California has a long history of stepping in when powerful interests try to tilt the system to benefit themselves over working class people. Proposition 50’s passage is a recent example of this — when justice is on the line, Californians and our lawmakers don’t sit on the sidelines. But when it comes to live events, one powerful interest is quietly pulling the strings at the Capitol to maintain its control. That powerful interest is Ticketmaster.
I joined the California League of United Latin American Citizens (CA LULAC) because I wanted to be a part of an organization committed to expanding equal access and opportunity for Latinos economically, educationally, and culturally. Live events may seem far removed from the bigger policy debates in Sacramento, but they reflect those same CA LULAC principles of community and inclusion. In a world that has become increasingly divided, live music, sports, and other live events are some of the few places where people still come together. We need to protect access to these spaces for everyone and prevent any one company from claiming the power to determine whose voices and experiences matter.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening today. Since the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger, ticket prices have increased 151% and have become only accessible to VIPs and the wealthy few. It’s easy to see why. The company has warped the live event experience into a corporate-controlled commodity monetized at every step. It’s become a true “Ticktator,” wielding outsized power over how Californians connect with the events and communities they love.
Their control shows up across the board. They control ticket inventory and set the price. They make it nearly impossible for regular people to have a fair shot at buying tickets when they go on sale because they lock them behind presales requiring fancy credit cards. Dynamic pricing? Check. Ticket onsales during the middle of the workday, when the average American doesn’t have the luxury to join virtual queues? Check. Online queues where more people are in line than there are seats in a venue? Check. And if you’re lucky enough to get a ticket, the Ticktator often imposes restrictions that leave us wondering if we actually own our tickets or are just renting them from the Supreme Leader.
These frustrations seem small compared to national issues dominating headlines, but they are part of the same pattern: powerful interests gaining more control, while our community is left with fewer options and rights. In 2024, President Biden’s Department of Justice and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster to rein in its complete control. Now Ticketmaster/Live Nation is working to make that lawsuit go away by appointing Trump loyalist Richard Grenell to its board, and retaining former Trump aide Kellyanne Conway as a consultant.
Like all dictatorships, the Ticktator spreads propaganda through loyal surrogates that promise “a better way,” when in reality they are attempting to pass bills that maintain the status quo — or even further entrench Ticketmaster’s power. AB 1349, returning in January, is one such bill. It is cloaked in consumer-friendly terms, but its goal is to ensure that the Ticktator continues to call all the shots.
At a time when so much of daily life feels dominated by corporate players, protecting fan rights, promoting transparency, and ensuring competition in live events is a step California can take to remind people that our collective experiences still matter. We hope the California Legislature will work with us and our coalition to reject Ticketmaster-backed bills like AB 1349 and instead advance real, fan-centered reforms.
Jose Barrera is a Ventura County native and currently serves as the LULAC National Vice President for the Far West Region, as well as the Chair of the California LULAC Foundation.