While many Ariana Grande fans may have won the battle for tickets to the star's first tour since 2018, some are still scrambling to figure out why their tickets were canceled or why they paid a higher-than-usual price.
Tickets for Grande's 2026 tour went on sale in September after the Florida native announced her “Eternal Sunshine” tour in August. Fans endured grueling pre-sales and general sales, with tens of thousands queuing online at the same time.
When fans finally called to purchase tickets, many found venues sold out and zero tickets available. A few days later, tickets for the trip started to reappear—only this time at a much higher price.
This has led many to speculate that scalpers got a majority of the tickets, similar to what has happened with other popular tours, most notably Taylor Swift's wildly successful Time Tour. In early October, Grande released a statement on her Instagram Story, saying her team was aware of fan complaints about the distributor and that she was “very troubled.”
“I'm on the phone every second looking for a solution. I hear you and wish we could get more tickets into your hands instead of theirs. This is not right,” she wrote.
“I just want you to know that my team and I see this and I care deeply and we are going to do everything we can and are doing everything we can. I love you very much and thank you for your patience and understanding.”
However, some fans expressed disappointment and frustration after Ticketmaster canceled their tickets, claiming their orders were flagged as suspicious activity. Did this really happen? What can fans do if their tickets are cancelled?
Here's what you need to know about Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine tour dates, plus what we know about Ticketmaster's cancellation of some tickets.
Ariana Grande Tour: The Eternal Sunshine Tour will take place next summer. How to get tickets.
Why were some Ariana Grande tour tickets canceled?
Ticketmaster confirmed in an email to USA TODAY Network Florida that it works with the tour to review all ticket purchases. They said any suspicious activity in the original purchase would be flagged, as noted in a later email to fans.
Other ticketing marketplaces are also addressing this issue. StubHub said in an emailed statement that it was aware that Ticketmaster had canceled valid ticket orders for Grande's tour, causing “many fans to be frustrated.”
“Our first priority is our fans, and every order on StubHub is fully protected by our FanProtect Guarantee. If anything goes wrong, we'll either let you in on the show or refund your money,” said StubHub spokesperson Alix Anfang.
“Fans should not lose their seats simply because they chose a trusted, regulated resale market. While we support efforts to stop bad actors, widespread cancellations that impact genuine fans would be counterproductive. We urge Ticketmaster to reinstate valid tickets and adopt transfer policies that put fans first.”
If you didn't know, StubHub is a verified ticket reseller, so any tickets purchased through StubHub and then canceled will be voided by Ticketmaster's cancellation.
StubHub spokesperson Rachel Murray told USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida by phone that the company is actively reviewing tickets that may have been affected by Ticketmaster's cancellations and working directly with sellers to provide replacement tickets or refunds to those affected.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida also reached out to SeatGeek but had not heard back at the time of publication. It's unclear whether concertgoers in Florida were affected, as the Sunrise show is handled by SeatGeek.
Is Ticketmaster being sued? What you need to know about FTC litigation
The FTC filed a lawsuit in September accusing Ticketmaster and its parent company LiveNation of engaging in “illegal ticket resale tactics” and “deceiving artists and consumers regarding prices and ticket restrictions.”
“Ticketmaster is a leading provider of concert tickets, controlling approximately 80% or more of primary ticketing at major concert venues and a growing share of ticket resales in the secondary market,” an FTC press release said. “Consumers will spend more than $82.6 billion purchasing tickets from Ticketmaster from 2019 to 2024 alone.”
The company later announced it would ban users from having multiple accounts on the platform, The Hollywood Reporter reported. In a letter to lawmakers, they said they would shut down TradeDesk, its ticket inventory platform that allowed ticket brokers to list their tickets on multiple ticketing websites.
“I want to assure you that Live Nation and Ticketmaster share your commitment to supporting artists and fans and protecting the integrity of the live entertainment industry,” Dan Wall, Live Nation's executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs, wrote in the letter.
“Unfortunately, the recently filed lawsuits do not advance this common goal. The FTC's complaint misrepresents the facts and the law, specifically the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act. While we would prefer to work with the FTC to address the real threats facing the live event industry rather than litigate these claims, we look forward to clarifying the record here and, if necessary, in court.”
What are Ariana Grande fans saying about the cancellation?
Many Ariana Grande fans who had their tickets canceled took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their anger, almost all directed at Ticketmaster.
“All my friends' tickets have been canceled…” one fan tweeted. “Ticketmaster and the Ariana team are so useless. You are taking tickets away from real fans. You should be unlisting tickets for sale… not tickets that have been purchased.”
Another fan said, “Honestly, real fan tickets being canceled is the most disappointing thing ever. We understand you guys are trying to resolve the issue with resellers and scalpers, and we appreciate that, but if it's going to come at the expense of real fan tickets being voided… there has to be another way.”
Will Ariana Grande tour in 2026? Check out Eternal Sunshine tour dates, cities
Grande will tour for the first time since 2018 for her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. The tour will begin in June 2026 and end in September 2026, spanning ten cities, including Sunrise, Florida.
Here are the Eternal Sunshine tour dates, From Ariana Grande's website:
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June 6, 9 & 10 – Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
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June 13-14 – Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
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June 17, 19 & 20 – KIA Forum, Los Angeles, CA
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June 24, 26, and 27 – Moody Center, Austin, Texas
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June 30, July 2 and 3 – Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
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July 6, 8 & 9 – State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
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July 12, 13, 16, 18 and 19 – Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
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July 22, 24 & 25 – TD Garden, Boston, MA
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July 28, 30 and 31 – Center Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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August 3, 5 & 6 – United Center, Chicago, IL
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August 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31 and September 1 – O2, London, UK
Can you still buy tickets for the Ariana Grande tour?
Yes; however, expect the price to be high. For example, Sunrise tickets start at $464 in the 300 zone.
As for gigs handled by Ticketmaster, they are in a similar price range. For example, tickets to Grande's Los Angeles show range in price from $550 to $2,300, depending on the date and seats.
What happens when Ticketmaster cancels a ticket? What we know about refunds and ticket cancellations
Ticketmaster said in an email that if someone believes they have been misidentified, a quick security check can help resolve the issue.
Ticketmaster is reportedly advising that anyone who receives a cancellation notice should appeal before October 20. If they do not appeal, the tickets will be permanently voided on October 24, and affected accounts may face restrictions on future purchases.
This article originally appeared on The Palm Beach Post: Ariana Grande tickets canceled, or so Ticketmaster says