'I never want to mislead anybody': Blake Shelton refunding tickets for postponed shows after fan complains

Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read

Like other musicians in the COVID-19 era, Blake Shelton has no idea when he’ll be able to tour again. But the country star is making sure ticket holders for postponed shows in Milwaukee, Detroit and other cities don’t have to wait any longer for a refund.

On Wednesday, a fan reached out to Shelton on Twitter, asking that he cancel his concert planned for last March at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

Under Ticketmaster’s COVID-19 policy, ticket holders for canceled shows are issued refunds. But ticket holders for postponed shows generally have to wait until a new date has been announced to request a refund, and Shelton’s five postponed shows from March have yet to be rescheduled.

"(Canceling is) the right thing to do after so many of us are unemployed due to COVID!" Twitter user @lk98881404 wrote to Shelton.

Shelton replied to the situation with eight tweets Wednesday before issuing a video statement Wednesday night to clear the air.

Refunds through Ticketmaster are now available for Shelton's postponed shows in Milwaukee; Detroit; Denver; Omaha, Nebraska; and Rosemont, Illinois.

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Tickets for those shows will be honored at makeup dates, but Shelton doesn't know when those shows will be rescheduled. He also doesn't know who may be on that tour. The five postponed shows will no longer feature the lineup from this year's Friends and Heroes tour, which included the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson, Trace Adkins and Lauren Alaina, Shelton said Wednesday.

"I never want to mislead anybody," Shelton said in his video statement. "This is all terrible, and we hope to get back on the road again and get all this stuff behind us. You all stay safe, and if you want that refund from Ticketmaster, it’s there, go get it."

Blake Shelton brings tunes and a party to Gila River Arena in Glendale on March 5, 2020.
Blake Shelton brings tunes and a party to Gila River Arena in Glendale on March 5, 2020.

To get the refund, ticket holders can sign in to their accounts at ticketmaster.com or on the Ticketmaster app and click a refund link under their Blake Shelton ticket order. If you aren't able to get your refund through Ticketmaster, you can email blakeshelton2020@messinatouring.com for assistance.

Fans who purchased resale tickets will need to contact that provider directly about refund possibilities.

"When it comes to StubHub, they don’t offer refunds, they offer credits," Shelton said in his video statement Wednesday. "There’s not a lot I can do about that. There’s not a lot anybody on my team can do about that."

Nevertheless, Shelton's Ticketmaster refund option is generating some goodwill from his fans.

"Blake you are the best," tweeted one fan. "The fact that you got to the bottom of this issue shows what a genuine upstanding guy you are."

Touring acts have largely been off the road for five months, and most arenas, stadiums, theaters and clubs remain closed around the world. Michael Rapino, CEO for Live Nation, told investors this month they're expecting concerts to resume to pre-pandemic levels next summer.

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.

Piet also talks concerts, local music and more on "TAP'd In" with Jordan Lee. Hear it at 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9), or wherever you get your podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Blake Shelton offers refunds on Ticketmaster for postponed shows