Neil Young to Stop Offering ‘Platinum’ Tickets: ‘It Did Not Feel Right’

Rock icon Neil Young announced that he would no longer sell “Platinum” tickets on Ticketmaster for his upcoming tour, citing that the increasing amount of money for an artist makes him uncomfortable. 

Ticketmaster’s “Premium” tickets, alike dynamic pricing, increases prices of tickets based on demand. The ticketing giant said that these tickets eliminate the ability for scalpers to scoop up the tickets and instead, go directly into the hands of artists. 

Young, however, isn’t on-board with these prices, and said he will not allow “platinum” tickets on his forthcoming “Love Earth” tour.

“Ticketmaster’s high-priced Platinum tickets were introduced to the areas where scalpers were buying the most tickets for resale,” Young said in a statement on his website. “The money went to me. That did not feel right. I have decided to let the people work this out. Buy aggressively when the tickets come out or tickets will cost a lot more in a secondary market.” 

The singer noted that his team initially accepted the idea of Platinum tickets because because it was meant to get him “the best deal,” and he also wanted to ensure that scalpers would not get the most money at the expense of fans. 

“My management and agent have always tried to cover by back on the road, getting me the best deals they could,” Young said. “They have tried to protect me and my fans from the scalpers who buy the best tickets and resell them at huge increases for their own profits.” 

Young also pointed to The Cure’s Robert Smith, who called-out dynamic pricing last year. While there are some artists who disagree with the practice — like Iron Maiden — others are quiet on the subject or say they “didn’t know” dynamic pricing would be used.

“We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam and would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that,’” Smith said. “But most artists hide behind management. ‘Oh, we didn’t know,’ they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f***ing stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”

The infamous practice was even shortlisted in by the Oxford Dictionary for the 2024 “word of the year.”

In addition to platinum tickets and dynamic pricing, Young’s website recently shared the blog post titled, “The Challenges of Selling Tickets: A Candid Assessment.” In the post, Young’s team noted that  there were some issues with presale tickets for his upcoming tour. About 2,000 Neil Young Archives (NYA) members tried to purchase tickeets from their phones, which is not possible.

Many also reached out after learning that a few venues had the “best seats greyed out as unavailable.” Young’s team noted that they believe this is because a few of the venues sell season subscriptions, so these seats were already paid for.

Additionally, the team pointed out that after NYA members receive a ticket code for Ticketmaster, they are no longer dealing with NYA.

“They post their rules for you to see, but most never read the rules when rushing to buy tickets to get the best seats,” the post read. “So, we advise you to read them beforehand. While many of us here would like to change the rules or wish they were different, there is nothing even Neil or his management can do.”

The following day, Young himself posted an update to the blog post:

“When I investigated what was happening, after being prompted by so many music lovers, I found that the money from platinum sales was now going to me, essentially making me the scalper. I was very uncomfortable with that. My agents and managers had been trying to do what they always do, protect me. However, this method took a choice away from music loving people out there…So….PLATINUM Tickets will no longer be available for any of my shows. Not anywhere. Not NYA, not Ticketmaster, NOWHERE.”

Young’s “Love Earth” world tour kicks-off on June 18 in Sweden, followed by a round of shows in Europe. He’ll head to the U.S. with The Chrome Hearts in August, stopping in cities like Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Bend, and Mountain View before wrapping-u[ at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on September 15.

He’s also slated to headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Find Young’s full list of upcoming tour dates below:

Neil Young | Love Earth Tour Dates 2025

Jun 18 Rättvik, Sweden Dalhalla 

Jun 20 Bergen, Norway Bergenhus Fortress 

Jun 22 Copenhagen, Denmark Tiøren 

Jun 26 Dublin, Ireland Malahide Castle 

Jun 28 Somerset, Englad Worthy Farm — Glastonbury Festival

Jun 30 Brussels, Belgium Brussels Palace Open Air, Palace Square 

Jul 01 Groningen, Netherlands Drafbaan Stedpark 

Jul 03 Berlin, Germany Waldbühne 

Jul 04 Mönchengladbach, Germany Sparkassenpark 

Jul 08 Stuttgart, Germany Cannstatter Wasen 

Aug 8 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion 

Aug 10 Richmond, VA Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront 

Aug 13 Detroit, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre 

Aug 15 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center 

Aug 17 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage 

Aug 21 Gilford, NH BankNH Pavilion 

Aug 23 New York, NY Jones Beach 

Aug 24 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods 

Aug 27 Chicago, IL Northerly Island 

Sep 01 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre 

Sep 05 George, WA The Gorge 

Sep 06 Vancouver, BC Deer Lake Park 

Sep 10 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater 

Sep 12 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheater 

Sep 15 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl