The Pussycat Dolls’ comeback tour has struggled to gain traction, and early ticket sales indicate a slow comeback for one of the biggest girl groups of the 2000s.
Screenshots circulating online from Ticketmaster show most of the unsold seats for the tour’s first U.S. show.
The group’s first show in seven years, held June 5 at Acresure Arena in Palm Springs, sold about 4,000 tickets for the 11,000-seat venue.
Similar patterns are emerging at other stops.
An estimated 1,500 tickets were moved for the June 9th show at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater in Phoenix, which seats more than 20,000 people.
Meanwhile, approximately 2,500 seats were sold for the June 10th performance at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheater (capacity: 20,500 people).
Tickets for the opening show range from $60.05 to $248 for premium seating.
The weak demand has raised questions about whether the tour, dubbed the PCD Forever Tour, will be able to maintain its planned 53-date tour of the US, Canada, UK and Europe.
The tour’s headlining trio, Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, announced the tour on March 12th, with pre-sales beginning March 18th and general sales beginning March 20th.
However, only three of the group’s six core members are returning, which is said to be a key factor in turning off the interest of many fans.
Fans on Reddit point out that the shrinking lineup is a key issue.
“I love PCD but what did you expect? I’m not going on this tour. For what? One half of the group? To make Nicole richer?” one person commented.
Another fan wrote, “You could pay me for the best seat in the house, VIP access, their autographed merchandise. I’m not going yet. I’m only 1/2 of the group. And Kermit, Jessica, and Melody are my favorites.”
One person pointed out that the drop in sales was not surprising, as without a full lineup there could be a lack of performance, noting that “all of them were about the dance, the stage, and the show.”
Another agreed: “It looks really empty” with the other three members gone.
Others suggested the group misjudged demand and encouraged the development of smaller venues and festivals.
“I should have booked a smaller venue,” one person wrote online.
“They made arrangements themselves. They should have booked theaters and club venues for performances in the United States and made them burlesque-themed, paying homage to PCD’s roots.”
The group’s latest release, club songhas received positive feedback, including a viral TikTok dance, but many fans said the marketing was lackluster, cited the lack of a music video, and described the TikTok dance trend as “uninspiring.”
“I feel like they are trying too hard and focusing too much on going viral on TikTok. Zero live performances for promotion is a death sentence.”
This slump marks the group’s second comeback attempt in recent years.
Coming back as a single in 2020 react The band was set to restart internationally, including an Australian tour, before the coronavirus pandemic derailed plans.
The resurgence also led to a legal dispute, with founder Robin Antin suing Scherzinger in 2021, alleging that she withdrew from efforts to restart the tour after failing to secure “full creative control.”
In a recent interview with Today promoting the tour, the trio was asked why only three members returned.
Scherzinger appeared to be caught off guard and stopped before band member Kimberly Wyatt intervened.
“It has ruptured in the past, but it is currently being repaired,” Wyatt said.
Ms. Scherzinger echoed her bandmates’ answer, adding that they will always remain part of the legacy despite the absence of the other three members.
“What I wanted to say is that we have great love and respect for all of the women who are part of PCD’s legacy, who were dolls and always will be dolls,” Scherzinger added.
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