Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.K, rejoice! The e-commerce giant is adding another incentive to your current Prime membership in the form of music concerts. Instead of offering you free concert tickets, it aims to provide an up close and intimate experience with your favorite musical artist — for a definite cost! Now you might be thinking, how does this factor into the Prime subscription?
Through its latest programme — Prime Live Events, Amazon wants to provide you an exclusive chance to buy tickets for musical gigs at some of the most iconic locations. Presently, it has only announced a handful of performances at genuinely beautiful venues, with more currently in the works. They will be announced by Amazon in time for you to book tickets.
The very first artists who kick-start this initiative are New York-based rockers Blondie, who will play London’s Round Chapel on May 23. They’re followed by Alison Moyet playing the same venue — booked exclusively for Amazon Prime users — on June 12. The tickets for these two shows goes on sale this Thursday, so purchase a Prime subscription if this package interest you.
Then, the stage at London’s Porchester Hall will be taken over by one of Britain’s most loved bands — Texas on June 16. The present line-up ends with Katie Melua playing two consecutive shows at Cadogan Hall towards the end of July. These venues are definitely so intimate as they house only limited number of individuals — the Round Chapel fits around 499 people. Amazon says that the crowd is going to always be less than 800, which compared to O2 Arean’s 20,000 is quite low.
If you’re are not able to buy a ticket for any of these concerts, don’t fret too much as you’ll be able to watch the complete recording on Amazon Prime Video — that too for free (as it’s included in the membership). Also, the ticket prices are quite steep and you might have to shell out at least £150 (approx $194) for a Blondie ticket and £75 (approx $97) to watch Melua on stage.
Here, the Prime membership also guarantees you access to premium seating options, such as exclusive Amazon lounges at The O2 and the SSE arena, Wembley Stadium in London. This is a lavish experience, aimed specifically at VIPs. Prime members who have purchased lounge packages can skip long queues, arrive early and enjoy a wholesome meal and drinks in a premium setting. These seats will also provide you a great view of the stage.
Talking about this incentive, Geraldine Wilson, General Manager of Amazon Tickets said,
We want to offer Prime members the best live entertainment experience they’ve ever had by giving them the chance to see their favourite artists perform up close and personal in iconic and intimate venues.
In addition to the perks of Prime Live Events, the company is also extending its Amazon Tickets service to give subscribers access to tickets to music, theatre and touring shows across the UK at least 24 hours before they become available to the general populace. The said options will further push the envelope and push more people to buy its Prime subscription, but it surely has a drawback. Amazon has currently restricted the service to London while it should be made available globally.
