Concert promoters and Denver City and County officials have settled a lawsuit with the Department of Justice over allegations of descrimination related to overcharging for wheelchair-accessable tickets for events at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The settlement covers events that were held between 2018 and 2020, and will involve the refunding of nearly $50,000 in overpayment to impacted consumers, as well as civil penalties paid by the concert promoters, which include Live Nation Entertainment, AEG, and PBS12.

“Red Rocks is an iconic concert venue, and people with disabilities who attend events and watch their favorite bands there should not be unfairly overcharged for wheelchair-accessible seating,” Matt Kirsch, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515. “This agreement reflects our commitment to enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires equal treatment for people with disabilities.”

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announcing the settlement, a complaint was received that tickets for wheelchair-accessible seating at the iconic venue outside of Denver were more expensive than tickets for non-accessible seats. After an investigation, the DOJ alleged that the City and County of Denver, which own the venue, and concert promoters running events at it, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with their pricing structures.

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There are 121 wheelchair-accessible seats available for each Red Rocks event. The United States alleged that, between 2018 and 2020, concertgoers who used wheelchairs, and their guests, were charged $47,950.90 more for those seats than was permitted by ADA regulations. The United States alleged that in total, Denver and concert promoters overcharged for 1,817 tickets at 178 events held at Red Rocks.

Refunds will be made available to those who overpaid for the seats, provided by the City and County of Denver. The civil penalties paid by Live Nation, AEG, and PBS12 were not made public in the announcement of the settlement.