Ticketmaster Includes Vaccine Check-In Process for Australian Concerts

Photo Credit: Colin Lloyd

Ticketmaster Australia now allows fans to verify their vaccine status upon check-in.

The new process was trialed at a cricket game at Marvel Stadium, a 53,000-seat stadium. 50% of fans who attended the game used the new check-in process, which Ticketmaster deemed successful. On event day, ticket holders receive an email and a text message linking them to the venue’s COVID-19 check-in page.

“We are focused on providing clients, venues, and fans with the simplest and safest innovations to get back to the magic of live,” says Gavin Taylor, Marketing Director of Ticketmaster Australia. “This latest vaccine certificate integration, trialed in partnership with Marvel Stadium, is a huge step in getting fans safely back to the events they love.”

Ticketmaster Australia says its COVID check-in integration will be rolled out to other venues in the coming weeks.

Not everyone is happy with the idea of a ‘Vaccine Passport’, though. Back in November 2020, Ticketmaster denied reports that it would require fans to prove they had a vaccine or negative COVID-19 test to the BBC.

“Ticketmaster does not have the power to set policies around safety/entry requirements, which would include vaccines or testing protocols,” a Ticketmaster spokesperson told the BBC. “That is up to the discretion of the event organizer. Ticketmaster continues to work with event organizers on all COVID Safety measures, and it will be up to each event organizer to set future requirements, based on their preferences and local health guidelines.”

That ‘local health guidelines’ is the key difference between what Ticketmaster told the BBC (UK) and what’s happening in Australia. Australia has some of the strictest lockdown measures in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

For example, in Victoria and Queensland, live music venues can only be open for attendees and staff who are fully vaccinated or exempted. South Australia is currently operating under Level 1 restrictions, which means venues are limited to 75% for seated events and 50% for standing events.