All three Bruno Mars concerts were sold out within about an hour of tickets going on sale Monday, the first time three Blaisdell Arena concerts have been sold out on the first day in promoter Tom Moffatt’s 50 years of bringing acts to Hawaii.
"It’s the biggest one-day, three-show sale in the history of the building," Moffatt said Monday afternoon after an estimated 17,000 tickets were sold at the Blaisdell box office and through Ticketmaster — online, by phone or at Walmart outlets.
Tickets for the April 18 and 19 shows went on sale at 9 a.m. and, despite an eight-ticket-per-person limit, were gone by 9:30 a.m., said Tracy Kubota, deputy director of the city Department of Enterprise Services. A third show, scheduled for April 21, was announced at 10 a.m. "because of unprecedented demand," Moffatt said. Most of those tickets were snapped up in a half-hour, and shortly after 11 a.m. all were gone, Kubota said.
There is hope, however, for fans who didn’t get the tickets they wanted Monday.
An unknown number of additional tickets from each night, set aside for production purposes, could be made available after show organizers arrive here and determine whether the seats are needed for the show or can be released for sale, Moffatt said.
There’s also a chance additional shows might be added, if both Mars’ management crew and Blaisdell staff can make it work. "We’re discussing it right now," Moffatt said, "but I can’t promise anything."
About 500 people hoping to get tickets at the Blaisdell box office Monday morning were given tokens beginning at about 8 a.m., Kubota said. A token distribution policy is typically used when more than 100 people are expected in line, Kubota said. No one is allowed to camp overnight for tickets at Blaisdell, and a line was not allowed to form until about 7 a.m., she said.
Initially, Kailani Akana was the 242nd person in the line, but because of the random token system, she was boosted to the head of the line.
"I am really excited," said Akana, who had been waiting since 6 a.m.
Akana said Peter Hernandez — now known as Bruno Mars — was a classmate at Stevenson Intermediate School. She said he was always "very motivated" as well as talented.
The tickets went on sale for Mars’ Moonshine Jungle World Tour a day after his Super Bowl halftime performance. Prices were $99.50 for floor seats in the arena, $84.50 and $69.50 in other sections.
Kevin Haina, who arrived at 5:45 a.m., said "the halftime show was better than the game."
"Bruno scored more points than the Super Bowl," Haina said of the blowout win by the Seattle Seahawks over the Denver Broncos.
Haina said his wife attended school with Mars’ mother, Bernadette Hernandez, who died last year.