'Appalling' scalpers slammed for reselling bushfire relief concert tickets

Tickets for Fire Fight Australia were being sold for double the original price online on Tuesday.

Queen and Adam Lambert are set to perform at the concert.

Queen and Adam Lambert are set to perform at the concert. Source: AP

Scalpers spent Tuesday trying to make a buck by reselling tickets to the massive bushfire relief concert being held in Sydney next month.

Fire Fight Australia sold out less than 24 hours after tickets went on sale on Monday, with all profits set to go to bushfire assistance.

More than 70,000 people will see artists including Queen and Adam Lambert, k.d. lang, Alice Cooper and Olivia Newton-John.
Olivia Newton John is one of many local and international singers taking part.
Olivia Newton-John is one of many local and international singers taking part. Source: AAP
But scalpers almost immediately started to sell tickets around the internet.

On Tuesday afternoon, SBS News saw $100 "Gold" tickets being sold for $200 on Gumtree.

Earlier in the day, tickets were being auctioned on eBay but were later removed for violating the website's event ticket policy.

A spokesperson for eBay told SBS News, "we will continue to monitor and pull down any offending listing".
Geoff Jones, the CEO of concert organisers TEG, said, "it is obviously appalling to see this kind of scalping".

"It is not in the Australian spirit that we have seen demonstrated again and again during this crisis," Mr Jones told SBS News.

He said he was pleased that action was being taken to curb sales of scalped tickets.

The Fire Fight website states Ticketek was "the only authorised seller of Fire Fight Australia". 

"All concert ticket profits and all contributions through Ticketek will go towards these key organisations providing vital 'rescue', 'relief and recovery' and 'rehabilitation': Rural and regional fire services, Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery, and RSPCA Bushfire Appeal," it says.

While the Ticketek website warns, "do not pay more for your [Fire Fight] tickets".
NSW Rural Fire Service crews fight the Gospers Mountain Fire.
NSW Rural Fire Service crews fight the Gospers Mountain Fire. Source: AAP
The event will be held at the ANZ Stadium in Olympic Park on 16 February.

It will be hosted by comedian Celeste Barber, whose online bushfire fundraiser has garnered more than $50 million in donations.

The concert, which is expected to run more than nine hours, will also include artists Amy Shark, Baker Boy, Conrad Sewell, Daryl Braithwaite, Delta Goodrem, Grinspoon and Guy Sebastian.


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By Nick Baker

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