| Wednesday 22 October 2014 |
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Mariah Carey fans upset over changes to concert
Changes to the Singapore Sports Hub events calendar has caused a stir among music fans. Recently, the Sports Hub announced it is re-positioning the stage for the Mariah Carey concert this Friday and rescheduling the Jay Chou's concert to ensure the quality of the National Stadium pitch ahead of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup next month.
Ms Makiko Toyotome, 38, has been looking forward to the Mariah Carey concert for the past two months. But now she says the thought of going leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. On Monday, she was told that her seat had been re-allocated, due to the repositioning of the stage. But she was unhappy with the seat option given to her. She originally bought a ticket in row B, one of the sections affected by the reallocation. The new seat offered was within the same price category, CAT 3, but at row W, further away from the stage.
She was told there was a seat available within the same row, but in CAT 2 - a different price category, so she would have to pay an additional S$30. Ms Toyotome feels this is unfair. "It is not a slight change, it is a really, really big change, but it does not sound like it is a big deal for them, and they didn't give us any other option, other than to pay extra," she said.
"Why do I have to pay extra? I already bought a ticket and now that you change it, you can't offer the same view or same distance from the stage. I think it is your responsibility to give us the same seat or similar seat." Ms Toyotome said she has yet to decide if she will go for the concert or fork out the extra cash.
Sports Hub estimates about 400 patrons of the Mariah Carey concert have had their seats relocated. The General Manager of Sports Hub Tix Chad Phillips said patrons are being relocated to the "next best available seats in the same price category".
Mr Phillips added that if they are not agreeable, they can either request for a full refund or move to a higher price category, which would incur an additional cost. Patrons who are relocated are also being offered a S$10 voucher for each ticket purchased, and this can be used on the night of the event at the concession stands inside the National Stadium.
The condition of the pitch has come under heavy criticism for being "sub-standard". On Tuesday, the Sports Hub confirmed the cancellation of an international rugby match at the stadium, to allow the pitch to recover. (Channel News Asia)
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