Taylor Swift fans who faced an anxious wait to see if they had access to the singer’s Eras Tour are now facing another level of stress around the type of ticket they have.
Ticketmaster has confirmed that the shows are a ‘lead booker’ event — which is a detail in the fine print that has the potential for some fans to be turned away.
The Eras Tour is coming to Wembley Stadium on June 21-23 next year and then August 15-17 as part of the European leg of the tour.
Registration is now closed for tickets and fans who were given a sign-up code now have the chance to redeem the code. But the lucky few who were successful have noticed something worrying in the fine print.
What is a lead booker event?
Ticketmaster has said that a lead booker event means the cardholder who purchased the tickets must be there in person.
Under this rule, the tickets cannot be passed on or transferred. Ticketmaster introduced the rule to crack down on scams but it has fans worried they may be turned away.
Really can’t contain my excitement because… we’re adding 14 new shows to The Eras Tour. And I get to travel the world doing shows with @paramore!! Hayley and I have been friends since we were teens in Nashville and now we get to frolic around the UK/Europe next summer??? I’m… pic.twitter.com/kl1aijxR2o
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 5, 2023
“Wait, I used my mum’s card on my ticketmaster but I’m going with a friend, will I not be able to get in?” a fan wrote on Twitter.
Another said: “Taylor Swift at Murrayfield is a lead booker event but I used my dad’s card and am going with my mum… how do I get in?”
Ticketmaster said on Twitter: “If your event is a lead booker event it means the cardholder, the person named on the card used to pay for the tickets, must attend the event.
“We advise that if you can’t attend the event, that you don’t book tickets as a gift.”
Is the Eras Tour a lead booker event?
According to the small print in orders made by fans to the Eras Tour, this is indeed a lead booker event.
How does this affect booking events?
Ticketmaster has said: “Tickets are also non-transferable so regrettably we’re unable to change the name on the booking once this has been processed.
“When arriving in groups, the lead booker must be present in order for the whole party to enter the venue.
“All members of the party should enter the venue at the same time. Each ticketholder must be in possession of their ticket on their smart device.”
