Heymann Center Drops Ticketmaster, Turns to Tixly for Future Lafayette Shows
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - Most folks who attend shows at the Heymann Performing Arts Center are used to going through Ticketmaster to purchase tickets for shows, but that appears to be changing.
The Heyman Center announced on Thursday that it was switching to a different ticket service, Tixly, going forward.
That doesn't mean that any tickets purchased through Ticketmaster are no longer valid. "Tickets you already purchased for Heymann Center through Ticketmaster still work to gain entry to your event," they explained in an email t. "There is no further action required!"
Much like Ticketmaster, in order to purchase tickets through Tixly, show-goers will need to create an account on Tixly.
"The account allows Heymann Center to communicate event information, and future ticket deals and offers to you," the release said. "Once you create your account, an email will be sent with a button to confirm your account. Please click this button to complete your account creation."
Ticketmaster in Trouble?
While the Heymann Center did not give a reason for the change, Ticketmaster has been under fire in recent weeks after a botched rollout of Taylor Swift tickets and complaints about fees making tickets unaffordable.
Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation, is also being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over antitrust concerns.
The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into the owner of Ticketmaster, whose sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets descended into chaos this week, said two people with knowledge of the matter. The investigation is focused on whether Live Nation Entertainment has abused its power over the multibillion-dollar live music industry.
That power has been in the spotlight after Ticketmaster’s systems crashed while Ms. Swift fans were trying to buy tickets in a presale for her tour, but the investigation predates the botched sale, the people said.
Members of the antitrust division’s staff at the Justice Department have in recent months contacted music venues and players in the ticket market, asking about Live Nation’s practices and the wider dynamics of the industry, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is sensitive. The inquiry appears to be broad, looking at whether the company maintains a monopoly over the industry, one of the people said.
Several venues across the country have begun dumping Ticketmaster as their platform for purchasing tickets and, like the Heymann Center, are partnering with different companies.
Congress is also looking at bringing Live Nation's CEO before them to answer questions on fees and antitrust violations.
