Budweiser Stage scheduled opener shifts amid fan frustration

May 17, 2017 | Arts, Life

By: Esther Klein and Lucia Yglesias

The concert venue for Atlanta rapper Future was relocated Tuesday night to the Air Canada

Centre from the flooded-out Budweiser Stage at Ontario Place on the Toronto waterfront.

Some fans were left upset with the change of venue because they had to re-purchase tickets,

but only if they acted within a specific time limit.

If not, they got whatever seats were available, even if they originally had front row seats.

 

Ticketholders received an email at 5:15 p.m. on May 12 informing them their current tickets were

invalid, and they were responsible to re-purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster.

The venue change announcement was followed with a notice from Ticketmaster informing the

fans they would receive a PIN code valid for 36 hours. Ticketholders had between 10 a.m. May 13 until 10 p.m. the

next day to re-purchase the same number of seats in a similar seating location.

After that time, tickets were to be made available to the public.

“I did not have a problem with the PIN code, it was pretty smooth sailing,” Halbert said.

But fan Valerie Pasqua-Berny had a frustrating time re-purchasing her Future tickets.

“Yes, we did receive a PIN code, but the code was only valid for two days,” Pasqua-Berny said.

“I actually only saw the email on Monday so I didn’t have the option to use the code and had to

start all over again with my seat, and ticket purchase.”

https://twitter.com/smizzyyy/status/863400032506085376

Hiba Traboulsi purchased two tickets to attend the concert with her friend and although she

was promised the PIN code to ensure similar tickets, it didn’t work.

“It was such an inconvenience to pay for another pair of tickets when I already spent so much

money the first time around at Budweiser,” she said.

“When I got the pin code to the ACC, I couldn’t purchase two tickets at once, so I had to pay

separately for two tickets and had my friend sit in the row in front of me, which was incredibly

frustrating,” Traboulsi said.

The email informed fans their original ticket purchases through Ticketmaster would only be

refunded between seven and 10 business days.

Future was expected to perform Tuesday at the renovated Budweiser outdoor venue. However,

rising Lake Ontario water levels forced moving the show to the ACC by show organizer Live

Nation.

Live Nation renovated and revamped the venue from the original Molson Amphitheatre and

were eager to open the performance season with a bang.

However, heavy rain on May 4 and 5 caused flooding at the Toronto Islands and its five

beaches.

Despite some customer disgruntlement, there was some positivity.

“It was an amazing show, and I even got better seats for a little bit cheaper,” fan Yoel Halbert

said.

“The show was amazing,” Traboulsi said.

She said she didn’t get to sit with her friend because of the ticket mix-up, but any

disappointments vanished as soon as Future hit the stage.

“So, despite the tough times, I would take the concert venue changing than getting cancelled

any day,” Traboulsi said.

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Live Nation and ACC representatives did not respond by press time to requests for comment.

The Budweiser Stage is expected to hold its first show on May 24 with Chance the Rapper.