Diamond tickets go on sale Saturday
Ian Hill
Record Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, Dec 14, 2005
STOCKTON — Tickets for the inaugural concert at the new Stockton Arena, a Jan. 15 performance by Neil Diamond, are set to go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday on the Internet, over the phone and at the arena box office, arena officials announced Tuesday.
Depending on seat location, tickets will cost $67.75, $87.75 or $152.75, excluding service fees. Fans can buy tickets at www.stocktontickets.com, through a lottery system at the box office or by calling 866 373-7088.
The ticket price only includes seats for the concert; the floor is reserved for the city’s preconcert benefit gala. Gala tickets are being sold in groups of 10 for $5,000 to $10,000 by Buethe Public Relations, a Stockton firm organizing the event.
Fans who buy tickets at the box office, over the Internet or on the phone will have an equal chance of getting good seats, officials said. But Lark Ohta, the arena’s vice president for sales and marketing, also noted that the Internet will be the quickest way to buy tickets, as there are a limited number of box-office windows and phone lines. Ohta works for IFG-Stockton, which manages the arena.
The lottery system calls for officials to assign numbers to fans who gather at the box office between 8 and 9 a.m. There will be a random draw of numbers at 9:15 a.m. to determine the order of the line to the box office, which will open at 10 a.m.
Fans who arrive after 9 a.m. can buy tickets after those who participated in the lottery.
Officials expect the show to sell out. Ohta noted that because of safety concerns, the arena does not allow fans to take part in the concert tradition of sleeping out at the box office the night before tickets go on sale in hopes of getting the best seat.
Neil Diamond fan Beverly Kermgard, 62, of Lodi, said she thought the lottery system was fair.
“Everyone should have a fair chance at getting a good seat,” she said.
Contact reporter Ian Hill at 209 943-8571 or ihill@recordnet.com