Please sign the online petition complaining about the $440 top price for Sao Paulo

[Halup]

There is now an online petition that is complaining about the insane top price of R$1,000 or about US$440 that is going to be charged as the top price for the Sao Paulo concerts.

These, along with the $335 top priced tickets for Santiago, are far and away the highest priced U2 tickets in history and are in 2 countries that are amongst the lowest economies on the entire Vertigo tour.

Whether you are from Brazil, South America or anywhere, please sign the petition to make U2 aware of this grave situation. It's entirely possible that the promoter in Brazil, as well as in Chile, is charging this without the members of U2 knowing this. It seems to go against all the principles of U2 and unfortunately could point to similar pricing on the next U2 tour in the US.

Link to petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/u2prices/petition.html

 

[Miroslava]

So what are the lowest priced tickets?

I am not signing anything without that info. And first it is come to South America and once they do, we protest?

 

[Halup]

The lowest priced tickets ae approximately US$73, with the majority of the floor selling for about US$79.

 

[VertigoGal]

signed (i won't say how many times, but i have quite a few email addresses ) & i will try to pass this around to as many people as i can.

 

[Halup]

I did not make it clear in my earlier post that the early reports indicate that the top priced tickets for around $440 each are supposedly in front of the stage, in a section they are calling the "Hot Area". That's the main reason for the outrage.

If this is true, then all the people paying $79 ($30 more than Honolulu GAs in a country where people earn a fraction of what people earn in the US) have to stand behind those extremely wealthy people.

Chile is also facing high prices for their shows, while Argentina gets away with no tickets costing more than around US$80.

Think of it in these terms: while some of you have paid a lot to ticket scalpers to get GA tickets in hopes of making it into the ellipse, would you really like to have to pay $440 normal price to be in the ellipse close to the band, especially it that amount of money was more than you earned in 1 month at work working full time?

The point of this petition is to alert U2 to something they may or may not be aware of. You have to remember in 1998 when the Brazilian promoter switched U2 out of Maracana stadium in Rio to Jacarepagua without ever telling the band.

U2 may not realize that if these early reports are correct, the fans directly in front of them are the richest fans, not neccessarily the biggest. This goes against everything U2 has tried to do with having GA on the floor and making them the least expensive tickets, so being upfront is not about class, rather it being about who is the most dedicated and exicted fans willing to spend large amounts of time waiting to be close to the band.

 

[victor_f]

And first it is come to South America and once they do, we protest?

Oh if it was in North America...

Would you be able to be near stage all that nights you've been on the tour, paying USD 400 a night?

Would you be happy to be 100 meters from the band while rich people/non-u2 fans/celebs are posing for gossip magazine pictures, only some meters away from them?

Even the band will not be happy with that...

 

[Miroslava]

No I wouldn't, but I guess I'd have to deal with it, wouldn't I? They certainly could charge those prices here if they wanted to, but they choose not to. So I am guessing there must be behind the scenes reasons, specially if you look at the prices in Mexico, Argentina, etc. You know as well as I do that in SA a lot of hands need to be greased sometimes to get things done. So it seems that they are not following a standard pricing structure across the board so as to accomodate individual costs for each country.

Besides, has there been OFFICIAL word about this HOT AREA and where it is located? Is this hot area eligible for the 50% student discount too?

 

[ntalwar]

I think the promoters need to be addressed also on any petitions regarding high ticket prices. I find it curious that U2 are charging $440 and the Rolling Stones are giving a free concert in Brazil.

If the Stones charge $450 and U2 charge $165 in the US (for the highest price seats), imagine what the Stones would have to charge in Brazil - over $800 in order to meet their "target" revenue for a paid concert? Perhaps the Stones balked at the outrageous promoters' fees?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Oh if it was in North America...

Would you be able to be near stage all that nights you've been on the tour, paying USD 400 a night?

Would you be happy to be 100 meters from the band while rich people/non-u2 fans/celebs are posing for gossip magazine pictures, only some meters away from them?

Even the band will not be happy with that...

if it was 400 dollars a night i would sit somewhere else.

 

[ntalwar]

This article from 2001 might explain the high Brazil prices.

Link: http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2001/06/17/story129261928.asp

"
Brazilian promoter has the edge on U2
Sunday, June 17, 2001
By Deirdre O'Reilly

A Brazilian music promoter says he is suing U2's Bono and Larry Mullen for statements he says they made about fees paid for the band's performances in Brazil. The promoter, Franco Bruni, says he is suing on a number of grounds including defamation.

