Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Big Dome and TicketNet Level Up: “Skip The Line, Go Online!”

June 24, 2012

"TicketNet Online makes it easier for me to enjoy all the upcoming Big Shows at the Big Dome…”  When I read this statement while surfing the Net, I got excited with the news.   But let's hold that thought for a while, and back track a little bit.   

People who read my blog know that I am an avid concert watcher.  I could even say that going to concerts is my one biggest vice in life.  Ever since that first Air Supply concert I attended at the Folk Arts Theater way back 19?? (I don't remember), I really try to go out of my way (and budget) to watch concerts of MOST (if not ALL) the major foreign pop music artists who visit Manila.   Now in the recent years, there have been MULTIPLE foreign acts, both current and nostalgia, visiting our fair city every MONTH, it is really very exciting for a concert fan like me!

My favorite concert venue has always been the Araneta Coliseum (now called theSMART-Araneta Coliseum). The acoustics under that 108-meter-diameter dome remain to be excellent after all these years since it finished construction in 1959. And that clear live concert sound is heard beautifully ANYWHERE inside its concert hall -- from the Patron seats all the way up to General Admission!  Up to now, it still remains to be an important architectural landmark being one of the largest indoor facilities in ASIAand one of the largest clear span domes in the WORLD.

Not content to just bask in its glorious past, right now, the Big Dome is undergoing what it calls an EXTREME TRANSFORMATION.  We can clearly see this transformation starting now with construction of a parking building connected to the coliseum, as well as the major renovations on the Green Gate which is expected to have a grand facade.  There are also expected to be new flooring, lighting, ceilings and seats.  It promises to be a haven, not only for the audience, but also for the artist performing as well.  All of this development is really very exciting! The photo below gives us an idea of how it will all look when this massive renovation project is done.

Some of the best concerts I had ever experienced had been held inside the Big Dome:Duran Duran (their first), Alanis MorrissetteAndrea BocelliAlicia KeysLady GaGa (her first - MY REVIEW), Basia (her second - MY REVIEW), Tears for Fears (their first - MY REVIEW), Stone Temple Pilots (MY REVIEW), Bruno Mars (MY REVIEW), and so many more.

Buying the concert tickets can be one big problem though.  I do not live near Cubao, so going to buy tickets directly at the Box Office was, and is, not always easy to do.  The innovation of having remote TicketNet ticket sellers in the department store of the malls was really one big help.  But this year, as the Smart-Araneta Coliseum itself undergoes major physical renovations, it also provides us another timely ticket-selling innovation.  

Yes!  We can now buy tickets ONLINE!

My worst ticket-buying nightmare experiences would now be things of the past.  I cannot forget standing in that very long line on the first day that Taylor Swift (MY REVIEW) tickets went on sale, only to have the girl in front of me buy the last four Upper Box A tickets that I wanted!  Or that first Maroon 5 (MY REVIEW) concert when you simply cannot find tickets anywhere, so I had to rack my brains and imaginatively resort to unexpected "connections" in order to score those elusive tickets!

The Smart-Araneta Coliseum will again host some pretty big concerts in the coming months. July brings us David Cook (his second time in Manila, first at the Big Dome) and Sarah Geronimo (her nth concert here and her last?).  August will give us theSmashing PumpkinsSnow Patrol (!) and Tears for Fears (their second) nearly one after the other.   We will see  Maroon 5 again in September for their third Manila gig, and I hear the tickets to that one are already selling out fast. 

READY TO BUY TICKETS NOW?  Check out this link:  http://www.ticketnet.com.ph/2006/event.php?t=all The links on the upper part of the page is for Ticket Reservations only.  But if you want to buy already, scroll down to the bottom half where you see links labelled "ORDER TICKETS NOW".  Click that link beside the show you like, and proceed.  You can review the seating plan first, then choose which section you like if you are buying reserved seats.  When you are sure already, you can click "CONTINUE" then enter your credit card and billing data to complete your purchase.  Once the transaction is successful, you can simply print the tickets out right where you are!

This is just so convenient, and in all the comfort and safety of wherever you are now.  All you need is to log on, fill out the form and print out the tickets. Simple as 1-2-3!  Indeed, TicketNet Online makes it easier for us to enjoy all the upcoming Big Shows at the Big Dome.

 “Skip The Line, Go Online!”

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