Ticketing platform Tixel has expanded its UK footprint, announcing a new partnership with leading UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live.

The self-styled “honest resale marketplace” has previously linked up with the likes of 2000Trees, Bloodstock, Shambala and Team Love, and says it is bidding to empower promoters with tools “that not only enhance transparency and fairness, but offer valuable data-led insights into their customer-base”.

The partnership kicked off with Kilimanjaro’s outdoor shows, including Kew The Music and Belladrum.

“We are thrilled to announce Tixel as our partner on a number of KMJ shows,” says Elliott Brough, head of partnerships at Kili’s parent company KMJ Entertainment. “This collaboration marks our first steps towards offering safe ticket resale for fans who can’t attend and ensuring that live music enthusiasts are not exploited by touts.

“Partnering with Tixel not only provides us with valuable data but also opens up opportunities to develop unique strategies for our future events”

“Partnering with Tixel not only provides us with valuable data but also opens up opportunities to develop unique strategies for our future events. By teaming up with Tixel across Kew The Music, Belladrum Tartan Heart and our UK Live series of events, we are excited to offer a secure resale platform for our fans and for the journey ahead.”

Kili and its founder Stuart Galbraith are longtime opponents of industrial-scale online ticket touting, and Tixel, which was founded in Australia in 2018 and launched its UK operation in 2021, pledges to address challenges in the ticketing market “head-on”.

“We’ve admired the work of Kilimanjaro Live for years, they’re industry leaders and absolutely top of their game in the live entertainment sphere. So it’s massively exciting for us to be partnering with them, starting this summer on a phenomenal portfolio of shows,” says Tixel’s head of UK and Europe Matt Kaplan.

“As a team, we’re incredibly passionate about the UK market where there’s such a broad and diverse range of live events through the summer months and beyond – and that diversity shines through in Kilimanjaro’s calendar of shows. It goes without saying, we are delighted to be collaborating with them to bring added value to ticketing strategy, and a secure and trusted place for fans to resell tickets.”

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Tixel’s head of UK/EU Matt Kaplan has detailed the firm’s mission to help alter perceptions around the secondary ticketing sector.

The price-capped, self-styled “honest resale marketplace” has expanded its remit to Cross The Tracks, Wide Awake and Project 6 and City Splash, part of Brockwell Live series in London, in addition to its existing partnerships with Superstruct UK festivals including Boardmasters, Kendal Calling, Tramlines Festival, Truck Festival and Y Not Festival.

Founded in Australia in 2018, Tixel launched its UK operation in 2021 and has reported year-on-year growth of 97% in events trading on the platform between ’22 and ’23.

“We are a very passionate, mission-driven company,” Kaplan tells IQ. “This is our fourth season in the UK – and one of those was half a season because of Covid – and the type of partners we’ve already got on board really says something about who we are and what we’re trying to achieve.”

While some of the negative connotations around the secondary market remain, amid the stream of high-profile investigations and controversies – most recently the claim that ticket touts hatched secret plans to sabotage Labour’s bid to cap ticket resale if the party wins the next UK general election – Kaplan is at pains to distance Tixel from some of its more “notorious” competitors.

“We have tools that help festivals reach some of the more price-sensitive buyers, potentially without having to devalue their brand and publicly discount”

“It’s our job to educate the industry and our partners on why we’re different and how we can support them with their campaign and protect their fans,” he says. “When you potentially have speculative listings and bots buying up a whole lot of tickets and selling them for inflated prices on unregulated markets, that has some tailwind of connotations across the industry. Clearly, there is an impact of some of that more nefarious activity, but we utilise it to shine a light on why we’re different.”

Tixel is able to eliminate fraud and double-scanning by reissuing new tickets for events when they are on-sold. It also gives organisers complete control and visibility of their resale market, while helping unlock new revenue and fan data.

“The ability to utilise our tools, regardless of the sell through rate of a festival, has been a really strong sales tool for us,” adds Kaplan. “Essentially, we allow festivals to tinker with their pricing on our marketplace. They often just tweak the price by maybe £5 or £10, and that might tip buying decisions. So we have tools that help festivals reach some of the more price-sensitive buyers, potentially without having to devalue their brand and publicly discount.

“It’s obviously super-tough to hit the bullseye on pricing because they price their festivals before the actual gates are going to open, so they don’t necessarily have all the insights. Us giving them the ability to to use some of our tools to help sell through more primary stock is effective. And then giving every festival the ability to have a secondary ticket trade that is safe and secure is also really important, and that’s something that we do really well.”

Superstruct UK enlisted Tixel as its exclusive resale platform for a number of its domestic events last year. The partnership includes direct technology integrations to facilitate functions like real-time, accurate ticket validation on all tickets listed (eliminating fakes and/or speculative listings) and the ability for a buyer to list and sell a ticket before ticket barcodes have been distributed. Kaplan sees the deal as a key moment for Tixel.

