Hundreds of Foo Fighters fans turned away from gig after ticketing 'shambles' at O2

Hundreds of Foo Fighters fans were turned away from the band's sold-out show at the O2 after a "shambolic" ticket mix-up.

Ticket-holders who could not present a photo ID matching their booking were barred from entering the Greenwich arena due to security. The venue said the arrangements were made at the request of the band.

It included fans who had paid more than £200 a ticket through the gig’s official resale partner StubHub and travelled hundreds of miles for last night’s one-off show.

Concert-goers said they not had not been made aware in advance of the restrictions.

Following a barrage of complaints the restrictions were later eased and fans without ID were allowed through the doors, but not before many had left the arena dejected and out of pocket.

Tori Rosenbaum, 23, said she bought four tickets at face value for £65 for her family before her changing work schedule meant she was unable to attend.

The film production worker, from Sutton, said: “My brother is absolutely heartbroken.

“They saw some 14-year-old girls getting turned away too and were left sitting on a bench sobbing their hearts out.

“I totally understand the thing of stamping out touting, but this is punishing actual fans and is so easily avoidable by saying bring a copy of the ID or card that bought the tickets, or their confirmation, or anything. It’s a shambles.

“It’s just not on, it’s not even the money that bothers me, it’s knowing that people are having their excitement crushed.”

Images posted on social media showed hundreds of people queuing outside the 20,000 capacity arena.

US band Foo Fighters were in London for a one-off arena gig to promote their latest album Concrete and Gold.

Paul Younger and his wife Alison had travelled from Suffolk and spent £420 on two tickets through official resale partner Stubhub only to be refused entry when they arrived at the O2.

The mechanic, who was later allowed into the concert, showed the Standard a picture of an email from StubHub which read: “It’s fine to see someone else’s name on the tickets.”

Niki McGrane, 45, went to the gig were her 19-year-old son Harvey but left the venue after being refused entry.

The HR director said: “They policy came out of the blue. My daughter bought tickets for me and my son but she couldn’t come because of work.

“They refused entry even though my son and daughter have the same surname and we had our own ID. We even got her on the phone but still no luck.

“The O2 customer service approach is to stonewall with ‘it’s not us it’s the band’.

“It’s left us feeling we will never go to the O2 again. We are huge Foo Fighters fans but we’re feeling very let down to be honest.”

An O2 spokesman said: “At the request of the band, all tickets are being verified for tonight’s show at The O2. All fans are required to show proof of ID. This does mean that some who have bought through secondary sites, including our partner Stubhub may not be able to see the show.

“Ticket buyers should contact their original point of purchase if they encounter issues.”

Foo Fighters’ representatives have been contacted from comment.

A spokesman for StubHub today said ticket-holders denied entry would be eligible for refunds, adding that the strict ID policy was ‘not fair to customers’.

He said: “The problem with putting restrictions on tickets is that there are often unintended consequences.

“Many fans will receive tickets as gifts, will have a change of plans, or will want to enter the venue separately from the lead booker, and these restrictions mean that they can be denied entry. This is simply not fair for consumers.”