Pricing outrage as Obama Dublin 'cheap seats' sell out in seconds

Extra.ie​

3 days ago

Hope disappeared for plenty of Barack Obama fans after standard-priced tickets for his September appearance in Dublin were gone within seconds on Thursday morning.
And those who snapped up seats for the event on September 26 won't have much change left, with tickets costing upwards of €130.
The event is called An Evening With President Barack Obama and will see the two-time US president in conversation with journalist Fintan O'Toole. Barack Obama holding a hurley as he shares a laugh with Enda Kenny on his visit to Ireland in 2011. Pic: Maxwells/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
General sale began on Thursday at 10am and, after waiting in Ticketmaster's digital queue, many people were shocked to see the standard tickets, which were priced from €25-€30, were already gone.
Many were disappointed given that Ticketmaster had claimed tickets would be available from €25-€30, yet after queueing for a few minutes, they were able to purchase only higher-tier tickets, all priced upwards of €130. Barack Obama enjoying a pint of Guinness at a pub in Moneygall in Co Offaly in 2011. Pic: Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images
The cheapest tickets to the event currently available on the Ticketmaster website are priced at €143.75. These tickets will only gain you access to the very back of the arena. To sit in the front section, just rows away from the former US president, you could expect to pay €368.75.
There is also an option for those who wish to be even closer to Obama – a VIP ticket which promises a photo opportunity, premium seating, a champagne reception and a signed copy of his new book, A Promised Land. These tickets will set purchasers back over €2,000.
This marks yet another controversy for online ticket manager Ticketmaster after tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras tour sold out in seconds in June 2024, and Oasis superfans faced very high prices for the band's reunion gig in Croke Park next month. Former US president Barack Obama. Pic:Ticketmaster told Extra.ie that lower-price tickets tend to sell first.
The event will see Mr Obama discuss his two terms as president and the future of America. A similar event is due to take place in London's O2 arena.
Although it is unclear how much the former president is making from the events, it marks another lucrative media deal for him after he signed a multi-year deal to produce content for Netflix in 2018.