Taylor Swift and Dimension 20 fans have found a common enemy in Ticketmaster thanks to the high price of the hit TTRPG show’s upcoming Madison Square Garden live show, Gauntlet at The Garden.
Dimension 20 devotees eager to get their hands on tickets to the January 2025 live show seemingly had to slay a Monster Manual-worth of obstacles on their Ticketmaster journey, with presale pricing swiftly becoming the BBEG and the subject of social media chagrin. While presale prices began at a close to face-value rate, with many fans securing tickets at the expected $150-200 range, prices inflated to astronomical heights throughout Wednesday’s presale. Liz Duff, an expert pop culture commentator with a history of covering both Dropout programming and Ticketmaster’s various scandals, vigilantly tracked Gauntlet at The Garden’s skyrocketing costs throughout Wednesday’s presale, comparing the show’s trajectory to that of Harry Styles’ 2022 Love on Tour ticket sales.
Dimension 20 addressed the general sense of bedlam surrounding Wednesday’s presale on X, as demand led to more than just prices becoming an issue for fans. Despite the Eras Tour level prices reached later in the day and the general difficulty securing tickets at any price, fans expressed little ill-will towards Dimension 20 and instead united over the common enemy: Ticketmaster. The ticketing site has been a frequent source of public outrage due to its predatory practices and mishandling of various major events, even attracting attention from the federal government over the summer when President Joe Biden announced the company’s pledge to disclose previously hidden fees upfront at a White House roundtable.
There’s a troubling ethos prevalent in many pop culture spaces in which fans tout the prohibitively expensive cost of tickets or mammoth box office earnings as a point of pride – unsurprisingly, Dimension 20 fans have wholeheartedly rejected this narrative. Dropout, the intentionally low-cost and accessible streaming home of Dimension 20, has been a refreshing Game Changer (pun intended) in the hyper-capitalist streaming landscape, and Dimension 20’s storytelling itself has an intrinsically egalitarian sensibility. Those prone to the charms of Dropout’s programming are not the same type who wear a $2,000+ ticket as a badge of honor.
As Duff mentioned, there’s no judgment being cast on those willing and/or able to grab the pricier tickets to Dimension 20: Gauntlet at The Garden, but rather a prevailing sentiment of hope that tickets closer to face-value costs will be available during Thursday’s presale and Friday’s general sale. Either that or Taylor Swift and Brennan Lee Mulligan team up to bring down Ticketmaster once and for all.
