Ticketmaster, the largest ticket sales and distribution company in the world, has been plagued by website crashes during major ticket releases in recent years. Most notably, their site crashed during Taylor Swift’s 2018 Reputation tour presale, resulting in fan outrage and accusations of unfair practices. With big tours lining up for 2023, many are wondering – will Ticketmaster’s site crash again under high demand?
What causes Ticketmaster’s site crashes?
Ticketmaster has blamed extremely high traffic for their website outages. When hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans try to access their site all at once to purchase coveted tickets, it can simply overwhelm their servers. Some other factors that contribute to crashes include:
- Bots and scalpers trying to buy up tickets
- Fans refreshing pages repeatedly to get tickets
- Insufficient server capacity and bandwidth
- Software bugs
Essentially, Ticketmaster has not invested enough in infrastructure to handle the huge spikes in traffic they receive during presales and onsales for major events and artists. While they have claimed they are improving their systems, clearly there are still issues.
Notable Ticketmaster crashes
Here are some of the most high-profile Ticketmaster crashes in recent years:
| Date | Event | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| July 2018 | Taylor Swift Reputation Tour Presale | Fans unable to purchase tickets, widespread outrage |
| October 2018 | Ed Sheeran Presale | Crashed repeatedly, fans voiced frustration |
| November 2018 | Rolling Stones No Filter Tour Onsale | Massive delays, many left empty-handed |
| August 2019 | Tool Tour Onsale | Crashed for over an hour, anger from fans |
| March 2020 | BTS Map of the Soul Tour Presale | ARMY fan club presale a “disaster” |
As these examples show, Ticketmaster’s technical issues have impacted high-profile tours from major pop, rock, and K-pop artists. The crashes result in dejected fans, PR headaches, and customer distrust in the Ticketmaster brand.
Will Ticketmaster crash in 2023?
Looking ahead at 2023, there are several massive tours that seem primed to overwhelm Ticketmaster’s systems yet again:
- Taylor Swift Eras Tour – Swift’s first tour in 5 years, demand will be astronomical
- Beyoncé Renaissance Tour – Beyoncé’s first solo tour since 2016, will break the internet
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium tour with The Strokes, already crashing presales
- BTS – Rumored comeback tour in 2023 after hiatus
- Ed Sheeran – More stadium dates to be added in North America
Ticketmaster would be wise to reinforce their systems now before these tours go on general sale. Yet the company has shown an inability to handle massive demand even after claiming improvements following previous crashes. Until Ticketmaster overhauls their website and servers, major technical failures will likely continue.
Preventing crashes
What steps should Ticketmaster take to prevent crashes as major tours approach? Here are some possibilities:
- Upgrade server capacity and bandwidth
- Stress test their systems ahead of onsales
- Limit traffic to their sales pages
- Deploy anti-bot technology
- Create waiting rooms for high-demand sales
- Stage onsales regionally instead of all at once
Technical solutions aside, Ticketmaster also needs to be more transparent with fans about their efforts to improve stability. They should communicate any changes or new protocols they implement, so fans know what to expect. Rebuilding goodwill with customers has to be a priority after years of website crashes and PR scandals.
Alternatives for fans
If Ticketmaster’s site crashes yet again in 2023, what alternatives do fans have? Here are a few options:
- Use Ticketmaster’s mobile app – may work better than desktop site
- Try fan club or artist presales – occur before general onsale
- Purchase through official fan clubs or VIP packages – avoid Ticketmaster entirely
- Buy resell tickets – but prices will be higher
- Wait for general public onsale – but good tickets may be gone
Diehard fans should have backup plans in case Ticketmaster fails them again. Joining official fan clubs, following artists on social media for special presales, and being ready on multiple devices can all help increase your chances of getting tickets.
The bottom line
Ticketmaster’s repeated technical failures show a company unable to keep up with massive demand from fans. Unless Ticketmaster makes major infrastructure improvements in 2023, site crashes seem inevitable during major onsales. Both fans and artists deserve a reliable, ethical ticket sales process. Until Ticketmaster can provide that, they will continue to damage their reputation and lose customer trust.