Public controversy over reported Eras Tour Ticketmaster sales chaos
Coverage of site outages, long queues, cancellation of the general public sale, and a U.S. Senate hearing after the November 2022 Eras Tour presale. Swift said on Instagram she was assured Ticketmaster could handle demand.
Editorial timeline of public reporting, not a legal finding.
- Reuters: unprecedented demand disrupted Ticketmaster site - Reuters reported that millions of Taylor Swift fans swarmed Ticketmaster for Eras Tour seats, causing periodic outages and long online waits. Ticketmaster later described historically unprecedented demand for the tour. Unprecedented demand for Taylor Swift tour crashes Ticketmaster website
- Public ticket sale cancelled; lawmakers question Ticketmaster - Reuters and the BBC reported Ticketmaster cancelled the planned general public sale, citing extraordinary demand and insufficient remaining inventory. U.S. lawmakers again raised antitrust concerns about Live Nation-Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster cancels Taylor Swift ticket sales; Congress wants answers
- Swift on Instagram: watching the chaos was excruciating - The BBC reported Swift posted on Instagram Stories that her team had asked Ticketmaster multiple times if it could handle demand and was assured it could. She said it was excruciating to watch mistakes happen with no recourse. Taylor Swift tour: Excruciating to watch Ticketmaster ticket chaos, says pop star
- Ticketmaster apologises at U.S. Senate hearing - Reuters and the BBC reported that at a Jan. 24, 2023 Senate Judiciary hearing, a Live Nation executive apologised to Swift and fans, cited bot attacks, and acknowledged Ticketmaster should have staggered sales and set clearer expectations. Taylor Swift concert fiasco leads to U.S. Senate grilling for Ticketmaster