An entertainment industry insider and consumer activist agree that there isn’t much the operators of the MSG arena in Venice can do for U2 fans who bought tickets with obstructed views of the big screens that surround the venue . 17,500 – seat venue that opens later this year.
Sphere Entertainment Co. representatives have contacted hundreds of ticket holders who purchased premium seats in the section 100 ground floor areas to offer a refund or a different seat at the second performance of the “U2 UV” show. Running through December.
Those responsible for the area issued a statement following the discovery of visual obstructions. He did not wish to comment further.
“Our fans and their experience are always our top priority,” the statement said. “As soon as we realized there was a problem, we worked closely with event organizers to reach out to affected ticket holders with a variety of options. We look forward to opening the Sphere with U2 and the incredible series of shows they have planned for fans this fall.”
Daren Libonati, a Las Vegas entertainment venue expert and member of the Libonati Entertainment Group, said he feels bad for Sphere operators because similar problems arise whenever a new venue opens.
Libonati led the team that opened the MGM Grand Garden in 1993, and seating problems were discovered nine days before the venue opened with a concert by Barbra Streisand.
“It’s never fun to find out after the fact that you have problems,” Libonati said. “My heart goes out to them.”
Libonati said venue designers regularly review CAD visuals before a venue opens, but “you don’t really know until you know … until you walk through it and all Everything looks so good as long as the seats are in place.”
Libonti said that his team had to rush to solve the problems of 150 ticket holders at the MGM Grand Garden before the venue debuted with Streisand.
“I can’t think of anyone with the property, the arena, the band and the promoter who isn’t going to do something for these 800 people and figure out the best strategy for each of them individually,” he said. “It’s not easy for anybody.”
A representative of the Nevada Bureau of Consumer Affairs, which works to resolve consumer complaints, said there is little the bureau can do because ticket buyers sign a terms and conditions agreement when purchasing tickets that includes several phrases. which exempt producers from paying ancillary costs. Derived from any rescheduling.
This means that ticket holders will not have any chance for compensation for the cost of changing plane tickets or hotel reservations if they attend the concert on another day.
Ticket holders in the affected sections will have no problem watching the band perform on stage; What hinders are parts of the screen, which have been promoted as one of the special attractions of the enclosure.
Sphere executives discovered on a tour of the $2.3 billion venue that those seated in the approximately 800 seats would not be able to see the entirety of the nearly four-acre high-resolution LED displays that cover the public due to a projecting portion of the seats. Are. Section 200 is located on top of them.
Sections 100 and 200 are considered prime viewing positions. As of Wednesday afternoon, Section 100 tickets were running for between $2,600 and $4,200 on the secondary site LasVegasTickets.com. Section 200 tickets cost between $1,700 and $3,100.
Contractors are completing the installation of The Sphere’s interior screens this month.
