Neil Young has announced that he will no longer sell Ticketmaster’s high-priced Platinum Tickets in the United States, taking a stand against dynamic pricing and ticket speculation. The decision follows a similar move by The Cure’s Robert Smith, who previously fought to keep ticket prices reasonable for fans.
Platinum Tickets are premium-priced seats made available by Ticketmaster, aimed at keeping profits within the music industry rather than in the hands of resellers. However, critics argue that this practice exploits fans by charging significantly more for the same concert experience.
In a statement on his website, Young acknowledged that while his management team had always worked to secure the best touring deals, the Platinum Ticket system still led to inflated prices that didn’t sit right with him. “The money was going to me, and that didn’t seem fair,” he admitted.
Instead, Young is leaving it up to the fans to fight ticket inflation by purchasing tickets as soon as they go on sale, warning that those who wait may have to pay exorbitant prices on the secondary market. While his decision removes an official high-priced option, it remains unclear whether it will truly prevent ticket scalping or simply shift demand elsewhere.
With Young’s move, another major artist has joined the growing fight against inflated ticket prices. Whether more musicians will follow suit remains to be seen.