The DailyDyl

Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album “Guts” on September 8th, 2023. Then just a few days later on the 13th, she announced her Gut’s World Tour. Fans were allowed to pre-register in hopes of getting a code the day before the tickets would go on sale. Getting a code does not guarantee a ticket, but would allow select fans to join a queue similar to Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour to buy a ticket. On September 20th fans were supposed to get an email with an entry code or that they were waitlisted. However, a significant number of people, myself included, did not receive any email notifications, leading to concerns about whether we had successfully pre-registered. For many fans, these emails arrived late at night. In my case, I didn’t receive an email until 11:28 p.m., only to find out that I had been placed on the waitlist, which was disappointing.

There’s limited control over the demand for tickets among enthusiastic fans, and it’s unfair for them to endure late-night notifications, especially if they’re just on the waitlist. Not to mention that those lucky enough to be in a queue for tickets faced similar issues that plagued Taylor Swift’s tour: excessive fees, skyrocketing prices, and site crashes.

SKYROCKETING PRICES? – WHY?

TeenVogue reported standard ticket prices for the tour ranging from $49.50 to $199.50 before taxes and fees, which I consider quite reasonable. However, while some Livvies scored tickets at face value, many were subject to ticket prices of $800 and above due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing system. This system results in real-time price increases based on demand during the sale, often surpassing the initial face value prices as eager users inundate the ticket sale.

WELL DUH!! of course there is demand! AND of course there is more demand than there are tickets. It’s just disheartening that prices become so out of reach for fans even despite the fact that Rodrigo released a certain amount of Silver Star Tickets, at $20 a piece!

While I’m uncertain about my own ticket acquisition, I sincerely hope that Ticketmaster resolves its issues in the future.