Fans filing into the Riot Fest subreddit are calling out a sharp increase in ticketing fees shown at checkout — even though the base ticket prices remain the same.
Last week a screenshot circulating on Tixr shows a 3‑Day General Admission early-bird pass priced at $249.98 with $45.00 in processing fees and $30.97 in tax, bringing the checkout total to $325.95. According to the thread, that processing fee used to be about $26.73 and taxes were around $29.05. VIP base price listed in the thread stayed at $328.98, but processing allegedly jumped from $31.87 to $55 with taxes rising to $40.42.
When a fan emailed Tixr asking about the changes the ticketing platform replied that fees are set by the promoter and directed the buyer to contact Riot Fest. The original poster says they forwarded that reply to Riot Fest’s info address and didn’t hear back.
Comments on the thread ranged from practical workarounds to flat-out disgust. Several longtime attendees noted Riot Fest has often run deals or community presales that undercut early-bird pricing (email giveaways, Do312 drops, last‑day retail options, and cheaper secondary-market tickets the day‑of). Others pointed out past years when multi‑day passes were much cheaper and argued fans are being squeezed by middlemen.
This isn’t a lineup story — it’s about how festivals and ticketing platforms present price breakdowns at the moment a fan decides to buy. The frustration is twofold: the headline price is unchanged, but the checkout total can feel like a bait-and-switch when fees jump suddenly, and when promotional language implies a ticket price is “includes fees” but checkout proves otherwise.
For Riot Fest and any promoter: transparency at checkout matters. For fans: double-check the full checkout numbers and consider waiting for alternative sale windows if you can — some veteran buyers report buying on secondary markets or in-person retail drops for far less.
We’ll keep an eye on any official response from Riot Fest or Tixr. Extra Chill is on the side of the fans — and we’ll call out anything that makes it harder to get into a festival without getting stung at the register.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/RiotFest/comments/1pc78hu/price_increase/