The Cure’s Robert Smith Calls Out Ticketmaster’s Dynamic Pricing

The Cure is known for trying to keep ticket prices affordable for fans and even opted-out of the use of Ticketmaster’s “platinum” and “dynamic pricing” practices on their 2023 tour. Now, The Cure’s Robert Smith is speaking out regarding the infamous ticketing system, noting that it is “driven by greed.”

During an interview with The Times of London, Smith discussed the modern world of ticketing and the band’s decision not to use dynamic pricing on their 2023 “Shows of a Lost World Tour.” The trek, which notably became the highest-grossing tour of their career, reported an average ticket price of just $68.54. Smith told the publication that he was “shocked” by how much profit was made and said, “I thought, ‘We don’t need to make all this money.'”

“My fights with the label have all been about how we can price things lower,” Smith said. “The only reason you’d charge more for a gig is if you were worried that it was the last time you would be able to sell a T-shirt.”

He noted that the goal is to have fans return to another show, so “you don’t want to charge as much as the market will let you” because “if people save on the tickets, they buy beer or merch.”

“There is goodwill, they will come back next time,” Smith said. “It is a self-fulfilling good vibe and I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.”

| READ: Broadway Legend Andrew Lloyd Webber Calls Dynamic Pricing ‘Racketeering‘ |

As for dynamic pricing, Smith vehemently calls-out the practice. Over the past year, fans across all genres have been victims of dynamic pricing; from Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter to Sleep Token and Green Day, fans have lashed-out at Ticketmaster for increasing prices based on demand. Most recently, Oasis fans saw tickets to the duo’s reunion tour jump 3-4x their advertised face value. Oasis revealed they would not use dynamic pricing for their North American shows.

While there are some artists who disagree with the practice — like Iron Maiden — others are quiet on the subject or say they “didn’t know” dynamic pricing would be used.

“We didn’t allow dynamic pricing because it’s a scam and would disappear if every artist said, ‘I don’t want that,'” Smith said. “But most artists hide behind management. ‘Oh, we didn’t know,’ they say. They all know. If they say they do not, they’re either f***ing stupid or lying. It’s just driven by greed.”