The British and Irish Lions squad announcement will take place in London next week with fans able to watch the big reveal live in person – but they will need to be prepared to pay a hefty price
Rugby fans will have to dig deep into their wallets to attend the upcoming British and Irish Lions squad unveiling in person.
The announcement of the touring party will take place before a live crowd at Indigo, located within the O2 Arena complex in London. The team captain will be revealed as well, with head coach Andy Farrell aiming to steer the Lions toward a triumphant campaign in Australia this summer.
Members of the Lions Rugby Club were granted early access to ticket sales when they initially became available earlier this month. A lottery was used to distribute the remaining tickets, but a significant number are still up for grabs via official ticket seller AXS.
Due to the high prices, fans will need to spend generously to reserve a spot. On the AXS website, seated floor admission to the squad announcement carries a hefty price tag of £53.59 – more than double the price of the cheapest seats to watch England face off against Six Nations titleholders France at Twickenham in June.
In addition to the base cost, each ticket purchase includes several extra charges: a £2.50 transaction fee, a £2.50 venue fee, and a £6.60 booking surcharge, all applied per ticket instead of per order.
This brings the final cost of a single seated floor ticket to £65.19. Buying two tickets raises the total to a staggering £127.88, since the added fees are duplicated for each seat.
Golden Circle floor seating is listed at £59.10, and remaining seats in the balcony section are available starting from £42.40. These figures don’t include the aforementioned service charges, which further inflate the overall price.
With Indigo capable of hosting more than 2,000 attendees, and plenty of tickets still on sale, it’s possible that many seats will remain unclaimed.
The squad reveal will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and include guest appearances, along with real-time reactions from players in both the Premiership Rugby and United Rugby Championship leagues.
In an official statement, Lions CEO Ben Calveley said: “Taking place at Indigo in The O2, this will be our biggest and most special squad announcement yet.
“We are absolutely delighted to see record numbers of fans already travelling to Australia this summer as the Sea of Red unites for the first time since 2017.
“We also know there are millions of fans at home who also want to be brought closer to the action, and this unique event gives them the chance to do that.
“Both at home and on tour, our Lions supporters are hugely important to us. And as always, their energy and passion will be vital in helping us attempt to win a Test series against the Wallabies this summer.”
