Less than a month before the Eurovision Song Contest, thousands of tickets to the various shows are still unsold. For example, almost 400 tickets are left for the Green Room during the finals, priced at NIS 2,000 each. The audience in the Green Room views the show together with the delegations. No tickets for the finals in the general auditorium remain.
Sales of tickets to the semifinals are more alarming. According to the supply of semifinal tickets on the Lean website, over 2,200 tickets in various seats are unsold. A few of these tickets with only a partial view of the stage are being offered for NIS 500, but most of them are being priced at NIS 1,250 or NIS 1,000. The first semifinal will take place on May 14. There are also abundant tickets available for the second semifinal on May 15. A total of 2,000 tickets are unsold.
There are 7,300 seats in the auditorium, far fewer than in previous Eurovision Song Contests. In Lisbon, for example, the hall contained 18,000 seats, so it is no wonder that tickets to some of those seats were sold at prices a third lower than the price for tickets to the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. The high price nevertheless apparently does not represent the supply and demand curve, because the public is voting with its feet.
There are rehearsals for each of the live Eurovision shows, and tickets are also being sold for the rehearsals. The prices of these tickets should have been nominal, but here, too, the high prices are reflected in thousands of unsold tickets. 2,000 tickets are left to the judges' rehearsal at 10:00 PM on May 17, the day before the finals. A ticket to this rehearsal for a seat with a partial view of the stage will cost NIS 400, and other seats cost NIS 1,000-1,250.
The hall will be even emptier for the judges' rehearsal for the first semifinal - over 3,000 tickets are unsold. The prices for the semifinal rehearsal were cut before the second set of tickets went on sale, and now range from NIS 150 for a partial view of the stage to NIS 250 and NIS 400 for other seats in the hall.
A package of tickets to all of the European Song Contest shows, including both semifinals and the finals, is being offered for NIS 3,700.
The high prices of tickets to the shows are leaving many fans outside the auditorium. While Tel Aviv is preparing for the arrival of thousands of tourists, many of the tourists who thought about coming to Israel for the during the Eurovision Song Contest are likely to stay home and watch it on television this year, given the high prices of hotels in Israel and ticket prices in the hundreds of euros.
The Israel Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) said, "The sale of tickets to the Green Room, the semifinals, and the rehearsals is continuing. Tickets to the rehearsals and semifinals are relatively low, and this is an excellent opportunity for people to enjoy a show never before seen in Israel."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 23, 2019
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