ticket-market-screwed/

darthed1981

Your main issue will be that the gig promoters are selling all their tickets, they don't really care who to, ultimately.

The artists and their promoters doubtless do, as they will not want to be perceived as ripping off fans themselves.

There is an easy way around it.... like less successful artists!  I personally cannot be buggered with going to see some dots on a distant stage and a really kick PA when I can be less than an office away from the stage watching the band actually play.

stickyfiddle

It's partly that the ticket sellers are faceless mega-corps, but also that most tickets are just too cheap. 

The fact that such a large secondary market exists shows very clearly that most shows are being sold well below their market values. But no band wants to increase prices even further for fear of the headlines that would follow.