Ticketfly’s homepage is back online, with the message: “We are grateful for the outpouring of support our community has shown us while we continue to work through this cyber incident, and appreciate your continued patience as we bring the systems back online. We will update information on this page as appropriate.”
UPDATE: Ticketfly says venue and promoter partner websites are coming back online with ticket purchases allowed. Ticketfly Backstage is online although the main site remains down.
“This means you’ll be able to sell tickets onsite or online – including through search, Facebook, and affiliates. The experience will feel the same as always, and all of your previously built events and historical data will be there when you log in to Backstage. To log in, please click here.”
“We’ve engaged leading third-party forensic and cybersecurity experts to investigate and help us address the issue, and have done this with your security top of mind,” a statement at the usual Ticketfly URL reads. “More specifically, Box Office, ticket purchasing, and scanning capabilities are now being made available again.”
UPDATE: A Ticketfly representative told Pollstar: “We’re continuing to investigate the cyber incident and working around the clock to get our systems back up and running. Please see this page for additional information.”
The update includes info for venue owners and event promoters, saying, “We encourage you to use your social channels to communicate with fans that they should bring photo ID and if possible, a printed version of their ticket.”
As far as when Ticketfly will go live again: “Unfortunately, we don’t have a specific timeline to share right now. We deeply regret the inconvenience caused by this incident and are working around the clock to resolve the issue and get all Ticketfly systems back up and running. ”
Previously:
Ticketfly has temporarily gone offline after saying it was the “target of a cyber incident.”
The latest statement was provided to Pollstar from a Ticketfly representative:
“We’ve determined that Ticketfly.com has been the target of a cyber incident. Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken all Ticketfly systems temporarily offline as we continue to look into the issue. We realize the gravity of this decision, but the security of client and customer data is our top priority. We are working tirelessly, and in coordination with leading third party forensic experts, to get our clients back up and running.”
“For information on specific events please check the social media accounts of the presenting venues/promoters to learn more about availability/status of upcoming shows. In many cases, shows are still happening and tickets may be available at the door.”
Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman was among the event organizers assuring fans that its events were not canceled, tweeting: “If anyone is trying to buy tickets on Ticketfly this morning their system is down. The shows are not cancelled or sold out, hang tight, they are working on it.”
Fans on social media were upset about today’s onsales, including Florence + The Machine presale as well as Dua Lipa after-show tickets.
Going to the website brings only the following message: “All Ticketfly and related systems are temporarily offline. Please check back for updates.”
Ticketfly counts more than 1,200 leading venues and promoters as partners, including Merriweather Post Pavilion, Bowery Ballroom, the Brooklyn Bowl, Central Park SummerStage, Pitchfork Music Festival, and The Troubadour. The San Francisco-based company boasts that it works with more of Pollstar’s top independent clubs than any other provider, and in 2015 was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in Music.” Sites including 9:30 Club, Brooklyn Bowl and Chicago promoter and venue operator Jam Productions were also down, displaying the same message with a Ticketfly logo.
The apparent security breach comes as dozens of websites review their security policies and try to explain to users how their personal information may be used by third parties.
Pollstar recently interviewed Ticketfly co-founder and now Eventbrite board member Andrew Dreskin. The one-time rivals united in 2017, after Pandora acquired Ticketfly in 2015. However, the ticketing platforms are likely on separate networks as Eventrbrite appears to still be online.
“At Ticketfly we were sort of the champion of independent venues and promoters,” Dreskin said.”We were the company that built tools specifically for independent venue owners, promoters, and by extension independent artists, talent agents, and managers. And now we continue with that work at Eventbrite.”
By Ryan Borba
[Thank you to Alex Teitz, http://www.femmusic.com, for contributing this article.]