Down in front! Ticket rules will change to curb scalping
Beginning with its 2018 concert season, tickets purchased in the first four rows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre must be used by their original purchaser, Denver Arts and Venues announced today in a release.
The change was made in response to complaints about ticket scalping, particularly in Red Rocks’ first row, which is designated as wheelchair-accessible and mobility-impaired seating, said Brian Kitts, director of marketing and business development with Denver Arts and Venues.
“The seating there is really limited,” Kitts said. “This is a way to assure that whoever buys these tickets confirms they need them and show up.”
Tickets purchased in the first four rows at Red Rocks will only be available via Flash Seats, an app owned by AEG Presents’ ticketing company AXS, which delivers tickets digitally to a consumer’s phone. (AEG Presents did not respond to requests for immediate comment.)
Those who purchase tickets in the first row, which is handicapped-accessible, will be asked to verify that they need handicap seating when they buy a ticket, and will be prompted for identification when seated.
Rows 2-4, which are occasionally reserved for visionor hearing-impaired, are also being included because they are also susceptible to being sold on the secondary market.
Members of the purchasers’ party must arrive together at the venue gates to gain entry, and then again at their seats. Those who arrive separately from the original purchaser will be not be allowed to enter the venue.
Eventually, Kitts said, the entire venue will be ticketed with FlashSeats, which makes it easier to track tickets and monitor — or restrict — ticket transfers.
There are no plans to implement the ticketing system throughout the rest of the venue.
“The secondary market is not illegal,” Kitts said.
The new ticketing procedures do not affect specialty events like its fitness programs or Film on the Rocks.
Red Rocks tickets are susceptible to being resold on the secondary market at an inflated cost, pricing some fans out of concerts.
“There’s always suspicion that bots or bad players are getting these tickets,” Kitts said. “In some cases, that may be true. This should really curb that.”