Tickets for The Weeknd's July 19 concert at Commonwealth Stadium included a $1.50 surcharge from Edmonton Transit Service that was aimed at simplifying fare enforcement and encouraging people to use LRT rather than drive.
The surcharge, which is less than a standard transit fare, will appear on more tickets for big-name shows in the future, Sarah Feldman, the director of transit planning, ridership, and revenue for the City of Edmonton, told Taproot.
"(Concertgoers) don't have to think about buying a transit ticket at all — it's included in their ticket fee," Feldman said. "That convenience factor … becomes a popular way to use (and) a way to promote transit."
The 54,200 tickets sold for The Weeknd's concert received the surcharge for the first time. City council approved the surcharge following the Implementation of Transit Revenue Actions report last summer, Feldman said.
The ticket sales posted by the city would net $81,300, but ETS did not provide Taproot with final revenue figures during an interview. The organization also did not project an increase in ridership directly related to the surcharge.
An ETS ticket is $3.75 with cash or $3 with an ARC Card for adults, meaning the $1.50 charge is less than half a cash fare, or exactly half an adult ARC fare.
Why undercut standard fares for The Weeknd show?
"Historically, around half of all the people who go to (Commonwealth Stadium) events do take transit," Feldman said. "It's a huge number, so there's lots of people who benefit from it, but we're able to price it that way because everyone contributes."
Feldman added that the surcharge simplifies enforcement. "This kind of removes that challenge we had about having the Transit Peace Officers check fares for everyone for a concert and lets them focus on other duties."
ETS did not track how many riders used their concert tickets as a fare other than by using Transit Peace Officers to check for concert tickets as proof of fare, at the discretion of officers, Feldman said.
The estimated 54,200 people who attended The Weeknd's concert at Commonwealth Stadium on July 19 each paid a $1.50 ticket surcharge in exchange for round-trip transit to the event, though it's not known how many took advantage of the perk. Edmonton Transit Service will next have the surcharge for the Morgan Wallen concerts at the stadium on Sept. 12 and 13. (Supplied)
Concert attendees at Commonwealth Stadium have complained about both parking and LRT access. At The Weeknd event, one called the train a "clown car". Meanwhile, during the Metallica concert last August, residents of neighbourhoods near the stadium were effectively blocked in by motorists seeking parking. One noted ambulances struggled to access the neighbourhood
Feldman said transit is an important option for Edmontonians, especially for events at this scale.
"I think it matters to do this for lots of reasons," Feldman said. "Of course, the most important is reducing traffic congestion, (but there's also) reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting our goals around climate, and also social inclusion."
ETS will next use its ticket-surcharge system for the Morgan Wallen concerts on Sept. 12 and 13 at Commonwealth.
The city's transit system also offers transit incentives for Edmonton Elks games at Commonwealth, including free train access for two hours before and after games.