Does this sound familiar? Tickets for a popular Disney Channel act are selling on eBay, and possibly other sites, for thousands of dollars, and parents and children are outraged. No, it’s not the latest Hannah Montana concert, it’s The Wiggles.
The Australian preschool rock band’s tour in their homeland has drawn a large number of fans and scalpers to purchase tickets. Recently, the group discovered a scalper selling a $19 ticket for nearly $2,000 on eBay. The Australian Associated Press reports that the group promptly canceled the offending ticket.
The Wiggles, who have been awarded 17 certified Gold, 12 Platinum, three Double Platinum and 10 Multi Platinum records for sales their DVDs and CDs, oppose the scalping of their tickets and try to make the tickets to their concerts affordable so that the whole family can come to the performance. The group has just announced on their website that they will be performing a UNICEF benefit concert May 25 at the Sydney Entertainment Center in Sydney, Australia, with all profits to be donated directly to UNICEF.
Seats in the first three rows to their April 19 concert at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver are currently listed on eBay for nearly $300. Floor seats are already sold out on Ticketmaster.
With The Wiggles touring the U.S. this summer from July 24 through August 19, and Ticketmaster selling tickets to many of these events, the ticket market could be in for a repeat of the Hannah Montana fiasco, which has provoked legislation in many states. Although tickets have not yet gone on sale, families and ticket brokers are both eyeing the dates in early June when the tickets will become available.
In addition to concerts, The Wiggles are a cottage industry, and one of the most popular children’s acts in the world. There is the popular TV show, Wiggles toys and Wiggles-themed sections in some amusement parks. The Wiggles are the highest paid Australian entertainers, topping Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and AC/DC.
