Olivia Dean Joins Artist Uproar, Slams Ticketmaster and AEG for 'Disgusting' Resale Market

7 hours ago7 min read1 comments

Fresh off a Grammy nomination and a Top 5 US hit, rising British pop star Olivia Dean has hit a new career milestone: publicly challenging ticketing giant Ticketmaster. In a move that echoes the frustrations of artists from Pearl Jam to Taylor Swift, Dean has condemned the 'disgusting' resale prices for her shows, directing her criticism at Ticketmaster and promoter AEG.This artist-versus-machine conflict highlights the deep rift between the face-value price intended for fans and the exorbitant sums found on secondary markets—a digital scalper's bonanza often facilitated by the industry's own infrastructure. The controversy strikes at the heart of the live music experience, where the bond between artist and audience is threatened by bots and profiteers who treat tickets as speculative assets rather than passes to a shared moment.With its dominant control over venues, promotion, and ticket sales, the Live Nation-Ticketmaster empire faces ongoing scrutiny for practices that blur the lines between primary sales and the resale market from the very beginning. For an artist like Dean, whose Gen Z fanbase is particularly vulnerable to price gouging, the issue is especially poignant.It underscores the harsh transition from the accessibility of streaming to the steep costs of real-life fandom. As corporate promises of a 'safe and fair' buying experience ring hollow for fans facing quadruple-digit charges, the industry is forced to confront fundamental questions about sustainability, corporate power, and artist agency. For Olivia Dean, it's a discordant note in a symphony of success—a stark reminder that the fight for the stage now begins long before the music ever plays.

#Olivia Dean

#Ticketmaster

#AEG

#resale prices

#concert tickets

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