As anticipation builds for Lady Gaga’s upcoming concerts at Singapore’s National Stadium this May, the frenzy to secure tickets has quickly descended into chaos. With pre-sales already underway and general sales set to launch tomorrow, March 21, the issue of ticket scalping has once again reared its ugly head—raising questions about Singapore’s ticketing system and whether concert organizers are truly prioritizing concert goers or fans from across the region.
A Multi-Tiered Ticket Sale System—For Who?
Tickets for Lady Gaga’s shows were first made available through a series of pre-sales, including exclusive access for Mastercard holders, Klook app users, KrisFlyer members, and Live Nation members. While this structure was meant to stagger the demand, it also created multiple opportunities for scalpers to infiltrate the system early.
Unsurprisingly, within minutes of the first pre-sale on March 18, scalped tickets flooded resale platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub, with VIP tickets being listed at an eye-watering S$30,000—a staggering markup from the official S$648–S$1,348 pricing for premium seats.
Benchmarking Against Global Best Practices
Singapore isn’t the only country grappling with the issue of scalpers, but other nations have taken proactive steps to prevent them from hijacking ticket sales.
Despite these issues, the economic impact of concert tourism is undeniable. Data from Booking.com revealed that following the announcement of Lady Gaga’s tour stop in Singapore, accommodation searches for Singapore increased by up to 14%. Yet, this also raises an important question: if concert tourism is such a valuable industry, why isn’t more being done to ensure fair ticket access?
In Japan, concert tickets are typically distributed via a randomized lottery system, ensuring fair access to fans rather than rewarding those who can afford the fastest internet connection or the highest-priced pre-sale package. Additionally, tickets are tied to personal IDs, preventing unauthorized resale. Paper tickets are only available for collection one or two days before the concert, further minimizing the window for scalpers to exploit the system.
Similarly, Qatar’s FIFA World Cup ticketing system was designed to prevent scalping altogether. Each ticket was personalized to the holder, required ID verification, and could only be resold at a fixed, non-inflated price through an official resale platform.
In contrast, Singapore’s reliance on platforms like Ticketmaster—which is infamously linked to Live Nation’s near-monopoly on ticket sales—has enabled a free-for-all scalping environment. While some of these resellers may be opportunistic buyers, the speed at which tickets appeared on secondary markets suggests that either scalpers were well-prepared, or, as some suspect, certain resales may even be planted by insiders to drive up perceived demand.
Is It Time for Regulation?
The reality is that scalping thrives because the system allows it. If Singapore truly wants to be a premier concert hub, it must take steps to protect fans from predatory resellers. Mandatory ID verification, a regulated resale platform, and an anti-bot ticketing system—these are all measures that have been successfully implemented elsewhere and could be adopted locally.
As general sales for Lady Gaga’s concerts open tomorrow, thousands of fans will once again battle against bots, scalpers, and an unchecked ticketing system. Without meaningful intervention, ticket prices will continue to spiral out of control, leaving real fans out in the cold—while scalpers and middlemen walk away with massive profits.
Is it time for Singapore to rethink its ticketing policies? The answer seems clear, for sure.
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