In a first for Australian concerts, The Police will put tickets to selected seats in the first five rows of their Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth shows to auction.
The controversial practice has been happening in the United States since 2003, with tickets selling at an average of 74% higher than their face value. Premium tickets for the reformed band's Australian shows are selling for $250.Retailer Ticketmaster - who don't receive any extra profit from auctioned tickets - are facilitating the practice at the request of the band themselves. The extra money from the auctioned tickets will go directly to The Police. Auctioned tickets from the band's American shows featured a "charity component".
Advocates claim that the practice raises a bulwark in the battle against scalping, with the auction providing an indication of the 'real' value of the tickets.
But fans have lashed out at the move, with many of the best seats only available to those with the deepest pockets. Moreover, it could be argued the claim that the auction provides an indication of the 'real' market price is flawed, due to the fact that the starting bid is the face value of a non-auctioned ticket.
Punters will have 11 days to bid on their tickets, which will go on sale July 23, a week before the other tickets. The auction will end on August 2.
