3 ways ticket scalping is killing rave culture

It takes money out of the scene

The mark-up goes to the reseller, not the DJ, promoter or venue. The venue only ever gets face value, and fans who paid over it said they would spend less at the bar. More than half of grassroots venues made no profit last year, on 2.5% margins. Resellers take money out and put none back, so none of it goes into making future events better.

It prices out the ones who built it

A resold ticket goes to whoever will pay most, not whoever wanted it first. The UK government says mark-ups usually run more than 50% over face, and Trading Standards found tickets going for up to six times it. 68% of the people who paid over face said they would then go to fewer gigs.

Fans now compete with flippers

Resellers get there first, using bots to buy in volume ahead of the fans they later sell to. The regulator says that may already be illegal. None of them were ever going. They take a cut for standing between you and the ticket.

It takes money out of the scene. It prices out the ones who built it. Fans now compete with flippers.