August 25, 2010 - Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia

[m0nkeyb0y]

Hmmm.....still thinking this one over....

Does anyone know which of the links here relates to Red Zone tickets?

 

[Claypole]

Hmmm.....still thinking this one over....

Does anyone know which of the links here relates to Red Zone tickets?

I don't think any of them are Redzone, there are just seats and GA available by the looks of it.

There are still some return flights available for the days around the concert from London to Moscow via Vienna on Austrian airlines for £155 (I assume you'd be travelling from the UK?). You need to stay a Saturday night to get that fare. Direct flights start at £213 return with Aeroflot. I decided to to go with Austrian, (and the boredom of a 3 hour stopover in Vienna), and put the money saved towards my gig ticket.

 

[cathalmc]

£155 return from the UK is a great price. I got a single flight from Helsinki to St Petersburg for £68. And then another single from Moscow to Vienna for £132.

So your return ticket through Vienna to Moscow from London is almost as cheap as my single to Vienna from Moscow!

 

[Claypole]

£155 return from the UK is a great price. I got a single flight from Helsinki to St Petersburg for £68. And then another single from Moscow to Vienna for £132.

So your return ticket through Vienna to Moscow from London is almost as cheap as my single to Vienna from Moscow!

It is a complete bargain. I've flown Austrian to Moscow once before and was very pleasantly surprised to find the price pretty much the same now as it was 10 years ago.

You're doing Helsinki and Vienna then? I was very tempted by doing one of them as well as Moscow, but rapidly changed my mind when I checked flight prices.

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

£155 - That's even cheaper than German Wings - nice find

Edit: All prices now seem to be at £196 each way...

 

[4U2Play]

Ticket update for those few intrepid foreigners who bought U2 Moscow tickets online:

My buddy Brad went to Moscow on a business trip last week, so I asked him to pick up my Moscow GA's while he's there at the ticket office picking up his own tickets.

I gave him my second passport (UK), my Visa card, a copy of the purchase receipt, a copy of my Visa credit card bill with the ticket charge circled and a Power Of Attorney letter.

Yesterday, I got a call at 6am from a Russian woman at the ticket office wanting to know why my Visa card number is different than the one I used to pay for the tickets a few months ago. Her English was good, so I explained that I lost my wallet recently and had to get a new Visa card with a new number, but the account is the same. After much consultation with her boss, she told me that they would keep my new Visa card number on file in case of any problems down the road. Nyet problem, I said.

Lesson #1: Bring the credit card you used to buy the tickets, plus your passport and receipt of purchase


Brad emailed me later and said he spent half the day trying to find the ticket office. He kept getting lost, even though I gave him the new address of the ticket office: Leningradsky Avenue 37, B. 9, Entrance 3, 2nd Floor -- the Metro Station is Dinamo

Lesson #2: Write down the new address of the Kassir.ru ticket office and print this map:

http://www.kassir.ru/data/2010/03/01/1097794768/kassir_map_2.gif


Brad then said that instead of getting the actual GA tickets, he received certificates instead. These certificates are given out only to GA and Red Zone ticket buyers as a way to prevent counterfeiting, he was told. Between 21-25 August, I still have to go back to the ticket office and trade in the certificates for the tickets.

Lesson #3: GA ticket buyers might encounter a screwy certificate trade-in system at the Kassir.ru office when trying to pick up their tickets


Thinking about this, it's no wonder the GA's aren't sold out, yet (1389 still available as of now). The locals don't want to deal with going to this ticket office and messing around with certificates, so they're waiting to buy their tickets at the door.

I will post a picture of the certicates when I get them in a few days.

 

[cathalmc]

Gotta love bureaucracy! I tried to buy some tix a couple of months ago but got bogged down in the process with the website and thoughts of men with bushy eyebrows getting their hands on my credit card number.

 

[RedRocksU2]

How cool would it be to be the band in Russia??? *sigh*

 

[4U2Play]

This is the Muscovite fellow who sold me my U2 Moscow tickets:

His eyebrows are indeed rather bushy, but he seemed nice

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

Does anyone know how to get hold of Red Zone tickets at all?

 

[4U2Play]

This is the certificate/voucher mentioned in my post above #66:

This is not an actual ticket. Instead, I will have to return to the Kassir.ru ticket office before the show and exchange this voucher for the actual ticket.

