Promoters defend cut in price of Rita Ora tickets

Bid to ensure sell-out causes dismay for fans who paid full price

Ticket prices for this weekend’s Rita Ora concert in Dundee have been slashed by almost 60% – leaving fans who paid the full amount furious.

The star will take to the stage at Slessor Gardens in front of thousands of people on Saturday.

Tickets for the gig, organised by promoters the Liz Hobbs Group, were originally being sold for between £45 and £60 through website Ticketmaster.

Secondary retailers were even attempting to sell tickets for £100 soon after they had initially gone on sale.

But in a last-ditch attempt to sell out the event, the promoters announced thousands of tickets would be available for just £19 through popular deals site Itison from 7am yesterday.

By 4pm more than 2,000 tickets had been sold through the website.

The venue has the capacity to hold around 11,000, meaning around 80% of available tickets had been sold before the price cut.

The Liz Hobbs Group issued a statement defending the price cut, saying it was delighted the allocation of tickets had been so well received.

Itison defended the offer, saying “price fluctuations” are just “the world we live in”.

Many angrily posted comments to the Itison Facebook event advertising the Rita Ora show.

Jennifer Pirie said: “Shame the fans who paid full price are getting stung!”

Roads around the concert venue will be affected from this morning until Sunday.

Four roads — Earl Grey Place West and East, and South Crichton Street and South Castle Street — will be closed to traffic from 8am today until 6pm on Sunday.

Dock Street – from Union Street to Commercial Street – will also be closed on the day of the concert from 3pm until midnight.

Diversions will be in place on Whitehall Crescent, Whitehall Street and the High Street during this time.

Thomson Avenue, from South Union Street to South Commercial Street, will be closed to eastbound traffic coming from Riverside Drive from 2pm to midnight on Saturday with diversions on South, West, North and East Marketgait.

Lane three on Thomson Avenue will also be closed from 8am today until 6pm on Sunday, and Union Street, from South Marketgait to Yeaman Shore, will be shut.

Diversions will be in place from Yeaman Shore and West Marketgait.

Shore Terrace, from Exchange Street to Dock Street, and Whitehall Crescent – from Crichton Street to Dock Street – will close from 3pm to midnight on Saturday with no diversions.

For those driving to the concert and looking to park, the cost will be £2 after 2pm in the Greenmarket, Gellatly Street and Olympia car parks on the day.

City centre bus stops will be relocated to Ward Road, Seagate, Seagate bus station and Commercial Street on the day of the event.

Traffic measures to accommodate Saturday’s Rita Ora concert at Slessor Gardens in Dundee.

Picture: PA. Ticket prices for Saturday’s Rita Ora concert in Dundee were cut by almost 60%.