Concertgoers shouldn’t pay the price for artists quitting early – Byrne

Better protections are needed for concertgoers when musicians fail to fulfil their onstage commitments, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Maria Byrne said that there have been a number of cases in recent years where musicians have arrived late and cut concerts short, leaving fans out of pocket and deeply frustrated.

“Last summer we saw fans of Nicki Minaj disappointed after the artist arrived late and finished her concert early in Malahide Castle. We’ve seen this happen again this week with Sean Paul arriving an hour and a half late and only playing for 45 minutes.

“Fans of these artists are paying huge prices to see them play and are feeling very short-changed.

“The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has previously said that concerts are covered under consumer protection laws and suggested that disappointed fans may be able to take legal action.

“Under consumer protection law, traders must supply services, including concerts, that match the contract they have in place with the consumer.

“However, that doesn’t guarantee a refund and if the ticket provider is not willing to refund the ticket, then consumers need to make a complaint via the CPCC, who will examine if there was a breach of contract.

“Fans who complained about the Nicki Minaj concert last year were offered tickets to another concert at the same venue next year. While this was welcome, more needs to be done to ensure fans are fully compensated.

“If an artist cancels or reschedules then fans are entitled to a refund. If they only play half of their planned slot, then fans get nothing unless the concert provider are willing to pay up.

“I’ll continue to work with my colleague Minister Peter Burke to ensure all concertgoers are protected.

“Fans want refunds, and we need to ensure they can get them. We need to guarantee that when a performer fails to play a full concert, fans are protected,”  concluded Senator Byrne.