Ticketmaster crashes amid Taylor Swift concert frenzy

Beverly Hills, California - Ticketmaster became Swifties' worst nightmare on Tuesday when the site crashed during presale registration for Taylor Swift's newly-announced tour.

Phoebe Bridgers (r.) will be one of several special guests for Taylor Swift's (l.) Eras Tour.
Phoebe Bridgers (r.) will be one of several special guests for Taylor Swift's (l.) Eras Tour.  © screenshot/Instagram/@phoebebridgers

The 32-year-old confirmed her highly-anticipated return to touring with the announcement of The Eras Tour, which will begin in March 2023.

The tour is set to include an impressive list of special guests including Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM, and girl in red.

Naturally, the announcement sent Swifties into an absolute panic as they scrambled to figure out how to secure concert tickets.

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Swift will be using the Verified Fan program on Ticketmaster during the sale. This means fans must register in advance for the presale. They will then receive an email informing them whether they have been granted a code for the presale or have been placed on the waitlist.

Before the tickets have even gone on sale, anxiety is quickly setting in for Swifties after the registration process left many stuck in hours-long queues.

Taylor Swift ticket scramble starts early

Taylor Swift's tour announcement came just a little over a week since she released Midnights.
Taylor Swift's tour announcement came just a little over a week since she released Midnights.  © IMAGO / NurPhoto

While many managed to complete the Verified Fan registration in the early hours of the day, plenty of Swifties got caught in queues that ended up lasting hours. Other fans experienced errors as the website crashed.

Ticketmaster's system for ticket sales system has been highly criticized for how it's been handling recent concert sales.

Even when fans are lucky enough to get into the presale, prices often skyrocket due to the company's much-hated dynamic pricing policy that allows the prices to fluctuate based on demand at any point during the sale.

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Blink 182 fans were livid with the price jumps that occurred during the presale for the band's upcoming tour, and Harry Styles fans have similarly lamented the practice that has caused his highly-coveted Love on Tour tickets to fly well above face value.

However, it seems there may be some hope for Swifties, as tickets will reportedly be sold on a first-come, first-served basis with prices ranging from $49 to $449 for non-VIP tickets.

Per Teen Vogue, fans who purchased tickets to Swift's Lover Fest tour, which was canceled due to the Covid pandemic, will have priority for the presale.

Here's hoping that all Swifties will see their wildest dreams come true by securing tickets to The Eras Tour!

Cover photo: screenshot/Instagram/@phoebebridgers

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