Olivia Dean Reveals the Reason Behind Her Criticism of Ticketmaster

JAKARTA - Olivia Dean finally spoke up about the motive behind her courage to criticize Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and AEG regarding the high resale ticket prices for her concert.

Dean revealed that his decision to act was triggered by pity for a single mother who really wanted to see her performance but was hindered by costs.

The singer whose name skyrocketed throughout 2025 through the album "The Art of Loving" admitted that he was touched when he saw a post on social media that marked his account. He also told an emotional moment when he found a video of a fan who was having financial difficulties.

"I saw a video of a single mother, and she said, 'I feel so connected to this album (The Art of Loving). I can't afford a ticket. I can afford gas and babysitting, but can you just give me a ticket?'" said Dean, in a panel discussion with Gayle King at the Soho Sessions and Grammy Museum recently.

In response to this, Dean felt that people like that should be in the ranks of his concert audience, not those who only seek profit through price speculation.

Previously, Dean's frustration peaked when his tour tickets in the US went on sale and appeared on the resale site at an unreasonable price. Through a post on Instagram Story, he openly attacked the ticket distribution system policy which he considered exploitative.

"@Ticketmaster @Livenation @AEGPresents You provide a disgusting service," Dean wrote. "The prices you allow for resale of tickets are despicable and completely against our wishes. Live music must be affordable and accessible, and we need to find new ways to make it happen. BE BETTER."

Dean's frontal move bore significant results. Ticketmaster finally announced a partial refund process for fans who had already paid exorbitant prices and applied resale price limits according to the nominal value (face value) for Dean's tour.

Dean's bravery comes at a time when his career is at its peak, where he has just received a nomination for Best New Artist for the upcoming Grammy Awards.

For next year's tour, Dean is scheduled to perform at iconic arenas such as Madison Square Garden in New York and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles - bringing with him the mission that the grandeur of the music stage should not sacrifice accessibility for his loyal fans.