Tickets for the Garth Brooks concert will go on sale on Thursday at 8 a.m.
The legislation makes it illegal for secondary ticket sellers to advertise or sell tickets for Brooks concerts at prices above face value.
Prices for tickets before booking fees start at EUR65.56 general area standing and EUR81 seated. There will be a limit of eight tickets per booking.
Brooks expects to sell out the Croke Park nights on September 9th and 10th next year and has indicated that he would love more.
He called it an “honour and an extreme joy” that he was playing in Ireland after cancelling five of his planned 2014 gigs.
He stated that there is a blessing in the “curse of cancelled gigs” because it means that the artist and the people who were kind enough to purchase tickets will have the chance to see one another again.
He told reporters that it was the greatest joy and privilege for an artist to be able to perform in Ireland. It’s the most heartbreaking to hear that you can’t.
Brooks stated that being unable or unable to perform those gigs felt like a “death within the family”.
The new ticketing legislation, which took effect July 31, requires venues and organizers to write the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment asking for their location or event to be covered under the law. This will prohibit the reselling of tickets exceeding face value.
This issue was raised earlier in the month when the Football Association of Ireland applied to be designated ahead of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying match with Portugal.
The Department of Enterprise at the time urged venues and organizers to apply for designated status.
Tickets can be sold at face value until an event or venue is designated. However, it is not illegal to do so.
Minister of State Robert Troy stated that at least six venues have been designated and that 18 events have already been identified under the act.
The legislation against ticket-tanning was proposed by Fine Gael TD of Dublin North-West Noel Rock.
According to him, big events such as Garth Brooks were exactly what he had in mind when he designed the bill.
He stated, “At times it seemed like if tomorrow never comes” but that the bill was now in place to protect fans.
“I had seen Coldplay, U2, Garth Brooks and many other acts, with tickets selling for more than face value. Real fans wouldn’t do that. This is all about making sure real fans can attend these events.”
