Lady Gaga tickets for $1500? The mad frenzy for star’s Australian shows
By Cindy Yin
When pop extraordinaire Lady Gaga announced plans to tour in Australia, the ensuing frenzy from both fans and casual listeners alike was palpable.
Gaga officially announced the Live Nation-promoted Australian leg of The MAYHEM Ball tour last week, marking the first time the 14-time Grammy Award-winner will touch down in the country for 11 years – her last shows were for 2014’s ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball.
Some VIP Lady Gaga tickets are fetching more than $1500.Credit: Getty Images for Coachella
However, fans were kept in the dark about pricing details, and only found out at presales on Monday when they faced steep prices, with some VIP tickets fetching more than $1500. So how much will it cost to secure Gaga tickets, and why has it been so controversial?
Where is she performing in Australia?
Gaga will perform at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on December 5, Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on December 9 and Sydney’s Accor Stadium on December 12.
Due to overwhelming demand, an extra show at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on December 6 was added on Tuesday, and an extra show at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on December 13 was announced on Thursday.
When do Lady Gaga tickets go on sale?
The Vodafone and Mastercard presales happened at 11am on Monday. The Live Nation presale began at noon on Wednesday, and general sale tickets opened to the public from 1pm on Thursday.
Vodafone and Mastercard presales for the extra Sydney show begin from midday on Tuesday, April 22, the Live Nation presale starts midday on April 23 and general ticket sales will begin from 1pm on Thursday, April 24.
Concert hopefuls can join the queue on ticket links 30 minutes before on-sale start times.
How much do they cost?
Tickets range from $120 in the nosebleed seats to $1588 for the “Mastercard Priceless Experience”, where an onstage photo opportunity, a Q&A with a Lady Gaga crew member, and pre-show access are on offer for enthusiastic Little Monsters.
There are also four other VIP ticket tiers, ranging from $620 to $977.
Seated tickets cost between $120 and $622, and standing tickets are $212 to $314.
Why has there been outrage online?
Fans have expressed outrage, accusing Ticketmaster, the US-based company owned by Live Nation Entertainment of dynamic pricing – which is when the price of concert tickets fluctuate depending on demand. As there are only a set number of seats available at a concert, the higher the demand, the more tickets will cost.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said the company “does not have surge pricing or dynamic algorithms to adjust ticket prices. Tickets were priced in advance of the sale and set at the individual seat level”.
Ticketmaster calls the practice of surge pricing “In Demand” pricing. Launched in 2022, the original idea behind it was for promoters to fight against ticket scalping. According to Ticketmaster, such tickets “give fans fair and safe access to sought-after seats at market-driven prices”.
It is understood that Ticketmaster is responsible for ticketing the Melbourne and Brisbane shows, while Ticketek is the ticket vendor for the Sydney show.
Fans have also voiced disappointment over Gaga’s high ticket prices more broadly.
Second-party resale sites such as Tixel are also offering tickets for as high as $800. Some states in Australia have laws against hyperinflated ticket reselling. In Victoria, the mark-up for tickets for declared major events is capped at 10 per cent above face value. In South Australia, it applies to all events for which a resale restriction is in place. In NSW, the cap applies to all events.
What is Live Nation, and why is it controversial?
No stranger to controversy, Live Nation Australia has been in the spotlight for a couple of years. A Four Corners investigation in October accused the company of charging consumers hidden fees, “robbing” artists and “misusing” its market power.
Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation, faced heated backlash in September when it sold tickets for the Australian leg of American punk band Green Day’s tour for as high as $500.
Following heated uproar, the Australian government announced plans in October to ban the practice for concerts and sporting occasions.
Live Nation was approached for comment.