Ed Sheeran at the Stade de France: the artist gives a flawless performance with the help of an ultra-secure digital ticketing system

Ed Sheeran triumphs at the Stade de France and protects his fans from the black market and fake tickets thanks to the TIXNGO app

Ed Sheeran returned to France for two sell-out nights at the Stade de France on 29 and 30 July 2022 as part of his world tour. During the concerts, 176,000 fans had the pleasure of seeing the artist perform in the iconic and world-renowned arena. This is also the first time that the TIXNGO secure mobile ticketing solution has been used on a large scale for a concert in France to fight the black market.

The 'Shape of You' singer and his management team have long advocated for better fan protection against fake tickets and the black market. When they asked for all tickets for the Paris concerts to be secure and digital, the Stade de France called on SECUTIX, its long-standing ticketing technology partner, who recommended its secure mobile ticketing system TIXNGO.

As a result, tickets were sold only in the form of digital tickets. There was no paper option. Accessible via a Stade de France mobile application (managed by TIXNGO as a white label), the solution has successfully fought against the counterfeiting of tickets that Ed Sheeran's French tours had suffered from in the past.

The entire process of ticket sales to see the artist was fully digitised and secured. The ticket holder's mobile phone number was provided as soon as the ticket was purchased and was then used to verify their identity when the tickets became available in the mobile app. People who bought tickets for friends or family members were able to transfer them easily and quickly via the app itself, using their email address. Stade de France also used the app to communicate officially with ticket holders through notifications and emails. A few days before the concert, the tickets were injected into the system and fans were able to download them safely via the app's wallet. A total of 176,000 mobile tickets were issued via the Stade de France app across the two evenings.

Commenting on the success of this ticketing system, David Rothschild, Production Manager for Olympia Production, said: "For too long, music fans have been exploited by resellers and secondary sites. Ed Sheeran wants to make sure his fans pay the fair price and don't get ripped off. Now, the technology is available to really tackle this head on and I encourage more venues and promoters of concerts and festivals to really consider using it. The success of Ed Sheeran's latest concerts at the Stade de France proves that it is possible to set up a safer and fairer system for buying and selling tickets for spectators."

Marie Chalhoub, director of concert programming and ticketing at the Stade de France, explains: "Through this unique project, the Stade de France is once again demonstrating its ability to innovate in order to secure the ticketing of events. Conducting such a project on the scale of the stadium is a great first in France and a challenge that we are happy to have taken on alongside Ed Sheeran, Olympia Productions, and SECUTIX."

Christian Binelli, Chief Operating Officer of SECUTIX, adds: "Our secure mobile wallet is incredibly effective in fighting the black market. There was no problem with counterfeit tickets during the two evenings, entrance to the stadium went smoothly and the reactions of the spectators were extremely positive regarding the ease of use of mobile tickets. We are delighted that the solution has enabled Ed Sheeran fans to enjoy a safe, fast and transparent ticketing experience."

The TIXNGO application is an effective tool to combat fraud and counterfeit tickets because it leverages the encryption and security of blockchain technology. It creates a unique, encrypted and fully traceable ticket for each smartphone. The digital ticket also generates a dynamic QR code on the day of the concert that changes frequently and cannot be captured or sold on.

TIXNGO also uses artificial intelligence to analyse ticketing data, tracking all ticket transfers in real time and detecting any suspicious behaviour of ticket holders that could be fraudulent. A ticket injected into the system can be cancelled at any time by the event organisers if required.

Other protective measures put in place by the Stade de France for the concerts of the English artist included limiting the number of tickets purchased to six tickets per transaction and the fact that each mobile phone could only be used for one ticket at a time. The only exception to this rule concerned tickets for minors, which could be attached to the buyer's telephone. Finally, the resale of tickets for these concerts was only possible through the Stade de France customer service.

The TIXNGO solution has been integrated into the Stade de France's digital ecosystem, including S-360, SECUTIX's ticketing platform. Thanks to S-360 – an open platform that can be easily integrated into different sales channels - all tickets sold by Ed Sheeran's main tour partners were dispatched to ticket holders' phones within the Stade de France app.

Ends

Editors notes

SECUTIX is the market leader in advanced digital solutions for the events industry. Offering a seamlessly integrated and open cloud platform, SECUTIX gives organisations complete control and a suite of tools to better understand and digitally engage with audiences, monetise products and services, secure operations and take audience experiences to the next level.

SECUTIX serves a range of organisations on a global scale, including sport clubs, stadiums and arenas, museums, live entertainment organisations, leisure parks and festivals. Its emblematic customers include the UEFA, Opéra National de Paris, Centre Pompidou, Paléo Festival, Musée Picasso Paris and many more.

The SECUTIX suite of industry-leading solutions includes S-360, TIXNGO and Oxynade.

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