Raye Responds After Ticketing Error Locks Fans Out of Paris Show
Sixty-five fans were denied entry to Raye’s Paris concert on Feb. 15 after what Ticketmaster later described as a technical malfunction, prompting the singer to publicly address the incident and offer compensation to those affected.
The disruption occurred during the Paris stop of Raye’s This Tour May Contain New Music at Accor Arena, where ticket holders reported being turned away despite having purchased valid passes in advance. According to the artist, the issue stemmed from a “system error” that prevented certain tickets from being fully validated at the time of purchase.
In a message posted to Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Raye said she was “completely devastated” for the 65 fans left outside the venue. “This is completely unacceptable and wrong,” she wrote, adding that although the problem was “outside of anything I could control,” she felt “saddened and let down” by how the situation unfolded.
Ticketmaster confirmed that a “small number of fans experienced a technical issue when entering the show.” A company spokesperson said those affected received full refunds along with gift cards, noting that while compensation could not replace the missed performance, the company sought to remedy the disruption as quickly as possible.
Raye went a step further, offering each of the 65 fans complimentary tickets to any future show of their choosing, along with a signed vinyl record. “I know this doesn’t even remotely make up for this mess,” she wrote, “but it’s all I can think of in this moment to soften the blow.” She closed the statement with a direct apology to those impacted.
The incident adds to ongoing scrutiny surrounding major ticketing platforms. In recent years, Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, have faced criticism from artists and regulators over pricing practices and technical failures. In November, British singer Olivia Dean publicly condemned resale markups facilitated through major ticketing platforms, calling the system “disgusting” and arguing that live music should remain accessible.
That criticism followed a federal lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission and seven states against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, accusing the companies of enabling scalpers to acquire large quantities of tickets and resell them at inflated prices on the same platform. The companies, which merged in 2010, have denied wrongdoing.
While the Paris mishap appears limited in scope, it underscores the fragility of large-scale ticketing infrastructure and the reputational risk for artists when errors occur, even if they fall outside their direct control.
