Photo Credit: Andre Benz
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) led a Fix the Tix Coalition ‘Day of Action’ which resulted in more than 65,000 letters to Congress demanding comprehensive ticketing reform and the passage of the Fans First Act (S. 3457).
Artists across the live events sector, including Finneas, Billie Eilish, Underoath, Andrew McMahon, Something Corporate, Graham Nash, Shawndrell, Dave Alvin, Blind Boys of Alabama, Bobby Rush, Del McCoury Band, The Gimme Gimmes, Suzanne Vega, Cowboy Junkies, and more urged their fans to call on Congress to fix the country’s broken ticketing ecosystem.
The community sent more than 65,000 letters and messages to members of Congress and the White House, urging them to take action against fake tickets, deceptive marketing, and hidden costs associated with buying concert tickets.
“It is more clear than ever that the consumers, fans, and artists that make up this country’s live events industry will not stand by and let predatory resellers control our ticket-buying experience,” says Stephen Parker, Executive Director of NIVA. “this week’s actions send a clear message to Congress that the time for comprehensive ticket reform is now.”
“This country needs legislation that bans fake tickets, ends price gouging, and illegalizes deceptive marketing tactics. And consumers will not stop advocating for clear protections from fraud and deception until trust and transparency is restored.”
Digital Music News recently reported on ticket scalpers who have cracked Ticketmaster’s ‘non-transferable’ ticketing system—allowing third-party scalpers to bypass Ticketmaster’s supposed scalping protections. These scalpers run parallel ticketing systems that duplicate the Ticketmaster app’s functionality, as revealed in a lawsuit filed against the scalpers by AXS.
Fix the Tix says it’s not too late to make your voice heard, even if you didn’t participate in the Day of Action. Anyone who cares about ticketing can reach out to their Senators, Members of Congress, and the White House in less than a minute by visiting the Fix the Tix website.
The coalition is spearheaded by NIVA and Eventbrite, with more than 30 live music and event industry organizations part of the organization. Venues, promoters, producers, artists, agents, managers, and independent ticketing companies are all represented.
