Filipino fans were gutted and heartbroken after the chaotic over-the-counter ticket sales for Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS World Tour” in Manila last September 29th. Thousands of dedicated fans lined up at malls for hours, hoping to secure tickets for the October 5th concert at the Philippine Arena. However, to their dismay, tickets seemed to be sold out within an hour, leaving many disappointed and frustrated.

Pinoy Livies are dismayed

To say that Olivia’s Pinoy fans are disappointed is an understatement. Many took to social media to express their anger over being unable to secure tickets despite lining up for hours.

“How tf na nag-sellout ang tickets eh wala pang 20 minutes. Imagine lining up for 12 hours straight; gutom at puyat, for nothing. Something is really up with the system. The system seems corrupted,” lamented one fan on X (formerly Twitter).

Olivia Rodrigo’s Manila concert, organized by Live Nation PH, offered a unique ticketing experience: all tickets were Silver Star Tickets priced at Php 1,500, with online proceeds benefiting the Olivia Rodrigo Fund 4 Good organization. The concert also introduced randomized seat assignments, a practice common in neighboring countries. While this new concept initially excited fans, the chaotic online and over-the-counter sales left many feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Chaotic over-the-counter ‘GUTS World Tour’ in Manila ticket-selling

On September 29th, thousands of dedicated Filipino fans lined up for hours, some even camping overnight, hoping to secure GUTS concert tickets during the over-the-counter sales. However, many reported that tickets were sold out within 30 minutes of the sales starting. Determined fans attempted to estimate the number of tickets sold per mall branch, and their findings suggested that only two to five people could secure tickets at most locations.

“May camping din naman sa other top K-pop groups pero hindi ganito na ka-OA na 0 to 5 persons lang nakabili per branch,” said one X user.

“Sana talaga ninormal price na lang then smaller venue. Mas madami pa sanang napunta sa charity,” said another.

A chaotic scene even unfolded at an SM Tickets branch as fans jostled for position in the ticket line:

@shi_neyyy sige magkagulo2 kayong lahat hahahaha #smtickets #gutstour #oliviarodrigo ♬ original sound – Sunshine Zamora

“PH arena has a capacity of 55k All the good sections (VIP, standing, LBA) were sold out in less than 15 min online while the majority only received UBB. Now today with ~100 branches selling otc, only 1-3 pax/branch got to buy?? Something isn’t adding up,” said another disheartened fan on X.

Many fans expressed frustration with the process of securing concert tickets in the Philippines: “Ticket corruption in the PH is absolutely disgusting. The purpose of the Silver Star Show is for tickets to be affordable enough for more people to afford and for Liv’s fundraising.”

“Olivia, I love you and I’m grateful for the low-priced tickets. Your intentions are good, and you’re such an inspiration. But PLEASE DON’T DO THIS AGAIN in this country. People’s greed and corruption are on another level here,” said another.

Some fans want to file a case

Planning to file a case against LNPH and SM Tickets (Guts Tour)
byu/LostSoul920 inconcertsPH

Infuriated by their experience, some fans threatened legal action against Live Nation PH and ticket sales company SM Tickets.

“I’m already in contact with my lawyer to sue LNPH and SM Tickets about this situation. My brother, his gf, and a lot of Filipino Livies camped for 30 HOURS to secure tickets which was sold out within MINUTES,” said one user on X who planned on filing a lawsuit.

Another fan on Reddit claimed they were planning to initiate a class-action lawsuit against LNPH and SM Tickets, citing the chaotic and unfair ticket sales as grounds for legal action.

“I talked to my lawyer already. If marami makikipag-coordinate, mas malakas yung case. Moral and actual damages kasi to. May mga nabasa ako sa groups in FB and Telegram na may mga nagkakasakit due to the unfairness of the ticket selling in Guts Tour, both online and OTC. If you want to join the lawsuit, please coordinate with me. I strongly believe that SM and LNPH should be held accountable for this!” they said.

“This should push through,” agreed another Redditor. “But this really needs traction once maayos na lahat ng details. God I hate to say it pero if tulfo is what makes it viral para people will see it and maging aware sila…so be it. Less than 200 tickets sold OTC. F***ing absurd.”

Meanwhile, as of writing, neither Live Nation PH nor SM Tickets released any statement on the matter.

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