Bruce Springsteen fans boil as Ticketmaster prices soar to $4-5K

Bruce Springsteen fans like to think he’s tougher than the rest, not more expensive than the rest. So, inevitable outbursts of anger erupted as fans signed up for the first day of sales for the opening shows of his 2023 arena tour, and tickets ranging from $4,000 to $5,000 for mid-range seating and four-figure seats found other, less desirable tickets left over . If these were offered on the secondary market, one would expect deals that are exorbitant…but what shocked fans was that these were tickets at face value, with no middleman pumping the price up.

It was an introduction for many fans to Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” program, where “platinum tickets” – which can be placed anywhere in the arena, from the front rows to the back rows – fluctuate in price, which is said to be constant response to the demand. The system quickly gets ticket prices up to levels you would think resellers would get for them, and keeps that extra money in-house for the artist and promoter. But as ticket sales continued and soared on Wednesday, even some concert veterans who know and accept the idea of ​​variable pricing wondered: Would scalpers are you charging close to $5,000 for a good but not direct front seat?

Fan anger was quickly evident in responses to an early tweet from Backstreets, the Springsteen fan magazine, which posted a screenshot of the price of a seat on the tour’s opening night and wondered, “Tampa Mid Floor for $4,400, anyone?” (That’s an amount that included $3,819 face value plus $569.50 in fees.) Other distraught fans quickly followed suit with screenshots of the unusually expensive offers they received after using the Verified Fan system from Got through Ticketmaster and waited in an online queue.

Tampa Mid Floor for $4,400 each, anyone? #catch and release

“Ticketmaster’s Platinum Official Seating Program enables market-based pricing (matching prices to reflect supply and demand) for live event tickets, much like airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold.” pic.twitter.com/8qyanN0OQA

— Backstreets Magazine (@backstreetsmag) July 20, 2022

Of course, demand will drastically outstrip supply for all of Springsteen’s one-night stand arena dates, which by his usual multi-nighter standards counts as drastic underplay. This isn’t the first time in recent years that the dynamic pricing system has angered fans who have watched in amazement as covetable tickets to a Harry Styles or Paul McCartney rise right before their eyes. And let’s face it, even in the best of ticketing circumstances, complaining about ticket prices is a national pastime. Despite all of that, few live business observers can recall tours where the face value for most seats has increased tenfold or more through an arena in a matter of hours, ending up at a point where it’s $4,000 or more cost more just to get on stage – with tickets reportedly sold out at $399 when tickets went on sale.

Springsteen’s camp declined comment, and Ticketmaster had not responded with comment at the time of writing this article.

The only person associated with the tour to have responded publicly so far was Stevie Van Zant, who tweeted, “I have nothing whatsoever to do with the price of the tickets. Nothing. Nada. never. Bubkis. Dick.” The veteran E Street Band guitarist’s denial did little to deter fans from continuing to demand that he take their outrage straight to the boss.

I have nothing to do with the ticket prices. Nothing. Nada. never. Bubkis. Thick.

— 🕉Stevie Van Zandt☮️ (@StevieVanZandt) July 20, 2022

Only the tour’s first six cities went on sale Wednesday – Tampa, Orlando and Hollywood, all in Florida, followed by Tulsa, Denver and Boston. The rest will come over the next nine days, with St. Paul going on sale next on Thursday morning. If the system stays the same and the face value prices for the upcoming specials get that high, it could lead to major fan consternation that will be phased out over the course of the next week and a half.

Jokes abounded on social media amid the blazes. “I suppose when Bruce yells, ‘Is anyone alive out there?’ Next tour,” @clevenbrown wrote on Twitter, “will be more of a medical check-in for those who have had to sell a kidney to be able to afford tickets.” Another fan wrote, “Let’s see I can pay my mortgage for two months or I can buy a Tampa GA,” as she attached a shot of a verified fan’s platinum offering to purchase a general admission ticket for $1,350 plus fees. That would have been a relative steal compared to the base price of $2,147. Another screenshot showed the same GA ticket being sold in Boston.

But it wasn’t a bad day for Everyone Springsteen fans. Some of those who queued as the doors opened and before the prices skyrocketed were happy with the initial ticket cost. The original base fare for the tickets was listed as a far-flung $399 for ground seats and a reasonable $60 for the farthest sections. In fact, some satisfied fans who bought upper-level seating earlier in the day reported being able to get out the door for less than $100, even including fees.

Ticketmaster’s website is transparent about what exactly happens with variable prices, although the changing costs can seem arbitrary from moment to moment. The FAQ page states: “These are not resale tickets. Platinum tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster for the first time ever. Prices are adjusted based on supply and demand, much like how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold. The goal is to give the most passionate fans fair and secure access to the most in-demand tickets, while also allowing artists and everyone involved in running live events to price tickets closer to their fair value.” Text reminds buyers not to confuse these with the VIP packages that some tours (not Springsteen’s) offer.

Here’s a sampling of tweets that came Wednesday as fans took to social media to share offers they didn’t think were too good to turn down. Some got more philosophical about the principles of supply and demand, like one who attributed the $4,309.30 price he saw to fans who might be willing to pay it:

You can be confused and angry at TM, the aftermarket, Bruce, capitalism, the state of the world, whatever, but it’s the person willing to buy that ticket that really makes it happen. Don’t buy and the price wouldn’t exist. pic.twitter.com/UktP0Tfk1w

— Bruce Funds ® (@BruceFunds) July 20, 2022

I went back to presale for @springsteen in #Boston and dragged this cute little couple to the floor… for $5000. Shameful. #springstone #springsteentour2023 pic.twitter.com/3NxqPM3R1D

— Steve Leibowitz (@StevenL57) July 20, 2022

Unfortunately, Ticketmaster uses the on-demand ticket prices.
The more interested parties are interested in the tickets, the higher the price.

Section 300 can cost $199 for one minute and $699 for the next.

I got a ticket though… for a lot of $$$$
No regrets either#springsteentour2023 #springstone

— Lydia⁷🦩🐙 Part of the 90% (@The_LadyLyd) July 20, 2022

#BruceSpringsteen Do you know anything about this? #springstone Are you happy with that? #The boss, is that how you wanted to treat your die-hard fans? To score #springsteentour2023 Tickets, do you need to take out a reverse mortgage? @springsteen @backstreetmag pic.twitter.com/kgbsWmZt0h

— Craig Semon (@CraigSemon) July 20, 2022

99.9% of people complaining about not getting tix or tix or too expensive saw it #springstone 10x or more in their lifetime…. #Get over it. Nobody’s a bigger fan than me and I can’t leave. But the sun will rise again tomorrow… There will be MILLIONS who will not be able to walk.

— Tony Fontane (@TMAN1138pm) July 20, 2022

Dynamic pricing seems to be a really cool new feature that everyone is loving #ticketmaster #springstone

— wigginstock (@wigginstock) July 20, 2022