Kings Theatre dumps Ticketmaster after a series of controversies

By Brian Braiker

Kings Theatre has a message for Ticketmaster: “We are never, ever getting back together.”

The historic Flatbush venue has severed ties with the ticketing behemoth in the aftermath of a horribly botched rollout of online sales to Taylor Swift’s recent tour and a series of other controversies. Kings Theatre will instead use ATG Tickets for events at the venue.

“We pride ourselves on offering exceptional customer service to all our patrons,” Kings Theatre heads said in a statement posted to its site. “Our experienced staff are on hand to assist with your ticketing needs. Whether you’re a first-time ticket buyer or a frequent visitor, we’ll help you find the best seats. As of March 27, 2023, tickets for events at Kings Theatre are sold exclusively via ATG Tickets and are available for purchase through our box office and website.”

Ticketmaster, hardly a beloved near-monopoly to begin with, suffered a meltdown when tickets to Swift’s “Eras” tour first went on sale online last November. The ticket seller was unable to process orders, leaving millions of people unable to buy tickets. Ticketmaster ultimately canceled those concert ticket sales to the general public, citing “extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand.” Swift fans are taking Ticketmaster to court over the ordeal.

To be sure, it’s not just about Taylor Swift: Earlier this month, The Cure frontman Robert Smith said he was “sickened” to learn that, in some cases, additional fees were charged to fans that added up to more than the face value of the ticket. A Canadian law firm, meanwhile, filed a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster last week for allegedly inflating ticket prices for an upcoming Drake concert.

For its part, Kings Theatre — an immaculately restored 1929 jewel box of a venue that seats 3,676 —was probably never at risk of hosting a Taylor Swift concert in the first place. With her army of Swifties, the megastar fills stadiums, and isn’t coming to New York City on her 2023 tour anyway (you can catch her with Phoebe Bridgers at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in May, if you’re able to score tickets).

As for tickets that have already been purchased for shows and events at Kings Theatre through Ticketmaster. those are still valid. For future events all sales will either go through ATG Tickets or be purchased at the venue’s box office. Upcoming shows include Ed Sheeran on April 10, The Flaming Lips in June, Sigur Rós in August and, just on sale now, Nick Cave in October.