Grand Lisboa Palace bashed for confusing show ticketing

A reported show ticketing saga at the Grand Lisboa Palace resort has gone viral on social media after eager buyers were told there were only 18 tickets publicly available.

For the upcoming Valentine’s Day, the resort is set to organize a show featuring young Hong Kong Cantopop star MC Cheung. Tickets to the show are not being sold directly to the public, but are redeemable upon consumption of at least MOP12,000 at the resort or the Grand Lisboa Hotel, also operated by SJM, between Jan. 17 and Feb. 14, or though booking a specific accommodation package. The redemption period started on Monday.

Due to Cheung’s popularity in the circle of Cantopop fans, heat at the box office was expected. It was claimed in a post on social media that a relatively long queue was seen from Sunday evening at the box office at the resort. As the clock reached 1p.m. on Monday, the social media user said that they were asked to leave by a security guard, citing the mall’s closing time as the reason.

Being requested to issue numbered queue tickets, the security guard replied that it was not their responsibility.

It was also claimed in the post that the police were called to the scene by the resort’s security department, but had admitted that they could do nothing.

The box office opened at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, according to the post, but it took half an hour to issue tickets to the first person in the line. Later, the social media user overheard that there were only 18 tickets available, the post claimed.

The social media user requested the management of the resort explain the matter and asked for a refund of the money that they spent, should they not get tickets.

According to local online media Allin Media, some in the queue were told to return on Feb. 7 as there would be 100 tickets available. Although they were asked to leave contact details, tickets will not be guaranteed, according to the same report.

The resort’s owner and operator, SJM Resorts, S.A., was emailed yesterday for verification and response, but no reply had been received by press time.