VIP Packages + (RED) Zone Auctions - All Discussion HERE

[ntalwar]

It looks to me like there will be a LOT of seats in those sections, that might help keep the prices somewhat moderate.

I agree- that's been the case in the past with other artists. In some cases there weren't even enough bidders, so they ended releasing several great seats at face value after the auction ended. The auction should also help reduce the amount scalpers can charge for the premium seats in the stands. The larger markets like NY will see higher bids.

 

[bridonohue]

I agree- that's been the case in the past with other artists. In some cases there weren't even enough bidders, so they ended releasing several great seats at face value after the auction ended. The auction should also help reduce the amount scalpers can charge for the premium seats in the stands. The larger markets like NY will see higher bids.

i think this is the case more often than a lot of people think. i bet part of it is many people are unfamiliar with the official auctioning of tickets and those who are think it will cost too much.

for a recent coldplay concert here in dc many of the seats in the first 20 rows were auctioned off for close to face.

i bet that people are going to be able to get these tickets for close to $100 plus fees in many locations.

 

[Chizip]

so when exactly do these auctions start and end?

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

^yeah that's a good question.

 

[Chizip]

if you go the auction route you are still forced to buy other normal tickets just in case

i wish they'd explain all of this stuff ahead of time so we know what we are getting into

 

[ntalwar]

if you go the auction route you are still forced to buy other normal tickets just in case

i wish they'd explain all of this stuff ahead of time so we know what we are getting into

Good point - if the auction prices get insanely high, people may be stuck without a ticket. The Amsterdam auction ends on the 18th I think (a 5 day auction).

 

[dclawyer]

The Amsterdam auction is already getting a little pricey. I think people are panicking and not realizing how many of these seats will be available and driving the price up.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

i don't get the uproar over these seats. it's like any other expensive commodity. everyone might want it, but everyone can't afford it, so some are disappointed. should seats be means tested. should i have to submit a w-2 before i buy a ticket. seems to be a good deal of jealousy/hatred for someone who is fortunate enough to be able to pay for these packages. and btw, the richest guys in the stadium are going to be up on the stage.

do any of the complainers spit at people sitting in first class on airplanes?

full disclosure, the most i paid for a u2 ticket was $300 for a scalped seat 8th row at yankee stadium. had to eat ramen noodles for a couple of weeks to afford it.

Good point. Also how much money are people who are traveling to several shows spending in total? Add up transportation, hotel(if necessary), and ticket prices and all the additional spending associated with attending a show, it adds up to a pretty penny.

 

[ntalwar]

So with about 20 hours left in the Amsterdam 1 auction, the current minimum bids are 150 and 165 euro (depending on side) plus TB fees. Amsterdam 2 auction ends Friday (a 4 day auction), and its bids are only at the starting 95 euro price.

 

[last unicorn]

^ Well, that's not much

Anyone here bidding for these tickets?

Are there any concerts besides Amsterdam that have the (Red) zone and auction?

 

[ntalwar]

^ Well, that's not much

Anyone here bidding for these tickets?

Are there any concerts besides Amsterdam that have the (Red) zone and auction?

Yeah - we're not seeing the high three figure/low 4 figure prices that many people may have thought we would, but it's early. I don't think we will though. I will probably bid for a couple of US shows (after I secure "backup" tickets). The Red Zone appears on every ticketmaster map I have seen - I think the Sweden site also has an auction running.

 

[*Ally*]

are the (RED) tickets GA or seated? If seated, would they give the best seats in the section to those who paid the most?

Also, i am not sure how fantastic this area actually is-- from what i recall seeing on the Vertigo tour, the ramps were verrrrry high as they curved down from the stage, so people in this section might be craning their necks to see the band. though this tour's ramp could be set up completely differently... so who knows.

 

[malcolmbeaton]

the outer ramp will have to be a few feet, or maybe more than a few feet lower than the main stage or if you are close to the outer ramp, be in in GA or red your not going to be able to see the main stage well if at all...but this is way to obvious for U2 not to figure out. It means that outer ramp will be real low, or the main stage likewise might be quite high compared to an arena gig. Any math wiz's want to calculate the angle for us

 

[ntalwar]

are the (RED) tickets GA or seated? If seated, would they give the best seats in the section to those who paid the most?

