Fans who have partial-view seats for Backstreet Boys’ Toronto concerts might be getting an upgrade.
The record-breaking boy band has recently become a hot topic in the city after they announced their forthcoming Into the Millennium – Homecoming: Live in Canada concerts in Toronto. Initially slated for four nights at Rogers Centre, the run has extended to 12 nights, from Feb. 12 to March 7. The number of shows set a new record for the most-played shows at the stadium, surpassing records by The Weeknd and Taylor Swift.
But some fans might not have known they wouldn’t have their ideal view of members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson on the stadium stage.
After certain fans bought tickets during the presale windows, they later went back and saw that the venue map was updated to flag obstructed areas that were in the same sections they had purchased in.
“I noticed on the new map for Backstreet Boys that there’s specific areas blocked out for obstructed. Our seats for the 21st are in that area, section 30….Is it gonna be an obstructed view?,” a user named Christina posted on X.
“I feel that I’ve been misled,” ticket holder Lisa Parent told CBC News. “I felt comfortable with my tickets and happy with my tickets. Now they are considered partially obstructed; I [feel] tricked.” Another fan, Tannia Riberio, told the news outlet that “we paid for real seats, but now [they’re] partially obstructed. I don’t think $300 for a partially-obstructed ticket is fair.”
The ticket discrepancy pushed fans to speak out online against Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the partner of the ticketing company, which have started the process of amending the situation.
A spokesperson for Live Nation tells Billboard Canada that the obstructed view sections in the venue were flagged to them after the initial presale dates.
“We understand the concerns raised by some of our fans,” they say. “Following the initial onsales for the Backstreet Boys Toronto Residency, additional production details identified potential sightline concerns. Out of an abundance of caution, additional seats were subsequently flagged as possibly having obstructed views.”
The spokesperson notes that once the situation was identified, they acted quickly, “reviewing affected seating locations and implementing a plan to address them. Fans whose seats are impacted will be proactively relocated to comparable full-view locations in advance of their show. We expect to begin reaching out to affected fans in the coming days with additional information.”
Since the discovery, Live Nation has emailed fans to notify them that their tickets have been flagged “as potentially having a partially obstructed view while the show's production is being finalized. Your seats may be affected, but this hasn't yet been confirmed.”
The message continues: “We understand how frustrating it is to receive this information after purchasing your tickets. The Event Organizers are confirming which seats are affected and working on a solution.”
While some fans, including Christina, are asking for compensation for the lack of transparency, it’s unclear if Live Nation’s solution includes plans to reimburse ticket holders.
