Olivia Dean opens up about taking on Ticketmaster after a single mom’s heartbreaking message

Grammy-nominated British singer Olivia Dean shares why she called out Ticketmaster’s price-gouging practices.

Olivia Dean is the advocate fans need when it comes to concert ticket price gouging. The rising British pop star, who’s nominated for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys, recently pulled back the curtain on what prompted her to blast Ticketmaster last month over its resale policies publicly. And it all started with a single mom’s plea that hit way too close to home.

Speaking at an intimate Soho Sessions concert in New York City, the “Man I Need” singer recalled the moment she knew she had to speak up. 

“When the tickets went on sale, I was looking at, you know, some stuff I was tagged in, and I saw a video of a single mother, and she was like, ‘I connected so much to this album. I can’t afford a ticket. I can afford the gas money and the babysitter, but can you just give me a ticket?’ And I was like, you are exactly the person that should be coming to the show,” Dean shared, per People magazine. 

She continued: “It was unfair the way that the operation was running, and I just thought, ‘Let me have a go and see what I can do.’ And we did something, and Ticketmaster are gonna refund everybody their money that they paid, which is like $2 million or something.” 

In November, Dean pleasantly surprised fans when she publicly criticized the ticketing giant’s pricing policies on her Instagram stories, writing, “[Ticketmaster], [Live Nation], [AEG]: You are providing a disgusting service. The prices at which you’re allowing tickets to be re-sold is vile and completely against our wishes. Live music should be affordable and accessible, and we need to find a new way of making that possible. BE BETTER.” 

And the rant she recalls writing while “vexxed” on a flight worked! Following her post, Live Nation released a statement supporting “Olivia Dean’s commitment to fair ticket pricing,” announcing that Ticketmaster will be “capping all future ticket resale prices” for Dean’s upcoming tour. Additionally, the platform agreed to refund fans for “any markup they already paid to resellers on Ticketmaster,” adding a “Face Value Exchange” to ensure that future ticket prices are capped at the original price without any additional fees. 

“I think that live music should be affordable. I don’t think it should be something that you can only enjoy if you have a lot of money,” Dean explained. “And this album specifically was just such an attempt to connect with people and talk about love and loving each other … I think concert tickets are overpriced. I think that people should be able to come to the show, and it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.”