Blur fans told by Viagogo to 'wait for ticket demand to settle'

Blur announced last week it will be playing a warm-up gig at Colchester Arts Centre on Friday, May 19 ahead of their European Tour over the summer.

But there was consternation among fans after tickets sold out in a matter of seconds, before one ticket-holder put one up for sale at a price of £885, more than £850 above the original price.

The listing is no longer available online, but Viagogo has defended its position on ticket resales, with a spokesman saying on Friday the site itself doesn’t sell tickets or set the prices.

Blur previously played at Colchester Sixth Form College in the 90s for a charity concert (Image: Newsquest)

A statement also said any fans desperate to get into the gig in two weeks’ time should wait for the stampede for tickets to die down before “finding a listing that meets their budget”.

A statement read: “Viagogo is a safe, secure and regulated marketplace that connects millions of genuine ticket sellers to fans looking to enjoy great live events, backed by a guarantee.

 “Viagogo doesn’t sell tickets or set prices. Sellers set the price and fans ultimately decide what that live event experience is worth to them.

“Tickets listed at extremely high levels rarely, if ever, sell.”

One Colchester resident who tried to get a ticket for the gig later this month had criticised the band for not prioritising Colchester residents, adding the band would have been better off holding the concert at Colchester United’s football ground.

He said: “As a Colchester resident who has lived here all my life, we’ve tried to get tickets.

“The bottom line is the residents in Colchester and within a 20 to 30 mile radius will be very disappointed to see this.”

Viagogo said if demand reduces, so too will re-sale prices.

The statement added: “We want fans to know that sellers’ prices can change and tend to fall over time, so we recommend that fans wait for the demand to settle to find a listing that meets their budget.”

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A post on the Blur Facebook page encouraged people to only buy tickets through authorised sellers.

The post read: "Authorised sellers are Ticketmaster and AXS only.

"These are very limited shows, and no one should be exploited by paying more than face value.

"All tickets are digitally encrypted and will be delivered from your ticketing provider - the barcode will refresh every few seconds meaning attempting to gain entry using screenshots will not work.

"The lead purchaser will need to attend the event."