Crackdown on sale of bogus concert tickets

CONCERT promoters and the gardaí are joining forces to clamp down on rouge ticket sellers ahead of several major concerts this summer.

The gardaí fear thousands of sophisticated bogus tickets are being manufactured for sell-out music events.

Already dozens of forged tickets were seized at the Justin Timberlake gig at the Point Theatre, Dublin, last week. These tickets were purchased through magazine and newspaper advertisements.

“We are issuing the warning for all concerts this summer. That includes the Paul McCartney event tonight, but we’re talking about all other concerts as well,” a Ticketmaster spokesperson said.

The ticket company and gardaí have warned the public to be vigilant when buying tickets through unofficial sources.

Gardaí are particularly worried big outdoor events such as Slane, where global chart-toppers the Red Hot Chilli Peppers head the bill, will be targeted.

“These sell-out events where people are not seated are always the most difficult to monitor for tickets.

“They are hit every year and often a few thousand are able to sneak into a field that already has tens of thousands,” a senior garda source said.

The gardaí believe major criminal figures are involved in producing illegal tickets.

These criminals have sophisticated technology that can produce high-quality bogus tickets.

Equipment capable of reproducing tickets was seized in Northern Ireland recently and gardaí believe there are several similar machines in the country.

“This is a very lucrative market and these criminals try to make some big money from it. Many tickets cost over €70 so it’s easy to see why they are attracted to the market,” the garda source said.

One concert that could be hit is the Paul McCartney gig in the RDS Arena tonight.

Mr McCartney will be performing his Back in the World show and the concert is part of his first tour of Europe since 1993. Tickets for the event are priced at €105 and €75.

It’s the former Beatle’s first show in Ireland since the band played at Dublin’s Adelphi Cinema in November 1963, the Fab Four’s only performance in the country.

The average price of tickets for summer music events is €60.

Other shows that could be targeted by illegal ticket sellers include Lisdoonvarna, June 28; Robbie Williams, Phoenix Park, August 9; REM, Marlay Park, July 16-17; Eminem, Punchestown, June 26-27.