Olivia Dean Helps Fans Get Refunds by Addressing Ticket Resale Prices
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British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean is taking a stand against inflated resale prices for her upcoming North American tour, leading to partial refunds for her fans. Dean has publicly criticized Ticketmaster and AXS for allowing exorbitant prices to skyrocket beyond the original cost.
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Last week, fans of Dean discovered third-party tickets listed for over 14 times the original price, with some exceeding $1,000. In response, Dean labeled the resale market as “disgusting,” “vile,” and fundamentally “exploitative,” urging companies to improve fan protections.
Ticketmaster responded on Wednesday, announcing a commitment to cap future resale prices for Dean’s tour and to issue refunds to fans who paid above face value. “We support artists’ ability to set the terms of how their tickets are sold and resold. @OliviaDeano, we will cap resale prices on our site at face value and hope other resale sites will follow,” the company stated.
Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, echoed Dean’s sentiments, stating, “We share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets. While we can’t require other marketplaces to honour artists’ resale preferences, we echo Olivia’s call to ‘do better’ and have taken steps to lead by example.”
While Dean welcomed Ticketmaster’s initiatives, she emphasized that her concerns extend beyond her own tour. She characterized the secondary ticketing market as an “exploitative and unregulated space” and urged the music industry to consider implementing mandatory face-value resale caps for artists who request them.
“Tours steal from artists and they steal from fans,” Dean stated. “They create inequality and hysteria. I am lucky to have had an education about the complexities and corruption of ticketing from @dicefm and will always choose to partner with them where we can. But know that you have power with other partners.”
She continued, “Capping resale at face value is your right and we have a duty to encourage a fair resale market. We are often made to feel we don’t have a choice but there is always space to ask why and it is always your right to say no!”
Dean, who gained recognition performing on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage and is anticipated to be among 2025’s breakout stars, highlighted the personal significance of live performances. “We lose money on nearly every show but feel passionately it is a worthy investment to create a moment for people to connect and lose themselves for an hour. We always do our best to make those spaces safe and accessible to everybody.”
Her remarks are particularly timely given the increasing scrutiny on ticketing practices. In the U.K., recent proposals aim to prohibit the resale of tickets above their original price, a movement endorsed by prominent artists such as Coldplay and Dua Lipa, who argue that this change would enhance public access to the arts.
