Live Nation to cut lawn-ticket service fees
It’s a start. The nation’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation, will announce Monday that it will suspend service fees for one day, Wednesday, on all lawn-ticket sales for summer amphitheater shows. The promoter will continue to run a series of service-fee specials on Wednesdays throughout the summer.
The Wednesday discount will apply to 14 shows (including No Doubt, Kid Rock, the Warped Tour and Nickelback) at the First Midwest Amphitheatre in Tinley Park and four concerts (Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Aerosmith) at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wis. The nationwide program will lower the price on 5 million tickets.
The move comes at a time when Live Nation and Ticketmaster are trying to merge their companies, despite opposition from U.S. legislators and fans. The merger is subject to approval by the Justice Department. Service fees add 20 to 30 percent or more to the price of a concert ticket, creating a pool of money that is kicked back to concert venues and promoters.
greg@gregkot.com