Taylor Swift fans are fuming after getting through to buy tickets for her UK tour dates only to find that their only option is to fork out more than £600 for 'VIP' packages. The singer is bringing the Eras Tour to the UK in June and August next year, stopping off in London, Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
Last week, Swifties with access to the Midnights presale snapped up the first of the sought-after tickets. This week, it's the turn of the registered fans, who were lucky enough to be selected at random to access the general sale.
Only people who were sent an access code are allowed to try for tickets in the general sale, while everyone else who applied has been placed on a waitlist. Ticketmaster and AXS, the only two outlets selling the tickets, have introduced the strict rules to try and ensure that tickets go to fans instead of touts.
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However, fans took to social media as tickets went on sale today to complain that they were being asked to spend hundreds of pounds on tickets, despite the cheapest seats being listed at around £60.
Fans scrambled to get their hands on tickets for two London shows and all three Edinburgh shows today. But Swifties in Scotland were left disappointed to find that after waiting in the queue they were only able to purchase VIP packages, which are priced between around £200 and more than £600.
Six different VIP bundles are on offer for the Eras Tour and they are each named after a memorable Taylor Swift song lyric. Perks of the VIP packages include early entry to the standing area and exclusive merchandise such as tote bags, souvenir concert tickets and lanyards.
But not all fans wanted to spend the extra money and felt let down that VIP packages were left as their only option. One angry fan posted an image of the seating plan she had been shown on the ticket page, which indicated that there were plenty of seats available. She fumed: "General sale started at 11am today and there are THIS MANY seats still available for Edinburgh N1 (its like this all the way round the stadium) but every seat is the top VIP ticket…£661 each. How is this allowed?!"
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@EurovisionSwift agreed and commented: "Honestly so disgusting. Why not sell the seats at face value with the option of buying the vip package as an add-on?? Some fans only want to experience the concert, not be forced into buying overpriced VIP boxes."
Another fan, @greynovember13, told Ticketmaster "this is not okay", adding: "Cost of living crisis hello?? Why is this experience only available to those who can drop the cost of their monthly bills on a single ticket?? Taylor would want this show to be accessible to all."
While some Swifties begrudgingly forked out for the higher priced tickets, others were forced to say goodbye to their chances of going to the show.
@FFCasuals_Lama said: "Ach well we tried and failed lmao. Only prices for Taylor Swift tickets at over £600 a pop. Bit steep for my 19yr old niece..... So I reckon that it's all only VIP packages we are trying to get, everything else must have sold at the pre pre sale :(" Another fan, @aquarising111, wrote: "Trying to get tickets for Taylor Swift Edinburgh via axs since this morning and only the vip packages are coming up. Sorry miss taylor but I aint a millionaire I aint paying £600+ for a single ticket. Absolute shambles"
Swifties were unhappy with the high prices, with one describing the cost as "crazy money". @HeatherHamilt10 said: "Not to fret if you didn't get a code for Taylor Swift. There are still seats available... They'll only set you back £661. I'm bitter I know, but that is crazy money, full on ridiculous!"
Some went straight to Ticketmaster and AXS with their complaints. @MadeleineRuddle asked: "@TicketmasterUK why is EVERY SINGLE ticket for @taylorswift13 Eras Tour in Edinburgh being sold as a 'VIP package' at £660, instead of the £57.50-182.50 advertised? That's not a special package, that's just pricing them way higher than listed!"
@hollyleiper said: "Twice now @AXS_UK I have logged on with issues and when I get there you only have the really expensive VIP tickets. Did anyone get normal tickets from AXS?"
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Some even wondered whether the cheaper tickets had all been sold during the presale last week. @annabell91882 said: "i’m literally so upset why did they sell out all the non vip tickets during the presale and leave us with £1325 tickets??" @slutsofsaigon replied: "NO LITERALLY. I tried to buy two normal tickets but the only option for me were packages for at least £700"
@JesscatB94 addressed her concerns to the singer herself, telling her: "I love you, I love you so much I’m here anxiously waiting to hear from my friend buying tickets and unable to do anything else, but why are there so many tickets at £600+ and none at normal prices? It’s not fair, it’s not accessible to normal people."
Ticketmaster and AXS have been contacted for a comment.
On Tuesday, tickets for another five shows will go on sale, including all three nights at Liverpool Anfield. On Wednesday, the final London dates will go on as sale along with the only show in Wales at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Ticketmaster has not made it clear whether there will be any further sales of tickets.