I have no idea why this method is being used, since everyone else who arrives in town the day before the show will have to pick up their GAs and Red Zone tickets at the same office. So, what's the point of giving out these certificates if I need to go to the office again anyway? The only advantage is that I will not have to show ID again -- big deal.

They are a cool thing to have, though, so hopefully they tear off the stub and let us keep the rest of it.

 

[4U2Play]

Only 255 GAs still available:

http://www.kassir.ru/en/msk/order/135446597-134604434.html

At least the field will be full

 

[hedge]

looks like the whole stadium is very close to being full - about 3000 tickets to sell.

 

[darthvera]

Special action for U2 at the Moscow gig - please read

Hello U2 folks!

I represent the Russian U2 Community (u2.ru). If you are attending the U2 gig in Moscow, please join us in the "Green Light for U2" action.

I bet all of us know that green colour and shamrock are international symbols of Ireland. We in Russia want to welcome our favourite Irish band with these symbols and create a green shamrock field at the stadium for the opening U2 song.

Russian U2 Community will print and distribute cardboard shamrocks among the audience (mainly among people in the circle we suppose, because the shamrocks will only be visible from a short distance), but you can also print the shamrocks from the Russian U2 fansite (click here for a JPG). Also - espeсially if you have seats or aren't planning to stand close - you
are encouraged to just take something green with you and wave it from the moment Larry appears on stage till the end of the the first song.

If your friends are attending this show, please, spread the word and ask them to join us in this action. This is the first and maybe the last U2 concert in Russia, so we desperately wish to thank them for their decision to come, show our respect to their country's culture and maybe make them enjoy the show a little bit more.

If you have any questions concerning this action or the Moscow gig itself, you can contact us via the International section of our forum.

Thanks a lot for reading, hope to see you in Moscow!
The Russian U2 Community.

 

[4U2Play]

looks like the whole stadium is very close to being full - about 3000 tickets to sell.

That looks a bit dubious. It appears they are releasing tickets on a row by row basis for the crap seats at the far end. Take a look at Stands B / Sector B9.

Two weeks ago they only had 7 GAs available at one point, then they suddenly had 400 available. Now it's down to 117, we'll see if they add more once it nears zero again.

 

[4U2Play]

Very cool, thanks for organising this, darthvera

I think if you want the field to look green, the pieces of paper should be 100% green (ie. cut out from the white border), and much bigger.

This is what worked so well in Chorzow. Everyone in the whole stadium (not just the field) got large rectangular pieces of red or white paper or sheets that made the entire stadium turn into a Polish flag:

Many fans also wore clothing that reflected their location inside the stadium, red for the field and white for the seats.

The Poles did this during "New Year's Day" in the middle of the set, rather than the first song. NYD was an obvious choice, but the organizers also figured that most fans inside the Circle will be jumping around during the first song rather than standing still with paper above their heads blocking their view.

In any case, I'm very much looking forward to seeing U2 in your hometown, it's going to be an awesome night

 

[darthvera]

Thanks for such a detailed reply, 4U2Play! I will collect all the replies and share with the other organizers. Some of us saw (and took part in) similar actions both in Poland and Sweden, but thanks, really.

I think if you want the field to look green, the pieces of paper should be 100% green (ie. cut out from the white border), and much bigger

How big approximately, what do you think? As you said, pieces of paper may block the view...
The darker outline was actually added to make the stalk thicker. And yes, we'll cut them out.

The Poles did this during "New Year's Day" in the middle of the set, rather than the first song. NYD was an obvious choice, but the organizers also figured that most fans inside the Circle will be jumping around during the first song rather than standing still with paper above their heads blocking their view.

Well, it's a good point... but we don't have a well-known song about our country in the setlist, and we think it's really better to get rid of the papers ASAP. By the way, why standing still, when we can jump and wave?

In any case, I'm very much looking forward to seeing U2 in your hometown, it's going to be an awesome night

I wish you to have an enjoyable night!

Two weeks ago they only had 7 GAs available at one point, then they suddenly had 400 available. Now it's down to 117, we'll see if they add more once it nears zero again.

Yes, they add more tix as they are being sold. Maybe to make it look as if they are almost sold already... and we don't have accurate information about how many tickets are really left. Actually it was like that in Europe last year, as it took people much time and page refreshing to get their GA's or side by side seats, and suddenly tickets were available again.

