Ariana Grande says she is “incredibly bothered” by the ticketing situation fans experienced during last week’s sale for her upcoming Eternal Sunshine Tour — predictably parroting the industry line that “scalpers” and resale are the core (if not only) cause of such problems.
Many, however, believe that the issues that Grande’s fans faced have more to do with well-worn industry sales tactics, including holding back a significant percentages of the available tickets to create the perception of demand far in excess of reality.
Fans were furious last week as tickets to Grande’s tour went on sale. Both presale and general sale ticket availability was scarce – with “sellout” notification coming quickly for thousands waiting in enormous online “queues” for tickets.
FURTHER READING: Ariana Grande fans furious over rapid sellout for tour dates
The singer took to Instagram over the weekend to address the backlash. “What’s been happening with the secondary ticket resellers has been brought to my attention,” Grande wrote. “Of course, I am incredibly bothered by it. I’ve been on the phone every second of my free time fighting for a solution. I hear you and hopefully, we will be able to get more of these tickets into your hands instead of theirs. It’s not right.”
While her comments took aim at scalpers, it is almost certain that holdbacks played as big or bigger a role in the low availability of tickets – and therefore directly influenced the premiums being asked on resale marketplaces by those who purchased tickets. One estimate indicated as few as 1,000 tickets per show were released in the general sale, with the majority withheld by promoters to be distributed later. That tactic creates a perception of scarcity, fueling fan panic and making resale listings — some priced at more than ten times face value — appear to be the only option.
Grande’s fans aren’t alone; from Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter to Sleep Token and Green Day, fans have lashed-out at Ticketmaster for the same scenario. Tayor Swift’s Eras Tour saw more than 100,000 tickets held back from initial sale – fueling the resale feeding frenzy that drew so much outrage that it sparked hearings on Capital Hill.
Grande’s camp had avoided dynamic pricing, setting face values between $79 and $799. But if only a fraction of those tickets were actually made available, the effect for consumers was the same: an instant sellout and soaring prices.
“It feels like a blame game,” one industry analyst told TicketNews. “Fans point at Ticketmaster, Ticketmaster points at resellers, artists point at resellers too — but nobody’s acknowledging that the initial supply of tickets is often manipulated in ways that guarantee this outcome.”
Grande has since added nine new shows to the 2026 tour, but fan anger remains sharp. Whether her promise to fight for a solution produces results — or simply shifts the spotlight away from holdback tactics — may define how the Eternal Sunshine Tour is remembered long before its first note is played.