“We think what we’re doing is very important to the industry, and the more people that know about us, the better”

“It helped in our conversations with a whole load of other promoters and we’ve seen lots of doors open as a result,” he notes. “We know that our tech is very good, we’ve got best in class, but we want to be able to share that with other promoters and having a name like Superstruct on our books makes that initial outreach a bit easier, because people recognise us. There’s brand recognition in the market, so then we’re able to actually show our wares.

“We think what we’re doing is very important to the industry, and the more people that know about us, the better.”

The 2023 season saw Tixel move over 15,000 tickets across eight events and four ticketing platforms, and this year is shaping up to blow that out of the water.

“We’ve got events every single week between now and the end of September in the UK, and then Australia is going strong,” says Kaplan. “We’ve got a bunch of new independent partners as well, like We Out Here festival, Bloodstock and Camp Wildfire.

“We’ve also grown various portfolios: Silverstone Woodlands has a number of other events that we now work with and the U-Live festival portfolio has also expanded with us – they’ve got six or seven festivals we now work with. The idea is to keep building, keep growing and keep supporting our organisers.”

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The appetite for live entertainment in the UK and Ireland remains strong despite the cost-of-living crisis and the threat of recession, according to a new report.

Ticketing marketplace Tixel and entertainment marketing agency Bolster joined forces to produce the newly published Big Ticket Items report into Ticketing State of Play 2024, which offers a deep dive into how ticket buyers are spending.

The study tackles ticketing trends, the impact of fandom and FOMO and the aftermath of the pandemic, as well as expectations around flexibility, last-minute purchasing and event genres.

It also offers insights and commentary from specialists such as Association of Independent Festivals CEO John Rostron, Black Deer Festival co-founder Gill Tee, El Dorado festival director Kate Osler, Ticketsellers & Eventree CEO Phil Hayes and Wild Paths director Benjamin Street.

“The challenge lies more internally with increasing production costs, not decreased consumer spending”

“Despite rising ticket prices, consumer spending on events remains buoyant,” says Hayes. “The challenge lies more internally with increasing production costs, not decreased consumer spending.”

Among the report’s findings are that three-quarters of event goers are attending more, or the same amount of events as last year, with live entertainment and events remaining a priority expense for almost half (48%) of attendees. Furthermore, a third of respondents suggest it is a similar priority to other expenses, with Gen Z scoring highest in this regard.

Fandom is the dominating driving force for ticket purchases for almost 80% of respondents, while over two-thirds say they are more likely to make a purchase if there is an option to re-sell later.

Festivalgoers were shown to be more likely to attend a festival that has a real sense of community, in addition to the lineup being a high motivator. The full report is available here.

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They’re all in. Then they’re not. They’re smashing the Buy button. They’re on the fence. They’re texting their friends, rallying the crew, all the while you’re madly bringing the experience together for them in the background hoping ticket sales line up. They’re unpredictable and behaving in ways you’ve never seen before. Meet your customer — the fickle, frugal, fun-chasing summer festival punters of 2023.

Tegan, 26, is the dream: “If I see an event and I know I want to go, I don’t see the point in waiting closer to the date. The ticket price isn’t going to change. If anything, it’s cheaper if I buy early. So why wouldn’t you buy them early if you want to go?” Tegan is someone that makes up her mind, buys early, and commits. Her decision might be driven by early bird pricing or FOMO, but for festivals that aren’t instant sell-outs, she represents the seemingly elusive buyer we all want more of. “I think I buy more tickets now, because we didn’t get to do anything during COVID and now I just want to do all the things.”

Heightened online shopping and relaxed return/cancellation policies during the peak of Covid saw a new breed of buyers emerge and live events were not immune to consumers demanding flexibility in their purchases. For example, Justin (aptly named) grabs a ticket “just in case”: “I just get them and hope I can go. If I see a festival I want to go to I’ll buy the ticket then and there whether I know who I’m going with or not, and figure out the rest later.” The social factor is strong with the Justins and at 28, he’s probably got the disposable income to float a festival ticket or two that he may end up selling later.

Justin is worth appealing to as he buys early and may end up convincing friends to join him. Tixel data from last year’s season showed that 84% of eventgoers are more likely to purchase tickets knowing they can easily resell them later, so there may be more Justins out there than you think. He’s also a buyer you have to keep engaged in the leadup — the more you amp him up the more likely he’ll want to go, so up the hype and get him through the door.

