After a very quiet 2020 season, the reopening of Chicago’s venues is causing a massive surge in demand for tickets to sporting events and future concerts.
The calls into AAA Tickets, located in the city's West Loop neighborhood, are starting to come back; customers are willing to pay a premium price for events like Chicago Bulls games at the United Center, according to David Roberts, the Vice President of ticket sales.
“Demand has been high. If you have tickets for something, they sell really quickly and at a premium,” said Roberts. “For the fall, they’re looking at 100%. We’re getting calls for everything.”
Limited capacity at many venues typically makes getting a ticket more competitive.
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Roberts said tickets for the Friday night Bulls game sold out in about a day. Most tickets are being sold at a 100% increase or above face value.
Jay Ross, a Bulls fan from Chicago, came to the United Center on Friday to take pictures with his father outside the iconic arena. Like many others, this is as close as he’ll get to a game until more tickets are released when capacity increases.
“It’s about the sport, it’s about the fans, the commonality of just loving something together at the same time [and] coming together,” said Ross. “It brings peace.”
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The United Center requires masks inside for all events and seating is spaced out in groups depending on party size.
All guests will have to take a pre-arrival health screening through the CLEAR app. The venue is also cashless and only accepts mobile tickets.
