The Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny sold in a matter of hours practically the more than 600,000 tickets available for their concerts in Madrid and Barcelona in 2026. The demand was so high that many of the official channels of sale of Ticketmaster collapsed during the presale, leaving out thousands of fans. Given this situation, the dynamic price system was activated, used by this and other distributors, which adjusts the cost in real time according to the demand.
Although in the first days the sold outit is still possible to find tickets available through the official channel, yes, with prices that in many cases are around – or even exceed – 500 euros, even for standard tickets.
Since the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) they have confirmed that they have filed a complaint against Ticketmaster for abusive practices in the sale of tickets. “We have received numerous complaints from users who accessed the sales system with a visible price and ended up paying until triple the amount initially shown,” says Enrique García, spokesman for the OCU. Among the irregularities detected, additional non -transparent charges, disproportionate management expenses, a mandatory donation included by default and the use of the controversial concept of ‘Platinum entry’, which allows to raise prices without prior notice.
The Ministry of Consumer has announced that it will investigate a large ticket management company after receiving complaints of consumers for the collection of possible illicit expenses in the online sale of tickets. The department directed by Pablo Bustinduy does not specify the name of the company, but stresses that it is “concerts in Spain of an international artist” after “receiving complaints of consumers for the collection of possible illicit expenses.” “This research is incorporated into an informative file that consumption keeps open to several companies that are dedicated to online sale of innings for concerts and other activities.
After hearing the performance of the Ministry of Consumer, the spokesman of the FACUA organization, Rubén Sánchez, has celebrated that the investigation has been launched because, as he recalls, since Facua have been “denouncing all kinds of irregularities in concerts and festivals by Ticketmaster, Live Nation and other tickets and organizers.”
The original tickets ranged between 83.30 and 615.80 euros (in VIP packages). Currently, they can be found in resale for figures that are around 500 euros and in some cases around 1,500 euros on international unofficial platforms and social networks, especially on dates close to the weekend or in seats with good visibility.
As the country has documented on different occasions, the problem is not only the resale, it is the distribution system itself that has turned access to live music into a luxury. From the “management expenses” not transparent to the segregated afor and dynamic prices, which cause the fan to pay more and less guarantees.
One of the most controversial factors is the price system that adjusts the cost in real time according to the demand. It is a model similar to what Uber does when prices uploads at peak hours. That is, an admission initially announced for 150 euros now reaches 450 euros or more without prior notice. According to The Guardianthis strategy was one of the triggers of the scandal with the entrances for the concerts such as those of the Oasis music group.
In addition, the purchase process has become a hostile experience: virtual tails, pages that fall, system errors, opaque surcharges and a generalized feeling that tickets “fly” even before reaching the general public.
The giant Ticketmaster, which controls more than 70% of the world market of tickets after its merger with Live Nation, is in the center of this controversy. In 2024 it generated more than 23,000 million dollars in revenue. Although he defends himself claiming that his benefit margins are low, the truth is that, as he points out The Guardianyour domain of the sector allows you to impose prices, conditions and commissions with very little real competence.
During the presale, more than 150,000 people were connected at the same time, which caused the collapse of the system in a few minutes. The phenomenon not only affects the large local fans: many of the tickets were acquired by users who bought more than those needed, anticipating future resalls. In that context, a second wave of available tickets has emerged, with prices well above the original, and without any clear guarantee about its validity or origin. Official platforms barely control this circulation, and outside of them – in networks and apps of sale – the profiles that seek to take advantage of the urgency proliferate.
In social networks such as X (formerly Twitter), Tiktok or specialized forums multiply the complaints of users who have not been able to access tickets, or who report inflated prices, scams and doubtful practices. Screen captures show exorbitant prices on second -hand platforms, entries offered without guarantees and sellers who ask for payments by Bizum or Paypal to avoid commissions.
According to Ticketmaster, so that a buyer can yield his tickets to another person, he must make the name change through the Ticketmaster app or authorized platforms that guarantee a safe transfer.