Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, with millions of devoted fans who snap up tickets whenever she goes on tour. However, her latest tour, in support of her albums “Lover” and “Folklore,” has sparked controversy and confusion among fans trying to get tickets. The tour went on sale in November 2022, and sold out almost immediately. However, many fans reported issues securing tickets through official channels like Ticketmaster. So what happened? Why were Taylor Swift tickets so hard to get this time around?
Unprecedented demand
Part of the issue is simply unprecedented demand. Taylor Swift has not toured since 2018, so fans were extra eager to see her live after a long break. Her popularity has also grown even more in that timeframe thanks to hit albums like “Lover” and “Folklore.” According to Ticketmaster, the site had over 3.5 million people pre-register for Taylor’s tour presale, the largest registration in history.
Overall, Ticketmaster reported processing 15 million requests for the presale, the most ever for an onsale. So there was just an absolutely massive number of fans all trying to get tickets at once, which overwhelmed the system.
Limited ticket availability
Compounding the problem of high demand was the fact that there were fewer tickets available than fans might have expected. Swift is playing large stadiums like SoFi and Metlife, but is not doing as many shows at each venue as typical stadium tours.
For example, her Los Angeles shows are limited to just two nights at SoFi, versus pop peers like BTS who played four shows on their recent SoFi stop. Similarly, Swift has two shows at MetLife while bands like Coldplay and BTS had three nights there on recent tours.
So the combination of white-hot demand and fewer available tickets increased the intensity and competition to secure seats through official channels.
What happened during the Ticketmaster presale?
The biggest problems happened during the official Ticketmaster Verified Fan presale on November 15. This was when tickets first went on sale for registered fans who had received a special presale code from Ticketmaster. But the presale was plagued with long wait times, error messages, and ticket sales being paused and restarted. Many fans walked away empty-handed. So what types of issues did fans encounter?
Long queues and wait times
Many fans reported having to wait in online queues for hours before they could enter the ticket purchasing area of the site. Even for fans who got access right at 10AM, when sales started, the wait could be 30 minutes to an hour or more before seeing the ticket buying page. For example:
| Fan Report | Wait Time |
| @SwiftieSteve | 57 minutes |
| @TaylorSwiftNYC | Over 1 hour |
| @MissAmericana89 | 49 minutes |
As more and more users logged on, queues quickly built up. Many fans faced waits longer than 2 or 3 hours later in the presale, with no guarantee of getting tickets.
Error messages and glitches
Once fans finally got through the queue, some were then met by error messages like “Unable to Process Request” and other glitches. There were reports of people getting booted out of the queue, page crashes, frozen screens, and more. Some example issues:
| Fan Report | Error Message |
| @TaySwiftStan13 | “Invalid Page” error |
| @TaylorNation13 | Page crash after selecting seats |
| @LoverFest | “Unable to process request” 3 times |
These types of glitches prevented many fans from completing ticket purchases, even if they made it through the queue.
Sales being paused and restarted
In the middle of the presale, Ticketmaster abruptly paused sales for Swift’s Capital One cardholder presale citing “extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems.” Sales were paused for over an hour before being reopened.
Many fans who had been waiting for over 5 hours had their spots in line erased, forcing them to the back of the new queues. This disrupted the entire presale and sent confusion across Swift’s fan base.
Why did these issues happen?
Ticketmaster cited “historically unprecedented demand” from millions of fans trying to buy tickets at the same time as the reason for glitches and two-hour-plus queues. Essentially, their servers and infrastructure were overwhelmed by the sheer traffic numbers, as Swifties rushed to secure seats. Some other contributing factors were:
Bots and scalpers
In addition to real fans, bots and scalpers also bombarded Ticketmaster to scoop up tickets, adding further strain to the system. Ticketmaster did report canceling thousands of sales to scalpers and donors, but the initial influx still added turbulence and traffic.
Taylor Swift fan enthusiasm
Swift has an extremely passionate, enthusiastic fanbase who are vigilant about getting the first chance at concert tickets. Fans were keyed up for this onsale well in advance, as Swift’s first tour in five years. This urgent desire from millions of fans to drop everything and get tickets the moment sales opened overloaded Ticketmaster’s systems.
Increased sales on mobile
Per Ticketmaster, the share of traffic on mobile devices this time was twice as high as typical onsales. With so many people trying to access and refresh on phones at once, mobile infrastructure became gridlocked.
How Ticketmaster responded
Ticketmaster has acknowledged fan frustration and cited “technical glitches” that impacted ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s tour. In a statement, they noted:
“Fans who have received codes for the TaylorSwiftTix Presale should login and access the queue through the link they received via text rather than entering through the Ticketmaster homepage. This will ensure an optimal shopping experience.”
For the Capital One cardholder presale, they also announced: “We are currently pacing fans in to the sale slowly to ease site traffic. This is not a cancellation of the event, and sales are still happening. Anyone that is having issues with the queue being paused, please exit and try again. You will be able to join the new pace and get back in line.”
So essentially, they tried to control heavy traffic by limiting queue entry and pacing users into the purchasing flow. This produced mixed results, with some fans reporting better processes on subsequent presale dates but many still facing issues.
Consequences for fans
While Ticketmaster worked to address site glitches, the consequences were very real for Swift’s fans who battled the presales. After hours stuck in queues, many were unable to get tickets. Fans shared stories of taking paid time off work, anxious kids missing school, and more, only to go home empty-handed.
