Artists, Indie Venues, and Leading Music Industry Organizations Release Principles for New York Ticketing Laws
NEW YORK, NY (February 5, 2026) — Today, Fix the Tix, the coalition championing fan-first, artist-friendly ticketing reform across the country on behalf of every major music and live performance constituency, and Fan Alliance, a volunteer, grassroots effort to create a sustainable performing ecosystem, unveiled a comprehensive set of policy principles aimed at modernizing and strengthening New York State’s live event ticketing laws in advance of expiring ticketing provisions currently in statute.
Many of New York’s existing ticketing provisions — including nationally-leading requirements for clear and conspicuous all-in ticket pricing and transparency in how fees are disclosed during the ticket purchase process — are set to expire on July 1, 2026 unless the legislature enacts new law or extends them. The coalition’s release of these principles comes as lawmakers in Albany consider legislation to preserve and enhance protections for fans, artists, independent venues, and small promoters.
“New York has long been a leader in ensuring fans see the total cost of a ticket up front,” said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Association and Chair of Fix the Tix. “But as key provisions of current law are set to lapse, we must act boldly to fix the many provisions in New York law written by predatory resellers and multi-billion dollar platforms. We must ban selling tickets above face value, cap resale fees, prohibit predatory practices that inflate prices, crack down on ghost tickets and bots, and make sure artists and independent stages can thrive. These principles put people and performances first, not resale profiteering.”
"Real fans want one thing - affordable and accessible concert tickets,” said Donald Cohen, Executive Director of the Fan Alliance. “We want to know that our money is going to the artists we love and the venues where they perform - not to resellers that charge high fees and take profits that should be going to artists and venues."
“Whether they’re performing at a concert hall, a jazz club, or on a sold-out arena stage, musicians want business structures and practices that ensure fairness and transparency for New York eventgoers,” said Dan Point, President of American Federation of Musicians Local 802. “Strong protections for consumers and workers go hand in hand; we stand ready to fight in support of ticketing policies that achieve affordability for fans, encourage healthy competitive primary and secondary market practices, and maximize agency and leverage for musicians of all genres.”
Principles to Fix Ticketing in the State of New York include policies to:
Preserve Clear & Conspicuous Pricing: Maintain New York’s clear and conspicuous ticket pricing and fees throughout the entire ticket transaction, and strengthen enforcement against primary and resale platforms that fail to comply.
Ban Resale Above Face Value & Cap Fees: Prohibit resale of tickets above their original total cost, and cap all resale fees at no more than 5% of the original ticket price, following the lead of EU countries, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Stop Deception & Ghost Tickets: Ban speculative ticketing (ghost tickets) and resale listings before tickets are placed on sale to the public; eliminate deceptive URLs and advertising by predatory resale sites; and require resale platforms to disclose seller identity, location, seller type (professional vs. fan), and customer feedback ratings on every listing.
Repeal Unlimited Bots & Clarify Ticket Licenses: Repeal existing provisions that allow unrestricted use of ticket transferability that enable bot purchases and scalping; clarify that tickets are licenses subject to venue terms to protect artists and fans.
Level the Playing Field for Comedy, All Forms of Performance, Up-and-Coming Artists, & Indie Venues: Exempt comedy tickets from sales tax and establish a Live Music and Performance Fund modeled after Tennessee’s program to support emerging artists and independent venues with need-based assistance.
Ensure Strong Enforcement: Require all resale platforms that sell more than 50 tickets per year to register with the State; impose stringent fines of no less than $25,000 per day, per violation; and allocate resources to the Attorney General’s Office for a dedicated online portal to enforce ticket consumer protections.
Access Principles to Fix Ticketing in the State of New York HERE.
Fix the Tix also underscores what the New York’s ticketing policy should not do — including imposing arbitrary limits on how artists and independent stages can cover real costs or treating them the same as large sports or Broadway stakeholders whose economic realities differ significantly from those of smaller creators and venues.
"Front line staff and operators are bearing the brunt of fans’ justified anger with a predatory ticketing system we neither created nor control - unfairly projecting blame onto venues and eroding public trust across the sector,” said Tamara Keshecki, Vice President of the New York Independent Venue Association. “To protect audiences, artists, and New York’s nonprofit and for-profit independents, NYS must adopt these principles and reaffirm itself as a leader for the live performance industry.”
We look forward to working with the entire Assembly and Senate – to ensure that fans, artists, and indie stages are at the center of ticketing policy in New York. The predatory resellers and their multi-billion dollar platforms that have dominated the debate in Albany for far too long should no longer dictate ticketing laws for New York.
Proposals that come from organizations like the National Consumers League, National Association of Ticket Brokers, Ticket Policy Forum, Sports Fans Coalition, “Coalition for Ticket Fairness”, Chamber of Progress, and Ticketmaster are not centered on fans and artists - but on preserving the billions they make by deceiving and price gouging fans through their resale platforms and the multi-billion dollar resale platforms that pay them to advocate for more profits.
The release of these principles is intended to inform lawmakers, stakeholders, and the public as debate continues in the legislature over reforms that will shape the live event ticketing landscape for years to come.
ABOUT FIX THE TIX
Fix The Tix is a national advocacy coalition of more than 30 live music and event industry organizations, spearheaded by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and Eventbrite, collectively advocating to fix broken ticketing practices. The organization includes representation from venues, promoters and producers, the performing arts, artists, recorded music, agents, managers, and independent ticketing companies. The coalition represents stakeholders who take on all the risk to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences and bring joy, employment, and economic impact to communities across America.
ABOUT NIVA
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is the national trade association representing thousands of independent live entertainment venues, festivals, promoters, and more. NIVA works to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of live entertainment. NIVA empowers members and their teams with member benefits, advocacy on the state, local, and federal levels, an annual industry-leading conference, and more.
NIVA led the Save Our Stages campaign, culminating in landmark legislation in 2020 that established the $16.25 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, the largest arts investment in U.S. history.
NIVA is committed to equity in its support of independent stages. It seeks to create and encourage opportunities for venues, promoters, and festivals owned, operated, and staffed by people of color, women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, veterans, and people with disabilities.
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