Musicians and local venues are backing a D.C. Council bill aimed at cracking down on ticket resales, saying rising prices are pushing fans out and hurting the local economy. But resale platforms argue the bill won鈥檛 lower costs and could distort competition.
At a Lincoln Theater rally Thursday co-hosted by Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen, musician Andrew McMahon addressed the crowd via video, saying the resale market is making concerts unaffordable.
鈥淵ou do not need to pay as much as your mortgage to go see your favorite show,鈥� McMahon, known for groups like Something Corporate, said.
The D.C. RESALE Act would target bots that snap up tickets in bulk, ban the sale of tickets that don鈥檛 yet exist and require clearer, upfront pricing for buyers.
鈥淓very dollar that you’re having to waste buying a ticket on this market out there for egregious amounts, it’s $1 you’re not spending at our local restaurants or bars, it’s $1 you’re not spending on another show that you want to come to this venue,鈥� Allen said.
D.C.-based artist Bartees Strange said the current system is shutting people out of live music.
鈥淚 feel like resellers kind of create this world where only the rich can really afford to have a good time,鈥� Strange said.
Todd Dupler, chief advocacy and public policy officer for the Recording Academy, also said resale practices are affecting the connection between artists and fans.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a financial loss, it鈥檚 really an emotional, spiritual transgression, because for the artist, it鈥檚 pushing the fans out of reach for them,鈥� he said.
The legislation advanced out of committee this week, but without a provision that would cap resale prices at 10% above face value.
Audrey Fix Schaefer, head of communications for I.M.P., which operates D.C.-area venues including the 9:30 Club and The Anthem, said a price cap is critical in keeping events accessible and supporting the economy.
鈥淭his is really an economic development issue, as well as a consumer protection issue,鈥� she said.
Allen, who authored the bill, said he plans to introduce an amendment to restore the cap when the full council takes it up. The first vote is scheduled for Tuesday.聽
Supporters also pointed to extreme examples of resale listings, including tickets originally priced under $40 appearing online for hundreds or thousands of dollars more.
One was a free vigil for Grateful Dead musician Bob Weir at The Hamilton Live.
鈥淲e gave out free tickets. These were listed for hundreds of dollars online in an attempt to be sold. To a vigil,鈥� David Cooper, the venue’s manager, said.
But the Ticket Policy Forum, which represents platforms including SeatGeek, StubHub, Vivid Seats, Gametime, TickPick and Event Tickets Center, pushed back on the proposal. The group said those companies are not just resale marketplaces, but ticketing firms that compete with Ticketmaster.
In a statement, Brian Berry, the forum鈥檚 executive director, said marketplaces don鈥檛 set ticket prices, sellers do and he argued that pricing should be left to the market.
He also said resale platforms can sometimes offer cheaper tickets than face value and warned that a cap could limit those lower-cost options for fans.
The Ticket Policy Forum also said many venues backing the price cap rely on Ticketmaster for their primary ticketing and suggested the policy could benefit Ticketmaster by restricting its competitors.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2026 海角精品黑料. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
