Would You Be Willing To Donate A Kidney To See Chappell Roan's Sold-Out Concert?
It's an intense offer, but giving up a kidney could get you a ticket to see Chappell Roan at a Swedish music festival.
L Paul Mann | Shutterstock Chappell Roan is one of the biggest names in music today, and this weekend, she’s playing at a festival in Sweden called Way Out West. The festival does sound pretty incredible, with other acts including Charli XCX, Iggy Pop, Queens of the Stone Age, and PinkPantheress.
If this list of artists has you wanting to book a last-minute trip to Sweden, you might want to hold off. The festival sold out. So, how far would you be willing to go to snag a ticket? Would you be willing to donate a kidney?
If you are willing to donate a kidney, you might be able to see Chappell Roan at the Way Out West festival.
I will be the first to admit that when I was unable to secure tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, I said something along the lines of, “I’d sell my kidney to go!” Did I really mean that? No. It’s my kidney! But Gen Z is nothing if not dramatic, and offering to sell random body parts to do things that you really want but are seemingly impossible is routine at this point.
Apparently, when some people say they’d be willing to sell a kidney to go to a concert (or something similar), they might be serious. At least, that’s what Way Out West is betting on. They’ve created a new way to get into the festival called The Kidney Pass. It gives fans the chance to win a three-day pass to the festival if they sign up to donate their organs — after they’ve already passed away, thankfully.
So, while the idea sounds a bit macabre on the surface, it’s actually for a good cause. Way Out West is encouraging people to become organ donors through Sweden’s National Organ Donation Registry. According to NJ.com’s Murjani Rawls, only Swedish citizens can participate, unfortunately, because it requires a Swedish security number and is handled through the country’s organ donation system.
While The Kidney Pass may ultimately be for a good cause, it still sounds a bit bizarre.
Way Out West isn’t asking you to actually donate a kidney now. They’re just suggesting you might want to consider being an organ donor after your death so that you can save other people’s lives. That’s a great thing to do. It all just sounds a little … odd.
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Organ donation statistics are pretty stark. Way Out West said that 30% fewer people are signing up for Sweden’s National Organ Registry. Here in the U.S., the government’s official organ donation website said that 90% of American adults are supporters of organ donation, but only 60% are registered.
Organ donation is a serious issue. People are waiting for transplants every day, and time is running out for them. Why not give the gift of life, especially when you won’t be using your organs anymore?
Organ donation is a great cause, but The Kidney Pass may be taking things a little too far.
The world needs more organ donors, and giving people the chance to win tickets to a huge, sold-out music festival by becoming donors is certainly one way to entice more people to register. However, it feels a little pushy. It seems like the kind of thing young adults (Rawls said you have to be at least 18 to sign up) would do flippantly without considering the gravity of their choice.
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Some of the language used to advertise for The Kidney Pass feels a bit off, too. For example, “With no tickets left, the FOMO kicks in hard. People start saying they’d give up just about anything to get one. One phrase you often hear when tickets are gone? ‘I’d give a kidney for a ticket.’” It feels a little bit like such a solemn topic is being treated with frivolity.
Ultimately, this was each Swedish adult’s decision. There’s no word yet on who won, and thank goodness they didn’t let teenagers participate. Giving up a kidney to see Chappell Roan sounds like some serious dedication, but at least it all supports a good cause.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
