(HYPEBOT) – Five Washington DC area venues were hit with 73,000 speculative tickets worth $49 million on sale during the first half of 2024, according to the Fix The Tix coalition.
Speculative or fake ticket sales are the fraudulent practice of ticket brokers and scalpers listing tickets for sale that they don’t possess. Sometimes, the tickets are for shows that are not yet on sale.
The 73,000 include tickets listed on StubHub as recently as last month after the company told Reuters in April that it “does not allow the sale of speculative tickets.”
The five venues – 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Lincoln Theatre, The Atlantis, and the Merriweather Post Pavillion are owned or controlled by independent promoter IMP.
Fix The Tix Day Of Action Was Tuesday, July 9
The study’s release comes as The Fix The Tix coalition’s Day of Action on Tuesday, July 9th, which will mobilize artists and fans to push Congress to finally pass comprehensive ticketing reform.
Fix The Tix coalition members include NIVA, NITO, the RIAA, UMG, Bandsintown, Eventbrite, CashOrTrade, A2IM, and two dozen other industry players. More than 250 major artists support Fix The Tix, including Billie Eilish, Finneas, Dave Matthews, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde, Sia, Train, Fall Out Boy, and Green Day.
“The time is now to end fake tickets, price gouging, and deceptive marketing tactics,” said the Fix the Tix Coalition. “There is immense power in the collective voice of thousands of fans. Together, we can call on Congress to make comprehensive ticketing reform must-pass legislation in 2024 to restore trust in the ticketing ecosystem, protect the rights of fans, artists, and venues, and ensure a more vibrant and sustainable future for live events.”
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.