 

[bonoishot]

This idea is awesome. So wish I had leave from work to go to Moscow. I have always wanted to go.

Hope you all have an awesome time enjoying Russia's first U2 concert.

 

[4U2Play]

How big approximately, what do you think? As you said, pieces of paper may block the view...
The darker outline was actually added to make the stalk thicker. And yes, we'll cut them out.

Well, it's a good point... but we don't have a well-known song about our country in the setlist, and we think it's really better to get rid of the papers ASAP. By the way, why standing still, when we can jump and wave?

I think the colored sheets in Chorzow were maybe 66cm long, 33cm wide? You and your friends who were there probably remember it better than I do:

True, no U2 songs about Russia (yet!), but I wonder how many fans will want to hold up their shamrocks for the first five minutes when U2 come onstage, rather than snap pictures or just view the spectacle without having to do any "work". The anticipation we felt in Poland waiting for NYD was exciting, but I can totally see your point about getting rid of the papers ASAP.

Thanks again for organizing all this, I know how much time and effort is involved in this kind of undertaking, so your kindness and spirit is very much appreciated!

Hope to meet you in line the day of show. We'll be there very early, part of the foreign contingent that doesn't speak Russian (you'll spot us a mile away hahaha!).

 

[Vlad n U 2]

There's a Russian U2 Community? Never knew that, I have been pleasantly surprised.

 

[darthvera]

I wonder how many fans will want to hold up their shamrocks for the first five minutes when U2 come onstage, rather than snap pictures or just view the spectacle without having to do any "work".

I see your point too, and I told the others, but I'm afraid it's too late to change anything now because we've already announced the action everywhere. And I may be wrong, but didn't the Swedes also do their "wave white" thing during he first song? I just hope there will be enough people involved

Thanks again for organizing all this, I know how much time and effort is involved in this kind of undertaking, so your kindness and spirit is very much appreciated!

Thank you too.

Hope to meet you in line the day of show. We'll be there very early, part of the foreign contingent that doesn't speak Russian (you'll spot us a mile away hahaha!).

I hope so too I wish you a comfortable stay in Moscow!

There's a Russian U2 Community? Never knew that, I have been pleasantly surprised.

Well, we've been quite a small company for a rather long time. But everything's changing. I don't even know who's done this (it's a part of the U2 banner in the center of Moscow):

 

[Claypole]

I like the idea of turning the stadium green. My friend and I have seats so will keep checking here to see what the final plans are. I do have a green t-shirt I could wear.

On another note I received my Russian visa on Tuesday so am all ready to go (apart from I really need to revise my Russian...). I also received a second email from kassir.ru about their new address, complete with map so hopefully will have no problem collecting my tickets.

 

[Spoutnik]

Wow!!..have you seen what Moscow looks like the last few days? smoke from the fires outside of Moscow is invanding the city with people walking with masks.Hopefully the rain arrive soon to calm things.I know it's still 19 days away from the gig ,but if the gig was this weekend,i doubt the gig would have go on.

 

[darthvera]

luckily it's not this weekend. it would be so bad for you all to travel that far to find out there's no gig... but i have to say the situation's changing, one day it may be very smoky, and the next day it's ok (or am i just getting used to it?). the forecasts say it will be not that hot in a week (though, they keep saying so for a while already), maybe the fire will stop soon... we hope so...

 

[Claypole]

I've been keeping a close watch on the smog and temperature situation. Latest 10 day forecast has temperatures below 35 deg C from the middle of next week, and scattered thunderstorms (and a relatively cool 27 deg!) on Monday 16th. And apparently the direction of the wind is due to change on Tuesday which should alleviate the smog. Fingers crossed. It's my friend's first trip to Russia and sightseeing in that smog and heat would be very unpleasant.

I am starting to get very excited about the concert, and being back in Moscow

 

[4U2Play]

The smoke will either cause the show to be cancelled, or create the coolest atmosphere since Red Rocks!

 

[nickoslo]

russian show in doubts?

u all probbaly saw how bad are tings in moscow, so i highly doubt that there will be any show at all...

YouTube - ‪Russia on Fire: No air to breath, no home to return to‬‎

 

[vaz02]

How many fans are expected at the gig ? Could it be the biggest of 2010 ?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Luzhniki Stadium has a capacity of just over 78k.

 

[andybrock]

This could be an epic....
Enjoy people......