Kaytranada played at the Tempodrom instead of the Uber Arena – a symptom of Blue Dot Fever? Why fans buy fewer tickets.
Sure, many artists like to play small venues because they are so cozy and fans feel much closer to their heroes in a small space. But a Kaytranada concert that was scheduled to take place in an arena for 17,000 people was now held in a location that can accommodate a maximum of 4,200 people. This is certainly not just due to the atmospheric advantages.
The Montreal DJ Kaytranada was actually supposed to perform at Berlin’s Uber Arena on June 4th, but was then heard at the Tempodrom. Perhaps the producer simply misjudged his fame in Germany – or he was affected by an illness that many live performers are currently feeling: blue dot fever. This is what concert-goers on TikTok and Co. call the phenomenon of stadiums not being sold out. On platforms like Ticketmaster, free seats are displayed as blue dots in contrast to the gray, assigned seats. These blue pinheads are currently spreading: more and more artists are having problems with low ticket sales, meaning their world tours are no longer profitable. Individual concerts or entire tours are canceled – or postponed, as in the case of Kaytranada.
Familiar names, empty rows
Among those infected by Blue Dot Fever are well-known names such as the Pussycat Dolls, who canceled several of their planned performances due to disappointing sales figures. A surprising number of artists have recently shortened their live shows. Insufficient ticket sales were not always the reason given. But fans often notice on social media that cancellations correlate with surprisingly high remaining ticket stocks. This includes Post Malone, who says he wants to invest more time in his new music. Meghan Trainor, who pulled out of her entire North American tour, wanted to have more time for her growing family.
It is often difficult to assess what is actually behind canceled tours and concerts. The reasons given by the artists are ultimately valid. But isn’t there so much effort behind world tours and booked stadiums that other priorities such as music production or family planning could have been weighed up beforehand?
Why demand is falling
Another blind spot remains: what is causing the declining demand for tickets. It seems rather unlikely that so many artists will completely overestimate their own abilities. One possible theory is that there was a lot of hype about live events after Corona. Because during the pandemic it was not possible to experience live music together with other people for a long time. This trend has now returned to normal. Another factor could be the rising costs: due to rising rents and food prices, fans have less money left over at the end of the month to spend on art and culture. So savings are made. At the same time, concert tickets are becoming more and more expensive, also due to the tense economic situation. But some music fans find the price increase disproportionate, especially for major artists.
Tired of spending long periods of time in online queues and overpriced tickets. Is the broken industry to blame for the ticket pandemic? Whatever the reason for the falling demand, the musicians are feeling it through blue pustules.