By Tatiana Onofre
In queue were 750,000 people, death threats, and skyrocketing ticket prices. Welcome to the Filipino-American singer Olivia Rodrigo GUTS tour tickets hunt where your dreams of seeing her perform live in full glory on the 5th of Oct. comes at a hefty price.
The concert initially had the special intention to be an event with proceeds going to charity. Instead, in all cruel humor, it pushed thousands of eager fans and opportunistic scalpers into an online warzone.
The much-prophesized Silver Star show sent the entire nation bubbling, and not just for the thrill of seeing Olivia Rodrigo live, but for the astonishingly affordable ticket price. At just ₱1,500, fans felt like they had struck gold, winning the title, “presyong kababayan.” They would learn where they’d be seated once they claimed their vouchers on the day before.
Every ticket, regardless of seating, was a Silver Star Ticket sold at a fixed price, ensuring everyone had an equal chance of attending the event. These tickets were likewise not just a pass to the show — they carried the gratifying promise of giving back to women and girls around the world.
Fund 4 Good, the charity Rodrigo raises funds for, is tailored to “building an equitable and just future for all women and girls through direct support of community-based non-profits that champion girls’ education, support reproductive rights, and prevent gender-based violence.”
Like most things in human nature, this newfound excitement of affordable ticket prices immediately morphed from solid excitement to messy chaos.
Then enter the scalpers! The balance of the online queues tipped over as tickets cemented in scarcity with resellers slowly creeping their way into offering tickets at eye-twitching prices.
“Hello! I am selling my Olivia Rodrigo GUTS tour tickets po, I still have 9 tickets left. I am sellingfor 10k each,” one seller posted on social media.
The comments flooded with vexation, “Upuan mo po lahat enjoy! [Sit on all seats, enjoy!]”, “All proceeds go to charity. Sana pinalagpas na lang ng scalpers.[Scalpers should’ve just let this one go.]”
Every fighting fan online sparked with fury; they all felt that resellers were undermining the concert’s charitable purpose.
The said seller then edited the post, raising the price to ₱15,000, fueling even more outrage from the community.
“Honestly, sa 7 years kong ginagawa to, ngayon lang ako nakatanggap ng ganitong feedback, [In my 7 years of doing this, this is the first time I’ve received this kind of backlash,]” the seller admitted. “Never ako nagka-issue. That’s just how it works. Accept it. [I’ve never had an issue before. That’s just how it works. Accept it.]”
Some fans bravely voiced out their frustration, however, others were left feeling defeated. The odds weren’t looking good or decent at all.
And what’s perhaps most disheartening is the thought of how the initial purpose of the Silver Star Show faded into oblivion. All because of scalpers, the show lost its charity-driven nature.
The fight for GUTS and glory that began as a moment for charitable causes for women and girls succumbed to fans desperately maneuvering through skyrocketing prices, scalpers, and diminishing hope. The real glory of being able to see Olivia Rodrigo live was once within reach, and now distant for many.
