Anger at Glasgow Commonwealth Games ticket gross sales issues

Glasgow Commonwealth Games organisers have been criticised over costs and accessibility after the primary batch of tickets for subsequent yr’s occasion went on sale.

People residing inside Glasgow postcode areas who registered prematurely had the first opportunity to land the briefs from midday.

However, BBC Scotland News has heard from a number of locals who had been kicked out of the web queue, discovered they had been restricted within the variety of tickets they had been allowed to purchase after which felt they had been “priced out” of the largest occasions.

Organisers mentioned that the “small number of fans who had experienced challenges with technology had been supported through customer service”.

John Hamilton contacted BBC Scotland News to say he was twice kicked out of the web queue and repeatedly advised to reset his password whereas making an attempt to purchase tickets.

By the time he accessed the positioning, tickets had been solely out there on the highest costs.

Ticket costs had been listed as beginning at £26 for medal classes and £17 for non-medal classes, though prices differ relying on the game.

The prime priced ticket for an athletics medal occasion at Scotstoun Stadium was £150, and a morning non-medal session of observe biking was listed at £90.

David Petrie mentioned he had checked out shopping for tickets with a senior citizen’s low cost.

He added: “I was shocked by the prices. Even with the senior citizen rate, it was £94 for the gymnastics and £113 for the athletics. Who can afford that?”

The variety of tickets out there was capped at 4 for almost all of sports activities – a truth which some followers mentioned was not communicated prematurely.

Clare Lee mentioned she and her household had been left empty-handed, after hoping to safe tickets for her, her husband and their 4 youngsters.

She advised BBC Scotland News: “I spent a while looking at trying to get two sets of three tickets so my husband could take two kids and I could take two, but can’t find any sessions with groups of three together without paying hundreds of pounds.

“My sons all swim, cycle and run, however that is all of the sports activities they’ve put a cap on.”

Organisers mentioned the pricing construction was made clear within the Q&A section of the Commonwealth Games 2026 web site.

Links sent out to people who had pre-registered asked them to click the link to “biuy” tickets, and the spelling mistake set the standard for what was to come, according to some families.

Dad-of-two David Bennett, who lives in Lenzie, said trying to access the sales site proved extremely difficult.

He said: “We had been actually excited to take our youngsters to completely different occasions however the website appeared to be combating towards us. Tickets saved showing and disappearing and making an attempt to search for completely different classes appeared to trigger extra issues.

“At times we were told there were no tickets available – then suddenly they’d reappear again. It was also disappointing the details about limits on tickets didn’t seem to have been published much before going on sale.

“We’d hoped to go together with mates and prolonged household however that is now actually tough as even when they purchase their very own tickets there is no such thing as a strategy to assure we would really be seated collectively.”

About 500,000 tickets will be available in total for the event next summer.

Organisers said there had been huge demand for tickets, and that cheaper tickets for some sessions would be available in later releases.

A spokeswoman added: “We will probably be releasing extra tickets throughout each class in every section of the pre-sale so, if followers did not safe the tickets they wished on this pre-sale, there will probably be additional alternatives to take action within the subsequent pre-sales and from basic sale on 30 October.

“As with any major ticket launch, a small number of fans experienced challenges with technology. Those who did experience problems and contacted us have received comprehensive customer support.”

The pre-sale for individuals with G postcodes will run till 09:00 on Friday. The Scotland large pre-sale will then start at midday the identical day, and proceed till 09:00 Monday.

A second sale will then comply with on Friday, for individuals residing all through Scotland, earlier than a 3rd and remaining pre-sale begins on 27 October, masking anybody in the remainder of the world who registered prematurely. A basic sale then follows on 30 October.

Glasgow stepped in to host the Games at the last minute after earlier host Victoria, in Australia, withdrew because of considerations over the price.

More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete throughout 4 venues in a scaled-down sporting programme subsequent summer season, comprising 10 sports activities and 6 para sports activities.

The 2026 video games will run from 23 July till 2 August and can happen throughout 4 venues – Scotstoun Stadium, the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.