The curious case of the $50 Jerry Seinfeld ticket.
Fans were being charged up to $850 to see the controversial comedian perform here. Now, they're going for cheap.
They were jaw-dropping.
They were eye-watering.
When tickets to Jerry Seinfeld’s New Zealand tour went on sale in November, they were breathtakingly expensive.
According to this Stuff.co.nz report, they may have been among the most expensive tickets ever sold to a live entertainment event in Aotearoa.
Now, that extreme pricing structure appears to have backfired.
Right now, tickets to Seinfeld's show at Spark Arena tonight are going for the low, low price of $50.
That’s right. Tonight, you can see a comedy legend – the man responsible for creating one of the most influential TV sitcoms ever made, the same man who is also standing in the eye of a backlash tornado – for just 50 bucks.
Tickets are also going cheap for Seinfeld’s Christchurch show on Wednesday night, with Ticketek showing seats available for $51.50.
That's not all: venue maps show Seinfeld's shows aren't even close to selling out. Seats are available all over both venues, even in those very expensive front rows.
It's a far cry from the confidence promoters displayed when tickets were released for sale last November.
As I reported at the time, tickets to see Seinfeld from the first few rows at Spark Arena cost $849.90.
A few rows back would set you back $799.90.
And just a few more back from that cost $475.
Those tickets seem to have halved in price. Right now, the most expensive ticket available for tonight’s show is $475 – and that’s up front in the same section that used to cost $850.
There are seats all around the venue at various prices. There are also lots of seats available for just $50.
Back when tickets first went on sale, I bought one way up the back: section 19U, row UU, seat 754. It's as far away from Spark Arena's stage as you can get. I may need rope, a harness and proper climbing shoes just to find my seat.
At the time, that ticket cost me $100. It was the cheapest Seinfeld ticket I could find. It was also my own little rebellion, a “fuck you” to whoever had set ticket prices as high as $850.
Now, those same tickets are just $50, so I’m feeling a tad ripped off. I bet anyone who purchased one of those $850 tickets is feeling pissed off too, considering they’re now available nearly half-price.
Why is this happening?
Fucking around and finding out?
Some, or all, of the above?
Probably?
Either way, it’s all going down tonight, at Spark Arena, where, from 7.30pm, you can see a TV comedy icon take the stage and wrestle with all of this – including the very real possibility that real-life hecklers will have purchased tickets in an attempt to destroy the show, as has happened twice now in Australia.
All that for $50?
Sounds like a show.
Sounds like a steal.
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