Some example fan experiences:
| Fan Report | Result |
| @TSLounge89 | Waited 5 hours in queue, no tickets |
| @Swifite626 | Took day off work, no tickets after 4 hours |
| @TaylorSwiftFan72 | 13 year old daughter missed school for presale, no tickets |
For many devotees who battled technical glitches and long waits, it was both of time and money lost in pursuit of concert tickets. This left a sour taste among parts of Swift’s very loyal fanbase.
Higher prices on resale markets
With limited ticket supply and sky-high demand, prices on resale sites like StubHub shot up quickly for Taylor’s tour. Fans who missed out during presales were shocked to see resale prices 5-10X the original ticket prices.
For example, some original ticket prices and matching resale prices were:
| City | Original Price | Resale Price |
| Los Angeles | $199 | $949 |
| Philadelphia | $199 | $888 |
| East Rutherford, NJ | $109 | $544 |
These inflated resale costs put tickets out of reach for many fans who couldn’t get them directly through the presales.
Will more tickets be released?
After the problematic presales, many fans wondered if more Taylor Swift tickets would be put on sale. Ticketmaster did announce via Twitter that there would be “additional opportunities” for fans who missed out.
Specifically, they mentioned there would be more chances for Verified Fans who received special presale codes. This implies that some tickets were being held back initially. There have also been rumors of Ticketmaster releasing seats gradually over time, though the company did deny that as a strategy.
So in short – more tickets seem to be coming, through official Taylor Swift presales and other releases via Ticketmaster. Fans who persevered through the technical glitches may eventually score tickets after all. But it’s unclear just how many extra seats will surface relative to the massive demand.
Official Taylor Swift presales
Swift’s team has announced several presales beyond the Verified Fan sale. These presales give other groups exclusive access to tickets before any wider public onsale. Upcoming presales include:
| Presale Date | Description |
| November 21 | Capital One Cardholder Presale |
| November 28 | Official Platinum Presale |
| December 2 | Reputation Tour Preferred Presale |
| December 9 | TaylorSwiftTix Holiday Presale |
Fans who qualify for these presales through Capital One, past tour tickets, and other means may still score seats. Swift’s team is also identifying high-volume ticket buyers during presales and cancelling those orders to give more fans access.
Public onsales
For the general public who missed initial presales, some tickets could be released during upcoming public onsales. Dates are still to be announced, but typically these onsales would come after the presale windows close in late 2022 or early 2023.
There’s no guarantee of availability, but persistent fans may luck out, especially if Swift’s team cancels more bulk buyer orders. StubHub and other resale sites also tend to release more inventory closer to show dates.
Will more tour dates be added?
Given the unprecedented demand, many fans have wondered if Taylor Swift will add more concerts to her tour. Most shows on the initial tour map, spanning March-August 2023, sold out instantly. Swift could potentially schedule additional shows in already-visited cities or expand to new locations.
However, her tour production seems deliberately scaled back compared to the massive “Reputation Stadium Tour” in 2018. The focus appears to be smaller, more intimate venues where Swift can connect to fans instead of soccer stadiums. She’s also balancing touring with re-recording albums, which takes up time.
While fans would welcome more dates, no new concerts have officially been teased or announced yet. At the moment, it seems unlikely Swift will tack many more shows onto this tour. But given her awareness of fans, she could possibly add select dates where demand calls for it.
How fans can get tickets now
For Swifties who struck out getting tickets, either in presales or through resale, there are still options to potentially score seats. Here are some tactics fans can try:
Use presale codes
Keep trying for presale opportunities through Capital One, past tour promos, store memberships and more. Sign up for everything available to maximize your chances.
Prepare for public onsales
Have accounts set up on Ticketmaster and be ready to jump in right when the public onsale begins. Stay persistent through queues and error messages.
Try for VIP packages
VIP packages with perks like merchandise, parties and guaranteed seats tend to remain available after regular tickets sell out. These are pricey but guarantee you’ll get in.
Check resale sites consistently
More reasonably priced tickets may pop up on StubHub and other secondary markets as show dates approach. Set up alerts so you’re notified immediately if seats open up.
Get on “waitlists” at venues
Some arenas like Madison Square Garden have waitlists you can join for newly released seats. This requires diligence but can pay off.
Conclusion
Taylor Swift’s long-awaited Eras Tour sparked unprecedented demand for tickets when first announced. Multiple presales through Ticketmaster were plagued by website problems like long queues and error messages that prevented many fans from getting seats. This led to outrage and disappointment from Swifties who invested significant time and effort trying to score tickets.
While Ticketmaster added dates and worked to improve the purchasing experience, many questions remain about how so many loyal fans walked away empty-handed. The fiasco highlights how broken the ticketing industry still is when a huge global star like Taylor Swift can’t release tickets smoothly.
As Swift now weighs how to get more tickets directly into her fans’ hands, the debacle has damaged the excitement and goodwill around her tour kickoff. Nonetheless, fans remain passionately interested in getting tickets however they can, even if it requires extra persistence through presales, public onsales and resale sites. This massive demand demonstrates that despite the early difficulties, Swift’s return to the stage will be one of the most eagerly anticipated concert events in years.