The report on MCD’s management of the Barbra Streisand concert in Celbridge is now available for reading here.

As the promoters of the event MCD have to bear most of the responsibility for what happened on site on the night.

The committee recommends that:

1. MCD make restitution to those complainants who had to stand or chose to stand and did not have seats. This should be in the form of a full refund.

2. The complainants who ended up in seats which were not their original seats and were in a price tier below the one they had tickets for, should be considered for compensation. These people will be compensated the price difference incurred; e.g. people with €551.75 seats who ended up in a €270.75 seat will receive a €281 refund and people with €270.75 seats who ended up in a €193.50 seat will receive a €77.25 refund etc.

3. For the other complainants who experienced difficulties on site e.g. car parking, disruption, people standing in front of them and similar experiences, MCD should consider some form of compensation in terms of vouchers for future shows. €100 Vouchers will be the maximum amount given and they will be non-transferrable. This should only apply where it is considered that MCD had some responsibility. To land all the responsibility on MCD for the weather and traffic issues would be unfair and in our view unsustainable.

Almost 2,500 concert goers will be compensated, according to MCD.

There is no mention in the report of the fact that stewards told exasperated people to sit in any empty seats that they could find, something which I personally witnessed a number of times in the chaos. This explains why so many people were stubborn enough to refuse to give up seats when the rightful ticket holders arrived.

As I am going to be offered compensation for my ruined concert experience in the form of vouchers for other MCD concerts, I am going to take the advice of the National Consumer Agency and decline it, and take action in the Small Claims Court:

…the NCA would advise patrons that, if they do not wish to accept the compensation now on offer from MCD, they are entitled to refuse it and to take action against the company in the Small Claims Court. Similarly, patrons who are not being offered any compensation may have grounds for action in the Small Claims Court.

Anyone who was at the concert is welcome to comment here.