According to Bruni, the band members said they left Brazil without receiving "a good part" of their fee. He says they made other statements such as "he did not pay several professionals, including us", which Bruni says are false.

The band performed three shows during their Popmart tour of Brazil in January 1998 -- one in Rio de Janeiro and two in Sao Paulo.

Paul McGuinness, manager of U2, said this was the first he'd heard about Franco Bruni suing U2.

According to the promoter, the band was paid an $8 million advance for the three shows. He said the total cost, including fees, production and promotion, amounted to over $15 million. Bruni wants the band to "explain to the Brazilian courts". According to the promoter, the contract between him, Concert Productions International (CPI) and TNA International stipulated that the band be paid in advance.

But McGuinness said that Bruni was being sued by the Brazilian performing rights society ECAD for non-payment of royalties due from U2's 1997 concerts. "He is not a promoter that we would intend to work with again," he said.

"

 

[shy]

Well, now is official...let's wait for prices.

 

[victor_f]

if it was 400 dollars a night i would sit somewhere else.

It's not that easy...

 

[STING2]

I think the promoters need to be addressed also on any petitions regarding high ticket prices. I find it curious that U2 are charging $440 and the Rolling Stones are giving a free concert in Brazil.

If the Stones charge $450 and U2 charge $165 in the US (for the highest price seats), imagine what the Stones would have to charge in Brazil - over $800 in order to meet their "target" revenue for a paid concert? Perhaps the Stones balked at the outrageous promoters' fees?

While some Stones seats in the United States cost as much as $500 dollars, keep in mind that the average price for all Stones tickets sold in the USA was $134 dollars. U2's average price in the USA was $97 dollars. So Rolling Stones ticket prices as whole were not substantially much more than U2 tickets, as the top ticket prices suggested.

 

[follower]

There was a press conference with the promoters today and guess what? The ticket prices will be even more expensive than the ones reported before.

Field: R$ 200,00 (US$ 88,19), by far the most expensive GA tickets on this tour

Stands: R$ 230,00 (US$ 101,12) by far the most expensive stands tickets on this tour.

Espaço Pão de Açúcar Emotion (numbered seats, upper level in the stands): R$ 380,00 (US$ 167,56); for these ones concert goers will be giving food, drink and a kit with a t-shirt and the latest U2 album.

Students with an special ID can pay half the price and are not allowed to buy tickets online.

The tickets for that so-called Hot Area won´t be for sale, only for 5.000 contest winners and VIPs.

73.000 tickets go on sale this next Monday, Jan 16 (no more on Saturday 14). Tickets for the second concert on Feb 21 will go on sale as soon as the first concert is sold out.

Franz Ferdinand will be the opening act.

Tickets can only be purchased in person in a few Pão de Açúcar stores in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with online purchase through Ticketronics.

For those familiar with portuguese, check the link below for more details:
http://musica.uol.com.br/ultnot/200...ult89u6209.jhtm

MT

 

[Halup]

I read the report on http://www.u2brasil.blogger.com.br/ and it is also indicating some stands seats for R$ 200,00.

I guess they decided wisely (probably under pressure from U2 management) to not sell the R$ 1,000,00 Hot Area tickets, but it seems as a compromise, they have increased the prices on all of the other tickets.

I got the impression that along with VIPs and contest winners, that entrance to the Hot Area was going to be done by the lottery system used in the arenas in the US? Can you read the link I provided and see if it has those details?

Also, I found it interesting how they revealed which hotel U2 will be staying at. Maybe when I go there, I should bring some of the U2 items I have started with some members' autographs and try to complete them at the hotel.

 

[follower]

I got the impression that along with VIPs and contest winners, that entrance to the Hot Area was going to be done by the lottery system used in the arenas in the US? Can you read the link I provided and see if it has those details?

Something along those lines, seems so, that´s what I tried to say by contest winners. So far there are no more details about it though.

MT

 

[U2Man]

if it was 400 dollars a night i would sit somewhere else.

Good point, Headache

There's no way I would pay that insane amount for a concert ticket.

Now, to all the Brazilians - isn't this ticket pricing scheme just reflecting the income structure of the country? I'm not trying to insult anyone, but isn't Brazil known for its extreme income disparity?

 

[U2FanPeter]

Bono was very vocal about the near stage VIPs at one of the Australian Popmart shows.

u2fp