Also, i am not sure how fantastic this area actually is-- from what i recall seeing on the Vertigo tour, the ramps were verrrrry high as they curved down from the stage, so people in this section might be craning their necks to see the band. though this tour's ramp could be set up completely differently... so who knows.

The Red Zone contains seats, but I haven't seen where they mention assigned seating. The ramps from the main stage should be behind this area, and the red zone should offer a similar view as the "front rail" area (outside ellipse).

 

[doctorwho]

correct me if im wrong, but In europe they typically havent done the scanning for the inner circle thing, where in america they do. Are they actually going to scan for the ellipse in europe this year, IE being the little soldier who stands for 24 hours may accomplish nothing if you dont get beeped in (welcome to the world of an american fan euro)..Just seems relevant because of all the surface area your loosing with Red Area. in USA im just not feeling so good about a GA ticket now, I either am in that 10% that beep in, or I'm on that big square off to the side, or behind the red area which nobody really knows the size of

For the last tour, it was arenas in the U.S. and stadiums in Europe. The stadium show had an open oval - so if you were there early enough, you could get into the oval (or near it) without a scan. Those who arrived late to the GA went outside on the lawn.

In the arena, the oval was closed, so scanning was done (which I hated as I never got in - wasn't even scanned one time ).

I don't think the RED ticket special interferes with anything else. These are stadiums. 50K tickets are available. Fan club members got to pick their seats first. A small section was put aside - outside of the shape - for these RED specials. This doesn't interfere with a fan's ability to get close, so I don't see why some are getting worked up about it. For every show, there are scalped tickets - including scalped seats from legit fans (not just agencies). If you don't want them, don't buy them. However, as at least some of the money is going towards RED - something NOT occurring with any other ticket agency or scalped ticket - I think this is a good thing.

 

[JCOSTER]

wth is a red zone package?

Experience U2 360º in style with (RED) Zone Packages

VIP entrance
Greeted by (RED) Zone Hosts
High profile General Admission areas on the field adjacent to stage runway
Access special concession and merchandise stand
Top 10 winning bids receive pre-show backstage tour!

(RED) Zone Packages only available by Auction and all non-ticket elements provided by Live Nation. A proportion of the proceeds will be given in support of to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa

 

[bridonohue]

best part of these tix are that you know you will be close to the rail on edges or adams side even if you show up when the house lights go down, not standing back by the soundboard. most people cant spend all day standing outside a stadium in line, or waiting hours holding a spot in a large crowd, fighting your way back if you leave for any reason.

like many things in life, you're paying for convenience, and so far the price looks well worth it.

 

[u2search]

So with about 20 hours left in the Amsterdam 1 auction, the current minimum bids are 150 and 165 euro (depending on side) plus TB fees. Amsterdam 2 auction ends Friday (a 4 day auction), and its bids are only at the starting 95 euro price.

That's actually pretty cheap. You have the best of both worlds: you can walk in late and sit until the concert starts, like you have with seats, you have GA during the concert, AND you are guaranteed close to the stage. What else do you want? Sounds like a better deal than my EUR 160 seat.

 

[ntalwar]

That's actually pretty cheap. You have the best of both worlds: you can walk in late and sit until the concert starts, like you have with seats, you have GA during the concert, AND you are guaranteed close to the stage. What else do you want? Sounds like a better deal than my EUR 160 seat.

Yeah -it's not a bad deal at all. Two disadvantages (minor) are that: if the ticket buyer or a guest can't make it, it won't be possible to sell the ticket(s) in advance; and as posted earlier, a bidder won't know whether they won (or the price) until days after the regular tickets are sold out. So one could get stuck without a ticket.

 

[BigBlue02]

I have to be honest: I really don't like the idea of those RED Tickets. In fact, I don't like the whole product RED thing at all. 40% off the income from those products goes to a charitable organisation. That's fine. But what of the other 60% ? Looking at those products, and what they cost, that's a whole lot of money. I'd really like to know where THAT goes to.

