Pearl Jam sets 2023 U.S. tour, touts ‘fairly priced tickets’ amid Ticketmaster drama
Pearl Jam is hitting the road this year, and the band hopes fans can come along without breaking the bank.
On Thursday, the rock group announced its 2023 U.S. tour, commencing at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., on Aug. 31. Pearl Jam said it is taking action to “continue to protect fans’ access to fairly priced tickets.”
The Grammy-winning group — comprised of Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Eddie Vedder — opted to “make tickets non-transferable where permitted” and will sell “approximately 10% of tickets through PJ Premium at the market rate to offset increased costs.”
Fans, politicians and even artists were complaining about Ticketmaster long before Taylor Swift filled stadiums. But experts say the anger may be misplaced.
The announcement continued: “Tickets on this tour will continue to be non-transferable in all states except Illinois where it is prohibited by law. We apologize in advance to Illinois fans who may be subject to increased ticket prices on the secondary market.”
Nontransferable tickets make it less likely that buyers can flip their tickets for a profit by selling to third-party sites and scalpers.
Fans can register for Ticketmaster‘s Verified Fan program before tickets go on sale on April 28 at 10 a.m. local time. Current Pearl Jam Ten Club members have access to the ticket presale.
About a dozen Taylor Swift fans who are suing Ticketmaster spoke at a hearing at an L.A. federal courthouse. The plaintiffs are from across the U.S.
Additionally, the band said it will implement “all-in pricing across this tour” in its ticket sales. This means that prices listed on Ticketmaster will include all processing fees “so there are no surprises at check out.”
In a statement shared with The Times Friday, Ticketmaster said it supports Pearl Jam’s efforts to be more transparent about ticket prices.
“Pearl Jam has always advocated on behalf of their fans and we hope more artists, teams and venues follow their lead and start using the all-in pricing display available on Ticketmaster,” Ticketmaster said. “It would be better for fans if all-in pricing was mandated nationally, but in the meantime we created the all-in display option to help fans see the full costs upfront.”
A ticketing practice known as ‘dynamic pricing’ caused some serious sticker shock for fans hoping to see the Boss on his 2023 tour.
Pearl Jam’s latest efforts to be transparent with its ticket sales and limit reselling come months after music fans took Ticketmaster to court.
In December 2022, Taylor Swift fans filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., for alleged fraud, price-fixing and antitrust law violations while selling advance tickets to Swift’s Eras Tour.
An investigation by the Department of Justice and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing rife with Swift lyrics followed a month later.
Senators from both sides of the aisle questioned Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s alleged monopoly, part of the fallout from November’s Taylor Swift on-sale fiasco.
In March, fans of rapper Drake reportedly filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, accusing the platform of inflating ticket prices.
Pearl Jam has had its own issues with Ticketmaster. The quintet clashed with the platform several times over ticket fees in the 1990s.
As part of its U.S. tour, Pearl Jam will make stops in Chicago, Indianapolis and Fort Worth and Austin, Texas. Rock band Inhaler will join Pearl Jam for its shows in Chicago, Indianapolis and Austin.
“We can’t wait to see you out there,” the band wrote.
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