Noah Kahan Helps Back Bill To Limit Ticket Resale Prices
Noah Kahan announced his support for “The Great Divide Act” in Massachusetts. The bill was also announced on July 16 by Governor Maura Healey (MA).
The Bill was detailed in a press release from the Massachusetts Governor’s Office, and will set regulations on ticket resale prices for music and sports fans in the state.
“Far too many Massachusetts residents have experienced the pain of being excited to buy tickets to see their favorite singer or sports team, only to realize that resale prices and fees have driven up the cost to outrageous levels,” said Governor Healey to the press.
Noah Kahaan, a New England native, supports this by appearing with the Governor yesterday via Zoom. Like many other artists’ fans, Noah Kahan fans have seen resale prices reach quadruple digits, with tickets for his upcoming appearance here in New York ranging from $650-$1,973.
However, this pales in comparison to the work of other artists. The resale market has been around for decades, with scalpers and online ticket marketplaces playing a big role in rising prices. One of the main issues is the rise in prices across the country over the past couple of years. Back in 2023, Pitchfork and Business Insider both reported that the average resale tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour were going for up to $3,000.. This created controversy and even criticism of how tickets are rolled out in the first place. That controversy prompted a congressional investigation.
The bill proposed in Massachusetts will only cover resale, and as this press release details, “under the proposal, concert tickets cannot be resold for more than 110 percent of their original face value unless an artist or venue explicitly authorizes a higher resale cap through a written agreement. For example, if a ticket originally cost $100, it could be resold for no more than $110.‘ It will also limit resale fees.