Festivalgoers in the Netherlands who have spent the past few years waiting until the final hours before an event to grab a cheap TicketSwap deal may soon have to rethink their strategy. TicketSwap is introducing a new feature in the Netherlands that gives event organisers more control over ticket resales, including the option to set a minimum resale price.
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As a result, tickets will no longer be listed for rock-bottom prices when organisers choose to enable the feature.
More control over ticket resales
With the new feature, organisers can choose to manage official ticket resales through TicketSwap themselves. Among other things, they can set a minimum resale price, preventing tickets from being sold for only a fraction of their original value shortly before an event begins.
TicketSwap describes the update as a step towards “a healthier balance between the interests of fans and organisers.” According to the platform, the live entertainment industry has been under increasing pressure due to rising costs and changing consumer behaviour. Without financially healthy organisers, the long-term future of live events could also be at risk.
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Less reason to wait
The new feature could also become an important development for the Dutch festival industry. In recent years, more and more visitors deliberately delayed buying their tickets, expecting cheaper options to appear on TicketSwap shortly before an event.
As a result, regular ticket sales got off to a slower start for many festivals. Especially for events that didn’t sell out immediately, this created additional uncertainty in the run-up to the festival.
By introducing a minimum resale price, that strategy may become less attractive. Fans will have less reason to postpone their purchase and may instead be more likely to buy their ticket during the regular sales period. This could give organisers earlier insight into ticket sales and improve financial certainty ahead of their events.
Whether the feature will actually encourage earlier ticket purchases remains to be seen.
Also relevant for the hard dance scene
The change could also affect the Dutch hard dance industry. TicketSwap is the official resale partner for many events, but whether the new minimum resale price will be adopted by festivals such as Defqon.1, Decibel Outdoor, Intents Festival, REBiRTH Festival or Supremacy depends on the individual organiser. The feature is optional, allowing each organiser to decide whether to enable it.
If adopted, the well-known last-minute TicketSwap bargains in the Netherlands could largely disappear. At the same time, the feature could encourage fans to buy their tickets earlier, giving festivals more certainty at a time when the live events industry continues to face financial challenges.