Who the hell buys a ticket to a camping festival two days out? Jarmyn does. The chief procrastinator in your life (or yes, it could be Anika, but at least she’s got a plan). “I forget that things are on and then I’ll get a message from someone saying ‘Hey, you coming this weekend’ and I’ll be like Aw, mate, I’ll sort myself a ticket.” And yes, you’ve probably spent a fortune on social media to ensure Jarmyn knew your festival was happening, ughhh.

There’s been a shift and the most successful promoters know this and are already appealing to these new buying styles

Next is Anika. She’s like a modern-day City trader dealing in tickets, watching forums and tapping her intuition to figure out when to buy to get the best price. “I used to be an early bird but with the constant changes during the pandemic, I tend to buy tickets at the last minute. If I think a show will sell out I’ll buy early, but if I’m not that stressed about it I’ll buy right before to hopefully get them cheaper.”

Anika knows there are always people that change plans and need to sell and that sometimes some of those tickets sell below face value. So she plans to go and strikes at the right moment. Thankfully this style of decision-making cues anxiety for most of us so while she’s the minority, releasing a handful of tickets at a very slightly lower price (Tixel can help you do this) can help give you a sense of how many Anikas you have watching your tickets and whether selling just a few dollars cheaper might scoop up those more price-sensitive buyers.

And last but not least, there’s the ticket mama. The cat herder. The person in the group who’s ON IT, getting everyone committed ahead of time, buying the tickets and getting the ££ from everyone. Adrien, 30: “I’m the ticket mama! The one who puts the event in my calendar and sets an alarm for when tickets go on sale. I’m the group chat initiator. I plan the pre-party. I get in early, get everyone on board, and secure tickets.” She’s but one email address but she can represent the personas of another 4, 5, 6 buyers.

So how does Tixel know so much about these fine festies and how to reach them? We watch them every day listing tickets for sale and pre-authorising their credit cards to auto-buy tickets as they’re listed. We routinely ask them why they’re selling, why they’re buying the way they’re buying, and we run all of that through the mass of ticket buyer data we have across thousands of festivals worldwide. There’s been a shift and the most successful promoters know this and are already appealing to these new buying styles. You can check out a free report we did last year on ticketing trends.

Whether your festival is full of Tegans, Justins, or Adriens, we’re wishing our festival partners successful, crowd-filled fields, ticket sales that surpass the budget, and a recovery year that we’ve all worked so hard to deserve.

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Superstruct UK festivals has enlisted Tixel as the exclusive resale platform for a number of its domestic events including Bluedot, Boardmasters, Christmas at Bute Park, Kendal Calling, NASS, Tramlines Festival, Truck Festival and Y Not Festival.

The partnership includes direct technology integrations that will facilitate functions like real-time, accurate ticket validation on all tickets listed (eliminating fakes and/or speculative listings) and the ability for a buyer to list and sell a ticket before ticket barcodes have been distributed.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Tixel, which demonstrates the strength and scale of our UK portfolio of festivals and their commitment to enhancing the customer experience,” says Chris McCormick, UK festival’s band partnerships director.

“[This deal] demonstrates the strength and scale of our UK portfolio of festivals and their commitment to enhancing the customer experience”

“Today’s ticket buyer is different to who they were three years ago,” says Tixel CEO Zac Leigh. “We’re much more used to digital and in-app purchasing and around 80% of us say that we’re more likely to buy a ticket if we know that we can easily resell it later. We love that our festival partners are embracing the new behaviours of today’s festival-goers in an effort to super-serve their attendees, and we’re excited to help them do that.”

Founded in Australia in 2018, Tixel’s partners include leading festivals and promoters such as Beyond the Valley, Strawberry Fields, and Corner Hotel, artists such as Tame Impala, and primary ticketing platforms Eventbrite, Eventix, and Oztix. The company officially launched UK operations in late 2021.

Superstruct Entertainment has amassed over 85 festivals in Europe and Australia, making it the second-largest festival promoter in the world after Live Nation. Outside of the UK, the Providence Equity Partners-backed company owns festivals such as Elrow (ES), Sziget (HU), Wacken Open Air (DE), Mysteryland (NL), Hideout (HR), Sonar (ES) and Flow (FI).

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Australian ticket resale marketplace Tixel is targeting further international growth following a successful funding round and European launch.

Founded in 2018, the company’s partners include festivals such as Australia’s Beyond the Valley, the UK’s Boardmasters, End of the Road, 2000 Trees, Strawberry Fields, Dekmantel in the Netherlands and Sonus in Croatia, along with artists such as Tame Impala, and primary ticketing platforms Eventbrite, Eventix and Oztix.

“We are a global platform” Tixel CEO and co-founder Zac Leigh tells IQ. “Australia and New Zealand is where we started and that really set the foundations. Now we’re in the UK and Europe, and we also work with event organisers in the US. Anywhere there’s an event, we can help.”

