Taylor Swift fans gathered in Los Angeles federal court Thursday for a hearing in a lawsuit accusing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation of price gouging.
The complaint, filed two years ago in L.A. federal court on behalf of hundreds of Swifties, cites Ticketmaster and Live Nation for alleged breach of contract, fraud, negligence and antitrust violations.
According to the plaintiffs, the Beverly Hills-based companies engaged in a “pattern of racketeering activity” in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act at the time of Swift’s 2023 “Eras Tour” presale, when servers crashed and millions of fans were unable to acquire tickets.
The U.S. Department of Justice and 30 state attorneys general separately sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in May 2024, accusing the companies of operating as a monopoly that thwarts competition and causes fans to pay more in fees. Live Nation responded that the DOJ’s suit was “absurd.”
At Thursday’s hearing in downtown Los Angeles, U.S. District Judge George Wu indicated he was on the verge of throwing out the plaintiffs’ breach of contract, fraud and antitrust claims. However, he allowed attorneys for the Swifties a chance to amend their complaint.
“Despite Ticketmaster’s constant effort to delay, deny … we’re still here, we’re still standing, we’re not going away,” Swifties’ attorney Jennifer Kinder said outside court. “Swifties are more united than they’ve ever been.”
The next date in the case was not immediately set.