The ticket chaos for Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour deepened on Monday as fans attempting to book through AXS for her O2 Arena shows in London were suddenly locked out, flagged as “potential bots.”
Screenshots widely shared on social media show fans being greeted with a message reading “Are you a real fan?” — warning them that their session had been identified as a possible automated bot. Users were asked to clear cache, switch devices, or even turn off VPNs and mobile data to continue.
While the system is meant to block scalpers and automated ticket-buying software, genuine fans have been caught in the net. One frustrated user posted: “I was literally just clicking refresh and suddenly AXS thinks I’m a bot. How am I supposed to get tickets now?”
The glitch comes after Ticketmaster UK’s presale meltdown earlier in the day, where fans faced frozen queues, checkout errors, and endless loading screens. Many had turned to AXS as a reliable alternative, only to face yet another wall.
Social media has since erupted with criticism, with fans calling both platforms “broken” and questioning why Ariana’s team continues to rely on them. Hashtags like #ArianaGrandeTickets, #AXS, and #Ticketmaster have been trending, filled with memes comparing the ticket hunt to “winning the lottery.”
Grande’s O2 shows, set for August 15 and 16, 2026, are part of her first major world tour in years, driving unprecedented demand. With Ticketmaster queues running into hours and AXS flagging genuine buyers as bots, fans fear resale markets may be their only option.
For now, both platforms have yet to issue detailed statements addressing the widespread complaints.
