What is “Blue Dot Fever” and why do artists fear it?

May 6, 2026 Alan Cross 0 Comments 52 Views

Is Blue Dot Fever something akin to COVID? A rodent disease currently plaguing a cruise ship? A Smurf-related STD? No. It’s a disease that’s feared in the live music industry.

Blue Dot Fever refers to all the blue dots that show unsold seats on a Ticketmaster map of a venue. This is for a Deep Purple/Kansas show in Halifax.

Pussycat Dolls caught a bad case that forced them to cancel their North American reunion tour. Post Malone had to cancel shows, too. Sane with Zayn Malik, Meghan Trainor, and Kid Rock.

What’s the pathology of Blue Dot Fever? Too many shows. Ticket prices are too high. Struggling economies. Acts booking dates in venues that are too big.

At this point, Blue Dot Fever seems to be contagious. No wonder Live Nation/Ticketmaster is still pushing their $30 ticket sale.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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Alan Cross

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