Can I Still Buy Tickets to the Games?

Were you unlucky in the Olympic ticket lotto?  Don’t worry, if you don’t care what you see, anything will do to get  you into an event for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, there are still plenty of affordable seats available for late comers.

Check with the official Olympic ticket site  for events such as women’s preliminary hockey, some nightly victory celebrations featuring musicians such as Billy Talent and the Stereophonics.  There are also tickets available for various sports in Whistler however Vancouver residents or those who live outside the Sea to Sky corridor won’t be able to purchase any of them.  Olympic bus service to the alpine venues as been filled up, so tickets are now only available at the Whistler Main Ticket Centre or event venues.  And if you can’t prove you either live or have secured rental accommodation there, yo won’t be able to buy a ticket.

Scores of tickets to dozens of events from curling, short track speed skating, hockey and freestyle skiing are being resold on the VANOC-approved “fare to fare market place” website.  Prices range from $155 fro men’s ski jump qualifier to $45,000 for two tickets to the opening ceremonies.

Remember, if you buy or sell from this site you must include VANOC’s 20% purchase fee, which is split between the buyer and seller.  If  you pick up your tickets at Robson Square expect lineups.  Transit is free to ticket holders on days of events.

You can also buy tickets on Craig’s List and other unofficial sites, from $125  for men’s luge events to $6,900 for the men’s gold medal hockey game.  However, buyer beware! when purchasing tickets anywhere other than the official Games outlets.

According to VANOC, tickets may still be available for the opening ceremonies.  They will know after the rehearsal this Thursday how much space they have.