The same now with U2 concert tickets. I'd really like to know where those 60% of the ticket price will go to. To the tour promoter? Principle management? To U2's private bank account? I don't know, but those who earn this won't need it, that I'm sure of.
If 100% of the ticket price would go to a charitable organisation (Greenpeace, Amnesty International, DATA or whatever), I'd say it's a great thing. But like this it looks to me like another way of making massive profit under the disguise of charity. And that's a point where I as a fan feel cheated at, especially if you consider that it's U2 we're talking about.

Another thing that annoys me about those tickets is the fact that now there are special front of stage tickets on sale. Am I now a lesser fan because I can't afford it? No I don't think people should earn a place right in front of the stage just for the fact that they have the money. Life isn't just about money. Nor is good music. A band like U2 (and others like AC/DC or the Stones, Madonna etc.) doesn't need the income from these special FOS tickets and I'm quite disappointed about them in this case.

Don't get me wrong, I still love U2, mainly for their music. I did buy a u2.com membership to get better chances at tickets. I did buy the big limited super special Box of their album, because I think their new music is worth it. And I'm still going to their concerts because it's something I want to share with some really good friends I got to know through U2. But I'd rather save the money of a U2 ticket and spend all of it on Greenpeace than bidding on those RED tickets. That's what I understand about charity rather than my personal interest of being up close to my favourite band. If Bono does an Africa speech on stage this tour I really will have trouble believing him now.

 

[ntalwar]

Another thing that annoys me about those tickets is the fact that now there are special front of stage tickets on sale. Am I now a lesser fan because I can't afford it? No I don't think people should earn a place right in front of the stage just for the fact that they have the money. Life isn't just about money.

They are outside the ellipse actually, so they are not the best spots in the stadium. Some fans can't wait in line for hours on end to get a good spot, so they shouldn't be punished for that fact either.

 

[JCOSTER]

IMO I think the red zone auction tickets is a good idea. If people are willing to pay, why not. Plus, I could see Bono thinking if people are going to buy from a scalper to get a decent seat why not do something like this and then a percentage goes to a charity rather than in someones pocket. I am actually going to try for a GA this time around. I only did GA once and would like to do it again.

 

[Hewson]

Another thing that annoys me about those tickets is the fact that now there are special front of stage tickets on sale. Am I now a lesser fan because I can't afford it? No I don't think people should earn a place right in front of the stage just for the fact that they have the money. Life isn't just about money.

Right on. And while we're at it, big houses and fancy cars shouldn't be for people with a lot of money either.

 

[ntalwar]

The final minimum winning bids for Ams. 1 were 155 and 180 euro - only slightly more than the closest seats. The Ams. 2 auction prices are still at only 95 euro (ends Friday) - cheaper than the seats on the side. On average, I think these red zone seats will sell for about the same as the premium seats in the stands and maybe even for less in some cases.

 

[chrissybaby]

This is a step too far IMO. Is this a rock show or an Event?
How rubbish will it be when for the vast majority of the day there are two huge empty areas while we all cram into our pens, then 10 mins before showtime a load of monied people rock up. How's that for a festival atmosphere? What about the support acts?

...

 

[Hewson]

What about the support acts?

...

They're free to bid on Red Zone seats

 

[ntalwar]

This is a step too far IMO. Is this a rock show or an Event?
How rubbish will it be when for the vast majority of the day there are two huge empty areas while we all cram into our pens, then 10 mins before showtime a load of monied people rock up. How's that for a festival atmosphere? What about the support acts?

...

It's not any different than the seats, and they're on the side anyway. On the last tour, seats were on the sides of the ellipse (in arenas) - this is the same layout.

 

[Skoobz]

The final minimum winning bids for Ams. 1 were 155 and 180 euro - only slightly more than the closest seats. The Ams. 2 auction prices are still at only 95 euro (ends Friday) - cheaper than the seats on the side. On average, I think these red zone seats will sell for about the same as the premium seats in the stands and maybe even for less in some cases.

Wow. That is literally a fraction of what I thought they'd go for or how much I'd be willing to spend! Hopefully Barcelona follows this pattern!

 

[Chizip]

i think they should auction off dances with bono on stage

 

[lancerla]

Do you still get a shot at the lottery if you go Red?