Taylor Swift ticketholders could be turned away according to Ticketmaster rule

18 July 2023 , 15:19

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Fans are worried that they will not be able to attend their chosen show (Image: Fernando Leon/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Fans who have been lucky enough to secure tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras UK tour are now starting to panic after discovering that Ticketmaster has listed all of the Taylor Swift UK dates as "lead booker events"

In simple terms, this means that the cardholder will need to be physically present and attend the event in person in order for the other members of their party to also be allowed in.

The rule also means that the tickets cannot be transferred or passed on, and while Ticketmaster says it has introduced the policy in a bid to crackdown on resellers and scalpers, the small print has left many fans worried about whether they will still be able to attend the show they booked for.

Concerned fans have taken to social media to share their frustrations, with some who purchased tickets during the Midnights presale events convinced that the nature of the event has been changed during the general sale.

Understandably, friends and family who purchased tickets for fans are now concerned that their money will be wasted unless they are able to attend the venue in person, which could have a real impact on younger fans hoping to see their idol live.

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While fans who have paid as much as £700 for VIP tickets are demanding answers from Ticketmaster, some think this is actually a good idea.

@chloeglanville8 on Twitter said: "The number of people im seeing buying Taylor Swift tickets & 10mins later selling them on is ridiculous! You can't transfer tickets yet & as the lead booker for the UK dates, you have to attend anyway!"

Some fans are particularly confused as it would appear that when they checked prior to the general sale, there was no mention of any lead booker events being active.

We reached out to Ticketmaster to ask for comment and the spokesperson who responded to our enquiry explained that "the lead booker event policy is determined by the promoter, not Ticketmaster."

While fans have been disappointed with the shortage of tickets available after receiving unique code access and waiting in long queues, many are more frustrated with the number of resale tickets that seemed to be available within minutes of each general sale going live.

With tickets on StubHub and Viagogo being sold for prices ranging from £445 to £6,000, genuine fans are asking Ticketmaster to reconsider their selling process in the future.

Laura Mckenna