Tannia Ribeiro was overjoyed when she successfully navigated the Rogers presale line to secure tickets for the Backstreet Boys concert in Toronto. Despite many tickets being sold out, she managed to find two tickets in the 130 section at Rogers Centre, ideal for her and a friend to enjoy the show together as planned. After spending nearly $700, Ribeiro, a fan of the Backstreet Boys since their debut album in 1996, secured her spot at the concert.
However, her excitement turned to disappointment when an Instagram post revealed that some seat sections, including hers, had obstructed views of the stage. Following the presale, numerous fans took to social media to express dissatisfaction with Ticketmaster for not disclosing the obstructed view status of their seats, especially since those seats were later offered at discounted prices. This led to demands for the vendor to issue apologies and resolve the issue through refunds or seat exchanges.
Upon receiving confirmation from Ticketmaster that her seats were indeed partially obstructed, Ribeiro expressed her dismay. She shared an email exchange with CBC News, validating the impact on her seats. Live Nation addressed the concerns raised by some fans, assuring that those with affected seats would be relocated to comparable full-view locations before the concert. The company pledged to contact affected fans with further details soon.
Rogers recently announced that they were responsible for bringing the Backstreet Boys to Toronto in 2027, offering exclusive access to the presale for their customers. Live Nation, the entertainment company managing the concerts, operates the ticketing platform through its subsidiary, Ticketmaster. Stephanie Tan, another Backstreet Boys enthusiast, planned to attend the opening weekend show in Toronto but later discovered that her seats, like Ribeiro’s, had obstructed views despite spending over $3,000 for four tickets.
Lisa Parent, a Backstreet Boys fan from Thunder Bay, Ontario, purchased eight tickets for a show in February, only to realize later that her seats had obstructed views. She uncovered the discrepancy when exploring tickets for another show in March, noticing the seat labels had changed. Parent provided evidence to CBC News, showcasing the price difference between her initial purchase and the discounted prices for the same obstructed-view seats.
Ticketmaster acknowledged the situation, stating that they are working on resolving the obstructed view issue for the affected fans. Rogers directed inquiries to Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Tan planned to dispute the ticket costs with her credit card provider, while Parent expressed a desire for a partial refund, believing she should pay the current value of the seats, which were now priced at half of what she originally paid.
Ribeiro called for Ticketmaster to apologize to the impacted customers, feeling let down by the situation. She emphasized feeling deceived by the ticketing process.