ORGANISERS have accepted that Scotland’s biggest sporting event since the Commonwealth Games will not sell out before it starts while confirming that more than a quarter of tickets remain unsold just two days before events get underway.
While Glasgow 2018 European Championships staff saw an increase in ticket sales over the weekend, there are still around 40,000 tickets left with around 108,000 sold prompting fears of large sections of empty seats at the televised event.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the umbrella body for Europe free-to-air channels, will be the broadcast partner for the championships, with a potential television audience of around 1.03 billion.
While some sessions are sold out or just a few tickets away from selling out across sessions in Track Cycling, Synchronised Swimming, Gymnastics and Diving, there are still plenty of chances to snap up briefs are costing up to £55.
The organisers introduced a general two tickets for the price of one offer at the beginning of the month for all qualifier sessions except gymnastics as bait. Around 20,000 complimentary tickets have already gone to sports clubs, schools and young peoples’ organisations to mark the 2018 Year of Young People in Scotland.
Championships director Colin Hartley said: “While lots of finals sessions are close to selling out, there are still plenty of tickets left to see your heroes in most sports, but we expect these to sell quickly once the Championships begin and people see just what it is all about and the fact that there is so much world-class sporting action right here on their doorstep.”
A Glasgow 2018 spokesman added: “We want to make sure as many people as possible get to experience and enjoy this first ever multi-sport event – whether that’s watching elite athletes compete, or residents standing on their doorstep watching Europe’s best cyclists race by, sampling Scotland’s finest food and drink at GO LIVE! @ The Green or enjoying the art installation underneath the River Clyde.”
More than 3,000 athletes were welcomed to Scotland on Monday ahead of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.
Athletes from Germany, Finland, France and other European countries were among the first to arrive at Glasgow International Airport.
Gymnastics teams from Spain, Iceland, and Belorussia all arrived in the city ahead of the games which kick off on Thursday and run for 11 days.
Mr Hartley said it was an exciting time for the city to welcome the athletes.
He said: “The moment is here. We’re delighted to welcome the first athletes to Glasgow and Scotland and I have no doubt that they will enjoy everything both city and nation has to offer.”
On Wednesday organisers said the tickets for the championships had been selling “fantastically well”.
Mr Hartley denied that a 2 for 1 offer was introduced due to poor ticket sales, but insisted the success of the event would not be judged on the number of bums on seats.
It is the first time the existing European championships of cycling, gymnastics, rowing, swimming, triathlon and athletics are being brought together in one event.
The athletics will be hosted in Germany but all the other events will be held in Scotland.
There will also be a new mixed-gender team golf competition taking place at Gleneagles in Perthshire.
Four years after the Commonwealth Games, the organisers have believed that this provided a new opportunity to promote Glasgow and Scotland to overseas audiences.
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