WA Government green-lights 15,000 extra tickets for Ed Sheeran’s second Perth show

The Western Australian Government has authorised the release of 15,000 extra tickets for Ed Sheeran’s second concert in Perth.

The first show, on Saturday March 3 at the new Perth Stadium sold out in minutes when tickets went on the market in May. Sheeran is the first music act to play the 60,000-capacity stadium which opens that month.

A second show was announced for the night before, but the Government capped it at 35,000. The reason was that it doubted that pubic transport could not cope with the Sheeran crowd and post-work commuters.

The Government’s plan for the stadium is that 80% of attendees at its events will travel by public transport. Car space is restricted.

A footbridge will to take patrons from rail and bus stations into the venue.

Contracted out to a Malaysian firm, there were delays getting components. Recently, the company was replaced by an Australian-based one.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti admitted the bridge would not be ready for Sheeran’s concerts.

However, in a statement, she said the Government was planning “a one-off transport plan” for Sheeran fans, which allowed the 15,000 to be released.

They go on sale on September 11, promoter Frontier Touring confirmed.

The drawback is that fans are asked to expect delays of 90 minutes to access public transport.

“We believe the public of Perth will be prepared to accept these unavoidable arrangements as a one-off occurrence but it is not something we intend to ask of them on an ongoing basis,” Minister Saffioti said.

“The McGowan Government has always hoped to be able to agree to the maximum 55,000-ticket capacity for this concert, despite the Swan River Pedestrian Bridge not being completed.

“We will be allocating additional services where we can, but it should be noted that the best way to guarantee you arrive on time is to allow plenty of extra time, and prepare to wait a little longer to get home.”

Frontier Touring must have been ecstatic at the extra allocation.

When tickets went on sale in Australia and New Zealand, Sheeran broke the record for the most amount of stadiums on a single tour, shifting 710,000 tickets on the first day.

The original dates ballooned to 14 (equalling AC/DC’s 2010 record) and then to 18 when the fourth Melbourne show, second Perth show and the third concerts for Sydney and Dunedin were announced.

Frontier expects numbers on Sheeran’s tour to exceed that of the long time attendance record of 900,000 by Dire Straits from their 1986 Brothers In Arms tour – a feat that was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.