DETROIT (WWJ) - Taylor Swift is coming to Ford Field for two sold-out shows this weekend with eye-watering ticket prices -- but some fans still have bad blood over ticketing problems they encountered last year and are now fighting for their day in court.
Roughly 300 "Swifties" around the nation, including some from Michigan, are suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for what they call a major online blunder in November of 2022 when tickets for the mega-star’s latest Eras Tour went on sale. Trying to get last-minute tickets will set fans back anywhere from $1,000 to a staggering $19,000 per seat.
"For other people getting tickets was really hard and some fans say illegally hard to get," WWJ's Charlie Langton explained. "A lawsuit now has been filed by some "Swifties," that's what [Swift fans are] called, against Ticketmaster alleging that the merger of Ticket Master and Live Nation, the concert promoter, violate anti-trust and fraud laws and that the software program used to funnel traffic to ticket sales or for ticket sales is too small to handle the volume and the demand."
Their attorney, Jennifer Kinder, said it isn't just about Swift tickets themselves, but the industry as a whole and how Ticketmaster holds a monopoly over ticket sales.
"This is not about one concert or one tour and ultimately and it's not about one artist, it's about every artist, every consumer," Kinder explained to WLS. "Hopefully it has a domino effect and affects all different kinds of fandoms. We should be able to go see our favorite artist, that's one of the little joys in life."
Fans say ticket options dwindled rapidly and they were unable to get through Ticketmaster to purchase seats when they went on sale, but resale tickets began popping up on third-party sites almost immediately for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars more.
As of Tuesday morning, the lowest cost for Swift's first Detroit show on June 9th through Stubhub is a rear or partially obstructed view in the lower section 132, row 15, seat 16 which carries a price tag of $1,026.
This most expensive seat available will set you back almost $19,000 a ticket for field seats in section N in row 21.
In a previous statement on the matter, Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, said it "takes its responsibilities under the antitrust laws seriously and does not engage in behaviors...that would require it to alter fundamental business practices."
According to Langton, whether or not a judge will rule before the Detroit shows remains unknown.
Swift will perform in Detroit on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10. Doors at Ford Field open at 4:30 p.m. each day and the show starts at 6:30 p.m.