StubHub Launches First-Of-Its-Kind FestProtect Platform Ahead of Peak Summer Festival Season

New program makes StubHub the first major ticketing platform to introduce festival-specific protections for common disruptions like weather cancellations, artist dropouts, and set-time conflicts.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--StubHub (NYSE: STUB) today announced the launch of the FestProtect, a festival-focused expansion of its FanProtect Guarantee designed to address the growing financial and emotional investment fans are making in live music experiences.

As festivals continue to grow into larger, more immersive live experiences, fans are navigating increasingly packed schedules, travel logistics, weather variables, and lineup changes that can shape how a weekend unfolds. StubHub’s research found that more than 85% of festival-goers say they have experienced common live-event challenges ranging from overlapping set times and artist cancellations to crowd congestion and weather disruptions. Yet 76% say they received no meaningful recourse when something went wrong.

FestProtect introduces a tiered rewards and protection system built specifically around common festival pain points.

• Tier 1 (Major Disruptions): Covers large-scale issues such as severe weather cancellations and last-minute artist dropouts. Eligible fans may receive access to future festival tickets or tickets to a future performance from the artist they missed.
• Tier 2 (Scheduling Conflicts): Designed for situations where overlapping set times force fans to miss artists they planned to see. Select fans may receive tickets tied to artists they were unable to attend during the festival weekend.
• Tier 3 (Everyday Frustrations): Addresses common fan complaints such as long lines, blocked views, crowd congestion, or other “Instagram vs. reality” festival moments. Eligible fans may receive surprise upgrades, rewards, or future festival perks.

“Fans are putting more time, travel, and planning into festival season than ever before,” said Jill Gonzalez, Head of Consumer, Product & Tech Communications at StubHub. "FestProtect was created to support fans through the natural unpredictability that comes with live events and help them feel more confident saying yes to festival season. In fact, nearly 80% of festival-goers told us a protection program would make them more likely to purchase festival tickets, reinforcing how important flexibility and peace of mind have become for today’s fans.”

The launch comes as new StubHub marketplace data and a national survey of festival fans revealed that festival-going has evolved far beyond a weekend outing, becoming one of the biggest discretionary purchases many young consumers make all year. According to the findings, 66% of festival-goers spend more than $300 beyond the ticket itself during a festival weekend, while 35% of Gen Z fans report taking on credit card debt or using buy-now-pay-later services to afford attending festivals.

The FestProtect launch builds on StubHub’s growing festival footprint, including its largest festival partnership to date with Danny Wimmer Presents and new partnerships with Southern Entertainment and Pryor Creek Music Festivals. Together, the deals bring StubHub closer to the producers, events, and fan communities shaping today’s festival culture.

The FestProtect Platform launches ahead of Governors Ball and the start of peak 2026 summer festival season. Beginning today, fans can submit festival-related claims and experiences through a dedicated FestProtect landing page. FestProtect is not a guarantee of compensation. Submitting a claim does not obligate StubHub to provide a reward. Visit StubHub.com/festprotect for further details.

About StubHub

StubHub is a leading global secondary ticketing marketplace for live events. Through StubHub in North America and viagogo internationally, StubHub services customers in over 200 countries and territories, supporting over 30 languages and accepting payments in over 45 currencies – from sports to music, comedy to dance, festivals to theater. StubHub offers a safe and convenient way to buy or sell tickets to live events across the world for memorable live experiences.