A much anticipated Ed Sheeran concert at Hampden in Glasgow turned to anger and sadness for some of the singer’s fans, after many were informed at the last minute that their tickets – which had been distributed free as a thank you to workers of the UK National Health Service – were cancelled by the event promoter. Members of the Blue Light Card which is a discount service for the emergency services, NHS, social care sector, and armed forces were told that they would not be able to enter the event with any tickets associated with their order(s) by Ticketmaster, the ticket sales company of the event, just hours before the sold-out gig.
The gig marked the second of Sheeran’s two performances in Glasgow at Hampden Park on June 17 as part of his Mathematics tour. Blue Light Card members obtained their discounted tickets during the event’s special offer period.
Ticketmaster explained the cancellation of their ticket allotment in an email that was obtained by STV News. The statement declared that “due to circumstances beyond our control, our allocation of tickets has been revoked.”
Concert promoter AEG Presents stated that the decision to cancel the allocation sprang from an oversubscription of complimentary tickets.
“This has meant some recipients have unfortunately had their tickets cancelled. We will ensure that those affected will be invited next time Ed plays in Scotland,” the statement revealed, adding that their customer relations team was dealing with all customers who’d been affected. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” an AEG spokesperson said.
Among many reactions by fans, one belonged to a homeless worker Shirley Holland, 52, who booked tickets for herself, her daughter and her two grandchildren, according to the report by Scottish Daily Express.
“We were all so excited and then I got an email telling me that they had cancelled my tickets. My grandkids are only eight and 10 so how do you tell them they’re not going to see him now? It is just terrible. They say they are going to give something back to you and then this.”
“I worked all the way through the pandemic with vulnerable people. It is so upsetting,” she said, “Surely they know how many seats there are before selling them?”
Known for fighting against resale marketplaces, Ed Sheeran was criticised by some of his fans over his and his promotion company’s efforts in 2019 to stomp out ticket touts on his ‘Divide’ tour. Claiming that restrictions placed against open resale of tickets to his performances caused them serious financial losses, a number of Sheeran fans told they were unable to sell on their spare tickets due to the fixed price + 10% fee scheme on the Sheeran-approved resale sites.
Sheeran promotion company Kilimanjaro Live explained the situation back in 2019 as follows: “From the outset we have tried to find a way to be fair to fans, in order to facilitate the ethical resale of tickets and to leave as many fans as happy as possible whilst preventing the daily horror stories of them being ripped off by ticket touts profiting from the panic to get a ticket to see Ed.”
Now, it is a wonder how pop-star who is sensitive about finding fair solutions to ticket issues will compensate for the recent devastation of his fans over the last-minute ticket cancellation. Although ticket holders have been promised they will be invited next time Sheeran comes to Scotland on tour, the aggrieved fans say they have been left out of pocket after paying for travel and accommodation to attend the show.
Ed Sheeran’s tour in United Kingdom continues with his London performance on July 1 and dates across Europe through the end of September before a single U.S. date in Austin, Texas in October. His tour continues in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.
Ed Sheeran Ticket Links
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Ed Sheeran tickets at Ticketmaster France
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Ed Sheeran tickets at Ticketmaster UK
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Ed Sheeran tickets at Vivid Seats
Ed Sheeran 2022 Tour Dates
Jul 07 – Veltins-Arena | Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Jul 08 – Veltins-Arena | Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Jul 09 – Veltins-Arena | Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Jul 14 – Johan Cruijff ArenA | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jul 15 – Johan Cruijff ArenA | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jul 22 – King Baudouin Stadium | Brussels, Belgium
Jul 23 – King Baudouin Stadium | Brussels, Belgium
Jul 29 – Stade De France | Paris, France
Jul 30 – Stade De France | Paris, France
Aug 03 – Øresundsparken | Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 04 – Øresundsparken | Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 05 – Øresundsparken | Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 06 – Øresundsparken | Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 10 – Ullevi | Gothenburg, Sweden
Aug 11 – Ullevi | Gothenburg, Sweden
Aug 20 – Olympic Stadium | Helsinki, Finland
Aug 21 – Olympic Stadium | Helsinki, Finland
Aug 25 – PGE Narodowy | Warsaw, Poland
Aug 26 – PGE Narodowy | Warsaw, Poland
Sep 01 – Ernst Happel Stadium | Vienna, Austria
Sep 02 – Ernst Happel Stadium | Vienna, Austria
Sep 10 – Olympiastadion | Munich, Germany
Sep 11 – Olympiastadion | Munich, Germany
Sep 12 – Olympiastadion | Munich, Germany
Sep 16 – Letzigrund Stadion | Zurich, Switzerland
Sep 17 – Letzigrund Stadion | Zurich, Switzerland
Sep 23 – Deutsche Bank Park | Frankfurt, Germany
Sep 24 – Deutsche Bank Park | Frankfurt, Germany
Sep 25 – Deutsche Bank Park | Frankfurt, Germany
Oct 22 – Circuit of The Americas | Austin, Texas