All for one and none for Hall
Royal Albert Hall members accused of selling on seats at inflated prices
Members of the Royal Albert Hall have come under fire for privately selling on unwanted seats at events for a large personal profit. The members, who control 1,276 of the London venue’s 5,272 seats, stand accused of using websites such as Viagogo and Stubhub rather than using the hall’s own returns system to let other event-goers purchase them
‘For this to have been unregulated for so long is a national disgrace’
– though not illegal, the practice is regarded by many as morally dubious, given the Albert Hall’s status as a charity. The issue has come to a head following the recent discovery of a memo circulated among members that advises them how to maximise the income from their seats and accuses the returns system of resulting in a ‘direct, unfair and unnecessary cost to members by paying significantly less than can be achieved in the open market.’ How many members have actively made use of the memo’s advice is not known, however.
Leading the chorus of disapproval is former Albert Hall president Richard Lyttelton, who has targeted the venue’s council in particular. ‘Members of the hall’s council own 145 seats,’ he says.
‘This interest is largely undeclared and as trustees of the charity, their position of privilege and the advantages afforded by the hall’s charitable status puts them in a position to profit personally. For this to have been unregulated, despite being in the public domain for so long, is a national disgrace.’
The history of permanently owned membership seats at the Albert Hall dates right back to 1867 – as the project ran out of money at the building stage, the seats were sold off at £100 each to help complete the job. Each ‘debenture’ has a lease of 999 years.