Olivia Dean Scores Refunds For Fans From Ticketmaster, AXS After Resale Backlash

Fans who paid for marked-up tickets to Olivia Dean’s upcoming tour will get partial refunds from Ticketmaster and AXS after the artist called out the secondary ticketing market as “exploitive and unregulated.”

Would-be ticketbuyers reported resale tickets to Dean’s “The Art of Loving Live” dates priced north of $1,000, some 14 times above face. In a Instagram Story posted Nov. 21, Dean called out Ticketmaster and AXS and their corporate parents Live Nation and AEG, respectively.

“You are providing a disgusting service. 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,” she wrote.

She had earlier expressed frustration with the re-sale prices of the tickets, saying “The last thing I want is for anyone to be scammed or overcharged for our show.”

Both major ticketers offer face-value exchange options, which cap re-sale prices, but those policies were not in effect when Dean’s tickets went on sale.

Nevertheless, Dean said both had agreed to refund the difference in the marked-up secondary ticket and face value to fans who had purchased re-sold tickets and that going forward, the face-value policy would be in effect.

“We share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets,” Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement Nov. 26. “While we can’t require other marketplaces to honor artists’ resale preferences, we echo Olivia’s call to ‘do better’ and have taken steps to lead by example.”

In a message sent to her mailing list, Dean confirmed the agreement.

“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,” she wrote. “Every artist and their team should be granted the option to cap resale at face value ahead of on sale, to keep the live music space accessible for all,” she added. “The secondary ticket market is an exploitative and unregulated space and we as an industry have a responsibility to protect people and our community. Thank you for your patience and I’m looking forward to seeing all you real humans at the show. Stop the bots.”

Dean is repped by CAA worldwide.