After nearly three years of COVID-19 lockdown, it seems that there has been a sudden surge of movement across borders. Artists and bands have been quick to announce world tours and even quicker to open sales!

After years of no shows at all, suddenly every one of my favorite bands, and many of yours, are coming to Japan through 2024. So what does this sudden rise in concerts mean, what’s going on with Taylor Swift’s ticket scandals, and most importantly, who’s going to which concerts?

Japan formally decided to remove an existing spectator cap on attendance at large-scale events, as well as loosen rules for eating at establishments in large groups, mostly relating to any future COVID-19 state of emergency. The country has seen a staggering decline in new and serious cases of the well-known coronavirus.

Under the new plan approved by the government's COVID-19 task force, full attendance at venues will be permitted with certain conditions, including setting up an efficient system to check whether visitors have been vaccinated or have tested negative for the virus before attendance. "We will take every possible step to protect the lives and health of people even under the next wave of infections so people can continue to lead safe and secure everyday lives," said economic revitalization minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, who is in charge of the government's coronavirus response.

This is great news for many performers, and a relief after the previous years of cancelled concerts and shows being postponed indefinitely. However, with a new rise in concerts, many issues have arisen relating to the purchase of tickets that still need to be addressed. With ticket sales through the roof, it’s not surprising that the complete monopoly many ticket-purchasing websites have in the industry would prove difficult, to say the least. One example of this issue happened with Taylor Swift when fans attempted to purchase tickets to her global Eras Tour.

According to The Washington Post, after fans tried to buy tickets through the infamous Ticketmaster website for The Eras Tour one Friday, many people were overcharged, left waiting for hours, and ended up walking away “frustrated and empty-handed” due to unfair presale rollout. When the website opened, a mad rush broke out, leading to “historically unprecedented demand” that snapped up 2 million tickets, the most tickets ever sold for one artist in a day. Ticketmaster apparently began by defending its procedures and claiming only 15% of customers experienced these issues. They explained that there were also a “staggering number of bot attacks,” which begs the question of who was actually getting the tickets—Swift fans or sneaky buyers hoping to make a profit on the resale market. (Bots are software tools used to buy as many tickets as possible.)

The whole ordeal has focused criticism on Ticketmaster, a company that critics say “unfairly dominates the ticketing industry.” It has long been criticized for charging higher fees on sales and profiting off its secondary market website, which critics say “enables the hoarding of tickets by resellers and price gougers.” But is it really a monopoly, and what does that even mean?

When Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment originally merged, some critics said the companies would have too much power. Those concerns led way to a Justice Department review that found in 2019 that “Live Nation had violated the terms of the merger. As a result, the Justice Department and Live Nation agreed to extend court oversight and clarify language that prohibited Live Nation from retaliating against concert venues that chose ticketing companies other than Ticketmaster.” However, people continue to accuse Ticketmaster of monopolizing ticket sales and having a great deal of too much power. Peter Cohan, an associate professor of management at Babson College, called Ticketmaster just that: a monopoly—“a company that has the power to block rivals from entering the industry and can overcharge for products while providing bad service,” as he defines it.

He explains with the following: “I don’t really have much evidence that Ticketmaster is blocking competitors as much as I have evidence that there is bad customer value here, bad customer service and high prices.” It does not seem to be black and white in any way, and whether or not Ticketmaster is in fact monopolizing the industry is tricky to say, but I believe there is some truth to the countless claims Swift fans have made about service and accessibility. Taylor Swift replied by writing, “It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me just to watch mistakes happen with no recourse.” She added, “It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them.”

Many concerts have been popping up in Japan, however, and with the use of Japan’s ticket ballot system, getting tickets has proven to be slightly less controversial. Bands such as Cigarettes After Sex, Pixies, Wallows, Kiss, Maroon 5, and The Backstreet Boys, to name a few, as well as solo artists such as Conan Gray, Harry Styles, Rina Sawayama, and Sarah Bright-man will all be performing in the years 2022–2023.

There are lots to look forward to in the coming years, and let’s hope that people can remain safe during this surge in events and mass crowds. Remember to be mindful of your and others’ safety if you are planning on attending a concert, and make sure to have fun!