Taylor Swift fans may have issues buying tickets due to "historic" demand, Ticketmaster says
MINNEAPOLIS – After four years without a visit to Minneapolis, everything has changed.
Taylor Swift's big "Reputation" is creating a historic demand for concert tickets to her two shows on June 24, 2023, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis this summer. It's part of her highly anticipated "Eras" tour.
Presale tickets went live online Tuesday morning on Ticketmaster. Only fans who pre-registered and received a verification code were able to enter the waiting room, which quickly filled up with thousands of people.
Within hours, demand appeared to crash Ticketmaster, with fans complaining about glitches and errors once they were able to select seats.
By noon, the company tweeted, "There has been unprecedented demand with millions showing up to buy tickets."
"When it's spinning, it's like, 'We're verifying your tickets!' And you're like, 'Oh yes, finally!' And then, yeah, and then they come on and tell you that another fan got them," said Laura Robison of Apple Valley.
Robison gave up after waiting seven hours.
"We can beam images from Mars to Earth faster than I could have got tickets, it's crazy," she said.
Robison started her day hoping for a chance to see Swift a third time, but ended her day furious with Ticketmaster.
"They're the 'Anti-Hero' of this Taylor situation," she said.
Swift chose presale on Ticketmaster to try to ensure the tickets went to actual fans, not ticket buying services. But within hours, tickets showed up on other sites with some selling at more than $17,000.
"I think artists would often like to have low prices for their fans. The problem for low prices though is that third parties buy the tickets and then resell them at high prices," said Professor Joel Waldfogel of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
"I really want to go, like, I will go no matter the cost," said Elyse Olsen of Burnsville.
Olsen was one of the lucky ones, and will see Swift for the first time with her friend in June at U.S. Bank Stadium.
"You just want to go, you just want to get to do something fun and exciting. You just hope you get to," she said.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m.
Swift hasn't played in Minneapolis since 2018, when she brought her "Reputation" tour to U.S. Bank Stadium.
