District residents who bought an event ticket, with fees, from entertainment giant Live Nation or its Ticketmaster subsidiary in the past decade could soon submit a claim to get money back.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) said in a news release Monday that Live Nation has settled with the city for $9.9 million over allegations that the company “misled customers about ticket prices, charged deceptive fees, and used illegal pressure tactics to get fans to buy tickets.”
The District plans to refund up to $8.9 million to Live Nation customers. Schwalb’s office said it will announce a claims process in coming months.
The settlement is separate from the antitrust suit brought by D.C. and dozens of other states against Live Nation in May 2024, alleging that the company illegally monopolized the live entertainment industry. On Wednesday, a jury found that the company had.
Schwalb’s office said it had launched a consumer protection investigation into Live Nation’s practices and found that the company had violated the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act. From 2015 until May 2025, Live Nation advertised “deceptively low” ticket prices without including mandatory fees until customers reached the checkout page, and it didn’t disclose important information about the purpose of the fees, Schwalb’s office said.
The District said the company also violated the law by using a countdown clock and pop-up notifications, including “Tickets are selling fast. Get yours now before they’re gone,” if users were inactive for more than a minute, regardless of whether there was demand.
Live Nation began displaying the full ticket price up front and sharing more information about its fees and ticket hold timer last year, following the District’s investigation, Schwalb’s office said. The change also follows the implementation last year of a Federal Trade Commission rule banning businesses from hiding total prices and misrepresenting fees.
As part of the settlement with D.C., Live Nation agreed to uphold those changes and make the monetary payment, Schwalb’s office said.
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