Music

Welcome to the new Ticketmaster UK Blog

We aim to make buying a ticket safe, secure and easy. We think we do a pretty good job at that, but that’s not to say we don’t get a lot of questions from live entertainment fans trying to understand what has become an increasingly complex business. We wanted a better way to communicate what Ticketmaster does, and why we do it. So I get to write the first post on the new UK TM blog. Welcome.

This blog will share with you the latest news and insight from the world of live events, tackle some of the bigger issues in the UK industry, give you an in depth look into the technology that drives our business and also introduce you to some of the team who lead, live and love the business of live entertainment.

Walk into any department at Ticketmaster UK and you’ll find fans – music fans, sports fans, fans of the Arts. Being part of the world of live entertainment is a big motivator for our team. Many of our staff started their careers working in box offices and front of house at venues – so have experienced first-hand the privilege of providing access to hugely emotional, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

We know that you are just as passionate as we are about live music, sports and entertainment. Live music is more popular now than ever and our own research shows that 24%* of you would rather go to a concert than have sex. We’ll try not to disappoint!

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According to our research, over 80% of you went to at least one live event in the past year. We don’t take that lightly as there is a lot competing for your time, attention and money these days. We may have been going through some tough economic times of late, but this hasn’t dampened people’s sense of fun. Economists deem live entertainment a ‘discretionary spend’ but real fans not only want, but need the feeling of euphoria that only being lost in the music at a gig or caught up in the last minute drama of a football match can truly give.

Now, in the UK we’ve been selling tickets to fans and getting them into venues for a long time, 32 years in fact. We’ve provided ticketing services for events ranging from the Queen’s Jubilee concert to Bruce Springsteen at Twickenham. Our overriding goal has remained unchanged in all that time – to get tickets into the hands of real fans as safely and simply as possible, ensuring the best possible live experience.

We believe we are the world leaders in developing new technologies to improve the fan experience. You’re now able to pick your own seats– and through our social media developments you can tell your friends where you’re sitting so they can grab seats nearby. We’ve been pioneers in paperless ticketing on mobile meaning that fans can gain access to events without the hassle of bringing paper documents with them. Our work through resale sites like GET ME IN! in the UK ensures fans have a safe, secure market place to buy and resell tickets at market prices. And our Ticketmaster tech team is leading the way in blocking ‘bots’ from accessing tickets for some of the biggest events in the world, ensuring that tickets get into the hands of real fans.

So add us to your RSS feed, sit back, relax, grab a cuppa and enjoy your window into the live entertainment industry with regular posts on what we’re up to (including new fan-first policies and product features), insights on company happenings, plus fun fan and artist spotlights. Get it here first, direct from the source – from fans like you.

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