Fans angered as all U2 Dublin gig tickets sell out

Irish U2 fans were gutted yesterday after tickets for the group’s home town gigs sold out in seconds amid calls for anti-touting laws to be fast-tracked.

The world’s biggest rock band are set to play Dublin’s 3Arena on November 5, 6, 9 and 10 but tens of thousands of people were left bitterly disappointed.

The tickets for all of their European tour dates went on sale at 9am but almost immediately all of the seats were snapped up.

Throngs of fans took to social media to vent their fury with one posting: “@U2 Dublin tickets gone in -3 seconds.”

Another disappointed customer wrote: “@U2 should call their #U2eiTour the ‘Impossible to Get tickets Tour’ #U2Dublin sold out in nanoseconds.”

Minutes after going on sale hundreds of tickets for the Dublin, UK, Germany, France and Portugal dates appeared on secondary resale sites with some at more than €1,000 and Ticketmaster’s sister website Seatwave was charging €400.

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, who drafted a Private Members’ Bill last year outlawing ticket touting with TD Stephen Donnelly, said the legal process for the legislation
needs to move a lot quicker.

He said: “Today’s outrageous cornering of the market by touts whose only goal is to gouge hard-working fans is an absolute disgrace and shows the problem we have.

“This is now happening on a weekly basis with concerts big and small, as well as larger sporting events: people know they can make a quick few quid by snapping up tickets via advance sales, and make at least double their money back.

“Time and time again, they promise things will change. Time and time again, they fail. It’s time for Government to step in with legislation.”

Trevor Quinn – www.dublinlive.ie