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MAC and Partners Rally Behind Massachusetts' Landmark Ticket Resale Reform

Music Artists Coalition and Partner Organizations Rally Behind Massachusetts' Landmark Ticket Resale Reform

The Great Divide Act caps resale prices at 110% of face value, halves resale fees, bans speculative ticket sales, and cracks down on deceptive websites — protecting fans, working artists, and independent venues across the Commonwealth.


This week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and State Senator Dylan Fernandes announced the filing of An Act Relative to Closing the Great Divide between Ticket Prices and Affordability, or The Great Divide Act, proposing some of the strongest secondary-ticketing consumer protections in the country. The Music Artists Coalition (MAC), National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), and Future of Music Coalition (FMC), joined by a broad coalition of music organizations, independent venues, and artists, is throwing its full support behind the bill.

The legislation caps the resale price of concert tickets at 110% of the original face value, limits the fees resale platforms like StubHub and SeatGeek can charge to no more than 10% of the ticket price, and bans the sale of speculative tickets. It also cracks down on deceptive resale websites and prohibits resellers from misleading fans about ticket availability. The proposal, which builds on reforms recently enacted in Vermont and Maine, will be included in the Governor's closeout supplemental budget.

"Artists and fans want the same thing: a fair shot at getting into the room where the music happens,” said Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of Music Artists Coalition. “Speculative tickets and runaway resale fees break that deal for everyone except the industrial-scale ticket flippers. The Great Divide Act draws that line clearly. Massachusetts, led by Gov. Healey and Sen. Fernandes, is leading the country here with this strong set of reforms." 

The bill includes several key provisions to protect consumers, artists, and venues:

  • Caps Ticket Resale Prices at 110%: Concert tickets cannot be resold for more than 110% of their original face value, unless an artist or venue explicitly authorizes a higher cap in writing.
  • Reduces Resale Fees: Service fees charged by resale platforms are limited to no more than 10% of the listed resale price — roughly half of the 20%-plus many platforms charge today.
  • Prohibits Speculative Tickets: Resellers can only list tickets they actually possess or lawfully have under contract to sell, ending the practice of selling tickets that don't exist.
  • Bans Deceptive Websites: Resale sites can no longer impersonate artists or venues or mislead fans about ticket availability or scarcity.

The bill's name is a nod to singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who recently became the first artist ever to headline four consecutive sold-out shows at Fenway Park and who has been a leading voice against predatory resale. Kahan and a group of artists including Dropkick Murphys, The Pixies, Aimee Mann, Killswitch Engage, Mark Erelli, and Mission of Burma released a letter urging Massachusetts legislators to pass the reforms.

"Live performance should not be a luxury," the artists wrote. "Our art is not a commodity to be bought and resold at extreme markups against our wishes. People who contribute nothing to live performance should not profit more than the artists, venues, crews, and workers who bring these shows to life."

"Ticketing policy is moving faster miles an hour, but if like us, you’re in love with Massachusetts, then you probably agree that speculative tickets, price gouging, and scams have no place in the modern world. From the Fenway to the government center, musicians and fans are making their voices heard. Our time is now!” said Kevin Erickson, Executive Director of Future of Music Coalition.

The scale of the problem is stark. A national study found secondary-market prices average roughly twice a ticket's face value. In Massachusetts, tickets to Noah Kahan's Fenway Park run — with a face value of $125 — were listed on StubHub for as much as $39,000. During this summer's World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium, fans who bought tickets through online resale platforms were turned away at the gate after discovering the "ghost tickets" they paid for never existed. In a national survey of 800 registered voters, 89% supported capping resale prices to limit markups on resold tickets.

"The introduction of this bill marks another huge victory for artists, venues, fans and everyone who loves live music. By capping resale with no capacity limitations, Massachusetts is being bold and calling for all shows and all fans to be protected against predatory resale,” said Nathaniel Marro, Executive Director, National Independent Talent Organization. “NITO is behind this bill every step of the way until it's signed into law. Thank you to Governor Healey, Senator Dylan Fernandes, and every artist and advocate lending their voice to this fight. Momentum is building, and it's on our side."

Importantly, The Great Divide Act does not eliminate ticket resale. A fan who can no longer attend a show can still resell their ticket. The bill targets the brokers and bulk resellers who dominate the secondary market and aggregate inventory across platforms — not fans whose plans change.

To underscore the breadth of support, MAC is releasing a letter signed by organizations representing artists, songwriters, managers, independent venues, and fans across the music industry. Signatories include the American Association of Independent Music, the American Federation of Musicians, the Artist Rights Alliance, the Black Music Action Coalition, the Fan Alliance, Folk Alliance International, the Future of Music Coalition, the Music Artists Coalition, Music Managers Forum – US, the National Independent Talent Organization, the National Independent Venue Association, the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA, Songwriters of North America, and VenuePilot. Read the full letter of support here.

MAC and its partners urge Massachusetts legislators to pass The Great Divide Act and to keep working with artists, venues, and event organizers as the bill advances. Massachusetts has the opportunity to lead the nation by curbing predatory resale, protecting fans, and advocating for the people who make live music possible.