As UK touts gathered to fight a potential to scupper a Labour crackdown on their industry, The Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT) has announce that leading Barcelona venues Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and Palau Sant Jordi have become the first venues to join the organisation. FEAT has worked on several EU-wide campaigns to develop better laws to protect fans and promoters against predatory ticket resellers, and is the coordinating member of the Make Tickets Fair! campaign.
Estadi Olímpic is one of the biggest stadiums in Spain at up to 55,000 capacity, and regularly hosts huge concerts with the last few years seeing Bruce Springsteen; Coldplay; Rammstein; Ed Sheeran; Harry Styles; Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers pass through its doors. It has also been used by FC Barcelona for training and fixtures in the 2023/24 season whilst their home ground undergoes renovation.
Palau Sant Jordi is an iconic Barcelona venue which boasts the title of the largest indoor arena by capacity in Spain at approx 18,500 capacity. It also has a 4,500 capacity club at the back of the building. Between the two venues, Palau Sant Jordi provides a space for medium and large scale concerts for a wide range of genres and artists. In 2023/2024 alone, the venue will have hosted both national and international artists on their big tours.
Palau Sant Jordi and Estadi Olímpic are the first major venues in Europe to join FEAT. In 2023, they closed a record year with 2.1 million spectators and more than 160 programmed events, consolidating their leading role in positioning Barcelona as a city of major events. Both venues are owned by Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (BSM), the company responsible for the management of these and other emblematic spaces in Barcelona.
Speaking about the news, Anella Olímpica Director Carmen Lanuza said “Ticket resale directly affects venues such as the Palau Sant Jordi and the Olympic Stadium. Joining this initiative is part of our commitment to generate unique and safe experiences for all those who visit us. It is essential to join efforts to make it possible to end this practice.”
Neo Sala, CEO of Doctor Music and Founding Director of FEAT, said “I am extremely excited to welcome BSM, and the venues that they represent, to FEAT. Estadi Olímpic and Palau Sant Jordi are of huge cultural significance in the city bringing the world’s greatest artists to Barcelona. It is great news that they believe in FEAT’s mission of face-value ticket resale and we look forward to working with them to protect fans from predatory resellers”.