A self-styled “honest resale marketplace”, Tixel verifies tickets in real-time to detect and reject fake tickets before they’re listed and create a fresh barcode for the new buyer. Prices are capped at 10% above face value, and Leigh stresses that the firm has a track record of reducing refund requests and no-shows.

“We believe that buying and selling tickets should always be safe, easy and honest,” he says. “We’re set up to make sure that fans have an amazing and safe experience from when they buy a ticket to when they walk in the gate.”

“Part of our technology is focused on the people putting on the show”

Product features include a customised backend for event organisers that provides actionable pricing and audience data, and proprietary dynamic waitlist technology that creates a real-time repository of interested buyers.

“Unfortunately, we still see a lot of people rock up to the gates with fake tickets. That’s a lost night and is pretty heart wrenching, so we’re trying to solve that problem,” notes Leigh. “But what makes us unique is that we have an organiser-centric mentality. Part of our technology is focused on the people putting on the show. We work directly with ticketing companies and event organisers to support them throughout the whole campaign and make sure they have an amazing experience as well.”

Tixel landed in the UK in late 2021, having raised A$1.5 million (€1m) last year in a funding round that included a number of leading concert businesses and music investors. Promoters Unified Music Group and I Oh You, labels Rose Avenue and Future Classic and investment firms Alberts and Galileo Ventures were among to participate.

“One of the big things for us was getting people on board who actually understand the problems faced and appreciate it from an industry perspective,” says Leigh. “Some of our investors are event organisers and can see the value that our platform can provide. That’s exciting in the sense that what we’re doing is obviously resonating – they obviously see the importance of having a strong resale marketplace and the value that we can provide.

“The market is pretty dynamic and we’re pumped at what the future has to hold. Global expansion is a big focus for us – the US is definitely on the radar – but positioning ourselves as being uniquely placed to be able to solve a lot of the problems in the post-Covid era is important. Things are changing and we see a lot of opportunity there.”

“Ticketing has been stuck in the past”

Tixel was recognised at last week’s Ticketing Business Awards at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, where it was presented with the Product Innovation Award for “a product or service that has uniquely transformed and improved the way ticketing entities do business”.

“Technology is slowly catching up,” adds Leigh. “Historically, ticketing has been stuck in the past and Covid acted as a catalyst in kickstarting this new wave of innovation, and I think that that’s going to continue.

“There are a whole lot of new promoters putting on events in new, creative ways and we’re happy to be a part of it, but I think there are going to be a lot of new problems that come up and a lot of new solutions moving forward: whether that be pricing, whether that be digital ticket capability, or whether that be understanding more about the audience, there are always opportunities to innovate and I think that we’re going to see a lot of the gaps filled.”

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Australian ticket marketplace Tixel has raised A$1.5m ($1.2m) in a funding round that includes a number of leading concert businesses and music investors.

Promoters Unified Music Group and I Oh You, labels Rose Avenue and Future Classic and investment firms Alberts and Galileo Ventures are among those who participated in the round, with Alberts CEO David Albert also set to join Tixel’s board of directors.

The funding will be put towards growing the Tixel platform and expand its product suite for event organisers, the Melbourne-based company says.

Launched in 2018, Tixel offers a ‘fair-price’ marketplace (capped at 10% above face value) for fans to buy and sell tickets to events. Most of the company’s inventory is currently in Australia and New Zealand, though it expects growth in the UK and US as in-person events return outside Australasia.

“The entire music and live entertainment industry has suffered beyond measure this last year, and our team is incredibly grateful to have been able to weather the storm,” says Zac Leigh, co-founder and CEO of Tixel. “We’re feeling optimistic about the steep uptick in demand we’re seeing on Tixel from fans wanting to see their favourite musicians, artists, comedians and sports stars.

“Our investment partners … know that a safe and honest place for fans to buy and to resell tickets is a critical need”

“Our investment partners share this optimism and know that a safe and honest place for fans to buy and to resell tickets is a critical need both today, as our plan-making remains fluid, and into the future.”

“At the heart of every investment we make is the goal to back pioneers who share our vision for a better tomorrow,” comments Albert. “A core pillar of our impact thesis is contributing to a vibrant culture. Tixel is a great example of this and sits within our arts, music and entertainment theme. It helps to bring fairness to a market that can attract exorbitant pricing, and safety to transactions that have the potential to be fraudulent.

“Having an independent ethical ticket resale marketplace in Australia can mean more fans at shows, more bar and merch sales for our venues and, importantly, an all-round better experience for everyone involved.”

Other capped-price ticket resale services active in Australia include UK-based Twickets, which launched there in 2017, and Ticketek Marketplace, which allows Ticketek customers to resell unwanted tickets.

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