CLEVELAND, Ohio — Concert promoter AEG has pulled the plug on public ticket sales to Justin Bieber’s “Changes Tour” dates in Cleveland and Columbus, blaming “logistical production concerns.” But a veteran Cleveland-based ticket broker says the real reason is likely weak sales for the shows Aug. 14 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland and Aug. 8 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
“The Rolling Stones went on sale the same day with the same promoter and didn’t have any logistical problems,” says Scott Merk, longtime owner of Merk’s Ticket Agency, one of the region’s best-known, independent ticket resellers. “Of course, the Rolling Stones have a hot show and are selling out. The Bieber tour is very weak. He’s playing in an oversized venue for his demographic right now.
"For Cleveland, with his fanbase, he should be playing no bigger than Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse at the max. But in reality, he’s probably better suited for Jacobs Pavilion, which has a capacity of 5,000.”
The local AEG office didn’t respond to an email request for comment about the Bieber tour.
Bieber released his fifth studio album, “Changes,” on Friday. Tickets for his North American tour, which kicks off May 14 in Seattle, went on sale to the general public the same day.
But fans trying to buy tickets to the Cleveland show via Ticketmaster were soon greeted with this statement:
“Due to logistical production concerns, the public on-sale for the Justin Bieber concert on August 14, 2020 at FirstEnergy Stadium is being delayed. We will notify you once we have details regarding your show’s information.”
The notice ended, rather cryptically, with this added instruction: “Hold onto your tickets as all tickets for the originally scheduled show on August 14, 2020, at FirstEnergy Stadium will be honored.”
That could be aimed at Bieber fans who had already purchased tickets via an online pre-sale that started Feb. 7. Or it could imply that the show might get moved from FirstEnergy Stadium to another venue. Again, no word from AEG.
A screenshot from Ticketmaster.com showing the notice fans received when attempting to buy tickets to Justin Bieber's Aug. 14 date at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
Merk predicts the Cleveland show will be postponed or canceled. “The tour isn’t selling. He had sellouts in Cleveland at the Wolstein Center in 2010 and at The Q in 2013 and 2016. He was hot then. But I think his audience has moved on. Those girls who were 16 back then are college age or older. They’ve moved on. He’s married now. They are over him.”
“Changes” is Bieber’s first studio album since 2015’s “Purpose.” The album’s first single is “Yummy.”