Tom HallThe UK might be leaving Europe, but English football clubs have demonstrated an uncanny resolve to remain, with Tottenham Hotspur facing Liverpool FC in the UEFA Champions League Final on 1 June, and Arsenal taking on Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League final on 29 May.
This unprecedented turn of events has promoted some disruptive event and ticketing activity. UEFA has warned that fans who’ve paid thousands of pounds for tickets online could be turned away at the turnstiles. Indeed, secondary sites have tickets listed at up to £45,000.
Meanwhile, fans of the band Muse have revealed their conflicting loyalties, after it was announced that the venue at which the rock band are playing, the London Stadium, will not be screening the Champions League Final. Tickets for the date are now retailing online for as little as £35.
There’s also been uproar on Twitter over bars and venues charging for tickets to watch the finals. On Facebook, Julie Kate Edwards said: “How dare they charge fans … I wouldn’t go anywhere that has the cheek to charge, especially when bar prices for plastic cupped warm drinks are astronomical anyway.”
With preparations for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and 2022 Commonwealth Games underway and at a critical stage for other international competitions including Tokyo 2020 and Pan American Games, these issues will remain on the agenda long into the future.
The issues surrounding major events will also be discussed at the Major Events International’s June Summit, Villa Park, Birmingham, 26-27 June. Mash Media, an MEI partner, has secured a limited number of discounted places. The Summit will facilitate knowledge transfer and present an opportunity for suppliers to demonstrate their ambition to be involved.