Eurovision Song Contest ticket buyers have taken to third party websites in attempt to resell their tickets at extortionate prices. The highest resale price seen so far online is going for over £12,000. The 2023 67th Eurovision Song Contest is being held in the UK this year, in Liverpool. The UK are hosting the contest on behalf last years winners, Ukraine, who are unable to host the event this year due to safety and security reasons. In 2022, Kalush Orchestra won the contest for Ukraine, with their song ”Stefania.”

The grand final will take place in the Liverpool Arena, which holds an 11,000 capacity. The tickets went on sale yesterday (Tuesday March 7), however all tickets for the Grand Final of  the international music event sold out within 30 minutes of them going on sale. Fans were given the choice of nine events to attend for the contest but the tickets sold out for all of those events within 90 minutes.

Semi-final show seats were originally priced between £30 to £290, whereas grand final seats ranged from £80 to £380. Resellers are valuing the tickets at outrageous prices on websites, such as Viagogo, in order to cash in a significant profit. Tickets are being priced at thousands above face value. General admission standing tickets for the Eurovision Grand Final are currently priced at £3,500, whereas the price for one VIP Grand Final ticket is currently listed as £12,057. Fans who are desperate to attend the event have been left feeling disappointed at the ridiculously overpriced resale prices.

One of the presenters this years Eurovision Song Contest, Rylan Clark, has hit out at resellers over the shocking resale prices. On Twitter, Rylan posted a gif of a man who seems to showing his middle finger, whilst also writing, ‘’To the people selling Eurovision tickets at RIDICULOUS resale prices that arnt proper fans – pricks.’’

To the people selling Eurovision tickets at RIDICULOUS resale prices that arnt proper fans – pricks pic.twitter.com/2tUdlHph7T

— R Y L A N (@Rylan) March 7, 2023

A spokesperson for Viagogo produced a statement regarding the resale prices. The statement said, “Viagogo is a regulated marketplace and we want fans to have the options and flexibility they deserve for buying and selling tickets to live events. It’s important to stress that prices can change and are not necessarily an indication of what a fan will spend.Tickets listed at eye-catching, high levels rarely, if ever, sell. Having just gone on sale, demand for a Eurovision ticket is high, but last year some tickets for the event sold on viagogo for as little as £26. We encourage fans to keep monitoring our site for different options.”

A Eurovision statement was issued explaining the actions they have taken to try to stop the resale issues, “We have switched off Ticketmaster’s ticket transfer option (this option enables purchasers of tickets to transfer their tickets into the names of others) in order to reduce the ability to resell tickets at inflated prices. Purchasers who wish to resell their tickets can do so at face value through Ticketmaster’s Fan to Fan Resale platform. Any tickets proven to be breaching terms and conditions of sale can be invalidated.” 

The musician chosen to represent the UK this year will be announced on BBC Radio 2, March 9. Singer Mae Muller has been rumoured to be the British entrant for the 2023 contest. Sam Ryder represented the UK at the 2022 Eurovision Contest, with his song ”Space Man’‘, and came second place to Ukraine. The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place on Saturday 13th May, at 8pm BST. The event will be available to watch live on BBC One.