Olivia Dean Wins Refunds for Fans After Calling Out Resale Markups on Tour Tickets

Olivia Dean secured partial refunds for fans last week when she spoke out against Ticketmaster and AXS over bloated resale prices for her North American tour. Both platforms agreed to cap future resale rates at face value and reimburse customers who paid above the original cost.

Third-party listings for the tour appeared at more than 14 times the original price. Some tickets climbed over $1,000 after the shows sold out on Nov. 21.

The British singer-songwriter condemned the unchecked resale market as "disgusting," "vile," and "exploitative" in an open letter posted to social media. She pressed companies to protect fans from markups, per Billboard.

"We support artists' ability to set the terms of how their tickets are sold and resold," Ticketmaster wrote in response, per Billboard. The company committed to cap resale prices on its platform and issue refunds by Dec. 10.

Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, addressed her concerns in a statement. "We share Olivia's desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets," said Rapino, per Billboard. "While we can't require other marketplaces to honor artists' resale preferences, we echo Olivia's call to 'do better' and have taken steps to lead by example."

The artist welcomed the move but stressed her concerns extend past her own tour. She described the secondary ticketing ecosystem as "an exploitative and unregulated space" and pressed the industry to adopt mandatory face-value resale caps for performers who request them.

The refunds mark an unprecedented move for the ticketing companies. Neither company received the markup on resold tickets, but will absorb the refund cost to fans.

Her comments arrive amid growing scrutiny over ticketing practices. In the U.K., legislators confirmed plans to make it illegal to resell tickets for more than their original price following advocacy from Coldplay and Dua Lipa.

As of last weekend, tickets for the tour were still selling on StubHub at 50% to 240% above face value.