Features
Jay-Z Cancels Lincoln Show Citing Technical Issues
Barry Brecheisen / Invision for Parkwood Entertainment / AP Imag – Jay Z
Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.
Getting the video screens set up in the arena on time would be impossible, Jay-Z said in a statement posted via Rap Radar.
“This tour is too important to me to do it halfway. I have to cancel the show,” he said. “I respect you guys too much to take the money and run. Peace, Hov.” The statement added, “Same with Fresno.”
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Pollstar reached out to Roc Nation for comment.
While there have been rumblings of Jay-Z’s 4:44 Tour being soft and resale tickets going for cheap, a Live Nation representative told Pollstar near the beginning of the tour, and after a sudden cancellation of a Fresno, Calif., show, that aggressively priced higher-end tickets meant the tour was outselling Jay’s 2013-14 solo tour already.
A Live Nation company rep asserted to Pollstar that the tour was an unmitigated success thanks to proper pricing and noted that shows in Phoenix and Denver were sold out.
A few dates from the new tour have been reported to Pollstar: Nov. 14 at Philips Arena in Atlanta sold 14,118 tickets and grossed $1.8 million, and Nov. 7 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, which sold 14,497 and grossed $1.33 million.
Indeed, the higher-end tickets are going in the $200-$300 range for most shows but the cheapest face value tickets for shows including Sacramento and Oakland were in the $20-$30 range. By pricing the higher-end tickets aggressively, scalpers may be less likely to bite as the discrepancy between face value and market value is minimal.
A successful show may not rely on a full house as much as on the pricier tickets being sold, which may be difficult in secondary and tertiary markets. And with more dynamic pricing models and primary ticketers offering their own resale options, simply looking at StubHub or Ticketmaster availability may not tell as much of the story as previously. In some cases a promoter may prefer a few empty seats rather than see scalpers reap the benefits of a cheaper-ticket sellout.
Recent Pinnacle Bank Arena box office reports submitted to Pollstar include The Weeknd Sept. 27 (10,442 tickets, $661,139 gross), Kendrick Lamar Aug. 18 (11,140, $667,964), and Bruno Mars Aug. 7, which sold 13,849 tickets and grossed $1.37 million).
Jay-Z’s 4:44 tour continues to Barclays Center Nov. 26-27, with other upcoming dates including Capital One Arena in D.C., United Center in Chicago, KeyArena in Seattle, and the final date, at the Forum in Inglewood Dec. 21.