Country superstar Kenny Chesney‘s growing reputation as a top-notch live performer has led to an increased demand for his annual summer tours. Since tickets for his upcoming Sun City Carnival Tour hit the market in February, the country musician has remained in TicketNews’s exclusive weekly event rankings, peaking at the No. 4 position on the charts for the week ending February 22.
This popularity and demand for tickets has led to concerns among venue operators about ticket scalping at Chesney’s May 21 concert at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC. As a result, the venue and artist are cooperating on an initiative to limit ticket pick-up for the best seats in the house to Will Call only.
According to the show’s listing on the Bi-Lo Center Web site, tickets for the three front sections of floor seating (1, 2 and 3) and four stage-side blocks of lower-level seating (103, 104, 112, 113) will be available for pick-up at the venue’s Will Call on the day of the show.
“This move is really in response to a lot of complaints we got from consumers who were burned by the secondary market and charged inflated prices or never received their tickets at all,” said Roger Newton, general manager for the Bi-Lo Center, in a recent interview with TicketNews. “If we have anything to do with it, they will only pay face value for these tickets.”
Concertgoers who purchase tickets for the select seating levels must present their identification at the box office, at which point they will be issued their tickets and immediately escorted into the venue. Anyone who exits the venue will not be readmitted.
Newton explained, “We have to get the artist’s permission for the process…but anytime we can get an artist to agree, we’re going to do this.”
Chesney’s Sun City Carnival Tour launches with April 17-18 performances at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Tickets for his concert at the Bi-Lo go on sale Saturday, April 4.
“I know this way of doing the ticketing is a little more work day-of-show. But when I go to secondary sites and see tickets going for $1,500 and $1,700 — I know the fans who have been here forever aren’t getting the best seats,” Chesney told Greenville’s local CBS News station, WYFF 4. “As someone who does those working man’s sections at my shows, I’m about making it easy and affordable for people who want to come out and party with us.”