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Noah Kahan, Aimee Mann, Dropkick Murphys Push For Ticket Price Caps on Resale in Massachusetts
A coalition of 16 New England musicians, including Noah Kahan, Aimee Mann, The Pixies, Goose and Dropkick Murphys, have written an open letter urging Massachusetts lawmakers to pass a bill capping the prices at which scalpers can resell concert tickets. The artists argue that live performance "should not be a luxury" and that resellers who contribute nothing to a show should not profit more than the artists, venues and crews who stage it. The push adds high-profile pressure behind legislation already backed by Governor Maura Healey, at a time when several US states are moving to tackle ticket touting.
The bill, named "The Great Divide" Act after Kahan's latest album, would cap resale prices at 110% of face value, limit fees charged by secondary ticketing sites, and ban "speculative ticketing", where brokers sell tickets they do not yet hold. Kahan has been especially outspoken on the issue, having also backed a similar law recently passed in Vermont, while the Massachusetts effort has additional support from groups including the Music Artist Coalition. Other states, including Maine, California, New York and Washington DC, have introduced or approved comparable resale price caps in the past year.
In short
- Musicians including Noah Kahan urge Massachusetts to cap ticket resale prices
- Proposed bill would limit resale to 110% of face value
- Part of a wider US trend of states curbing ticket scalping
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that live performance is a cultural good and artists who create the event's value should benefit from resale profits, not speculators who contribute nothing. They contend that price caps restore fairness by ensuring artists capture resale revenue whilst still permitting secondary markets at 110% markup, pointing to successful implementation in other jurisdictions as evidence the approach works.
The case against
Opponents contend that price caps inevitably create shortages in secondary markets, as reduced profit opportunities simply eliminate resale listings rather than lowering prices. They argue this restricts freedom of contract between willing buyers and sellers, and may backfire by encouraging venues and platforms to raise primary prices when secondary market appreciation is capped, ultimately harming the very affordability the regulation intended to protect.
Explained simply
Concert ticket resale has become a contentious issue in America, with prices for secondary tickets often soaring far above the original face value through companies and individuals known as scalpers. Musicians argue this practice prices out fans and enriches middlemen who add no value to the actual performance, whilst venue workers and touring crews also miss out on fair compensation.
A coalition of 16 New England musicians has now pushed Massachusetts lawmakers to pass legislation that would limit resale markups to 110% of the original ticket price and restrict fees charged by resale platforms. The bill, backed by Governor Maura Healey, would also ban "speculative ticketing", where brokers sell tickets they do not yet own, and is named after Noah Kahan's recent album.
Several states including Maine, California and New York have already introduced comparable resale caps in recent years, indicating growing momentum for tighter regulation of the secondary ticket market. The Massachusetts campaign represents one of the highest-profile efforts yet, with artists such as Aimee Mann, The Pixies and the Dropkick Murphys lending their support. The issue has become increasingly important to the music industry as secondary ticket prices have continued to climb.
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