MONTREAL – Tickets to see former U.S. president Barack Obama in Montreal went like hot cakes over the weekend.
Now, it seems that resellers are also trying to cash in, seeking up to $568 (US$417) per ticket.
The June 6 event is organized by the Montreal Board of Trade, which secured the presence of the ex-president for a speech at the Palais des congres convention centre.
Members of the board were able to buy tickets Friday and tickets were made available to the public on Saturday, ranging in price from $57 to $373.
The tickets that remained following the pre-sale sold out in 15 minutes.
There was a limit of 10 tickets per person for those who bought it during the public sale, but the board did not disclose how many tickets its members could buy.
Since then, tickets have appeared on online resale sites such as Stubhub, which indicated on Monday it had 43 tickets for sale.
In Montreal, where hockey and concert tickets are often resold, is testament to the popularity of Obama.
Other tickets were also available on Kijiji, where one individual had 26 tickets up for grabs with the asking price ranging between $375 and $500.
Another did not disclose the price, waiting to see the best offer they’d receive.
Other users were asking for tickets, which is Obama’s first address on Canadian soil since leaving the White House earlier this year.
He last came to Canada for a state visit in Ottawa in June 2016.
The board says it’s not concerned about the resale of tickets, but is keeping an eye on the situation.
